I. Introduction
A. We live in a small town where we have a volunteer Ambulance Corp. We are blessed with many dedicated and fully qualified attendants, who staff our ambulances and give freely of themselves. I was chatting with one of the EMS responders one day and she could hardly stifle a chuckle, so I asked her what was so funny and she told me this story...
1. It seems that she had gone to an automobile accident and was checking a patient who was lying on the road for injuries. As she knelt beside him and probed him, she asked, "Does this hurt or does that hurt?" After each probe, he replied, "No." When she had nearly completed her examination, she shifted to a better spot from which to finish the examination when after one of her probing questions, he exclaimed very loudly, "That hurts!"
2. When she asked where, he looked up at her with a look of real pain on his face and said, "Your kneeling on my fingers!"
B. We are continuing to examine the passage here that we started last Sunday
1. Jesus in His instructions to His Apostles brought up these things
a. Christ said three times, "Fear not" in verse 26, 28, 31
b. He was encouraging His disciples not to fear persecution
c. They must expect persecution, for He Himself was persecuted
C. This section of Scripture may be out lined like this
1. First, there is the fact of persecution (v.24-25).
2. Then we are admonished not fear persecutors (v.26-27)
3. Then do not fear men who kill the body (v.28)
4. Then do not fear, for God cares, supremely so (v.29-31)
5. And the conclusion to all this is loyalty is essential (v.32-33)
a. We turn again to Matthew 10:28
II. Body
A. Do not fear mortal men who can only maim and kill the body
Matthew 10:28 (NKJV)
"And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
1. This little bit of humor comes from Dr. George Sweeting, at one time, President of Moody Bible Institute: Dr. Sweeting tells of the day he noticed an unusual combination of bumper stickers on the car of a man who was visiting the school. The coincidental message conveyed by the two stickers prompted Dr. Sweeting to suggest to the unsuspecting visitor that he might want to remove one of them. One read: JESUS IS COMING! and the other: ESCAPE TO WISCONSIN. What no wrath in Wisconsin?
a. Turn to 2 Timothy 4:2
2. We are to be too busy to worry about people who can only kill the body
2 Timothy 4:2 (NKJV)
Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
3. The second word of encouragement is this: do not fear men who kill the body.
a. We are not to fear humans, but to fear God
(1) Turn to 2 Corinthians 5:8
b. The reason is simple and understandable: men can kill only the body; God can destroy both body and soul "in hell"
c. There are several reasons why men are not to be feared
(1) Men can kill only the body, not the soul
(a) Their power is limited and they can go no further
(b) They cannot touch a person's soul, a person's real being
(2) Men can only send us out of this world, not out of heaven
2 Corinthians 5:8 (NKJV)
We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord
(a) Turn to Philippians 1:23
Philippians 1:23 (NKJV)
For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
d. Men can only separate us from this world, not from life
(1) We have eternal life; death, that is not the second death, is not part of the experience of the believer
(a) Turn to Hebrews 9:27
Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV)
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
(2) The believer does not taste death
(a) Turn to Hebrews 2:9
(b) Christ tasted, that is, experienced death for the believer
i) The believer has already passed from death to life and is in the process of living forever
Hebrews 2:9 (NKJV)
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.
ii) He is merely transferred from this world, the physical dimension of being, into the next world, the heavenly or spiritual dimension of being
e. Men can only cut us off from worldly men and the earthly redeemed, not from the love of God and the saints in glory
(1) Turn to Romans 8:35
Romans 8:35 (NKJV)
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
4. Think about this: Fearing men causes
a. A Christian to become disturbed within heart and mind: the loss of peace
b. It causes a person to lose his fervor and his sense of commitment
c. It causes a person to be sidetracked and to give up what he knows to be God's will: the loss of mission and meaning and purpose
5. There are two primary reasons why we should not fear men and persecution
a. God has given us a great and glorious cause: to reach men for Christ
(1) Very practically, some men do not want to be reached; therefore they rebel and react and become our persecutors
(2) But some will want to be saved
(a) The fact that they are saved to live forever is so glorious that it is worth whatever suffering we have to bear
i) Now lets turn to Matthew 10:26 - 27
b. God has given us a great hope
Matthew 10:26-27 (NKJV)
Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. {27} "Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.
c. There is a remedy to keep us from fearing men: God
(1) Turn to Luke 16:19 - 25
(2) God is to be feared
(3) God can destroy us, both body and soul, and put both "in hell"
(a) the word "destroy" does not mean that our body and soul would cease to exist, but that they would live a worthless existence-be ruined and suffer in ruin forever
Luke 16:19-25 (NKJV)
"There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. {20} But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, {21} desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. {22} So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. {23} And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. {24} Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.' {25} But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.
(b) Take note of Jesus words concerning the end of the rich man
d. Now, Christ was speaking to Christians in Matthew 10:28
(1) God is to be feared much more and much sooner than men
(2) The terror of men pales into insignificance in comparison to God's terror
(3) Imagine this one fact alone: man's terror is but for a short time, but God's terror is forever
(a) It never ends
(b) The point is clear: before caving in to man's persecution, we need to remember the "fear of God"
(4) The destruction of the soul comes from God, not from man
(a) The power to destroy the soul is God's power alone
(b) How fearful we need to be of God, even we who are believers
(5) To destroy both body and soul in hell does not mean that a person would cease to exist, but that he would live a worthless existence
(a) It means the loss of a person's well being, not his being
(b) It means that he would suffer waste and ruin forever and ever
i) Lets turn to Matthew 10:29 - 31
B. The next word of encouragement is this: do not fear, for God care
Matthew 10:29-31 (NKJV)
Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. {30} But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. {31} Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
1. Christ is clear: if God cares for the common sparrow, how much more He cares for man
a. Turn to 1 Peter 5:7 (NKJV)
b. He cares for every event, every detail, even the most minute matter in a man's life
c. Therefore, there is no need to fear.
1 Peter 5:7 (NKJV)
casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
2. There is something very precious here, yet there is a revelation of power as well
a. There is a preciousness in the thought that every sparrow, no matter how common or forgotten or ignored, is very dear to God
b. There is power and care in that God knows every single sparrow on the earth. Not a single sparrow falls that He is unaware of
c. The idea is that the injury to the sparrow causes pain and hurt which He feels
3. Christ is pointing Some precious facts
a. First, God's providence
(1) God sees, knows, cares and oversees all the events and happenings on earth, just as He knows all about the little sparrow that is so common and forgotten
(2) God's knowledge (omniscience)
(a) God knows every little happening and all that is, even to the most minute detail
(b) He knows when a single sparrow falls to the ground
(c) He knows every hair of a person's head, even the number of every hair
i) We have the hair on our head and we don’t know how many there are
ii) Some of us only know that the hair is getting a little thin on top
iii) But God knows exactly how many there are
(3) God's power (omnipotence):
(a) God is able to control the persecution and events that happen to the believer, no matter how detailed and minute
(b) He can control and work them out for good to such an extent that there is no need for the believer to fear
i) Turn to 1 Peter 5:7
(4) God's love and care:
(a) God cares about every hurt inflicted upon the believer by persecutors, even to the most minute injury and hurt
(b) The believer is not to fear but to put His trust in the love and care of God
1 Peter 5:7 (NKJV)
casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
(5) God's purpose:
(a) Turn to Romans 8:28
(b) God is able to take all the injuries and pain inflicted by the sin and shame of men and work it all out for the good of the believer
Romans 8:28 (NKJV)
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
(c) He is able to give purpose, meaning and significance to it all
(d) Therefore the believer is not to fear
i) Turn to Galatians 4:5-6
4. The believer is of much more value than many sparrows, for he is God's adopted son
Galatians 4:5-6 (NKJV)
to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. {6} And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!"
a. Just as God has His eye on the sparrow, He has His watchful eye on His "dear children"
(1) Lets look at Matthew 10:32 - 33
C. The conclusion is that loyalty is essential
Matthew 10:32-33 (NKJV)
"Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. {33} "But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
1. Please note the context of these verses,
a. Turn to Mark 8:38
b. Christ is talking about confessing Him in the most difficult moment imaginable, while being persecuted
c. We may be called upon to confess Christ by those who reproach, sneer, mock, curse, question, slander, abuse, and avoid us because of our witness for Christ.
Mark 8:38 (NKJV)
"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."
(1) Now turn to 1 John 2:22-23
1 John 2:22-23 (NKJV)
Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. {23} Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
(2) There is a double confession
(a) Our confession of Christ before men
(b) And the Lord's confession of us before His Father
(3) There is a double day of glory
(a) The Lord's day of glory when He hears us confess His name before men
(b) And our day of glory when we hear Him confess our name before His Father
(4) There is a double privilege
(a) Our privilege in confessing the Lord before men
(b) And our privilege of being confessed by the Lord before His Father
2. Christ can be denied in three ways:
a. We can deny Christ by word
(1) Our words either confess or deny Christ
(2) Our ordinary conversation either witnesses for Christ and righteousness or for evil and unrighteousness
(3) Our words either confess or deny that Christ is our Lord
b. We can deny Christ by act
(1) How we behave either confesses or denies Christ
(2) We are not to be conformed to the world, but transformed by the renewing of our mind
c. We can deny Christ by silence
(1) Failing to speak up for Christ to protest evil denies Christ
(2) Silence is probably the greatest denial of Christ committed by believers
(3) Because there is a day coming when we will need Christ to confess us before God
3. Because Christ has already foretold what He will do if we deny Him:
a. He will deny us
b. He will tell the truth
c. He never knew us
