Matthew 10:26-33

Psalm 119:9-16

Psalm 119:9–16 ESV

9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! 11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. 12 Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes! 13 With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. 14 In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. 16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

Congregational Prayer

Intro

Two weeks ago, we studied about a coming persecution. - A persecution that all true believers who are sold out for Jesus will face. This included the disciples who all suffered persecution and many of whom suffered martyrdom. This includes the early church who, until sometime around the 4th century, suffered great persecution. This includes Christians throughout the ages including Christians today.

This can be seen as Christians throughout the suffer persecution and martyrdom for their belief in Jesus. Many in America have not suffered persecution, but many in America - even in churches in America are not true believers. They do not put Jesus first in their lives. They do not serve him at all costs. Like many in the early church who walked away during a time of persecution many in the church today will walk away rather than stand up for Jesus.

But that was last week. We have move on from persecution. or have we? In the ESV, this passage starts with so. Many other translations us the word “Therefore.” Both of these words refer back to the previous part of the text. In this case, it refers back to the persecution and how if Jesus was persecuted, so would his followers be persecuted. Remember this as we read and study the text for today.

Matthew 10:26–28 ESV

26 “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 10:26

Matthew 10:26 ESV

26 “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.

This verse should comfort us. In spite of the persecution that we will endure, we should have no fear. This reminder or command not to fear is repeated two more times in this passage. Words or concepts that are repeated are usually repeated for emphasis - They are important words to remember.

Those who are saved need not have fear. They know where they will spend eternity. They may suffer persecution here on earth, but their persecution will be temporary. It will not last past this lifetime.

2 Tim 1:7 teaches us that God did not give us a spirit of fear.

Heb 13:6 Quotes psalm 118:6, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

In Rev 2:10, John is writing about the church in Smyrna brings the discussion back to suffering: “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’

Coming back to Matthew 10:26, we read that we do not need to fear because “Nothing that is covered will not be revealed or hidden that will not be known.”

People are committing crimes against believers. People are doing evil acts. Yet, we can have confidence that those actions will be revealed.

In this world, we have great evil. Some of this evil is being done in the light and other evil is being done in secret - under the cover of darkness.

Just this week, thousands of pastors went into hiding in china amid China’s rising persecution as they attempt to eradicate Christianity.

We hear of children and other’s who are sold as sex slaves. How many of you have heard of Jeffrey Epstein who with the help of Ms. Maxwell and other powerful people provided a sick and disgusting service to people in power and then blackmailing them as a way to maintain power in an evil, hidden part of society.

While planned parenthood has spent decades promoting abortion and murdering babies of all ethnic groups, they focused their efforts on black babies in a racial war. While the motivation for murdering these babied is usually hidden, The Atlantic has been bold enough to openly promote their attempts to systematically eradicate children with Down Syndrome. This evil must be brought from the darkness into the light.

The LGBTQP+ has been working on their agenda to sexualize our children through TV programming, advertising, and schools. One positive thing with the exaggeration of COVID is that children are participating in online schools and parents are hearing some of the propaganda that is being taught to their children. A Starbucks employee was fired for refusing to wear a shirt supporting LGBT.

Satanic worship that was hidden for so long is showing up in places that we would least expect it. I am hearing of rituals that include sacrificing babies to Moloch. There is an entire underground society hidden from plane sight where children are abused and mistreated in ways too evil to detail here.

You see, we have comfort in knowing that one day this evil will be revealed and known. Whether it is in this life or the life to come, this evil will be revealed, known, and judged.

While this provides comfort for those who suffer, it should provide concern to those who perform evil acts in the darkness with the expectation that they will not come to light.

Just this week, results of an investigation into a prominent Christian evangelist who had passed away were reported and what he had done in the cover of night were revealed to the world. Over the last few years, several pastors of large mega-churches had their private, evil actions revealed.

It has taught me that each of us are vulnerable to temptation. Some of those we admire have fallen and continue to cover up their sin. Very few confess their sin and continue to be used by God. We must come to peace with what we have hidden coming to light. Each of us has a past. Each of us must confess our sins before God and ask for his forgiveness. Some of us need to ask others to forgive us.

I must note that not fearing those persecuting us doesn’t mean that we ignore those in authority over us. We are well aware of their power over us. We are well aware that it may be int heir power - or an assumed power to persecute and even kill us. But we are not to fear them. The answer why is coming in verse 28.

Matt 10:27

Matthew 10:27 ESV

27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.

Not only shall we not live in fear of persecution because everything done to us will be revealed, we must confidently speak what the Lord gives us to speak.

Ephesians 1 teaches us that believers are given the Holy Spirit. Last week, read”19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” in Mt 10:19–20.

If we spend time in prayer and in God’s word, we will be listening to the Holy Spirit and will Hear the whisper of God. We will hear what God wants us to say.

Sometimes it is to an individual. For example, in college the Holy Spirit spoke through Cheryl. When Cheryl asked the questions and made statements to her roommate that she knew she needed to speak, she was speaking what God had asked her to speak. She didn’t know until much later that what was going on in her friend’s life. But looking back, she knows it was the Holy Spirit that gave her the words to say.

Other times we are given words we need to speak from the housetops. God will give us something that we need to tell everyone. Sometimes God whispers to your pastor. Sometimes God whispers to your Deacons. Sometimes God whispers to you.

Each of us has the responsibility to proclaim the whisper from the housetops.

Today, it doesn’t mean that we should get on our roof and shout. But it does mean we should tell other’s what God has whispered to us. Our family - Our Friends - Our Neighbors.

I would rather be known as the crazy man who Gods whispers to than the man who does not hear from God or tell others about God. Remember God will never tell you to do something against what is in scripture. What he whispers will ALWAYS allign with scripture.

When Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, heard God tell him to take another wife when he was caught in adultery, we know it was not of God because it is in direct contradiction to scripture.

Each of us is responsible for Proclaiming the love of God to those we come in contact with. Remember when I challenged you to invite someone to Church and my boys invited 40 something people Everyone knew what they believed. They didn’t hold back. Each of us should share what God taught us that day with people we meet.

The teachings of Jesus are not secrets to be kept among a few. They are for the public. Everyone needs to hear the gospel.

Matthew 10:28

Matthew 10:28 ESV

28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

In Romans 8:35, we we are asked “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? “

Paul continues, 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In some ways our persecutes have all of the power over us. They can torment us for years. They may be within the law of the land or they may have a position of power that will keep them from getting in trouble.

For example, in Islamic countries police have power that is often unchecked where they can beat suspects - including believers who have done nothing against the law, but do not have a favored status. They could kill them and make their body disappear. Sometimes this happens. Other times they put them in jail for crimes they have not committed.

Another example would be countries such as China where being a Christian is illegal. Pastors and members of their churches disappear and are sent to jail or re-education camps. These are the same camps that Antifa has pushed for here in the US for those who believe Christian values.

Proverbs 24:29 teaches Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked. Proverbs 29:25 teaches us “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.”

Do not fear the persecution or sufferings in this world. They may attack the body, but they have no control over your soul.

The apostle Paul suffered greatly here on earth yet he understood that they could only touch his body. He knew that his days were numbered By God in the womb and they could not take his life before God had ordained it. In 1 Cor 11:23-28, Paul writes, 23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

Paul had suffered and he eventually was a martyr for his belief that Jesus Christ is Lord.

In Phil 1, Paul writes about living and dying in Christ. In verse 21, he writes, “21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.”

Paul understands this verse in Matthew. They can only touch my body, but not my soul. My destination is chosen not by those who persecute me.

This is why the last part of Matthew 10:28 is so important. We should not fear anyone - including the Devil who can only touch our body and cannot affect our eternal destination. However, we must fear God who can destroy both the body and the soul in hell.

If we are elect of God, we will, as Paul did,serve God until the end of our lives without concern for the suffering we may endure. If we are elect, we will go to heaven and spend eternity with God. To be of the elect means that we do fear God. It means we serve Him even at a cost to ourselves.

The word for destroy here does not mean be annihilated. It does not mean that you will no longer exist. It means that those who God condemns to hell will be punished for eternity in hell. Hell is referred to as the unquenchable fire in Mark 9:43.

This is what we should fear. This is what should drive us to share the gospel with each person we come in contact with. Each of us knows someone we love who we know will not be going to heaven. Each of us know people who do not follow Jesus, whose lives are not submitted to Jesus.

Do you fear your suffering by speaking up more than you fear your family’s eternal suffering in hell?

I know there is a time and a place for each conversation. But too many of us have been afraid of earthly suffering for too long to be honest with those we love. We have one excuse after another not to share the gospel with someone.

Maybe it is because of the conflict that will exist in the household - we are commanded to be at peace with everyone in as far as it is possible But will you desire for peace not let you speak the truth of Jesus to someone you love?

Maybe it is because you don’t want to risk your relationship with extended family. You might never see your grandchildren or great-grandchildren.

Maybe it is because your neighbor might look at you differently if you spoke about Jesus. You don’t need to be rude, but you should not hide the joy that is within you.

Your family member, your neighbor, your friend’s eternity has been decided by God. It isn’t just about them. It is about your responsibility. It is about where God has placed you. Do you want to face God and have Him tell you that you were not obedient? Who do you fear more? Man or God.

Proclaim you love for God from the housetops.

Prayer