06AM July 9 Matthew 10 26_39

July 9, 2006—Morning Worship

The “Go Fish!” Series – Part 5

Commencement Exercises

Biblical Mandates for Mobilizing Missions

Matthew 10:26-39

Intro:  The title of the message this morning is “Commencement Exercises.” This is the last message in the series encouraging you to be mobilized for missions. IOW, to be active in your attempts to reach out w/the gospel message. & so, today, I want us to commence this series w/the Biblical mandates for mobilizing missions; & I want us, today, to commit ourselves to commence the immense task of reaching the world w/the gospel.

Jesus gives us instructions about the nature of our mission & tells us that it will be filled w/travels, trials & troubles. The very mention of trial & trouble can lead us to be filled w/hesitation & cause us to fear moving out into the mission to which God calls us. Jesus may be calling you beyond this church, even to an un-reached part of the world. But whatever mission field He is calling you to, it requires courage. Courage, however, is not the absence of fear. Courage & fearlessness are not the same things. Courage is acting properly & timely in the face of fearful circumstances. Not many people are what we might call truly fearless, except perhaps the truly foolish. No, we all have fear. Some fears are greater than others. & it’s these greater fears, not courage, that most often drive us to overcome the lesser fears. Our courage is measured not by our fearlessness but by the worthiness of that which we fear most.

Let me explain that by reading Jesus’ words from our text today, found in…

Matthew 10 24 "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, & a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! 26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, & hidden that will not be known. 27 "Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; & what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 & do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul & body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? & not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 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, & a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 & 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. & he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 & he who does not take his cross & follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, & he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

- So, whatever the mission field God is calling us to, He has given us these Biblical mandates for mobilizing missions as we go.

- So, as you forth…

1. Fear God (vv. 26-33).

- You must ask yourself this simple yet profound question, "What do I fear most?"

- Jesus instructs us that a disciple is to have but one fear: the fear of God.

- Fear of God will drive all other fears away & display the most noble & most virtuous courage that is possible.

- No amount of dramatic bravado comes close to comparing to the courageous actions taken by those who fear nothing in this created universe as much as they fear God.

- Why? …

    A. B/c the fear of man is Unworthy (vv. 26-27, 32). 26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, & hidden that will not be known. 27 "Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; & what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops…32 "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.

- Fear of man causes us to hide truth & conviction. But when you fear man, you will also hide your conviction about the truth of the gospel.

- Fear of man produces a low estimation of God's care & control (vv. 28­31).

- Fear of man reveals your lack of trust in God's sovereignty.

- Not a single sparrow falls & dies w/o the knowledge & direction of God!

- No one can do anything to you that God does not allow!

- No one can get to you w/o going through God first!

- If He’s watching over the sparrows – don’t you think He’s watching over you?

- God is watching over the minutest details of our universe & yet He’s never too busy to know what’s happening in your life!

- Don’t fear men or men’s authority! But have a holy, healthy, reverence or fear of God!

- Why? …

    B. B/c the fear of God brings Freedom (vv. 28, 32-33). 28 & do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul & body in hell…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.

- The healthy fear of God gives freedom from man's expectations & limitations.

- If sinful men value most highly this life in this world in this body, then fear of losing it will drive them to do anything to keep it.

- But if your greatest fear is God, then you are free from the bondage of living up to everyone's expectations.

- Fear of God gives freedom to live in God's favor (vv.32­33).

- Jesus is saying that if you live for Me, by My commands, in My will; then you are living a life that “confesses” Me before men.

- & if you do that, you are one of My disciples & I will gladly “confess” My relationship w/you before the Heavenly Father!

- When you are free from the fear of losing your body, then you are also free to witness boldly & to live heartily & openly for the sake of God's kingdom.

- The Body of Christ is more important to you than your own body.

- When you are free from the cares of this life, then you are free to receive the favor of God in heaven.

- I know, you’re probably not itching to go to heaven right this moment, but if you know that will be your eternal home, then whatever men do to you here on earth is meaningless b/c they cannot take away that which is most precious to you—your eternal home in heaven!

- So 1st, we are to fear God b/c fearing man is useless & b/c the fear of God brings freedom.

- But notice the 2nd mandate from our text is to…

2. Follow Christ (vv. 34-38a). 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, & a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 & 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. & he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 & he who does not take his cross….

- Did you notice the requirements Jesus listed for being part of the family of God?

- The text says that, after the fear of losing our own lives or reputation is the fear of losing those we hold most dear.

- The gospel of Christ brings division among the most precious & intimate of relationships.

- Following Christ helps us let go of the worldly things we hold most dear.

    A. An Example (Matthew 8:21)

- Do you remember the call that came to the disciple in Matthew 8:21? 21 Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me 1st go & bury my father." 22 But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, & let the dead bury their own dead."

- That man valued pleasing his father more than pleasing Christ; he found it more desirable to follow in the footsteps of dad than to follow Christ.

- The setting of this Scripture passage is one of overt persecution for the faith.

- Basically the man tells Jesus, “As soon as my father dies, I’ll follow you, b/c my father would not approve.”

- From all around the world come missionaries' stories about those who become followers of Christ & are killed by their own family members for doing so.

- Many profess Christ & are baptized in the Name of the Father, of the Son, & of the Holy Spirit only to be slaughtered for it.

- They love Christ more than life itself--more than family ties.

- & here we sit in the lap of luxury & are afraid to mention Jesus Christ to our closest friends.

          [I was talking w/a lady this week who is not a member of our church. She told me that her best friend has been diagnosed w/breast cancer. She has known this woman for years & has never even asked her if she knew Jesus or even if she went to church!

          & now that her friend is so sick, she wonders what she should do!]

- Dear friends, don’t let that happen to you!

- Don’t be afraid; don’t be ashamed; don’t fail to take the name of Jesus w/you & share His love & grace w/everyone you know!

- But you say, “It’s hard!” Yes, it can be but Jesus gives us…

    B. An Explanation (Matthew 10:38a) 38 & he who does not take his cross….

- Following Christ means we must take up the cross.

- v. 38a tells us that we all have a cross to bear.

- Whatever it is, it will be the death of us! It will be the death of self.

- To follow Christ is to walk in the way of the cross.

- To walk in the way of the cross is to walk in suffering; pain; disrespect; & contempt.

- But to walk in the way of the cross also means to walk in obedience & ultimately in victory!

- We will either follow our Master all the way or not at all! Partial obedience is disobedience!

- Where is He leading you? Is your workplace or school a mission field full of lost & hurting people?

- Has the Lord been calling you to support a missionary or missions agency, or to go overseas yourself?

- Are you willing to go no matter where He leads?

- In just a few moments Kevin Prescott is going to read the Charge to God’s people from Romans 13:11-14. I pray you’d listen carefully & closely & that you would apply those words to your own heart & life even before you leave here today!

- So let’s fear God & follow Jesus—& according to our text today, when we do those things we will…

3. Find Life (vv. 38­39).

- & you will find that life…

    A. Through your Walk (v. 38) 38 & he who does not take his cross & follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

- Did you see that you must be making progress in your spiritual life in order to be considered a disciple of Jesus?

- He said if you don’t take up your cross & FOLLOW!

- Following means movement, it means progress, it means activity.

- But not just any old activity will do—you must be doing what Jesus would do!

- Your daily life & your daily activities speak volumes about your relationship w/Jesus!

- As you have heard before—you will either follow your Master all the way or you will not follow Him at all!

- Jesus is either Lord of all or He is not Lord at all!

- & how close your relationship is w/Jesus will be revealed by your daily activities.

- I would venture to say that each & every one of us ought to drop to our knees right now, & in repentance, confess our sins of omission & our sins of commission.

- If your walk does not match your talk—Jesus said, you are “not worthy of Me.”

- I encourage you to find life through a close, daily, personal walk w/Jesus &…

    B. Through His Way (v. 39) 39 He who finds his life will lose it, & he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

- We are never more alive than when we lose our life!

- We are never more living than when we are dead to self (v. 39).

- Life on earth, according to the world’s view may be about self-preservation.

- But for the Christian, we are to be about self-denial.

- The progression of thought in this passage seems to be the reverse of our way of thinking.

- In Christian discipleship we are to fear God, to follow Christ, & then we will find life.

- If we attempt to find life first, we will lose it, we will follow self & we will hate God.

- Life begins w/God, & if we are to find it we must begin w/Him!

- It’s His plan, His purpose, His will & His way that must be followed.

Conclusion:  Where is your mission field? Do you fear God enough to respond? Have you heard the call of Christ in your life to take up your cross, to be willing to die for Him? We live in a world of people who fear so many things rather than God, who follow other gods & philosophies; & all they ultimately find is death. Won't you fear the God of their judgment? Won't you follow Christ who desires their salvation? Won't you embrace the self-denying life & follow Him to the mission field no matter where it may be?

Invitation:  God has given His invitation. He is calling you. It may be to service on the mission fields at home or abroad—but God is calling YOU! Will you respond today?

          Or maybe God has shown you your need for a real relationship w/Jesus. Would you come in repentance & place your faith in Jesus Christ alone?

Hymn 575 I Will Sing of My Redeemer