Mat 19:1 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan; 2 And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there. 3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
When the Lord moved across the border closer to the home base of the enemy, He was highly successful in ministry. Great multitudes came to Him and He had liberty in dealing with them.
But the Pharisees would not let Jesus have unfettered access to those whom they controlled. It was in here Judea that Jesus would raise Lazarus from the dead, cleanse the temple, teach in its courts, and confront their leadership. In other words, He was now on their turf and finding success.
While He was out in the country, preaching to the bumpkins, that was one thing. But now He was effectively working in their back yard. So they attacked.
You know, as long as we are tucked away in our churches preaching and praising, we aren't much of a threat to the devil's dark kingdom. But once we take the message to the street or the school or the factory, we invade his domain and you can bet he will put up a fight.
Satan loses little ground while we are huddled away in the confines of our churches. If a person responds to an altar call to make a decision for Christ, Slew-foot may get a little concerned. Once that same penitent gets serious about his commitment on the job or at the gym, that's where diablo gets a black eye. So, he puts up a fight.
Question: Are we up to the task of taking it to the streets, knowing that, there, we will meet great opposition? Or are we content to have our little experiences in church as long as we can keep them confined to that safe haven of believers?
Consider this; relate the ministry to a football game. Church is just the huddle; the streets are where the game is played. Go Team!
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