LIFTOC // MATT 10:32-42 // THE LEGALITIES OF CARRYING YOUR CROSS

LAST WEEK

WE LOOKED AT THE COMMAND TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO

WE HEARD JESUS ENCOURAGE US NOT TO FEAR

WE ALSO HEARD HIM RESTATE OUR VALUE

THIS WEEK

WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DECIDE TO STEP OUT IN FAITH

WHAT I WANT US TO ASK OURSELVES IS THIS:

HOW MANY OF US WANT TO EXPERIENCE A TOP NOTCH LIFE?!

HOW MANY OF US WANT TO LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST?

HOW MANY OF US THINK THAT THIS VENTURE WILL COME UNCHALLENGED?

IF JESUS DESIRES US TO BE THE CHANGE THE WORLD IS CRAVING

BEFORE THE SPACE X FALCON 9 LANDED AUTONOMOUSLY ON THE DRONESHIP IN DECEMBER 2015

HE SOLD BLASTAR FOR $500

BEFORE THE FALCON 9 LANDED AUTONOMOUSLY ON THE DRONESHIP

IT FAILED TWICE IN JANUARY AND APRIL OF 2015

BEFORE STEVE JOBS TOOK PIXAR PUBLIC

HE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GREAT HARDWARE COMPANY THAT WOULD PRODUCE THE MOVIES THAT MADE PIXAR WHAT IT IS TODAY.

IT SOLD FOR 7.4B IN 2006 TO DISNEY.

FRIENDS TO EVERY SUCCESS STORY, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF CHALLENGES.

FOR THE ONE WHO PUTS THEIR TRUST IN JESUS

SUCCESS ISN’T PROMISED

WEALTH ISN’T PROMISED

SO WHAT DOES THE GOSPEL PROMISE?

TURN TO

Matthew 10:32–42 NKJV

32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. 34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. 40 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. 41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

PRAY

MATTHEW 10:

Matthew 10:32–33 NKJV

32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

CONFESSION IS A POWERFUL THING

Most of us see confession as a humbling practice

A scary practice

An action that exposes our truest reality

However, I am here to tell you that confession is also the most liberating thing we can do

Yes its scary

Yes it reveals a lot about you

But it also reveals who Jesus is

When we confess:

We are declaring who we are and who He is

We are telling the World that we have found a Savior

That we, don’t have what it takes to save ourselves, but He does

That we, dont have what it takes to save ourselves, but He does

That we have found someone who can Justly forgive us of our sins

Who is not only just, but Faithful to forgive us

Church, Repentance and Confession should be a sweet word in the Church

These two practices should be welcomed

We should give people the opportunity to confess who Jesus is and who they are

JESUS IS PROMISING US SOMETHING HERE:

IF YOU CONFESS WHO HE IS BEFORE MEN

HE WILL CONFESS WHO WE ARE IN HIM, BEFORE HIS FATHER

HE LIVES FOREVER TO MAKE INTERCESSION FOR US

ON THE FLIP SIDE:

IF WE DENY WHO JESUS IS BEFORE MEN

HIM I WILL ALSO DENY BEFORE MY FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN

SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS:

ARE OUR ACTIONS CONFESSING OR DENYING WHO JESUS IS?

ARE OUR DECISIONS CONFESSING OR DENYING WHO JESUS IS?

DOES HOW WE LIVE POINT TO WHO JESUS IS IN OUR LIVES?

JESUS ISN’T PLAYING GAMES IN THIS TEXT

HE IS GIVING US SOME REAL INSTRUCTIONS HERE

CHECK OUT THE LANGUAGE THAT HE USES:

Matthew 10:34–37 NKJV

34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

MATTHEW 10:

NORMALLY, WE SEE JESUS AS A MEEK JEWISH MAN WITH A PERFECT BEARD

GENTLY LOVING AND SERVING EVERYONE

SAYING THI

HERE, WE SEE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT JESUS

“DO NOT THINK THAT I CAME TO BRING PEACE ON EARTH”

“I DID NOT COME TO BRING PEACE, BUT A SWORD”

So why do we sing that song at Christmas?

WHAT IS A SWORD IN REFERENCE TO?

Something Powerful

Something that Divides

Something that pierces

Something that cuts

Something like the Word of God

Hebrews 4:12 NKJV

12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Which divides

WHAT IS JESUS SAYING HERE:

I’ve come to consecrate you

To set you apart

To sever you from the mediocre, cookie cutter way of the world, to an untapped economy that will change the world forever

WHY IS JESUS CAUSING DRAMA?

WHY IS HE TEARING APART FAMILIES?

WHY IS HE TELLING US THAT THERE WILL BE OPPOSITION?

Because He wants you to be aware of the things that will compete with Him.

TBH

I love my family

I love what God is doing among them

When I come over on Sundays, and they tell me about how Father So and So butchered the sermon

And they give me the opportunity to clarify the text

You better believe its on

But with a great opportunity comes great opposition

The way Carol & I see Family is different

The way Carol & I see Marriage is different

The way Carol & I see finances is different

Sometimes, it doesn’t make sense to my family

But I always ask myself, “Should it”

My life should be radically different

My life should be should speak to who Jesus is

My life decisions should confess who Jesus is

Sometimes, this Gospel stuff brings division

Sometimes, this Gospel stuff brings contention

JESUS SAID “IN THE WORLD YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLE, BUT BE OF GOOD CHEER, I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD”

YOU KNOW WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

THAT WHEN I LOVE MY FAMILY MORE THAN I LOVE THE LORD, I LOVE THEM INCORRECTLY.

MYSELF, BECAUSE

BUT WHEN I LOVE JESUS MORE, I AM ABLE TO LOVE MY FAMILY IN A WAY THAT GLORIFIES THE LORD, NOT CONTENDS WITH HIM.

MATT 10:

I believe this text is calling us to a deeper dependance on Jesus and away from the comfort that our families could sometimes nurture.

I believe Jesus is calling us to follow Him in a way that is unique

A way that prepares us to see God work for ouselves

IN A WORLD FILLED WITH EXPECTATIONS TO BRING GLORY TO THE FAMILY NAME

JESUS IS ASKING US TO BRING GLORY TO HIS NAME

ONE WAY TO DO SO, IS TO LOVE HIM ABOVE EVERYONE

ANOTHER WAY, IS TO REPRESENT CHRIST LIKE EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD

CARRYING THE CROSS

Matthew 10:38–39 NKJV

38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

CHURCH

We are not called little Messiahs

We are not called little Saviors

We are called little Christs

Little Cross bearers

Christianitos

JESUS IS MAKING IT CLEAR HERE

If we, as So-Called Little Christs, Christians

Are not taking up their Cross and Following after Him

We are not worthy of Him

NLT: If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.

NLT: If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.

IT CAN BE SUMMED UP AS THIS:

A CHRISTIAN WITHOUT A CROSS, IS A HUMAN WITHOUT A CHRIST

THERE IS NO WAY AROUND IT MY PEOPLE

SO WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE:

It means we are aware that our lives are living sacrifices to the Lord ROMANS 12:1

It means we are to live our lives in full devotion to God’s Purpose in our Lives.

Unashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God to Save!

CARRYING THE CROSS IS OUR PUBLIC STATEMENT OF FAITH THAT WE LIVE FOR GOD’S GLORY AND NOT OURS

In order for this to happen

Your reputation will be exchanged for Christs, isn’t that Good News?

You no longer have to build up your spiritual resume

Jesus said Tetelasti

You no longer have to work for approval

Jesus said it is Finished

Lose yourself in this Truth

Lose yourself for the sake of the Gospel

Forget Hector Mora, Hector Mora is following Jesus Christ

HOW WILL THIS EFFECT THE WORLD?

Matthew 10:40–42 NKJV

40 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. 41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

MATTHEW 10:40-

THE WORLD WILL BE IMPACTED WHEN JESUS PEOPLE CARRY THEIR CROSS AND LOVE GOD MORE THAN ANYTHING.

When people receive you

Jesus will honor it

When people receive a prophet in the name of a prophet

Jesus will honor it

When people receive a righteous man

Jesus will honor it

Whoever gives a child a cup of cold water

In the name of a disciples

AKA

ESV “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.”