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Above Every Name Christmas

Let’s Jump into today’s message.

If you are new to our church today, it would be helpful for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”.

What that means, is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then breaking them down from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Our goal, to better understand not only what God’s Word says, but what it means in our lives today.

We are currently walking through the NT book of Matthew.

If you have your Bible turn with me to Matthew Chapter 10

Today we finish up Chapter 10 and We Will begin our Christmas Series next week.

So Let’s lead off with today’s Scripture.

Matthew 10:38–42 CSB

38 And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Anyone who finds his life will lose it, and anyone who loses his life because of me will find it. 40 “The one who welcomes you welcomes me, and the one who welcomes me welcomes him who sent me. 41 Anyone who welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. And anyone who welcomes a righteous person because he’s righteous will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”

Last week we really dove into this idea that We are meant to do much more than just say a prayer and accept an eternal reward

We are called to Follow and to Follow means to take on a new way of living.

Christ has called us to be apprentices of Him.

As we finish up this chapter Christ lines out the path that we must follow.

1. We Must Love Him Above All Others.

Matthew 10:37 CSB

37 The one who loves a father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; the one who loves a son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

This is an echo of Matthew 6:33

Matthew 6:33 CSB

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

Christ Must Be First in Our Lives

2. We Must Live Without Fear of Death as We Follow.

Matthew 10:38 CSB

38 And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Jesus is referencing the Roman Crucifix. One of the most cruel forms of torture in all of History.

A Jew in this time would have been well aware of what this phrase ment.

In 4 B.C. Roman General Varus crucified 2,000 Jews.

This was a common way of keeping people in line.

Luke 9:23 CSB

23 Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.

What Jesus is saying here is that to follow Him is to live for him in such a way that you understand the consequences and the persecution that may be coming.

Then Jesus Doubles down with in a common form of Rabbinical teaching by re phasing his last sentence.

3. We Must Be Willing to Lose Our Lives for Following.

Matthew 10:39 CSB

39 Anyone who finds his life will lose it, and anyone who loses his life because of me will find it.

Here is more upside down Kingdom Speak

In giving up your life to Christ you actually gain life.

In Saving your Life (Using it for yourself) you will lose your life (not enjoy it).

John 14:6 CSB

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 10:10 CSB

10 A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

Here is the thing we have to understand.

We were created to bear an image.

That image is the reflection of God which Jesus came to restore our ability to reflect.

Satan is the Great Deceiver: So he comes in with various reflections in order to appeal to us to not follow Jesus but follow the way of Self Gratification.

Which leads us to the final part of Chapter 10

Matthew 10:40–42 CSB

40 “The one who welcomes you welcomes me, and the one who welcomes me welcomes him who sent me. 41 Anyone who welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. And anyone who welcomes a righteous person because he’s righteous will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”

Jesus concludes his instructions to the 12 Apostles with these Words.

1. Those Who Receive the Apostles message will Receive me.

2. Those Who Respect the Messenger Respect God, and Will Receive a Reward.

3. Those Who Grab a Hold of this Message and are Faithful even in the Smallest Things of Following Jesus will Receive a Reward.

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