Important Instructions from Jesus Our King (Part 3)
The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew 10:24-33
Sermon by Rick Crandall
(Prepared February 8, 2022)
MESSAGE:
*Please open your Bibles to Matthew 10:24. In this chapter, Jesus was about to send His Apostles out to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The Lord commanded them to preach that the kingdom of Heaven was at hand. And to confirm this vital message, Jesus gave the Apostles the power to perform mighty miracles in His name. In Matthew 10:8 Jesus told them, "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give."
*This was their mission, but the Lord also filled this chapter with important instructions that still apply to His followers today.
1. FIRST: STRIVE TO BE LIKE OUR SAVIOR.
*This should be our greatest goal in life: To be more like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As the Lord said in vs. 24-25, "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. . ."
[1] HOW CAN WE BE MORE LIKE JESUS? ONE WAY IS TO SERVE LIKE JESUS SERVED.
*Over in Matthew 20:26-28 Jesus said this to His followers:
26. . . "Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.
27. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave
28. just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.''
*Jesus Christ is Lord of all! But He came to earth with a servant heart. And He wants us to have a heart like His, so again in vs. 25 Jesus said, "It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master."
*God designed the Christian life to be a life of serving the Lord with good works. Paul put it this way in Ephesians 2:8-10: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."
[2] IF WE ARE GOING TO BE LIKE JESUS, WE SHOULD SERVE LIKE JESUS SERVED. WE MAY ALSO BE ASKED TO SHARE IN HIS SUFFERING.
*This is why Jesus gave this warning in the last part of vs. 25, "If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub." (Beelzebub was one of the names for Satan, the prince of the evil spirits.) "If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!"
*The world's hatred for Jesus spills over to His followers, so William Barclay said, "We not only share His glory but His agony too." (1)
*We see this kind of suffering in the Book of Acts, when Saul did everything he could to persecute the church. Then Jesus appeared to Saul on the Damascus Road to save him and transform him into the Apostle Paul. And when the Lord appeared to Saul in Acts 9:4, Jesus did not say, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting My church." No. Jesus asked, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"
*Christians: When we suffer for Jesus Christ, the Lord takes our suffering as His own. We truly are sharing in His suffering. So, years later when Paul wrote to the Christians in Colosse, he said, "I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for His body, the church." (Colossians 1:24 NLT)
*If you are like me, you would have to say, "I'm not even close to that kind of wisdom, love, and commitment." But God will help us, and Jesus wants us to strive to be more like our Savior.
2. CHURCH: HE ALSO WANTS US TO FOCUS ON FEARING THE LORD.
*Jesus talked about two kinds of fear in vs. 25-28, and here He said:
25. "It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!
26. 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.
28. 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."
*The Lord tells us not to be afraid of the persecutors, because they can only hurt us for a while. But there is a proper kind of fear, and that is a holy and reverent fear toward God. This is the kind of fear we need, because our God is not a fuzzy, fluffy teddy bear.
*Yes, God is compassionate, kind, and merciful, but at the same time He is the holy, sovereign, Almighty God of the whole universe! God is not to be treated lightly. Hebrews 12:28-29 gives this caution to believers, "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire."
*No wonder we should have holy reverence for God. But godly fear is the great missing ingredient in American society today. That's why so many people mock God. But we must not mock God. Rather, we should humble ourselves before God and exalt Him in the highest.
*But isn't God our friend? The answer is yes! God is the Best Friend we will ever have! In John 15:13, Jesus said, "Greater love has no man than this, that He lay down His life for His friends." And this is exactly what Jesus did for us when He died on the cross.
*But in the Old Testament, the man best known as the Friend of God was Abraham. And in Genesis 22:12, when Abraham had that knife raised to sacrifice his son Isaac, God said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; FOR NOW I KNOW THAT YOU FEAR GOD, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."
*Abraham feared the Lord. And we could say, well that was in the Old Testament. But here in vs. 28, Jesus was warning His disciples coming persecution. Jesus could see into the future, and He knew how they were going to suffer. He could see every blow, every cut, every bruise, every tear they would cry. They had reason to be afraid of their persecutors. But in vs. 28, Jesus said, "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."
*The fear of the Lord is a good thing. It doesn't crush our spirit. It puts us on the right path in life. It doesn't hurt us. It helps us. Godly fear doesn't blot out the mercy of God. It helps us see our great need for His mercy.
*We sing: "Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!" But the second verse of that song says, "T'was grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed." (2)
*God deserves all of our reverence and our respect. So, Jesus wants us to keep focused on fearing the Lord.
3. HE ALSO WANTS US TO BE ENCOURAGED BY HOW MUCH GOD TREASURES OUR LIVES.
*This is the Lord's instruction for us in vs. 29-31, where Jesus said:
29. "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."
*How much is your life worth? Back in the 1990s, Mark Trotter told the story about a man who was kidnapped in New York City. His kidnappers called his wife and asked for $100,000 ransom. -- But she talked them down to $30,000.
*The story had a happy ending: The man returned home unharmed, the money was recovered, and the kidnappers were caught and sent to jail. But you've got to wonder what happened when the man got home, and found out that his wife got him back for a discount.
*Calvin Trillin imagined what the negotiations must have been like: "$100,000 for that old guy? You've got to be crazy. Just look at him! You want $100,000 for that? You've got to be kidding. Give me a break here. My top offer is $30,000."
*Mark Trotter said, "I'd like to think that if I were in a similar situation, people would spare no expense to get me back. They wouldn't haggle over the price. They wouldn't say, 'Well, let me think about it.' I like to think they would say, 'We'll do anything for you.'" (3)
*How much is your life worth? You might feel like your life worthless today. But to God, your life is worth more than you can measure!
[1] WE SEE THIS TRUTH IN GOD'S CAREFUL ATTENTION.
*Again in vs. 29-30 Jesus said, "Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered."
*God is paying attention to every sparrow, and He is paying attention to every hair on your head. That's paying careful attention! The average number of hairs on our heads is 100,000. Multiply that number by over 7 billion people in the world, and consider that everybody's hair count changes every day. You might wonder why God would even bother to keep up with that number. But that's how much we matter to Him!
*God is paying careful attention to our lives. And that's important, because as Bruce Ball explained, "The deepest expression of love is attention. When you give somebody your attention, you are giving them your love. When you don't pay attention to your husband or wife or kids you are actually being unloving. Well, God is always paying attention to us. It may not seem like it, because often we are not focused on Him. But He is always focused on us." (4)
[2] GOD CAREFUL ATTENTION PROVES HOW MUCH HE TREASURES OUR LIVES. BUT HE PROVED IT BEST BY PAYING THE PRICE FOR OUR SINS.
*That's what Jesus did when He died on the cross for us. He paid the highest possible price for you and for me. Remember that 1 Peter 1:18-19 tells all Christians, "You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."
*God paid the highest price for every single one of us, and it is the greatest proof that He cares for you and me.
*Ann Weems wrote a story about one of her favorite childhood memories. She began by saying, "It was a family treasure. That golden vase, the priceless vase that had belonged to my great-grandmother, and my grandmother, and now to my mother. The vase sat on the mantle, out of reach of little fingers. However, I managed to reach it. I climbed to reach it, and I broke it. I broke the family treasure.
*Then I began to cry in loud sobs that brought my mother running. I could hardly get it out. -- 'I broke the vase,' I said. 'I broke the treasure.' A look of relief came over her face, and she said, 'Oh, I thought that YOU had been hurt.' She hugged me and made it very clear that I was her priceless treasure." (5)
*Children of our Heavenly Father, the cross of Jesus Christ forever reminds us that we are a treasure to God. He was willing to pay the highest price and suffer the greatest loss to save us from our sins! That's what Jesus did when He died on the cross for us. Now our Risen Savior wants us to realize how valuable we are to Him. He wants us to be encouraged by how much God treasures us.
4. HE ALSO WANTS US TO OVERCOME OUR FEARS WITH FAITH.
*As Jesus said in vs. 31, "Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." Jesus said, "Do not fear." "Do not be afraid." But sometimes we are afraid.
*King David was a brave warrior, but he admitted to having fears. In Psalm 56:3, David said this to the Lord: "Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You."
*The Apostle Paul spoke of his fears in 2 Corinthians 7:5-6. There Paul said, "For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears. Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus."
*There will be times when we are afraid too. Sometimes it's because we face new challenges as we go through life. We face hurts and problems we didn't expect to face, so we get afraid. But Jesus tells us, "Do not be afraid." And one of the best things we can do to overcome our fears is to remember who gave this command. Remember who Jesus is.
[1] REMEMBER HIS AUTHORITY.
*Jesus is Lord of all! In Matthew 28:18 He said, "All authority has been given to me in Heaven and in earth." In John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me."
*Jesus is Lord of all. He calmed a terrible storm by simply saying, "Peace, be still." He cast out demons. He healed the sick. He raised the dead. He knows all things.
*Jesus is Lord of all! He is the Lord of the future, and Lord of all eternity. He is the Lord of creation, and Lord of the universe. He is Lord over those who love Him, and Lord over those who hate Him. He is Lord over those who follow Him, and Lord over those who would like to forget Him. Remember His authority. It will help calm your fears.
[2] BUT ALSO REMEMBER THE LORD'S COMPASSION.
*Jesus is the Good Shepherd, who lovingly cares for all the needs of His sheep, especially those who are lost and have gone astray. Jesus showed His kindness and compassion in John 10 when He said, "I am the good shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep." In Matthew 9:36, Jesus had compassion on the multitudes because He saw them as sheep without a shepherd.
*Remember Christ's compassion. It will help calm your fears.
*Many of you met our little dog Freckles. She was the smartest, most affectionate, best dog we ever had. Sometimes Freckles would go in the car with us, and she loved to ride in the car.
*But one time we got stopped by a fast-moving train up in Monroe. That had never happened before. We were the first car in line. It was a long train. And Freckles was scared to death. She was scared to death, even though there was nothing to fear. She was scared to death, even though everything was going to be okay, and we were going through to the other side.
*Christians: Our all-powerful, compassionate Savior Jesus Christ is taking us through to the other side! Do not be afraid. Jesus wants us to overcome our fears with faith.
5. AND HE WANTS US TO TAKE A BOLD STAND FOR OUR SAVIOR.
*In vs. 32-33, Jesus tells us how vitally important it is for us to take a stand for Him. Here Jesus said, "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."
*Jesus said that we need to "confess" Him before men. What does that mean? The original word has the idea of agreeing with someone, and saying the same thing as they say. Confessing Jesus before men means that we agree with God. We are in unity with Him. We say the same thing about Jesus that He says about Himself. We take an open stand for Jesus Christ, and start to speak out for the Lord. Or as Jesus told the Apostles in vs. 27, "Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops."
*Mary's dad passed away 33 years ago, in May of 1989. His name was Harry Radcliffe, but we called him "Pap Pap." Harry was a hero in World War II. He received a Bronze Star for driving an ambulance through enemy fire to rescue some wounded men.
*Pap Pap was tough, but he was also rough, especially as a younger man. One of Mary's not-so-fond childhood memories was when her mom was driving, and a man cut her off in traffic. At the next red light her dad jumped out of the car and got into a fist fight with that man. The police came and took both of them to the station.
*Mary's dad was also hard on his wife, never physically, but hard to get along with. He was demanding, unforgiving, even hateful at times. They separated after we came out here and went through a bitter divorce that they both lived to regret.
*But Mary's dad was always good to me and her. Over the years we could see a huge change in his life. The Lord was clearly working in his heart. Jesus Christ changed his life. Pap Pap was less angry. He was kinder, more loving, thoughtful and generous.
*Mary's dad lived with us most of the last year of his life. It was a very tough year as he battled lung cancer and emphysema. But it was also one of our best as we got closer and shared good times together.
*Toward the end, we had to rush Mary's dad to the Emergency Room about every 3 or 4 weeks, because his breathing would get so bad. One of those early mornings we were on the interstate crossing the river. The sun was just coming up. Mary's dad looked out over the city, and transformed the moment into something sacred, when he said: "I wish I could stand on the tallest building in town and tell the world what Jesus Christ has done for me!"
CONCLUSION:
*That's the spirit God wants us to have. Tell your world what Jesus Christ has done for you! Tell everyone you can that God loves them! Tell them that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that He rose again from the dead, that He will give them a home in Heaven, and that He is their only hope for Heaven.
*Overcome your fears with faith, and take a bold stand for our Savior Jesus Christ.
(1) BARCLAY'S DAILY BIBLE STUDY SERIES (NT) by William Barclay, Revised Edition (C) Copyright 1975 William Barclay - First published by the Saint Andrew Press, Edinburgh, Scotland - The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - "The King's Messenger and the King's Sufferings" - Matthew10:24-25 - https://www.primobibleverses.com/view/william-barclay/the-kings-messenger-and-the-kings-sufferings-matthew-1024-25
(2) "Amazing Grace" by John Newton, 1779
(3) Mark Trotter 4/2/1995 - Source: Sermons.com sermon "It's O.K. To Be Extravagant" by James Moore - John 12:1-11 - 2004
(4) SermonCentral sermon "Are You Unworthy?" by Bruce Ball - Luke 19:1-9
(5) SermonCentral sermon "Christmas: Joy or Despair" by Melvin Newland - Matthew 2:1-18
