Matthew 10v34to42 we will witness division
I) When we walk with God, we will witness division. Matthew 10:34-42
A) File: Matthew 10v34to42 we will witness division.doc
B) Audio: When we walk with God, we will witness division.
C) Series: Walking with God
D) Preached: February 18, 2007
II) Intro to the series: Walking with God
A) We can still walk with God by following Jesus.
B) First: It’s all about the Father’s Business.
C) Second: We must follow.
D) Last time: When we walk with God, He will prepare the way.
III) READ Matthew 10:34-42
A) Jesus is answering an unspoken question
B) Context: giving instructions to the apostles as he sends them
1) Like a mission briefing – instruction they will use
(a) Right at that moment
(b) After He ascends
(c) Future generations to come
(d) Last days
2) What did He instruct?
(a) Read 10:5-33
3) So what was the question:
(a) Up to this point –
(i) healing and miracles.
(ii) teaching – freeing, about belief and heart, not law
(iii) Big crowds, large following
(b) But now Jesus teaches
(i) That His followers will face rejection, persecution, unbelief.
(ii) That their message/witness will be used to condemn
(iii) That families would be divided over the issue
(c) Their question may be:
(i) Isn’t the Messiah supposed to bring peace?
(ii) How can they persecute the messengers of the Messiah?
(iii) Beatitudes: I thought Your kingdom was going to be filled with the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the poor in spirit, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness – how is it that we will be treated this way?
4) So Jesus answers, and in answering, He teaches us several things:
IV) When we walk with God, we will change families.
A) V35 – son/father, daughter/mother, daughter-in-law/mother-in-law (not as surprising)
1) Enemies within our own family.
B) Jesus said – enemies among our own families – Don’t let it surprise you.
C) Matthew 12:49-50: Jesus gestures to disciples, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
D) John 1:11: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
1) Therefore our family is defined by our REBIRTH, not our natural birth.
E) Galatians 4:4-7, “4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”
F) And this means a change of allegiance:
1) In this world – family is the most important thing.
2) Brothers may fight, but when someone else attacks … A mother or father will give their lives.
G) Why bring this up?
1) Because there WILL be conflict here if our family is not believers.
2) Sometimes well-intentioned, those close to us who reject the message will discourage us.
3) Sometimes not well-intentioned –
(a) sometimes they want you to deny the faith – showing to them it was never real.
(b) sometimes wanting to exercise control over you to prove they are above whatever this thing is called God.
4) Whether intending to or not, this world will try to get followers of Christ to choose
(a) Maybe not as true in a culture where Christianity is still tolerated.
(b) Becoming Christian is the surest way for a Muslim to be disowned.
(i) Equally true of Orthodox Jews
(c) It will become true here – hate speech legislation, legal discrimination!
(i) The true believer must and WILL follow God.
V) When we walk with God, we will create enemies.
A) Most shocking is that some of these will come from our own family.
B) Jesus speaks of persecution, flogging, trials, even death, all because the disciples go and preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
C) Maybe don’t experience this yet in our culture
1) But it is there as soon as we start to meddle.
2) Seen on the cutting edge – political arena, intelligent design / evolution. College campuses.
D) It is a natural result of the message: REPENT
1) It tells someone
(a) they are out of sync with God
(b) They must change
(c) If not they are condemned.
(d) This is not a recipe for friendship.
E) For some Christians, this conflict is a defining principle:
1) John Wesley’s example.
F) Another defining example –
VI) When we walk with God, we will serve God’s People.
A) V40-42 shows that some will receive the message and those receiving will serve God’s people
1) Why Jesus instructed them to find a worthy house and stay there –
2) Matthew 8:20 – foxes have holes, birds have nests.
3) Matthew 6:25 – Don’t be anxious for food, clothing.
4) Remember, He prepares the way!
VII) When we walk with God, we will find life.
A) V39 – READ, when we serve God, we align ourselves with our true purpose – the life God intended
1) These things – proclaiming, serving, persecution, enemies these are symptoms of salvation, not causes – signs of new life, rebirth, change.
2) If we make something that no one eats – have we prepared a meal? Or have we just made a mess worthy of garbage?
(a) So it is with us – if we do not fulfill what God wants.
3) We receive the reward of eternal life – and other rewards as well.
VIII) When we walk with God, we will receive rewards.
A) V41-42 implies that proper reception of Christ’s messengers, and therefore his message, is worthy of reward.
B) It will be worth it all someday – ATS “These present troubles don’t compare, to all the glory our God – he has prepared, when we finally see His face, and feel His strong embrace, it will be worth it all that day.”
IX) How do we respond to Christ’s teaching here?
A) Must expect resistance and persecution – not let it bother us, maybe even question its absence like Wesley.
B) Take courage when we experience rejection. Pray for those who receive persecution.
C) Examine ourselves: Have we put God above all?
1) Do you believe but just aren’t ready to commit everything? What we are saying is that we believe…but we don’t believe. Solution: Ask for faith.
D) It costs everything to walk with God – not negotiable.
1) Sometimes we fall into a trap of thinking that we somehow give God enough to be saved but we hold things back – this is the problem stated in verse 39 as finding life.
2) READ verse 39, it’s for those of us who are hanging onto something.
X) If we do not walk with God, we will lose life.
A) We give Him EVERYTHING or we lose EVERYTHING.
1) The conflict is indeed personal – we are our own enemy.
February 18, 2007
Sermon Series: Walking with God. Learning what it means to walk with God by walking with Jesus through His ministry.
Today’s Message:
When we walk with God, we will witness division. Matthew 10:34-11:1
When we walk with God …
A) We will change ___________________.
B) We will create ____________________.
C) We will serve ______________ _________________.
D) We will find _________________.
E) We will receive ____________________.[1]
If we do not walk with God…
- We will _______________ ________________.[2]
Application
Do I truly understand and expect that walking with God will result in division?
Have I truly given Jesus Christ my life or am I holding something back? Am I trying to satisfy Him by some of my good works but trying to keep Him out of parts of my life?
February 18, 2007
Sermon Series: Walking with God. Learning what it means to walk with God by walking with Jesus through His ministry.
Today’s Message:
When we walk with God, we will witness division. Matthew 10:34-11:1
When we walk with God …
A) We will change ___________________.
B) We will create ____________________.
C) We will serve ______________ _________________.
D) We will find _________________.
E) We will receive ____________________.[3]
If we do not walk with God…
- We will _______________ ________________.[4]
Application
Do I truly understand and expect that walking with God will result in division?
Have I truly given Jesus Christ my life or am I holding something back? Am I trying to satisfy Him by some of my good works but trying to keep Him out of parts of my life?
----
[1] A) families; B) enemies; C) God’s people; D) life; E) rewards;
[2] 1) lose life;
[3] A) families; B) enemies; C) God’s people; D) life; E) rewards;
[4] 1) lose life;