Matthew 10:21-42 Discipleship

 

Great Commission: Go into all the world and make Disciples --  That is our mission!

 

Love God with all heart soul…. Make Disciples

 

Greg Laurie said once that Every Disciple is a believer – but not all believers are disciples –

 

Some believe – saved – but they are not serious – Jesus is Savior but not Lord – Some are reluctant to trust Him with their lives

 

That is our goal – bring you to that place of Becoming a Disciple.

A)Here in Matthew 10 Jesus is talking to His followers about Discipleship

 

B)Pick it up in V.21 – Note 7 things Jesus told them would be a part of being His disciple

 

#1 Being a Disciple of Jesus can cause family problems.

21 "Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.

 

Jesus Divides families – Jewish culture – book of Hebrews { forsaken

 

This prophecy of Jesus came to pass as the church went through ten tragic waves of persecution under ten Roman emperors.

 

During this time, perhaps as many as 175 million Christians were killed.

 

Many of them turned in by their own families

 

A)Sudan today -  Also China

A funeral service is held for a family member who becomes a Christian, because in the eyes of his relatives he is no longer alive.

 

 In some instances the converted member has been poisoned to death

 

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. 

 

Now understand Jesus is not saying that it was His intention to divide – He is merely making reverence to the fact that this would be the result

 

A true Disciple might be forced to choose between Jesus and His family

 

Young girl in India – parents forsook her and turned her into authorities for becoming a Christian

 

Russian KGB – Storm Church – that was norm

Amazing 4 yrs ago – 2000 stand -

 

Here in America – Seen young pp turn to Jesus – from drugs/ sex / alcohol / - Parents get mad

 

Division amongst friends – lost for being saved

Some lost friends for becoming a Disciple – getting serious

 

#2 Being a Disciple requires endurance!

22 And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.

 

 Note this is not suggesting that we are saved by preserving – but rather when we preserve or endure it is proof that we are saved

 

God meets the true Disciple with Supernatural ability to endure in the face of persecution

 

In Uganda in 1885 three Christian boys, ranging in age from eleven to fifteen, were forced to give their lives for Christ because they would not renounce their faith in Him.

 The king was adamantly opposed to Christianity and ordered the boys’ execution if they did not recant.

 

 

At the place of execution the boys asked that the following message be given to the king: “Tell his majesty that he has put our bodies in the fire but we won’t be long in the fire. Soon we will be with Jesus, which is much better. But ask him to repent and change his mind or he will land in a place of eternal fire.”

 

The youngest of the boys, named Yusufu, said, “Please don’t cut off my arms. I will not struggle in the fire that takes me to Jesus.”

 

Because of the boys’ testimony that day, forty adults trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation, and indirectly countless more converts were won to the Lord over a period of many years.

 

By 1887 a large number of other Christians were martyred, many of them inspired by the fearless, loving testimony of those three boys.

 

None of those martyrs knew much theology or much about the Bible, because most of them were illiterate and all of them were relatively new believers. But they had a deep love for Jesus that they refused to hide, no matter what the cost.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#3 A Disciple needs to know when to move on.

23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

 

Now this is interesting to me in v.22 Jesus is speaking about enduring opposition

A)V.23 He tells them to flee – what is the deal

 

B)The latter deals with the urgency to get the gospel out

 

C)Don’t waste your time trying to convert those who are against – set in their ways - - - Move on! –

 

D)Don’t cast your pearls before the swine!

 

1990 Yugo / Hungary – THE YOUTH  - he was right

 

Never stop praying – but find someone who wants to hear – wants to be discipled -  CAMPS

5DAYS – FOCUS – CARNAL –

 

#4 A Disciple remains teachable.

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, and 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! 

 

 

Being teachable is such an attractive trait!

A)Hate know it alls –   Think they are above

 

B)Mark of a Disciple is they are teachable –

 

C)Follow so close to his master that his masters dust would end up on him.

 

Jesus was telling these guys – they shouldn’t expect to be treated differently than he was

A)They accussed me of being from Beelzebub – don’t be surprised if they do that to you.

 

Beelzebub, literally “lord of the flies,” was a Philistine god, worshiped by people who lived in what is today known as the Gaza strip.

 

There were those who said, “Jesus is using demonic powers to do His work. He’s demon-possessed.”

 

 So here Jesus is saying to His disciples, “If they’re calling Me the lord of the flies, they’re also going to come down on you.

 

Interesting that those who want to deny Christianity will say the disciples became famous from it{ Saints

A)Nothing could be further from the truth – Hated persecuted – eventually all lost their lives

 

 

 

#5 A Disciple needs to be Bold!

26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. 27 "Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 

28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And 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.

 

Three times in these 8 verses the disciples were told not to fear – Fear is the greatest enemy of our faith

 

Fear is a normal response – We must not live in fear

Fear wants to dominate – cripple –

 

Don’t be afraid to speak the truth -  Heard in secret proclaim from the housetops

 

Much of what we read in the gospels – was revealed in private to disciples – Purpose – training them to reach the world

 

We get to be like a fly on the wall – so to speak as we read – put yourself in the story –

NOW WE ARE TO PROCLAIM

 

Don’t fear those who can only kill the body –

A)Fear in this sense – terrorized

 

B)But fear Him –{God who can destroy both …. In hell.

 

C)This word fear means to reverence and respect –

 

Healthy fear of God – remember: He controls what happens to your soul

A)Jesus is saying LIVE W/ ETERNITY IN VIEW

 

B)Don’t worry about the temporal – harm the body

Ridiculed – etc –

 

C)Where you spend eternity is what matters!

 

Over a period of some 300 years of terrible persecution, ten generations of Christians dug nearly 600 miles of catacombs beneath and around the city of Rome. Archaeologists estimate that perhaps a total of 4 million bodies were buried there. A common inscription found in the catacombs is the sign of the fish, the Greek word for which (ichthus) was used as an acrostic for “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior.” Another common inscription found there is “The Word of God is not bound.” During the most prolonged period of persecution in the history of the church, those believers revered God more than they feared man.

 

Reason to be bold and not to fear!

A)You are valuable to God – Sparrow falls God sees

DUCK HUNTING - 

B)# of hairs on your head – thoughts more than sand

Jer 29:11 – Thoughts of good not of evil

 

C) I sometimes forget this – Start to think I am all alone - 

1)What are you going to do about Homo marriage

 

Hate Crime to Call Homo. as sin

A)Nothing against Homosexuals – Sinners just like

Adulterers / Fornicators / Liars / etc

 

B)All need a savior – Pretty soon it will be considered a hate crime to call anyone a sinner

 

C) I will preach the truth – not because I like calling pp sinners -  but because we need a Savior

1)Need to know what we need to be saved from!

 

A Disciple needs to be Bold

A)Joshua – Be strong and courageous ! Just as I was with Moses I will be with you

 

B)Today: Be strong and courageous – Just as I was with my Disciples I will be with you!

 

C)Not ashamed to call us His brothers – Not ashamed to own you – Don’t be ashamed to own him

 

 

 

 

#6 A disciple must carry his cross!

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.

 

What is my Cross?

A)Some say: My wife – my boss – teenager

My parents

 

B) My Cross is my Arthritis / my Cancer / lousy job

My Noisy neighbors / my unsaved husband or wife

 

A)   But  those things ARE NOT  the CROSS / those things are just things that are common Challenges & Problems of everyday life

1)    Common to every man – BELIEVER OR UNBELIEVER

 

 

SO WHAT IS BEARING THE CROSS ?

A)    The Cross is when you die to yourself in order to Help or to save another !!!

 

B)     That is what Jesus told us / greater love has no …… life for his friends

1)    And that is what He showed us / He laid down His life we … saved

 

 

C)    That is what the Cross is / When you give of yourself / so that someone else can be saved or helped / You die to self / someone else ADVANCED

 

D)    NOW WHY WOULD I WANT TO DO THAT ? It goes against my very nature & the mindset of the world that says Look out for #1 = ME !!!

1)    What would make me want to put others first ?

 

E)     Again it is born out of or is the RESULT OF REALIZING the Love that Jesus has DISPLAYED – toward me .

 

When I begin to GRASP – the Wdt./ Ht. / Dpth/ Lgnth of His love for me – I want to show that love to others

 

A Disciple lives with that mentality – JOY – Jesus others you! –

 

#7 A disciple will be rewarded

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."