Testimony That Lasts
Foundation For Legacy • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 4 viewsNotes
Transcript
Reading:
20 And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal.
21 And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’
22 then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’
Introduction:
If you were listening to the passages read, you probably heard that Israel passed through the Jordan on dry ground.
Which our minds would typically associate with that moment when God split a sea and the Israelites passed through the body of water on dry ground.
That was the Red Sea, and this specifically names the Jordan they are passing through.
Here is where they actually crossed the red sea.
The Jordan river crossing was here for Joshua and the Israelites.
The Lord provided a powerful display 2x for the world of Himself.
He did this following the call of Joshua to lead the people and he sent spies into land of Jericho.
This is where we hear about the faith of Rahab who hid the spies and let them down by a rope.
Joshua and the people would have to cross over the Jordan to get to Jericho.
They brought the Ark, the presence of the Lord, to lead them and they were instructed to stay 2,000 cubits behind the ark while following.
Joshua stood in the Jordan and proclaimed how the Lord would drive out the occupants of the promised land: With His power and would fight for them.
The Jordan was split they walked through.
But following the crossing they are instructed to set up a 12 stone memorial.
Each stone would represent a specific tribe of Israel.
The names were not written on each stone and there was no tool put to the stone making it specific to Israel.
The purpose of the pillar was to be a public testimony for God.
This testimony was going to be something that would last for next generations.
Notice that it would be something that was left to create curiosity instead of something that was a “memorial” taught to them in a systematic way.
Illustration:
Imagine being an young Israelite who was having a bad day.
That day when it just doesn’t seem like God is really in control and there is fear of surrounding countries.
You’re walking along the Jordan river with your dad or mom and ahead of you there is 12 stones stacked on top of one another. (decent size stones)
You highlight it to your parent and they tell you to sit down as they tell you the story of those 12 tribes God claimed at Egypt.
The promise He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
How He brought them out of Egypt, through the desert and brought them to all to the land He promised.
And all of the miracles He provided, the countries He defeated with a powerful mighty hand.
What a powerful testimony to the God you always heard about and worship.
That would be power injected right into your spirit.
I have a God that is on my side and He is powerful and mighty.
He knows all and He has given me promises and He has never broken one.
That kind of testimony just from rocks.
Jump ahead into Matthew 10:32-42 for our text today.
Jesus continues His statements to the apostles before being sent out into the world with power.
Verse 32 opens the perspective to their:
Personal Testimonies (32-33)
Personal Testimonies (32-33)
Each Apostle had their personal testimonies.
A testimony that would answer the question:
“Why do you believe in Jesus”?
Imagine the opportunity that would open up for people who thought of themselves better than a tax collector, or worse?
If God can change that person He must be able to change me.
Jesus charges them to be a public testimony for Jesus!
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.
These verses are interesting.
The sentence is expectant!
It forces an action and resolution with an answer.
There are 2 main verbs to highlight.
Accept
Deny
Acceptance is to: openly acknowledge, or agree with, or profess.
Denial is to: reject, refuse, or disown.
This brings the context into the conversation.
What are we to either accept or deny?
We are to either accept or deny Christ.
It is quite specific in what it requests.
For the disciples:
it was whether or not they proclaim and affirm Jesus’ message and purpose.
For us:
it isn’t whether or not there was a man named Jesus; but the message is the same.
Christ is either proclaimed and accepted or He is denied, that’s the choice.
Connection:
The Christians testimony begins with who we proclaim to follow.
What is considered our first step in obedience following Christ?
Baptism.
Who is to be baptized?
Each person who proclaims faith in Christ.
34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?”
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.
36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”
38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
This moment right here reveals the succession of a new convert to faith in Christ.
Hearing the gospel.
Believing the gospel.
Proclaiming and identifying themselves with the gospel to the public.
The baptism is a public profession of the new identity you have in Christ.
Your identifying yourself with Christ, just as Colossians 2:12 says:
12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
This identification comes at a cost; and for some it is a greater sacrifice.
Something that I don’t believe that we understand in America.
Illustration:
In some countries when you make this profession.
You loose everything, and you could possibly be killed.
Their profession is serious and final.
The Apostles are told:
Choose to Confess Christ and the faith they now have or deny Him to anyone they come in contact with.
Transition:
The Apostles were expected, as we are, to go all in; either denying Christ or proclaiming Him.
There is no half way with Christ; it’s all or nothing.
Christ continues and sets:
A Precedent (34-39)
A Precedent (34-39)
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.
37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
This whole section seems like it’s redundant, let’s see how it isn’t.
Thankfully we have some tools in bible study to be able to decipher the intent and purpose of what is being spoken.
There are in the English language parts of speech that give us insight to what is being said.
Let’s highlight each part in this section.
Verse 34 starts off with a Paradox of Peace.
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
A paradox is something that seems to contradict itself but actually gives a deeper point.
Another example in scripture:
7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
To illustrate this form of speech we could use a surgeon.
A surgeon when doing his job is going to hurt you, with the intention of bringing healing.
Connection:
The gospel is portrayed as a sword and it brings division amongst our relationships.
Hebrews brings up this same point.
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Illustration:
Growing up I went to quite a few schools
Do you know there is one thing that you don’t get when coming to a new school.
A pamphlet on which kids were the cool ones and which ones were the not cool ones and overall disliked.
You learn pretty quick which one is which though.
First day of school I befriended this boy and we had a great time playing on the playground.
One day I realized that he wasn’t friends or liked by the kids I played sports with. It kind of placed me in a pickle.
I wanted to hang around my soccer friends but they didn’t want him around.
I shunned him and ignored him.
Right away I saw his face and knew exactly what I had done, and so did he.
Something inside of me screamed loudly at the choice I had made.
I was vain, and worse than that: It was mean.
We all know that feeling and “notion”, that is the Holy spirit convicting the intentions of our hearts, and it hurts. That’s a good thing!
The Gospel can bring peace between God and man; but it can cause division between man and man.
With this truth Jesus brings a prophetic tone.
35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.
Even the loyalties within families will find division.
Like the muslim who apostasies to Jesus and is disowned because of the truth they accepted.
Truth sometimes is a difficult pill to swallow; but it is still good medicine.
Connection:
Who is number one in your life right now?
That is who you worship, instead of God.
Be aware He is a jealous God.
5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,
He tells and the Israelites many times in scripture this truth. He must be first.
Following the prophecy for the future relationships of the Apostles and us we get an Hyperbole.
37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
An Hyperbole is an extreme; an exaggerated statement for emphasis or humor, not to be taken literally.
One example from scripture of an hyperbole can be found in Matthew 5:29
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.
No one is going to do that, and scripture isn’t asking you to; but it places a point on what is being said.
There is a seriousness you have to deal with things that keep you from holy living and righteousness.
And, they should be dealt with harshly.
This hyperbole in Matthew 10 highlights the things that we love more than God.
Are you willing to give up what you love most for the Lord?
This takes sacrifice.
Illustration:
Parenting is a good example for this:
How many parents gave up their dreams, or fun hobbies because their children were more important?
And....It’s worth it!
Jesus transitions into the metaphor of the cross.
38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
A metaphor makes a serious comparison between 2 unrelated things by using imagery to gain a deeper understanding of the scenario.
This Metaphor compares the living sacrifice that we are asked to be in Romans 12 to who is worthy to follow Christ.
Jesus brings into focus sacrificing our lives.
The reason for this sacrifice isn’t about the loss of our desires; but is more focused on gaining a deeper relationship with our Lord.
Connection:
When the kids were selling things at our garage sale they found some toys they didn’t really want to get rid of; but they understood they needed to.
Because it was valuable to them, they placed a high price on the item.
They learned a lesson: The item is only worth what someone is willing to pay.
Our worth is shown by what Christ paid for you and for me.
He paid the ultimate price for us.
And the rest of our lives can be lived out as a living sacrifice to His will.
Transition:
Jesus makes proper use of Metaphor to highlight what we value and what we should value; but continues with another paradox.
39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Because you familiar with a paradox: What is the deeper point that Jesus is getting across in this passage?
This, to me, sounds a little like eastern mystic wisdom or an Asian proverb.
Loose your life to save it, cling to your life and loose it.
When we desire to cling to the reins of our own life we will loose it.
When our desire is for the Lord to lead our lives we gain it.
This boils down to control.
Are you at the helm or is the Lord?
If you want control then you will loose.
If God is in control then you will gain.
Illustration:
The African Monkey trap..
Point:
Don’t get stuck in the trap, let go of the controls and invite the Lord to accept the position.
Transition:
Jesus has asked a lot from the Apostles.
It won’t be easy to follow through with all that Jesus is asking them to accomplish.
He has promised them powerful miracles to perform.
He revealed that they will be hated, persecuted, and a lot of their loved ones may hate them too.
He provides words of comfort for the scenarios they’ll encounter.
He will be there every step to provide all that is needed.
Jesus offers an hope to strive for and He made promises, He tells them of:
The Rewards (40-42)
The Rewards (40-42)
40 “Whoever receives you receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.
41 The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.
Jesus tells of what reward awaits those who receive those Jesus sends.
Jesus says that receiving Him is receiving God.
Think of the implication made in these verses about Himself.
He is equal with God!
He is God, and any who receive His followers because of what they stand for will be received by God.
At this point in history remember it was persecution for those believers in Christ.
It would’ve taken some faith to accept someone that claimed to be a apostle
They would have been very careful to watch who they were and what they said so they didn’t let spies in the home.
When they received them and were hospitable to them they were receiving the Lord.
Very similar to the answer Jesus taught about the final judgment and who would be recognized by the King.
34 Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’
37 Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
The hospitality is recognized by the King and will be rewarded in due time.
Jesus even mentions who to pay attention to.
42 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”
The “little ones” in this passage are typically understood to be children; but that isn’t who He is referring to.
He is referring to those who are more needy than others.
The ones who don’t have much and are poor or of low status.
When we offer help to those who need it most we fulfill the call to be hospitable.
It isn’t even highlighting the need to do something big, it really just asks that we do something simple to meet a need.
Conclusion:
Following Jesus is costly; but worth it.
You have a personal choice to either deny or accept Christ and the grace He offers.
Jesus said that this message will divide families and breed hatred.
His grace brought division between your heart and fleshly desires.
With the purpose to live a holy life!
Receiving those who proclaim faith in Christ may be small but it is powerful.
Because of those acts of Kindness in the Lord’s name will bring you rewards when the King when He comes.
Let your acceptance of Christ, your hospitality and love towards others be the testimony you live out and the legacy you leave behind.
-Pray!
