Matthew 7:6
6“Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Focused Thinking:
This appears to be an abrupt change of direction, but Jesus isn’t changing direction, He is simply illustrating His point.
Don’t entrust holy things to unholy people.
The dogs He refers to were scavenger dogs.
The pigs were considered unclean animals.
What is he saying?
The “dogs” and “pigs” are unholy or unclean people treat the gospel with scorn or contempt.
Do not give “what is holy/sacred” (consecrated food for the priests and their families) to scavenger dogs. In the same way it would be crazy to gives pearls to pigs.
In Matt 13:45–46, the kingdom of heaven is compared to a pearl of great value. Jesus is explaining the futility of teaching the gospel to people who do not want to listen, such people will only tear apart what we say.
Pigs do not realize the value of pearls; all they know is that they cannot eat them, so they spit them out and trample them into the mud.
Some people are so far gone that they cannot grasp the value of the gospel; therefore, they scorn it and cast it away.
There is a difference between normal resistance to the gospel message; but we need to be cautious when our witness provokes anger, slander, or ridicule.
Unholy people (dogs and pigs) have hardened their hearts and judged themselves with their choices.
John 3:16–21
16“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20“For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21“But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
Personal Application:
We must be discerning with the gospel.
We must be realistic with the gospel.
All resistance can be broken.
Some resisters choose not to be broken.
We must apply the principle of being received or of shaking the dust off our feet in Luke 10 when Jesus sends the seventy out.
We must find out where God is at work and join Him.
Don’t waste our time working where people are rejecting.
Questions we need to answer as a team:
Where is God working in Memphis?
Who is receptive to the gospel?
Who is resistant to the gospel?
Who is hungry to grow spiritually?
Who is resistant to spiritual growth?
Interactive Prayer:
Father, give us favor with specific groups of people. Give us the ability to see where You are at work and to join You. Give us the in-roads to specific people groups. Give us the ability to be light in dark places in this city. Give us favor with prodigals. Give us favor with the imperfect. Give us favor with Celebrate Recovery. Give us the ability to reach people and as well as free people from their addictions. Give us favor with single parents. Give us the ability to help them find Christ and to be a husband to the husbandless and to be a father to the fatherless. Give us favor with helping people build strong marriages and families as well as rescuing broken marriages and families. Give us the favor in reaching a new generation and mobilizing them to be followers of Christ instead of bored church attendees. Father, give us favor with Overton High School. Give us the ability to reach the African American community. Give us the ability to point to Christ, help them grow in Christ, and reach their family and friends for Christ. Father, give us the people who are gateways to people groups. Give us people who open the doors to specific missions and ministries. Give us the ability to be a church that lives on mission. Give us the heart to define ourselves by mission. Give us the joy of serving You and others.
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