The Few, the Proud, the Disciples
Matthew 10:1-42
In 8th grade I joined Boy Scouts and I received a book…a manual that would guide my journey from the rank of Tenderfoot 2nd class all the way to Tenderfoot 1st class!
As a freshman I went out for the football team and just barely made it. The coach never put me in and so I eventually asked him what position I would play. He said he wanted me to play end, guard, and tackle. I said, I cannot play all 3 positions. He said, yes you can, because I want you to sit on the end of the bench, guard the Gatorade, and tackle anybody who gets close to it!
Anyway, they gave me a play book, and it was to be my manual to go by in my short career.
I went to college at a very strict school, PCC, [aka Pensacola Concentration Camp!] It was good for me…a boot camp of sorts, and there they gave me a rule book packed w/ things I needed to go by.
When people are interested in joining the church they usually get a constitution that shows what’s expected of members, from their membership commitments of faithful attendance and tithing to the doctrines and practices of the church, to the business section of how the congregation, deacons, and pastors make decisions and do business.
Anytime you join something you usually get a book that tells more about it and what is required. And Matthew 10 is a chapter we could call “The Disciple’s Instruction Manual.” It’s not easily understood in a simple reading…it’s a difficult passage. Some of the instructions Jesus gave were only for the disciples in those days, and do not apply to us today…they are kingdom teachings.
v. 5-6 Jesus told them not to share the gospel w/ the Gentiles…Jews only! But today we have a command to go to all nations.
v. 7 The kingdom was present in the form of Jesus being there with them…but you know the story, His own rejected Him and the kingdom is still not here…yet. But it will be! And we aren’t to preach the gospel of the kingdom but the gospel of grace. Salvation is by grace alone, thru faith alone, in Christ alone, by way of His shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection.
v. 8 These were sign gifts God gave these apostles for a time. [Acts 2:43, Heb. 2:3-4]. These were for the purpose of authenticating and validating their message.
v. 9-10 But later in the Lord’s ministry [Luke 22:35-36] Jesus changed this and said,
Lu 22:35 And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.
36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
And so, the point is, you cannot take all of this chapter and apply it doctrinally to the church.
v. 15 “Verily, I say unto you”. This is the 1st of 3 important uses of this phrase in this chapter. [also v. 23 and v. 42]
Each of these phrases unlocks a door of interpretation. The Lord is speaking to different groups of disciples in 3 different ages and contexts. The first 15 verses of this chapter apply to the original 12 apostles. Then vv. 16-23 is to disciples in the future who would face persecution. And vv. 24-42 are for all disciples in all ages, including you and me tonite.
Now, none of this is trying to say that the first 23 verses are unimportant or have no application to you and I. There’s lots of good in there for us today.
“Some verses in the Bible were not written TO everybody, but the entire Bible was written FOR everybody.”
Let’s move on.
Jesus was a straight talker…He didn’t beat around the bush. He was open, honest, and up front with everyone. And when a person was considering being a disciple, He let them know exactly what would be expected of them. He didn’t try to hook them or sneak up on them…He just laid His cards on the table. He never ‘soft-peddled’ His invitation. At the end of His great Sermon on the Mount, He gave 2 choices: a broad road and a narrow road…and He said, ok, make a choice.
I make issue of this for a reason: there is a philosophy pervading our churches today that says, highlight the positives, don’t make a big deal out of commitment, sin, and expectations…just get them into church and later on you can slowly slip it in how to start gradually becoming a disciple.
Hear ye, hear ye: Our primary job at GBC is not to make the gospel appealing, it’s to make the gospel available!
May we ever preach the gospel plain and clear, bold and honest…and with a spirit of love. God has already told us that most will not accept it. The vast majority will choose the broad road, saying, I want to have fun, go my way, do my own thing. But God has also said that if we’re faithful to preach the truth that the Lord will raise up a faithful few who will follow on that narrow road. They are the few, the proud, the disciples of the Lord Jesus!
What’s expected of disciples?
[as we look into the disciple’s instruction manual…]
1. Forsake Fear
vv. 26, 28, 31 all say not to fear.
v. 24-25 Was Jesus mocked and ridiculed? Then you can expect it, too. Criticized? Rejected? Shunned? Run off? All these things happened to our Master and so we servants can expect it too.
Disciples will be persecuted.
Jesus says not to fear these things that may come. Don’t worry. Fear is thinking about tomorrow’s problems with today’s grace.
v. 28 goes on to say what we SHOULD fear. Truly to live is Christ, and to die is gain. The Apostle Paul said that, and this too: I have a desire to depart, which is far better.
ILL.—John R. Rice made one guy so made he came after him with a pistol, threatening to kill him. Witnesses to that event reported that Dr. Rice just stood there calmly, looked over his glasses and said, “You can’t threaten me with heaven!”
Disciples will be persecuted, but Disciples will be protected.
v. 29 How many sparrows are there? Millions? And yet not one of them dies that God doesn’t attend the funeral!
v. 31 “More value”
2. Forget Foes
v. 36 Those you are closest to.
v. 32 Confess Him openly and loyally, despite what they may think of you. Sure, we don’t want to be obnoxious or rude, or ram it down their throats. Don’t be ‘holier than thou’. But also remember the greater danger: Don’t be silent! Take your stand for Jesus.
It’s about loyalty.
Ill.—some say, I’ll get saved, but you’re not getting me in that baptistery. That’s like saying, I’ll join the Navy but you’re not getting me to wear one of those uniforms or go on one of those boats!
But the few, the proud, the disciples will stand for Him publicly and unashamedly!
We don’t always live like a true disciple, do we? We lose our cool and say things we don’t mean to. We practice ‘Christian Cussing’ w/ euphemisms or yelling, or we think bad thoughts.
Ill.—riding my motorcycle in shorts as a kid I wrecked and the engine burned the inside of my calf. I was taught not to cuss outwardly but if you’d have wrote it down I would have signed it!
It’s not only what we say, but what we don’t say that makes us poor disciples oft times. God gives us great opportunities to witness…sometimes He opens the door so wide you could sail a ship thru it, but we remain silent and let Him down.
You know they say that silence is golden…but sometimes silence is downright yellow!
The teens have been in school for a month now, and the word should be out on them now, that they go to church and are different. You’ve been on the job for a long time now…the word should be out on you by now. And even when you got saved, you remained related to your relatives, did you not? The word should be out on you by now!
It’s about loyalty.
It’s also about love.
v. 37-38 “take up your cross” is a much abused phrase today. Our A/C breaks and we say, I’m bearing my cross. Or you don’t get along w/ your mother in law and say, I guess that’s my cross to bear. No, that’s not a cross. The cross is a place of death! To take up your cross is to die to your self. Die to your ambitions and live for the Lord’s. Die to your wants and live for the Lord’s commands. Die to your flesh and its demands, and walk in the Spirit!
3. Follow Friends
v. 40-42 I was saved when I was 6, but I was 14 when I fully surrendered my life to the Lord. I wondered, will I have to forsake my friends to live the Christian life right? I started living for Christ and I didn’t have to leave my friends…they left me! They wanted no part of it, and by God’s grace and provision I found some new friends. It’s the replacement principle.
It may have been a small group, but I’m thrilled to say that though numbers may be small, we can be a part of the few, the proud, the disciples!
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http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/FewProudDisciples.html
