WEBVTT 00:00:07.180 --> 00:00:10.060 As the choir comes down, if you have a copy of 00:00:10.060 --> 00:00:13.660 the scriptures, if you'd open to Matthew's gospel 00:00:13.660 --> 00:00:31.579 and turn to chapter 10. Matthew chapter 10, we'll 00:00:31.579 --> 00:00:38.600 pick up the text at verse 34. And every week 00:00:38.600 --> 00:00:41.759 as a pastor, as your preacher, you wrestle with 00:00:41.759 --> 00:00:44.659 the text, trying to make sure you understand 00:00:44.659 --> 00:00:47.439 what it says, what it means, what its original 00:00:47.439 --> 00:00:51.560 context was. And oftentimes it's not hard to 00:00:51.560 --> 00:00:53.159 understand what it means, but it's certainly 00:00:53.159 --> 00:00:56.280 hard to apply it to our lives. And I don't think 00:00:56.280 --> 00:00:59.130 that is... ever been more true than in the case 00:00:59.130 --> 00:01:02.810 of the passage that's before us today. Jesus 00:01:02.810 --> 00:01:06.730 talking to the twelve, twelve apostles that is, 00:01:06.829 --> 00:01:10.750 do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. 00:01:11.489 --> 00:01:16.049 I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For 00:01:16.049 --> 00:01:17.790 I have come to set a man against his father, 00:01:17.950 --> 00:01:21.269 a daughter against her mother, and a daughter 00:01:21.269 --> 00:01:24.510 -in -law against her mother -in -law. And a man's 00:01:24.510 --> 00:01:28.079 enemies will be those of his own household. He 00:01:28.079 --> 00:01:30.519 who loves father or mother more than me is not 00:01:30.519 --> 00:01:33.640 worthy of me. And he who loves son or daughter 00:01:33.640 --> 00:01:38.299 more than me is not worthy of me. And he who 00:01:38.299 --> 00:01:42.519 does not take his cross and follow after me is 00:01:42.519 --> 00:01:46.459 not worthy of me. He who finds his life will 00:01:46.459 --> 00:01:50.799 lose it. And he who loses his life for my sake 00:01:50.799 --> 00:01:54.980 will find it. He who receives you receives me, 00:01:55.019 --> 00:01:56.959 and he who receives me receives him who sent 00:01:56.959 --> 00:02:00.280 me. He who receives a prophet in the name of 00:02:00.280 --> 00:02:03.379 a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And 00:02:03.379 --> 00:02:05.000 the one who receives a righteous man in the name 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:06.640 of a righteous man shall receive a righteous 00:02:06.640 --> 00:02:10.240 man's reward. And whoever gives one of these 00:02:10.240 --> 00:02:14.020 little ones only a cup of cold water in the name 00:02:14.020 --> 00:02:17.939 of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall 00:02:17.939 --> 00:02:25.360 by no means lose his reward. Let's pray. Father, 00:02:25.439 --> 00:02:30.060 your word is true. It is righteous. Lord, it's 00:02:30.060 --> 00:02:32.460 uttered by the Son of God. It's authoritative 00:02:32.460 --> 00:02:36.219 in our lives. Lord, these are tough demands. 00:02:38.020 --> 00:02:40.259 Lord, even radical demands, if we might say so. 00:02:41.219 --> 00:02:44.740 God, would you help us? God, would you reveal 00:02:44.740 --> 00:02:47.280 to us where our own hearts have gone astray? 00:02:48.680 --> 00:02:50.759 Father, I pray that the Spirit of God, Lord, 00:02:50.840 --> 00:02:54.520 would awaken those who might be here. dead in 00:02:54.520 --> 00:02:57.819 their sins, cold -hearted. Lord, might you give 00:02:57.819 --> 00:03:01.139 them life. And for those who belong to you, Father, 00:03:01.219 --> 00:03:03.699 Lord, search us, try us, see if there have been 00:03:03.699 --> 00:03:06.639 any wicked way in us, Lord, and lead us in the 00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:09.120 way everlasting. We pray this in Jesus' name. 00:03:09.620 --> 00:03:14.800 Amen. When we think of Jesus, We normally think 00:03:14.800 --> 00:03:17.280 of peace. I mean, after all, one of the titles 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:19.919 for him, it's a title of the Messiah found in 00:03:19.919 --> 00:03:22.539 Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6, is he is the prince 00:03:22.539 --> 00:03:26.620 of peace. When Zechariah was writing of the future 00:03:26.620 --> 00:03:30.539 Messiah, he said, he shall speak peace to the 00:03:30.539 --> 00:03:34.379 nations. At his birth in Bethlehem, the angels 00:03:34.379 --> 00:03:36.860 were singing glory to God in the highest and 00:03:36.860 --> 00:03:41.169 on earth, peace, goodwill toward men. It was 00:03:41.169 --> 00:03:44.210 Jesus himself in Matthew chapter 5 in the Beatitudes, 00:03:44.289 --> 00:03:48.009 he says, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they 00:03:48.009 --> 00:03:51.530 shall be called the sons of God. So if all that 00:03:51.530 --> 00:03:54.090 being true, why is he now saying in Matthew 10 00:03:54.090 --> 00:03:57.530 that he did not come to bring peace, but rather 00:03:57.530 --> 00:04:00.669 a sword? What did he mean by that statement? 00:04:02.030 --> 00:04:05.169 First, let me say this, the sword which Jesus 00:04:05.169 --> 00:04:09.819 spoke of did not refer to a literal sword. It's 00:04:09.819 --> 00:04:12.400 a metaphor. He didn't come to bring peace. Rather, 00:04:12.599 --> 00:04:15.479 his mission, because of who he was, would bring 00:04:15.479 --> 00:04:19.500 conflict and division to many. How do we know 00:04:19.500 --> 00:04:21.600 it's not a literal sword? Well, do you remember 00:04:21.600 --> 00:04:24.240 when Jesus was arrested in the garden and Peter, 00:04:24.480 --> 00:04:27.339 the very impetuous one, he grabbed his sword 00:04:27.339 --> 00:04:29.740 and he cut off the high priest's servant's ear. 00:04:30.259 --> 00:04:33.660 Jesus said to Peter, put your sword in its place. 00:04:34.220 --> 00:04:37.459 Put it up, Peter. For all who take the sword 00:04:37.459 --> 00:04:42.050 will perish. The Christian faith, this is so 00:04:42.050 --> 00:04:44.730 important, has never been advanced by the sword. 00:04:44.910 --> 00:04:47.990 The kingdom of God does not grow by weapons or 00:04:47.990 --> 00:04:51.449 external force. Much of Islam in the western 00:04:51.449 --> 00:04:55.089 hemisphere did expand by force. There were forced 00:04:55.089 --> 00:04:58.649 conversions. You converted or you died. You see 00:04:58.649 --> 00:05:00.829 that as the Moors came in there through Spain 00:05:00.829 --> 00:05:03.250 and the influence is still felt very strongly 00:05:03.250 --> 00:05:05.410 there in that part of the world. But that's not 00:05:05.410 --> 00:05:08.129 been the Christian religion. It's not been advanced 00:05:08.129 --> 00:05:12.529 by the sword. Now, what did Jesus mean by conflict 00:05:12.529 --> 00:05:16.230 then? Well, many Jews had this expectation that 00:05:16.230 --> 00:05:18.930 when the Messiah came, it would bring in a new 00:05:18.930 --> 00:05:23.670 age of peace and prosperity to Israel. And that's 00:05:23.670 --> 00:05:27.410 not wrong. But Jesus came and he was tempering 00:05:27.410 --> 00:05:31.889 their expectations. There will be a time of universal 00:05:31.889 --> 00:05:34.970 peace and prosperity on the earth. But it was 00:05:34.970 --> 00:05:39.079 not now. It did not come with his first coming. 00:05:39.500 --> 00:05:42.600 He warned, rather, that his arrival, speaking 00:05:42.600 --> 00:05:44.980 of his first coming, would bring in a new era, 00:05:45.100 --> 00:05:50.740 but it would be an era of division. Many, many 00:05:50.740 --> 00:05:53.120 people, especially in Israel, they would reject 00:05:53.120 --> 00:05:57.139 the Christ, and that rejection would divide even 00:05:57.139 --> 00:06:00.079 the closest of relationships, including families. 00:06:01.290 --> 00:06:03.889 Now the context here, we're in Matthew chapter 00:06:03.889 --> 00:06:08.269 10. Jesus has been preparing the 12 apostles, 00:06:08.490 --> 00:06:11.389 briefing them, if you will, as they prepare to 00:06:11.389 --> 00:06:13.949 head out on their first missionary journey that 00:06:13.949 --> 00:06:16.389 is to take place only within the confines of 00:06:16.389 --> 00:06:19.269 Israel. And he's letting them know in advance 00:06:19.269 --> 00:06:21.990 that this mission I'm sending you out on, it 00:06:21.990 --> 00:06:25.509 is a dangerous mission. I'm sending you out as 00:06:25.509 --> 00:06:29.189 sheep among wolves. Some's going to really... 00:06:29.600 --> 00:06:32.800 They readily accept the message you bring. They 00:06:32.800 --> 00:06:36.339 will gladly receive you. Yet there will be others, 00:06:36.500 --> 00:06:40.399 and by the way, the majority, who will hate and 00:06:40.399 --> 00:06:43.339 persecute you. The message of Christ, there's 00:06:43.339 --> 00:06:45.300 three things it brings from this text. It brings 00:06:45.300 --> 00:06:48.680 division. Then there's a denial, a self -denial. 00:06:49.300 --> 00:06:51.000 It also brings, and I couldn't think of another 00:06:51.000 --> 00:06:53.480 D word, so I threw in dividend. It brings a reward. 00:06:54.360 --> 00:06:56.879 So let's look at the first part. The gospel brings 00:06:56.879 --> 00:06:59.079 division. And you find that beginning in verse 00:06:59.079 --> 00:07:02.120 34. I'm not going to reread the text because 00:07:02.120 --> 00:07:04.860 we just read it. So the gospel brings division. 00:07:05.060 --> 00:07:07.259 Now, that's what Jesus said. I did not come to 00:07:07.259 --> 00:07:09.639 bring peace, but I came to bring a sword. However, 00:07:09.860 --> 00:07:12.620 if we go to John's gospel in John 18, Jesus said 00:07:12.620 --> 00:07:15.920 this. He's standing there before Pilate and he 00:07:15.920 --> 00:07:20.290 said, for this cause I was born. And for this 00:07:20.290 --> 00:07:23.290 cause I have come into the world, that I should 00:07:23.290 --> 00:07:28.569 bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of 00:07:28.569 --> 00:07:33.889 the truth hears my voice. Everyone who is of 00:07:33.889 --> 00:07:36.930 the truth hears his voice. So why did the Lord 00:07:36.930 --> 00:07:39.649 come? He says, I came to bear witness to the 00:07:39.649 --> 00:07:44.110 truth. What does truth do? Truth by its very 00:07:44.110 --> 00:07:47.990 nature divides. There has always been a conflict. 00:07:48.439 --> 00:07:51.139 It's a cosmic conflict. It occurs between truth 00:07:51.139 --> 00:07:55.079 and error or truth and lies, light and darkness, 00:07:55.319 --> 00:07:58.180 the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness, 00:07:58.339 --> 00:08:00.540 the kingdom of God versus the kingdom of Satan. 00:08:00.980 --> 00:08:04.519 But Jesus said only those who are of the truth 00:08:04.519 --> 00:08:07.899 will hear him. Only those. Implying that there 00:08:07.899 --> 00:08:11.620 are many who are not of the truth who will not 00:08:11.620 --> 00:08:15.879 hear him and will conversely reject him. And 00:08:15.879 --> 00:08:18.560 this conflict, this rejection, will reach all 00:08:18.560 --> 00:08:20.779 the way down to families where some in the family 00:08:20.779 --> 00:08:23.500 will be believers and others will not be. Verse 00:08:23.500 --> 00:08:26.439 35 and 36, he said, For I came to set, what, 00:08:26.579 --> 00:08:29.439 a man against his father, a daughter against 00:08:29.439 --> 00:08:31.139 her mother, a daughter -in -law against her mother 00:08:31.139 --> 00:08:34.279 -in -law. But Jesus, no, I came to bear witness 00:08:34.279 --> 00:08:37.179 to the truth. But now, in Matthew 10, he says, 00:08:37.259 --> 00:08:41.919 I came to bring a division within families. I 00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:43.519 mean, how are you reconciling these statements? 00:08:44.909 --> 00:08:46.990 Well, the very first thing, the apostles, the 00:08:46.990 --> 00:08:48.970 12 that are going to be sent out, they were to 00:08:48.970 --> 00:08:53.210 expect conflict as they preached the truth that 00:08:53.210 --> 00:08:56.750 Jesus had sent them to preach. Yes, the Jews 00:08:56.750 --> 00:08:58.909 are correct. There is a time of universal peace 00:08:58.909 --> 00:09:01.750 and prosperity that is to come, but that time 00:09:01.750 --> 00:09:06.389 has not yet arrived. The world rejected Jesus. 00:09:06.750 --> 00:09:09.690 And since they rejected Jesus, it will also reject 00:09:09.690 --> 00:09:12.700 the apostles. And you're going to find a home 00:09:12.700 --> 00:09:17.139 that is divided. Why? Why is it divided? Because 00:09:17.139 --> 00:09:19.399 some in that home will believe the gospel and 00:09:19.399 --> 00:09:22.080 others will reject it. And so a man's enemies 00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:25.500 will be those of his own household. And again, 00:09:25.519 --> 00:09:27.559 we see this play out as we read through the rest 00:09:27.559 --> 00:09:29.240 of the gospel narrative and as we turn to the 00:09:29.240 --> 00:09:35.559 epistles. Israel rejected Jesus. And those family 00:09:35.559 --> 00:09:38.860 members who did not believe rejected those who 00:09:38.860 --> 00:09:43.950 received Jesus. But friends, this reproach, this 00:09:43.950 --> 00:09:48.750 rejection did not end in the first century. The 00:09:48.750 --> 00:09:52.190 gospel of Jesus Christ still causes division 00:09:52.190 --> 00:09:56.409 even today. Think of the many testimonies of 00:09:56.409 --> 00:09:58.850 Muslims who have come to faith in Christ only 00:09:58.850 --> 00:10:02.070 to find their family disowning them, disavowing 00:10:02.070 --> 00:10:06.210 them, and some even seeking to kill them. There's 00:10:06.210 --> 00:10:08.330 a story told of in the late 1800s, there was 00:10:08.330 --> 00:10:10.250 an American missionary named Samuel Zwimmer. 00:10:11.000 --> 00:10:14.360 He worked in Egypt, Bahrain, and Arabia at that 00:10:14.360 --> 00:10:18.500 time. And he wrote of a well -known Muslim scholar 00:10:18.500 --> 00:10:22.620 whose name was Sheikh Hassan. And Sheikh Hassan 00:10:22.620 --> 00:10:25.039 knew of Zwemer and he sought to refute his claims. 00:10:25.139 --> 00:10:27.620 He was going to refute the gospel that Zwemer 00:10:27.620 --> 00:10:30.659 was preaching. So he began to read the Bible. 00:10:31.080 --> 00:10:33.820 He began to engage with the writings of Christian 00:10:33.820 --> 00:10:37.080 scholars. And as he did so, he became convinced 00:10:37.080 --> 00:10:40.399 that Jesus was the Christ. the son of the living 00:10:40.399 --> 00:10:43.019 God, the savior of the world. And because of 00:10:43.019 --> 00:10:45.820 his conviction, eventually Sheikh Hassan was 00:10:45.820 --> 00:10:48.840 baptized. And it was at that moment when he was 00:10:48.840 --> 00:10:50.759 baptized, his family discovered his conversion. 00:10:51.139 --> 00:10:55.240 They were outraged and they disowned him. They 00:10:55.240 --> 00:10:57.299 kicked him out of his own home. They stripped 00:10:57.299 --> 00:11:00.659 him of his inheritance. He lost his job. And 00:11:00.659 --> 00:11:02.820 for the remainder of his later life, he lived 00:11:02.820 --> 00:11:06.440 as an outcast. The Zwimmer, that American missionary, 00:11:07.379 --> 00:11:11.379 said that Hassan said this, and I quote, Though 00:11:11.379 --> 00:11:15.200 I have lost father and mother, I have found a 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:19.100 Savior who will never cast me out. This is exactly 00:11:19.100 --> 00:11:21.440 what David wrote in the 27th Psalm, verse 10, 00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:23.940 When father and mother forsake me, then the Lord 00:11:23.940 --> 00:11:26.580 will take me up. The Lord will take care of me. 00:11:27.500 --> 00:11:30.759 A few weeks ago, in August actually, one of our 00:11:30.759 --> 00:11:32.620 missionaries, Todd Kincaid, he's our missionary 00:11:32.620 --> 00:11:35.120 serving in Rome to the displaced people groups, 00:11:35.220 --> 00:11:37.759 the migrant groups, mostly the Bengalis there 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:41.379 in Rome. He spoke of his co -laborer. His co 00:11:41.379 --> 00:11:44.000 -laborer's name is Masun, and he comes from a 00:11:44.000 --> 00:11:46.940 Muslim background. And Masun was baptized into 00:11:46.940 --> 00:11:49.179 the Christian faith, and the moment his family 00:11:49.179 --> 00:11:52.139 found out, they put a bounty onto his head, and 00:11:52.139 --> 00:11:54.120 he can never return to his home country because 00:11:54.120 --> 00:11:59.059 he will lose his life. He has no one except his 00:11:59.059 --> 00:12:01.519 brothers and sisters there in the church. It's 00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:03.940 not just Muslims. This happens also if you talk 00:12:03.940 --> 00:12:06.139 to some Jews who have embraced Christ. They will 00:12:06.139 --> 00:12:08.340 find themselves alienated, even expelled from 00:12:08.340 --> 00:12:11.740 their families. You hear stories sometimes of 00:12:11.740 --> 00:12:15.720 families even having funerals for those who have 00:12:15.720 --> 00:12:18.259 received Christ or converted to Christianity. 00:12:19.659 --> 00:12:23.580 What does all this mean? It has never been easy 00:12:23.580 --> 00:12:27.830 or popular to follow Christ. Ever. And it never 00:12:27.830 --> 00:12:31.370 will be. Jesus prepared his disciples, and by 00:12:31.370 --> 00:12:35.730 way of extension, he's preparing us. If the world 00:12:35.730 --> 00:12:39.809 hates you, John 15, next slide, guys. If the 00:12:39.809 --> 00:12:43.049 world hates you, you know that it hated me before 00:12:43.049 --> 00:12:46.029 it hated you. The world hates the Son of God. 00:12:46.210 --> 00:12:50.590 The world hates God. It's not neutral. If you 00:12:50.590 --> 00:12:53.129 were of the world, which you're not, the world 00:12:53.129 --> 00:12:55.769 would love its own. Yet because you're not of 00:12:55.769 --> 00:12:57.990 the world and I chose you out of the world, therefore, 00:12:58.129 --> 00:13:01.029 because of that, the world hates you. Now remember 00:13:01.029 --> 00:13:03.750 the word that I said to you. A servant is not 00:13:03.750 --> 00:13:07.070 greater than his master. If or since they persecuted 00:13:07.070 --> 00:13:10.470 me, they will also persecute you. If they kept 00:13:10.470 --> 00:13:13.690 my word, they will keep yours also. But all these 00:13:13.690 --> 00:13:16.049 things they will do to you for my namesake because 00:13:16.049 --> 00:13:19.309 they do not know him who sent me. They're doing 00:13:19.309 --> 00:13:23.330 all this because they don't know God. That means... 00:13:23.519 --> 00:13:26.440 Judaism today, by extension Islam, they don't 00:13:26.440 --> 00:13:29.379 know God. The only people who know God are those 00:13:29.379 --> 00:13:32.659 who know Christ as Savior. Those who are of the 00:13:32.659 --> 00:13:36.279 truth. Those who are of the truth embrace Christ 00:13:36.279 --> 00:13:40.080 when they hear the gospel. They are his sheep. 00:13:40.259 --> 00:13:42.799 They hear his voice in the gospel when they follow 00:13:42.799 --> 00:13:45.519 him. Now listen carefully. Jesus said in John 00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:49.559 18, everyone who is of the truth, what? Hears 00:13:49.559 --> 00:13:52.120 my voice. If you're of the truth, you'll hear 00:13:52.120 --> 00:13:58.049 him. In John 10, Jesus said, My sheep hear my 00:13:58.049 --> 00:14:02.230 voice, and they follow me. So those who follow 00:14:02.230 --> 00:14:06.210 him are his sheep who are of the truth. But there's 00:14:06.210 --> 00:14:08.570 a group out there who are not of the truth, who 00:14:08.570 --> 00:14:11.070 are not his sheep, and they hate the gospel, 00:14:11.230 --> 00:14:13.549 and they seek to silence those who preach it. 00:14:15.049 --> 00:14:17.850 Discipleship will create friction. That doesn't 00:14:17.850 --> 00:14:20.149 mean you are failing. It probably means you are 00:14:20.149 --> 00:14:24.080 faithful. In this. So what are you supposed to 00:14:24.080 --> 00:14:27.100 do when those closest to you. Those in your very 00:14:27.100 --> 00:14:30.659 home. With whom you live. Want to reject you. 00:14:32.179 --> 00:14:35.620 Because of your loyalty to Christ. Jesus said 00:14:35.620 --> 00:14:39.879 in verse 37. He who loves father or mother. More 00:14:39.879 --> 00:14:42.679 than me is not worthy of me. But he goes a step 00:14:42.679 --> 00:14:46.919 further. And he who loves son or daughter. More 00:14:46.919 --> 00:14:51.539 than me. Is not worthy of me. There is a hierarchy 00:14:51.539 --> 00:14:53.740 of love, church, that Jesus lays out very clearly. 00:14:54.379 --> 00:14:57.639 And what he's saying is that no one, no man, 00:14:57.700 --> 00:14:59.840 no woman, no father, no mother, no son, no daughter, 00:14:59.899 --> 00:15:04.080 can come before your love for Christ. Christ 00:15:04.080 --> 00:15:08.820 must be first. He must be preeminent in all things. 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:13.899 He must be above all people, including our own 00:15:13.899 --> 00:15:17.769 children. That's a hard statement. Now notice 00:15:17.769 --> 00:15:19.789 his words. If you do, if you love your dad or 00:15:19.789 --> 00:15:22.149 mom or your son or daughter more than you love 00:15:22.149 --> 00:15:26.649 Jesus, he said, you're not worthy of him. And 00:15:26.649 --> 00:15:30.190 you see up there, that's a crazy statement. If 00:15:30.190 --> 00:15:32.429 it were uttered by anyone other than the Lord 00:15:32.429 --> 00:15:35.970 Jesus himself. It would be the highest level 00:15:35.970 --> 00:15:38.330 of hubris and the highest level of arrogance 00:15:38.330 --> 00:15:42.429 for a mere man to demand that you must love him 00:15:42.429 --> 00:15:45.340 above all other people. I mean, think about it. 00:15:45.340 --> 00:15:47.860 What if I were to tell you, hey, church, you 00:15:47.860 --> 00:15:50.059 must love me more than you love your own children, 00:15:50.240 --> 00:15:52.120 more than you love your own parents, more than 00:15:52.120 --> 00:15:54.460 you love your own family. If I said that, if 00:15:54.460 --> 00:15:56.860 I demanded you to love me like that, you would 00:15:56.860 --> 00:15:59.379 think something is seriously wrong with me and 00:15:59.379 --> 00:16:03.980 you would be right. But Jesus, he said this. 00:16:05.220 --> 00:16:09.580 His words are actually an affirmation of his 00:16:09.580 --> 00:16:13.570 deity. Because only God could demand devotion 00:16:13.570 --> 00:16:18.070 and a love that supersedes everything else. It's 00:16:18.070 --> 00:16:20.490 idolatry if we love anything more than him or 00:16:20.490 --> 00:16:23.610 anyone more than him. And he says, if you do, 00:16:23.710 --> 00:16:25.450 if you love even your children more than you 00:16:25.450 --> 00:16:29.009 love me, you're not worthy of me. What does that 00:16:29.009 --> 00:16:32.070 mean? It means you're not fit to be his disciple. 00:16:33.990 --> 00:16:37.169 Jesus is telling us in advance what following 00:16:37.169 --> 00:16:42.220 him demands. This is what it means. Now, honestly, 00:16:42.360 --> 00:16:44.720 we in this room, the sanctuary, we may never 00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:46.980 have to choose between a family member and following 00:16:46.980 --> 00:16:49.240 Jesus. Nevertheless, though, this doesn't get 00:16:49.240 --> 00:16:54.580 us off the hook. In our hearts, he, Jesus Christ, 00:16:54.740 --> 00:17:00.779 must be preeminent and occupy the top spot. That's 00:17:00.779 --> 00:17:04.099 a tough statement. But this will only happen 00:17:04.099 --> 00:17:08.259 if you can see him for who he truly is. He's 00:17:08.259 --> 00:17:10.359 not simply a rabbi or an enlightened teacher. 00:17:10.579 --> 00:17:17.220 He is God in flesh. He is the Christ. He's the 00:17:17.220 --> 00:17:21.039 Savior of mankind. If you read through the Gospels, 00:17:21.039 --> 00:17:23.180 you'll see he's the all -surpassing treasure 00:17:23.180 --> 00:17:27.339 that is greater even than life. This is Jesus. 00:17:28.559 --> 00:17:31.460 I love the song that says, You can have all this 00:17:31.460 --> 00:17:37.660 world, but give me Jesus. Take it. There's only 00:17:37.660 --> 00:17:41.259 one that I have to have. Jesus said in Matthew 00:17:41.259 --> 00:17:48.380 6, verse 33, Seek first. Seek first. Protos, 00:17:48.400 --> 00:17:54.440 first. His kingdom. And his righteousness. Matthew 00:17:54.440 --> 00:17:58.039 10, you must love me above all else. Those are 00:17:58.039 --> 00:18:01.980 the terms that he lays down for discipleship. 00:18:01.980 --> 00:18:04.299 And the terms are non -negotiable. We don't go 00:18:04.299 --> 00:18:07.450 back to him and with a counter offer. Because 00:18:07.450 --> 00:18:09.730 he says, if you don't want to do it, don't follow 00:18:09.730 --> 00:18:12.910 me. So the gospel is going to bring division. 00:18:13.049 --> 00:18:14.349 It's going to bring division even to families, 00:18:14.410 --> 00:18:16.490 but it's also going to cost us something. There 00:18:16.490 --> 00:18:19.210 is a denial. If you see, it's not simply choosing 00:18:19.210 --> 00:18:21.630 him above your family. Also, to be his disciple 00:18:21.630 --> 00:18:25.230 is to choose Christ above our own life. Look 00:18:25.230 --> 00:18:29.269 at verse 38. And he who does not take up his 00:18:29.269 --> 00:18:33.170 cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. 00:18:34.569 --> 00:18:37.390 I mean, he's just, he's narrowing this in. He's 00:18:37.390 --> 00:18:40.609 not letting us off the hook. The Lord has already 00:18:40.609 --> 00:18:43.309 warned them twice in Matthew 10 about the prospect 00:18:43.309 --> 00:18:46.170 of death. You see that in verse 21. Jesus said, 00:18:46.269 --> 00:18:48.650 brother will deliver a brother to death. Father, 00:18:48.670 --> 00:18:50.950 his child. Children rise up against parents and 00:18:50.950 --> 00:18:53.109 cause them to be put to death. All for Christ. 00:18:53.250 --> 00:18:56.170 Verse 28. Do not fear those who kill the body 00:18:56.170 --> 00:18:58.789 but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear him 00:18:58.789 --> 00:19:01.670 who is able to destroy both soul and body in 00:19:01.670 --> 00:19:05.049 hell. And now for the third time, the Lord Jesus 00:19:05.049 --> 00:19:08.710 mentions the prospect of death in being his disciple. 00:19:09.569 --> 00:19:12.069 It's a willingness to take up our cross and follow 00:19:12.069 --> 00:19:15.829 him. And his commentary, R .T. France, says this, 00:19:16.309 --> 00:19:19.029 Christian readers have become so used to the 00:19:19.029 --> 00:19:22.950 cross as a word and a symbol that it is hard 00:19:22.950 --> 00:19:25.609 now to recapture the shudder that the word must 00:19:25.609 --> 00:19:28.150 have brought to a hearer in Galilee at that time. 00:19:29.420 --> 00:19:31.400 Crucifixion was thus not only the most cruel 00:19:31.400 --> 00:19:35.460 form of execution then in use, but it also carried 00:19:35.460 --> 00:19:40.359 the stigma of social disgrace. It's not just 00:19:40.359 --> 00:19:42.579 a person crucified, but if you were even related 00:19:42.579 --> 00:19:45.900 or somehow affiliated with the person being crucified, 00:19:46.380 --> 00:19:49.920 that was considered the ultimate shame. There 00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:52.759 was an honor -shame culture in the East that 00:19:52.759 --> 00:19:54.799 we don't necessarily have in the West. We're 00:19:54.799 --> 00:19:56.960 more individualistic, but for them it's corporate. 00:19:57.519 --> 00:20:00.859 So if you were associated, you bore shame. If 00:20:00.859 --> 00:20:04.079 you were crucified, that was the most radical 00:20:04.079 --> 00:20:07.339 public reproach that existed. And Jesus is saying, 00:20:07.480 --> 00:20:10.359 you must be willing as his disciple to embrace 00:20:10.359 --> 00:20:15.019 that calling. Part of the humiliation of crucifixion 00:20:15.019 --> 00:20:17.000 wasn't just hanging there naked before everyone 00:20:17.000 --> 00:20:20.359 on a wooden beam. But before that ever happened, 00:20:20.519 --> 00:20:23.779 the condemned one was forced to carry their cross 00:20:23.779 --> 00:20:26.180 through a public procession among the crowds. 00:20:27.039 --> 00:20:29.000 where they were carrying their cross and the 00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:31.480 crowds would be lined up screaming at them and 00:20:31.480 --> 00:20:35.980 hurling insults at the very same time. And Jesus 00:20:35.980 --> 00:20:38.779 said, you want to follow me? Well, you cannot 00:20:38.779 --> 00:20:42.480 shrink back when public shame and ridicule comes 00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:45.559 your way for my sake. You've got to be willing 00:20:45.559 --> 00:20:48.640 to pick up your cross. What about ridicule? No, 00:20:48.660 --> 00:20:50.240 you've got to be willing to be ridiculed and 00:20:50.240 --> 00:20:53.359 maligned and continue to follow. And he says, 00:20:53.380 --> 00:20:55.240 if you're not, you're not worthy of me. You're 00:20:55.240 --> 00:20:59.740 not fit to be my disciple. These are not my words, 00:20:59.839 --> 00:21:05.200 church. These are hard words coming from the 00:21:05.200 --> 00:21:08.920 lips of our Savior. We are not fit to be his 00:21:08.920 --> 00:21:11.400 disciples if we are unwilling for all this to 00:21:11.400 --> 00:21:15.059 be our fate. This is why it's hard to wrestle. 00:21:15.099 --> 00:21:18.339 It's not hard to understand. But it's certainly 00:21:18.339 --> 00:21:21.890 hard as I look at my own life. Lawrence Farley, 00:21:21.910 --> 00:21:23.829 in his commentary, he says to take up a cross 00:21:23.829 --> 00:21:27.309 was to count oneself as dead to the world. It 00:21:27.309 --> 00:21:30.210 is precisely this ruthless rejection of the world 00:21:30.210 --> 00:21:33.089 that Jesus demands of any who would be his disciple. 00:21:34.089 --> 00:21:36.769 The world with its popularity, pleasure, and 00:21:36.769 --> 00:21:39.190 happiness, including the smiling approval of 00:21:39.190 --> 00:21:43.369 family members, must be rejected if it stands 00:21:43.369 --> 00:21:48.609 between the disciple and his Lord. Nothing before 00:21:48.609 --> 00:21:53.289 him. He allows no wiggle room. Nothing can stop 00:21:53.289 --> 00:21:58.569 us in our devotion to him. I like reading J .C. 00:21:58.609 --> 00:22:01.369 Ryle. He was an Anglican bishop. And he said, 00:22:01.450 --> 00:22:05.930 happy is he who thoroughly understands that although 00:22:05.930 --> 00:22:08.789 Christianity holds a crown in the end, praise 00:22:08.789 --> 00:22:14.630 God, it also brings a cross in the way. It's 00:22:14.630 --> 00:22:17.970 the cross before the crown. Being a disciple, 00:22:18.089 --> 00:22:20.549 it involves a denial. It involves sacrifice. 00:22:20.769 --> 00:22:22.609 It involves hardship. But you're saying, is that 00:22:22.609 --> 00:22:25.750 all there is? I mean, is there any prospect of 00:22:25.750 --> 00:22:30.910 reward at all? There is. Verse 39. He who finds 00:22:30.910 --> 00:22:33.289 his life will lose it, but he who loses his life 00:22:33.289 --> 00:22:37.230 for my sake will find it. He who receives me 00:22:37.230 --> 00:22:40.650 receives him who sent me. See, the greatest, 00:22:40.789 --> 00:22:43.630 if you look at verse 39, the greatest and most 00:22:43.630 --> 00:22:46.730 important paradox in history is written right 00:22:46.730 --> 00:22:49.609 here. This is the greatest paradox you're going 00:22:49.609 --> 00:22:52.089 to find. Jesus said, if you're going to find 00:22:52.089 --> 00:22:57.069 your life, you lose it. And if you'll lose your 00:22:57.069 --> 00:23:02.299 life, paradoxically, you find it. Okay, strong 00:23:02.299 --> 00:23:04.240 words. So what does it mean if I want to find 00:23:04.240 --> 00:23:06.079 my life? What does it mean if I find my life, 00:23:06.119 --> 00:23:07.819 I lose it? What does it mean to find your life? 00:23:07.900 --> 00:23:10.119 This is what it means. It means to seek to save 00:23:10.119 --> 00:23:16.279 your life. Somehow this life holds sway. You're 00:23:16.279 --> 00:23:18.380 living for this life. So you're seeking this 00:23:18.380 --> 00:23:21.140 world's approval. You're seeking the world's 00:23:21.140 --> 00:23:23.400 comfort. You're seeking the pleasures from this 00:23:23.400 --> 00:23:26.240 world. You're trying to milk this life for all 00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:29.880 that it is. Eat, drink, be merry, for tomorrow 00:23:29.880 --> 00:23:33.970 we die. It's an unwillingness to seek to save 00:23:33.970 --> 00:23:36.470 your life. It's an unwillingness to bear the 00:23:36.470 --> 00:23:40.930 reproach of Christ. And Jesus said, you can do 00:23:40.930 --> 00:23:47.849 that, but you lose ultimately. Eternally, you 00:23:47.849 --> 00:23:50.710 lose everything. Yes, you may immediately save 00:23:50.710 --> 00:23:53.150 your life. Shrink back. You may immediately save 00:23:53.150 --> 00:23:57.569 it. Ultimately, you lose it. But on the other 00:23:57.569 --> 00:24:01.859 hand, he said the one who loses his life, What's 00:24:01.859 --> 00:24:04.940 that mean? He's willing to endure the persecution. 00:24:05.339 --> 00:24:08.680 He's willing to identify with Christ publicly. 00:24:08.920 --> 00:24:12.200 He is even willing to bear the reproach and shame 00:24:12.200 --> 00:24:15.319 for following Christ. He said that person saves 00:24:15.319 --> 00:24:19.140 his life. See, what it means to be a disciple 00:24:19.140 --> 00:24:21.799 is we're willing to walk in the footsteps of 00:24:21.799 --> 00:24:24.859 our Savior. Because somehow we are convinced 00:24:24.859 --> 00:24:27.799 of all people, and this is ironic, we are convinced 00:24:27.799 --> 00:24:31.490 that there is life in dying. You better believe 00:24:31.490 --> 00:24:34.930 that or you won't follow him. You better understand 00:24:34.930 --> 00:24:36.430 there's a life that waits that's much better 00:24:36.430 --> 00:24:39.329 than this one or you won't follow him. Letting 00:24:39.329 --> 00:24:41.609 go of your life for the sake of Christ results 00:24:41.609 --> 00:24:46.190 in true life. You got to let go. Remember the 00:24:46.190 --> 00:24:49.349 Ecuadorian missionary, missionary to Ecuador, 00:24:49.450 --> 00:24:52.190 Jim Elliot. He said, he is no fool who gives 00:24:52.190 --> 00:24:54.289 up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot 00:24:54.289 --> 00:24:58.859 lose. To save your life. Friends, so many do 00:24:58.859 --> 00:25:00.240 it. So many professed Christians are seeking 00:25:00.240 --> 00:25:02.140 to save their life. They're living for the sake 00:25:02.140 --> 00:25:05.039 of comfort and security and personal plans and 00:25:05.039 --> 00:25:07.680 agendas. They're hanging on to this world's goods, 00:25:07.779 --> 00:25:11.279 this world's agenda. But self -preservation will 00:25:11.279 --> 00:25:16.599 lead to spiritual loss. So Jesus would say, stop 00:25:16.599 --> 00:25:19.859 grasping for the things of the world. Stop it. 00:25:20.240 --> 00:25:21.859 Because that's going to ensure you lose everything 00:25:21.859 --> 00:25:25.519 you're grasping for. And I think one of the things 00:25:25.519 --> 00:25:29.259 that we can see, this parable haunts me. And 00:25:29.259 --> 00:25:30.720 I don't say that lightly. It really does haunt 00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:32.480 me. It's the parable of the seed and the sower, 00:25:32.539 --> 00:25:35.099 and it's that final group. When Jesus gave a 00:25:35.099 --> 00:25:36.980 great warning, and I think that we who live in 00:25:36.980 --> 00:25:40.460 the United States and we who live in basic, comfortable 00:25:40.460 --> 00:25:43.940 accommodations ought to take heed. In Mark chapter 00:25:43.940 --> 00:25:48.660 4, 18 and 19, Jesus is explaining the parable. 00:25:49.259 --> 00:25:51.480 Now these are the ones sown among thorns. Remember 00:25:51.480 --> 00:25:53.460 the word. The sower goes out and sows the word. 00:25:53.839 --> 00:25:56.140 Some fell among thorns. He says these are who 00:25:56.140 --> 00:25:58.839 they are. They're the ones. They hear the word. 00:25:59.160 --> 00:26:03.539 They understand it. They hear it. But the cares 00:26:03.539 --> 00:26:08.339 of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and 00:26:08.339 --> 00:26:11.859 the desire for other things entering in choke 00:26:11.859 --> 00:26:15.299 the word so that it becomes unfruitful. It doesn't 00:26:15.299 --> 00:26:17.579 produce any fruit in their life. Now notice they 00:26:17.579 --> 00:26:20.680 hear the word. They don't outright reject it. 00:26:22.160 --> 00:26:25.220 But it's not their priority. They have other 00:26:25.220 --> 00:26:29.180 concerns. Concerns they deem more pressing, more 00:26:29.180 --> 00:26:34.619 urgent, like making more money. The deceitfulness 00:26:34.619 --> 00:26:37.500 of riches. And none of us think that we're deceived 00:26:37.500 --> 00:26:40.400 by riches. Who does think they're deceived by 00:26:40.400 --> 00:26:42.059 riches? The people who are deceived by riches 00:26:42.059 --> 00:26:43.500 are deceived, and they don't think they're deceived 00:26:43.500 --> 00:26:48.359 by riches. Well, how do you know? The gospel 00:26:48.359 --> 00:26:51.680 produces no fruit. Notice that last part. It 00:26:51.680 --> 00:26:54.039 becomes unfruitful. The gospel doesn't produce 00:26:54.039 --> 00:26:56.220 a fruit in them. Why? Because it's choked out 00:26:56.220 --> 00:26:59.680 by the love of all these other things. It's not 00:26:59.680 --> 00:27:01.299 the center of the court. Christ isn't center. 00:27:01.519 --> 00:27:04.880 His kingdom is not first. See, the only way for 00:27:04.880 --> 00:27:07.460 you and I to have proper priorities is to have 00:27:07.460 --> 00:27:10.980 Christ as the priority. His kingdom as the priority 00:27:10.980 --> 00:27:13.400 of our lives. And if we have anything else in 00:27:13.400 --> 00:27:18.259 that box, we are idolaters. To hold anything 00:27:18.259 --> 00:27:21.839 or anyone above the Lord himself is idolatry. 00:27:23.319 --> 00:27:25.539 And Jesus, though, he's wanting to give these 00:27:25.539 --> 00:27:27.980 men as a head out on this dangerous journey. 00:27:28.119 --> 00:27:30.119 There is some encouragement, verses 40 through 00:27:30.119 --> 00:27:33.319 42. He says, all the sacrifices that you are 00:27:33.319 --> 00:27:36.880 called to make are worth it. How are they worth 00:27:36.880 --> 00:27:40.319 it? Because the work that is done for Christ 00:27:40.319 --> 00:27:43.960 will be greatly rewarded. Even a cup of cold 00:27:43.960 --> 00:27:48.480 water is not overlooked. The apostles were ambassadors 00:27:48.480 --> 00:27:51.440 for Christ. That means they were sent out in 00:27:51.440 --> 00:27:55.140 his name, vested with his authority. So if you 00:27:55.140 --> 00:27:57.480 welcome the apostles, that was tantamount to 00:27:57.480 --> 00:27:59.900 welcoming Christ. And to welcome Christ was to 00:27:59.900 --> 00:28:01.759 welcome the one who sent Christ, which is the 00:28:01.759 --> 00:28:05.059 Father himself. So conversely, on the other hand, 00:28:05.079 --> 00:28:07.579 to reject the apostles and to reject their message 00:28:07.579 --> 00:28:11.759 is to reject God. Now, let me just say this. 00:28:11.819 --> 00:28:14.779 There are no apostles today. The office of apostle 00:28:14.779 --> 00:28:18.799 was limited to those 12 men, yet everyone who 00:28:18.799 --> 00:28:21.119 receives and helps promote the message of the 00:28:21.119 --> 00:28:25.200 apostles will be promoted. Or rewarded, excuse 00:28:25.200 --> 00:28:29.660 me. Christ, notice he places tremendous value 00:28:29.660 --> 00:28:33.680 on how people treat his messengers. How they're 00:28:33.680 --> 00:28:36.920 welcomed and received. If the messenger, and 00:28:36.920 --> 00:28:38.380 he's talking about the one who comes in his name, 00:28:38.539 --> 00:28:42.259 if they're welcomed, Christ said he will give 00:28:42.259 --> 00:28:45.799 an equal reward for the kindness and care that 00:28:45.799 --> 00:28:47.859 is shown to his messenger. So you and I are not 00:28:47.859 --> 00:28:49.140 apostles. We're not going to get the apostles' 00:28:49.319 --> 00:28:52.700 reward. He said, oh, but if you help this apostolic 00:28:52.700 --> 00:28:54.740 message, if you welcome the messengers that's 00:28:54.740 --> 00:28:56.519 preaching Christ, you're going to get the same 00:28:56.519 --> 00:28:58.180 welcome and the same reward that they receive. 00:28:58.640 --> 00:29:02.039 There is a reward for those who receive and treat 00:29:02.039 --> 00:29:07.099 well the people whom he sends out. You support 00:29:07.099 --> 00:29:09.930 the gospel. You share in the same reward as those 00:29:09.930 --> 00:29:13.569 who preach the gospel. So you're not, this is 00:29:13.569 --> 00:29:16.529 a blessing for us as well. Again, I like what 00:29:16.529 --> 00:29:20.289 Lawrence Farley said. God will never forget to 00:29:20.289 --> 00:29:22.789 recompense the one who helps Jesus' disciple. 00:29:23.910 --> 00:29:26.950 Even though that help is little as a cup of cold 00:29:26.950 --> 00:29:31.809 water. All acts of kindness done to his disciples 00:29:31.809 --> 00:29:37.670 for his sake will have their eternal reward. 00:29:39.410 --> 00:29:42.150 Amen. Everything. God takes great notice. Nothing 00:29:42.150 --> 00:29:44.410 escapes his concern. Remember, two sparrows don't 00:29:44.410 --> 00:29:46.009 even fall from the sky without him taking notice. 00:29:46.269 --> 00:29:48.009 All the hairs on your head are all numbered. 00:29:48.289 --> 00:29:50.210 Jesus knows when you give even a cup of water 00:29:50.210 --> 00:29:52.230 to one of his disciples in his name, you don't 00:29:52.230 --> 00:29:55.509 lose your reward. You just got to be living for 00:29:55.509 --> 00:29:59.250 the life to come. So now what? How do we apply 00:29:59.250 --> 00:30:03.190 this to our lives as we close? Friends, if you 00:30:03.190 --> 00:30:05.569 listened carefully, if we have ears at all to 00:30:05.569 --> 00:30:10.109 hear, Discipleship, biblical discipleship, following 00:30:10.109 --> 00:30:12.730 Christ is far more comprehensive than we can 00:30:12.730 --> 00:30:15.730 possibly think. A disciple is not just one who 00:30:15.730 --> 00:30:18.349 says a prayer and never to be heard from again. 00:30:19.410 --> 00:30:22.109 We've done so much injustice and so much harm 00:30:22.109 --> 00:30:24.470 to the body of Christ by assuring those who have 00:30:24.470 --> 00:30:25.930 no fruit in their lives that they are Christians 00:30:25.930 --> 00:30:29.210 because of something they have done. It's just 00:30:29.210 --> 00:30:32.450 false. It's terrible. Being a disciple doesn't 00:30:32.450 --> 00:30:35.640 mean you go to church. You do go to church, but 00:30:35.640 --> 00:30:38.220 that's not all that it means. To be a disciple 00:30:38.220 --> 00:30:42.079 is to follow Jesus. We begin to think like him 00:30:42.079 --> 00:30:43.980 and speak like him and love what he loves and 00:30:43.980 --> 00:30:47.759 hate what he hates. But we also understand that 00:30:47.759 --> 00:30:49.839 this following him comes with a price. It may 00:30:49.839 --> 00:30:51.980 involve suffering. It may not involve physical 00:30:51.980 --> 00:30:54.079 suffering here in the United States, but it certainly 00:30:54.079 --> 00:30:56.960 will involve ridicule. Have you ever been tempted 00:30:56.960 --> 00:30:58.660 to speak for Christ and then you kind of muted 00:30:58.660 --> 00:31:00.299 your voice because you didn't want to be think 00:31:00.299 --> 00:31:09.839 crazy? I have. And that's a shame to me. The 00:31:09.839 --> 00:31:12.420 disciple should expect to be treated the same 00:31:12.420 --> 00:31:15.119 way Christ is treated. We bear his reproach. 00:31:16.259 --> 00:31:18.059 But it also means we surrender. There's surrender 00:31:18.059 --> 00:31:20.480 any plans we've had of our own lives. We submit 00:31:20.480 --> 00:31:22.680 to him without hesitation, without reservation. 00:31:23.059 --> 00:31:26.339 And by the way, he lays down inflexible terms. 00:31:28.259 --> 00:31:32.740 He lays them down here. My problem is not that 00:31:32.740 --> 00:31:34.359 I don't understand what he wants. My problem 00:31:34.359 --> 00:31:38.799 is that I see my own heart. We know, if you're 00:31:38.799 --> 00:31:42.140 like me, and I suspect that you are, we know 00:31:42.140 --> 00:31:44.359 that you and I, we're prone to renege on our 00:31:44.359 --> 00:31:49.119 commitment to him. We know how cold our hearts 00:31:49.119 --> 00:31:52.440 can be, but even worse, we know how fickle they 00:31:52.440 --> 00:31:56.619 can be. Warm today, cold tomorrow, on fire, zealous, 00:31:56.779 --> 00:32:01.539 and then indifferent. Because what happens is 00:32:01.539 --> 00:32:05.119 we live in this warfare, right? And oftentimes 00:32:05.119 --> 00:32:07.700 our lives, if we're not careful, which is why 00:32:07.700 --> 00:32:10.640 we need the Lord's Day worship, we become focused 00:32:10.640 --> 00:32:13.940 on what? Our own agendas. What we want to do, 00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:16.859 what we want for our children. Our own desires. 00:32:18.440 --> 00:32:22.750 Our own comfort. Our own pleasure. All those, 00:32:22.829 --> 00:32:25.049 they easily creep in. And friends, we don't get 00:32:25.049 --> 00:32:27.390 the say there. We're bought with a price. And 00:32:27.390 --> 00:32:30.849 so what happens here is we subtly, not overtly, 00:32:30.890 --> 00:32:35.769 we subtly, we replace God with self. And then 00:32:35.769 --> 00:32:38.369 we hear the word of the gospel. We hear the words 00:32:38.369 --> 00:32:43.069 of Christ. And that unmasks us. It exposes our 00:32:43.069 --> 00:32:47.009 idolatry. But this is a good thing. God exposes 00:32:47.009 --> 00:32:51.269 us this morning not to condemn us. but to bring 00:32:51.269 --> 00:32:55.109 us to repentance. The gospel, notice what it, 00:32:55.190 --> 00:32:58.789 it doesn't just confront our idolatry, it covers 00:32:58.789 --> 00:33:02.569 the idolatry with grace. This is what we need. 00:33:03.269 --> 00:33:05.990 So this morning, you and I, through the gospel, 00:33:06.250 --> 00:33:09.289 we're invited to repent, not to despair. Why? 00:33:09.430 --> 00:33:12.130 Why don't we despair? Because the blood of Jesus 00:33:12.130 --> 00:33:14.769 Christ cleanses us from all unrighteousness. 00:33:15.029 --> 00:33:18.809 And we believe that. Yes, the gospel forgives, 00:33:18.809 --> 00:33:21.609 but it doesn't only forgive. It transforms. It 00:33:21.609 --> 00:33:24.390 transforms you and me into people who can live 00:33:24.390 --> 00:33:29.289 boldly and then die well. That's what I want 00:33:29.289 --> 00:33:32.349 for each of us. Lord, let us live bold lives 00:33:32.349 --> 00:33:34.769 and let us die well. That's what I want for my 00:33:34.769 --> 00:33:38.410 own family. The gospel, as we hear the word of 00:33:38.410 --> 00:33:40.329 the gospel this morning, we're reminded once 00:33:40.329 --> 00:33:47.200 again as a hymn says, Jesus paid it all. All 00:33:47.200 --> 00:33:50.519 to him I owe. See, friends, Jesus is the only 00:33:50.519 --> 00:33:54.039 true and faithful one. Our hope could never be 00:33:54.039 --> 00:33:56.059 found in our own efforts. Even the best we try 00:33:56.059 --> 00:33:58.160 to be the disciples he's called us to be, our 00:33:58.160 --> 00:34:02.960 hope is found in him alone. See, the bread and 00:34:02.960 --> 00:34:06.079 the cup that we're going to partake of, they 00:34:06.079 --> 00:34:10.260 confirm the promises of the gospel. For all those 00:34:10.260 --> 00:34:12.019 in Christ, there is the promise of forgiveness 00:34:12.019 --> 00:34:15.469 of sin because of his bloody death. And there 00:34:15.469 --> 00:34:18.710 is a promise of union with Christ. We are where 00:34:18.710 --> 00:34:20.570 he is, which is why we're seated with him in 00:34:20.570 --> 00:34:23.570 the heavenly places even today. God is far more 00:34:23.570 --> 00:34:26.449 gracious, and there's more grace in him than 00:34:26.449 --> 00:34:29.210 there is sin in us. And this is what we celebrate 00:34:29.210 --> 00:34:33.369 today. But friends, let us labor. First of all, 00:34:33.389 --> 00:34:35.289 let us examine our hearts and pray. Take these 00:34:35.289 --> 00:34:38.869 words seriously. God, make me willing. Show me 00:34:38.869 --> 00:34:41.769 the idolatry of my own heart. Show me where I've 00:34:41.769 --> 00:34:43.550 gone astray, where I love other things or other 00:34:43.550 --> 00:34:47.449 people more than you. And God, may I repent before 00:34:47.449 --> 00:34:51.250 you this morning. And I receive forgiveness through 00:34:51.250 --> 00:34:53.630 the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Let's pray. 00:34:53.909 --> 00:34:55.690 Father, thank you this morning. Lord, would you 00:34:55.690 --> 00:34:57.590 help us now as we come to the table of the Lord. 00:34:58.070 --> 00:35:00.269 Lord, even before we partake of the elements, 00:35:00.349 --> 00:35:02.989 we do, Lord, want to spend some time just examining 00:35:02.989 --> 00:35:07.239 ourselves. Father, we pray that you would search 00:35:07.239 --> 00:35:10.119 us and try us, Lord, and know our hearts and 00:35:10.119 --> 00:35:14.440 see if there be any wicked way. Father, would 00:35:14.440 --> 00:35:17.219 you expose to us the idolatry and the spiritual 00:35:17.219 --> 00:35:19.420 adultery that's taking place there. Lord God, 00:35:19.500 --> 00:35:22.840 I cannot stand before your people as one, Lord, 00:35:22.900 --> 00:35:25.440 who has perfected this. Lord, you know, Lord, 00:35:25.500 --> 00:35:28.940 the weakness of my own flesh. The foolishness 00:35:28.940 --> 00:35:31.480 of my own heart. How I'm tempered or tempted, 00:35:31.619 --> 00:35:35.639 Lord, to darken or dampen the light, Lord of 00:35:35.639 --> 00:35:38.760 Christ. Lord, I can think back of conversations 00:35:38.760 --> 00:35:40.739 where I should have had a more bold witness and 00:35:40.739 --> 00:35:42.800 I failed to do so. Lord, that is a shame to me. 00:35:43.639 --> 00:35:45.900 Oh, God, forgive me. Forgive me of that. And, 00:35:45.940 --> 00:35:48.380 Lord God, would you replace in me a holy boldness, 00:35:48.480 --> 00:35:52.099 Lord. The righteous are as bold as a lion. Lord, 00:35:52.139 --> 00:35:55.980 let us live boldly and die well. Lord God, we 00:35:55.980 --> 00:35:57.639 pray that, Lord, we would make Christ known. 00:35:58.269 --> 00:36:00.090 to know him and to make him known would be the 00:36:00.090 --> 00:36:02.489 very agenda of our lives. Father, we might have 00:36:02.489 --> 00:36:04.690 all kinds of competing loyalties, but Father, 00:36:04.730 --> 00:36:07.789 the overwhelming, surpassing agenda is to know 00:36:07.789 --> 00:36:10.030 Christ and to make him known. Lord, let us use 00:36:10.030 --> 00:36:12.650 our occupations and all the ways in which we're 00:36:12.650 --> 00:36:15.349 involved in the affairs of this world as an avenue 00:36:15.349 --> 00:36:17.690 for the glory of Christ to shine brightly in 00:36:17.690 --> 00:36:19.789 our lives. And we thank you for that in Jesus' 00:36:19.889 --> 00:36:20.949 name. Amen.