Fearless

On the evening before Easter Sunday in 2012, a 13-year-old girl named Comfort sat in the enclosed courtyard of her home in Nigeria chatting with her parents, older siblings and some neighbors. Around 11 p.m., they heard bombing in the distance, and less than 60 minutes later, Boko Haram militants were burning the church next door and pounding on the gate in front of their home.

Comfort’s mother, Juliana, helped her husband hide in one of the back bedrooms, covering him with clothes. “God, we are in Your hands,” she prayed. Several militants entered to search the house while others dragged Juliana into the courtyard, striking her with their guns and taunting her about her faith. “You Christians say God has a son,” they said. “Call on that son! Today is your last day; your own life is over.”

They then forced Julianna to kneel. “They said that if they don’t get their man, they will kill her,” Comfort would later say that her mother said “ ‘Even though I see your gun, I will not fear you.’”

One of the men gave a shout from inside the house — he had found Comfort’s father. They dragged him out to the courtyard and instructed him to renounce Christ. He remained silent.

The militants ordered Comfort’s father to lie down, and then they shot him four times. They then ransacked and burned their home. Juliana pulled her dying husband into her lap and prayed; he uttered a final “amen” at the end of her prayer before dying. Comfort sat by her father’s body with her eight siblings, crying in the early morning darkness.

This is just one of thousands of stories of martyr and persecuted men, women and children all over the world. Persecution, oppression, harassment, and more are daily realities for millions of Christians around the world today! In India, Indonesia, China, Africa, Mexico and more. On the website persecution.com you will find the ministry of VOM (voice of the martyrs)

The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) is a missionary organization that serves persecuted Christians in the world’s most difficult and dangerous places to be a Christian. Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand founded VOM after being imprisoned for their Christian witness in Communist Romania.

What would you do if were in their shoes. Would you be able to look death in the face and not fear the one who can take your life in that moment.

Slide What are you afraid of?

In our text this morning in Matthew 10 Jesus tells us that we are not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. …

And yet that is what the enemy threatens every believer with death, persecution, oppression, hardship … all to create in our lives this one thing fear! What we often see in the face of persecution is faith not fear and it has and continues to infuriate the enemy. Because the truth is …

Slide The one thing that can rob you of the joy of ministry … is fear.

In our series Living a Greater Ministry we see Jesus’ heart and focus on the Kingdom of Heaven meeting the daily needs of men and women who long for hope, healing and heaven. In the face of religious opposition, sometimes angry crowds, his cousin John’s beheading, the reality of his own betrayal and certain death, Jesus was fearless in his ministry.

Slide Have you ever known someone that was fearless?

The child that will jump into the deep end, off the coach or off the roof. I’ve been a risk taker most of my life, a thrill seeker, someone who likes the rush of the jump, the dive, the risk … there is place in our spiritual lives where we come face to face with fear and have to overcome it with faith and learn to be fearless in our serving and ministry to others.

Some of us spend more time calculating the cost, examining every variable, considering every scenario … all good things at certain times. But not when I have already given my life to Christ and have died to sin and death as the Apostle Paul wrote … I no longer, but the life I do live I live in faith in the son of God who loved my and gave his life for me. Then obedience in love for God doesn’t require examination only execution. Paul considered himself in many ways invincible in Christ. He already died so what can he lose?

Slide What would you do if you knew you were invincible?

If you knew that, like Paul, Jesus has given you a life that no one take from you. A life that is eternal in Christ … now and forever. Would you, could you be fearless in the face of rejection, persecution, attacks on social media, assaults on your reputation … would you, could you live a life of faith, caring for people when they need it the most. Sharing God’s love when they need to hear that they are loved and that life with God and for God is the intended design of our creator.

Jesus says to us … they persecuted me, they persecuted the prophets before me, they will persecute you because you are mine and you speak of me! But you must remain fearless in the face of opposition!

A Fearless Life in the Face of Opposition

There are many examples who those who gave into their fear, including Peter who after watch what they did to Jesus, coward in the face of questioning his association with Jesus.

But, Peter, along with thousands in the early church were emboldened when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. As we look at our text this morning there are several things that Jesus is saying about living a fearless life in the face of opposition.

First …

Slide The Hard places He sends us are Holy places of His presence!

We aren’t alone in the hard places and the hard times. Listen what Jesus tells the disciples and each us.

Slide Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. Matthew 10:16–18

Fearless doesn’t mean stupid or careless … it means bold with truth. Sheep among wolves is not a great picture. Be innocent and wise. Because this is what is going to happen to you … As Paul told Timothy …

Slide Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 2 Timothy 3:12

And yet we know the words of God to Moses and to Joshua that are quoted by the writer of Hebrews …

Slide … for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5–6

In Matthew 10 we see that opposition comes from many places …

Slide Opposition from religious leaders, government leaders, family members.

Not if … when!

Slide We wait upon the Spirit to lead when the moment comes!

Have been in a moment where you didn’t know what to say? If you know that you are going to be challenged.

Slide When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Matthew 10:19-20

This begs the question … what is God’s agenda, purpose, motivation in our persecution or opposition … it is to bear witness of God’s work in our lives …

Slide To speak about Christ is a great privilege …

Paul writes in Romans 1 …

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Romans 1:16–17

But even though to speak about Christ is a great privilege …

Slide But it also comes at a great cost.

For most of us, ministry has a cost. Time, money, inconvenience … but what if it were more, such as your reputation, rejection, persecution, retribution, betrayal, imprisonment, false accusations, or even death?

Slide If we are going to be hated … be hated for the right reasons!

Some of us have been guilty of hating other human beings for the evil they do or the harm they cause. To be hated for the sake of the name of Jesus is to be hated for good, love, compassion, forgiveness, faith, hope all in the face of evil.

Slide Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. Matthew 10:21-23

Even today, families reject their loved ones when they choose Jesus over their religion or no religion. There are those today that you say Christianity is dangerous and that religious faith and fervor should be kept to your private life and nothing should be said in public because to say that Jesus is the only way is evil and hurtful.

Isaiah reminds us …

Slide Woe to those who call evil good and good evil… Isaiah 5:20a

It is not uncommon for family members to punish, reject, divorce or even kill family members who choose to give their lives to Jesus, rejecting their Gods or religion. The OT prophet Micah wrote …

Slide for the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house. Micah 7:6

Even the Psalmist writes …

Slide For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in. Psalm 27:10

It makes more sense we understand the power of family and faith and the bind that has to be broken … for faith is a personal choice not a family decision.

Slide Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” Mark 10:29–31

As the OT prophet Micah wrote …

Slide But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me. Micah 7:7–8

Words of Encouragement for Living Fearlessly

Slide Follow Faithfully

Following Christ, calling yourself a Christian puts you in good company of the persecuted. As Jesus said, if they persecuted me they will persecute you …

Slide A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household. Matthew 10:24-25

Be fearless and faithful in your commitment to follow Christ. Don’t let the enemy lie to you, or threaten you, or tell you that the cost is too high. In faith follow and when the time comes and the Spirit leads … proclaim boldly.

Slide Proclaim Boldly

Slide So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. Matthew 10:26-27

Can you picture a busy street and flat roof and someone standing on it and proclaiming God’s love, mercy and kindness to the all who will hear. As Peter wrote …

Slide But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

Slide Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:17–20

Follow faithfully, proclaim boldly and …

Slide Fear God Alone

A fearless ministry and life is built on a fear of God.

Slide 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. Matthew 10:28

Fear the Lord is a fear that is reverence and awe that leads to the truth about life. Proverbs 1:7 says …

Slide The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

Follow faithfully, proclaim boldly, fear God alone and lastly

Slide Trust in His Care

Slide Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31

Slide … for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7

Slide He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:29–31

What do you and I need to do …

Slide Be Prayerful for those far from God.

Slide Be led by the Spirit in your words,

Slide Be Fearless for the sake of the Gospel.

Pray -

Song – Fear is not my future

Dismiss – pray along the walls, for faith, for difficult hard places that we are in, forgiveness for those who have hurt us.