Live Fearlessly Matthew 10:26-33
Notes
Transcript
Live Fearlessly
Live Fearlessly
Good morning!
I would ask you to remember my bride this week, she has an unscheduled colonoscopy to check on some issues she is having, please pray for her Tuesday morning.
We thank you very much for lifting her up and remembering us in prayer.
No Pickleball this week, … Tuesday evening we are hosting a community meeting this Tuesday at 630pm concerning the sex offender sanctuary in our community. Please come out and listen to what our officials have to say about this matter and there will be a time for some questions and answers.
Now I guess it would be right to say that our world is changing? Would you agree with me on that statement?
I see it every day, it has been happening in our world and it is finally catching up to our little rural communities.
And with all these changes, people and groups pushing back against our homes, our families, our values and yes our beliefs.
So how should we live in the midst of a changing world? How are you to live?
I would encourage you to live fearlessly.
Think about that statement, what does that mean to you? If I tell you to live fearlessly, how would you respond before men, governments and yes God the Father.
Well our response is what I want to share with you today, I want to encourage you how to live.
We cannot hide, we cannot take a back seat any longer, we must not be quiet, we must be vocal, caring, preaching and loving the world around us.
So lets look at our text today.
26 “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
If you remember from last week Jesus was sending his disciples out to do ministry in the surrounding areas.
Jesus gave them authority to them to heal the sic, cast out unclean spirits, to raise the dead and to preach - ‘repent…for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
He is preparing them, before they know it, they will be doing ministry on their own. Jesus will return to the Father in the future and they will do the work He prepared them for and continue to disciple others to do the same until He returns.
So Jesus will continue to teach them along the way.
And this is where we are today, Jesus is continuing to teach them and prepare them.
So lets begin with this one thought today...
1. Live Fearlessly....
I want you my friends to hear this thought today, I think it is so important for us to know that we have not been crated to be afraid or to live in fear.
Paul tells young Timothy in His second letter to him that fear is not of God, it is not given by God and God does not desire that it control us.
Let me share it with you.
7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Fear is not of God…
As you look at verses 16-25 Jesus warns his disciples that they will face persecution and hardship at the hands of others.
Look at what Jesus says there in verse 16....
16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
Jesus refers to them as sheep. Sheep are one of the most defenseless animals. All they can do is run and even that is not fast. They are often the prey of wolves, and here in our are we would speak of Coyotes who sneak up and take calves off of our farms.
So the wolves would come up and take the sheep and devour them, killing them. This is how the disciples would be in the world. So they had to be careful. Jesus does on to say that while the world would try to harm them, even families would turn on each of its members.
Christians, the disciples of Jesus are at odds with the values and ideas of the world and as such they consider us enemies and seek to harm the church.
But in the midst of all this.... Jesus says in verse 26… “Have no fear of them....”
Jesus reminds them the outlook my seem bleak, but look up, Our help comes from the Lord.
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
The world may seek to harm the Christian, but our help comes from the Lord himself, the one who created everything in this world is the one who can and will deliver His people.
Just as God sent a deliver to the Israelites as they suffered in the land of Egypt, to bring them out of that land and the pain they experienced. So God sent a deliver into our world to set us free from sin and death.
There is no one of thing we should fear in this world, especially death. Jesus has overcome death, hell and the grave.
So is there anything we should fear in this world? Just one.. God.
Fear God…let me take you to verse 28
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Listen physical death pales in comparison to a spiritual death. Jesus uses the word “Body and Soul” It refers to the two natures of man, we are flesh and blood.... a body… but we are also spiritual.
In death our body dies, we have plenty of cemeteries in this world that bear witness to this truth. But listen, as a child of God.... when Jesus comes back He will raise those mortal bodies up out of the grave, they will be made perfect and he will join the spiritual man, our spirit back to that body that has been made eternal.
There are saints who all through time who have died for their faith. Stephen in Acts was the first martyr, James is killed by the sword in Acts 12. Peter is crucified upside down. Paul is beheaded… John Wycliff who translated the Bible from Latin into English was burned at the stake and even today in many areas of our world Christians are still dying for their faith and for whom they have put their trust in...
Jesus says don’t fear them, for the Christian death is not the end. But we should fear the one who will judge the lost, who will cast body and soul into hell where it will suffer for all eternity.
So live confidently my friends, live fearlessly knowing that God has your back. He is with you until the end of the age He has promised.
Let me take you to one more passage look at verses 29-31
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Jesus takes a moment to compare us to the least of those animals that could be sold for an offerings, a penny is literally 1/32 of a daily wage, a 16th of a denarius. As God knows the number and worth of every part of His creation, If he knows the number of the hairs on your head. Then we can trust that God is in control of all the details of life and will hold us safe.
Let me ask you a question today...
What are you afraid off....
Do you believe God is in control?
Then trust Him, follow Him and live for Him for every occasion. We do not have to be afraid.
Now as we agree that we can live fearlessly in this world, that Jesus must be first in every area… then in obedience, we are called to proclaim the truth.
2. Proclaim the Truth...
The next thought I want to share with you is simply this, in spite of all that is happening around us, the call is for the child of God to stand up and proclaim the truth.
When you look at Jesus ministry, there is a great deal of time at the beginning of His ministry where He does great works, these miracles that were witnessed by people Jesus asks that they remain silent about....
For example, Matthew chapter 9 tells us of two blind men that were healed by Jesus. Jesus instructed them to tell no one what had taken place , that He had healed them.
It wasn’t time for the Son to be completely revealed, but the time was coming where by Jesus would let his himself be known and also the mission by which He came to do in our world.
And so in verses 26 and 27 Jesus speaks of those things that were hidden, not revealed yet… there is really two things being proclaimed here.
First. The secrets of people will be revealed in the future. Jesus says “…for nothing will not be revealed or hidden that will not be known” Verse 26
There are sins that people commit, they do them in private, they believe no one knows and they believe God is OK with their sin and with them, but there is a day coming when all will be revealed. Judgment will come upon them!
We cannot be foolish enough to think that we have escaped punishment for sin just because it didn’t come quickly. A day is coming when all will be revealed.
So stop and ask the question, How am I living today? And if you say I am wrong, I’m doing wrong, - What will you do about it.
And then secondly
Second … The time is at hand to proclaim the gospel. The message of the gospel, of Jesus mission and purpose has been partially hidden. But the time is coming when the message of Jesus should be shouted from the roof tops.
Jesus says in verse 27 “What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the roof tops.”
This message falls back to what I said a minute ago. At the beginning of Jesus ministry , He called for secrecy. It wasn’t time for Jesus to be revealed to all as the Son of God
But what has been quiet, Jesus now tells His disciples soon the time is coming for you to preach not only has the kingdom of God come near, But His Messiah has been revealed.
That message we are to proclaim from the roof tops. The meaning there is to make it known to everyone.
Friends we must use all that God has given into our hands to take the gospel to the world. And heaven help us if we cannot do that.
Special note: Here is what I see happening in our world… Christians don’t proclaim the gospel because we are afraid it might offend someone. My friends the Gospel is offensive, it points our our failures, our sin and it calls us to change.
I think people would be more offended to wake up in Hell and miss heaven…amen.
Will you proclaim the truth?
You and I are called to take the Gospel, the Truth to the world.
Now just one last thought today.... are you ready...
Always be ready to acknowledge God openly....
3. Acknowledge God Openly
As our world changes, as people chase after false gods and beliefs, we must continue to acknowledge God as the One true God, there are no other gods.
Lets look at verses 32-33
32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
The key word here is “Acknowledge” - It carries the sens of confess or trust in, to declare one’s allegiance to Christ.
Jesus is calling for the church, his disciples to remain faithful even when facing persecution, to remain faithful even if it leads to death.
I often think of the young lady, Rachael Columbine, who asked if she believed in God, at gun point she said yes before she was killed. Even at gunpoint she would not stray from her belief in the living God.
Confession of our faith in the risen Savior is important my friends, and it is something that must be confessed in front of others. The world needs to know that we stand for God and nothing else.
But it is more than just confession, there should be action as well. Not only our voice but our deeds must proclaim who we are… they must be in agreement.
Our words and deeds must be in such agreement that Jesus is seen in us.
Stop and ask yourself this question… does your words and deeds reflect who you are and what you stand for...
Do they proclaim Jesus is Lord of your life/
But in contrast, Jesus teaches that God will reject those who reject the Savior.
The word Disown means to deny or reject … they have lived their life for themselves and when faced with the truth of the Gospel they have turned away from it
Jesus proclaims strictly He is the only way. Listen to Jesus is John chapter 14, verse 6
Jesus proclaim in John 14:6
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
There is a singularity there… no other views, and no other ways will bring a person to the presence of the Lord their God. Only Jesus, our confession and acceptance of Jesus Christ is the necessary action that saves us from an eternal death, an eternal hell.
It is sad my friends to know that some will purposefully live life for themselves, chasing after what they believe is life.
And don’t get me wrong, going, and doing life is a wonderful gift. But to know the truth and refuse Him will lead to judgement at the end.
Jesus said in chapter 7, many will cry Lord, Lord.... but he will say they did not know Him
Do you remember the parable of the 10 virgins, 5 wise and 5 foolish. The foolish ones had time to get ready but waited till the last minute and was found to have run out of oil and by the time they were ready, the wedding festival had began. They missed the coming of the son, the bride groom coming into the world to save people from there sins.
Have you made yourself ready?
Have you confessed Jesus before others?
Live fearlessly,
Proclaim the Truth
Acknowledge God Openly