Matthew 10:27-36

Do you ever find yourself struggling with fear? Perhaps you are afraid of what others will think if you stand up for the truth. Or perhaps you struggle with confessing your sin to one you sinned against. Your mind is racing and your pulse is pounding in your ears as you run through all the possible scenarios. Rejection, hatred, ridicule, mockery, humiliation, etc. Isn’t it interesting how quickly those thoughts begin to pop into your mind. And quickly those thoughts about all the possibilities morph into probabilities and finally into certainty. If you are like most people the result is the fear wins and you don’t do what you know you should or you don’t say what you know you should say. Then, later the guilt begins to inundate your thinking.

In contrast to this common way of thinking, Jesus makes a startling proclamation. “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” What Jesus is doing is trying to jar the thinking of the disciples back to a biblical reality. “What are you afraid of?” In effect, He is challenging them to ask themselves a very important question. “What is the worst thing anyone can do to you?” The obvious answer is that they could be killed. For what? Jesus made this very clear in verse 27 when He instructs them to be prepared to proclaim, or shout, the truth from the housetops. That is, communicate the truth in such a way that no one within hearing distance could mistake the message. Don’t pull any punches. Tell it the way you hear it. What you hear only from me, tell to everyone you can. Don’t be shy.

Why? Because, although they should not fear man who could kill the body, They should fear God Himself. He is the one who has the power to destroy both the soul and body. What God can do is in a completely different category. He alone passes judgment regarding hell.

Let me pause a moment and ask you a few questions. Do you find your focus is more on what others think of you or what God knows about you? Who do you fear specifically? What exactly do you fear about them? In what situations does your fear of that person begin to develop? What does God say about that person?

Why is it so important that you fear God rather than man? Verses 29-33 give us the answers. First, the one that we are to fear is concerned about you. Notice that Jesus begins the verse by talking about birds that are basically worthless. Yet, in spite of their lack of value almighty God is involved in the very fabric of each of their lives. Then He introduces the amazing contrast when He declares that the Father cares even about your individual hairs. He cares so much that He has them numbered!

Now, that does not mean that humans are in some way necessary to God. Quite to the contrary, Jesus declared that man is worth many sparrows! In other words, we are worth “many cents!” It is not that man has great inherent worth and value. Rather, we are worth more than just a couple of sparrows. Kind of discouraging, isn’t it?

However, don’t miss the point. He calls us not to fear man but to fear God. Why? Because, even though we are a bit more valuable than sparrows, God deeply cares for and loves you. Did you catch that? In spite of ourselves, God loves us enough to care about our hair.

How much more does he care about the rest of us? That becomes obvious in verse 32. He actually will confess us to the Father. This is the same Father that said we are to fear the one (himself) who can destroy… What is Jesus doing? He is saying “I will defend you.”

If your God is so good that He would interact with you in this way why would you spend your days fearing man? What has man offered in comparison? What has man done in comparison?

Why should we not fear man? Verse 34-36 give a clear picture of the situation. Why did Jesus come? Did He come to bring peace? No. The gospel of Jesus Christ must divide. It must of necessity bring with it conflict. It must produce persecution. Jesus made it clear when he said he brought a sword. The gospel is all about conflict. It is all about hatred. It is all about ridicule. It is all about rejection. It is all about humiliation. Remember what happened to Jesus just a bit after he said these things. In chapter 12 it became clear that the people were rejecting him and then just a short time later He was crucified. He came to bring a sword. And that sword was to be used on Him first. Now, because it was used on Him, it is appropriate for it to be used on you. Remember what Peter said in I Peter 4 that the world hated Jesus so of course it will hate you.

Last, Notice the only other option in verse 37-39. If you are not willing to love Jesus Christ more than you love relatives you are not worthy of Him. That is, treat Him as worthy and you will be worthy of Him. He continues by reminding you of the need to take up the cross and follow Him. Taking up the cross and following Christ means more than just loving Jesus more than relatives. It means loving Jesus more than anything. It means loving him enough to be crucified to everything else. It means loving to the point that the “stuff” of this world is crucified or dead to you.

Who do you fear? Do you find that you love others or other things more than Christ? Do you fear losing relationships, belongings, position, or status? Do you believe that that Lord cares about the issues of your life? How is that demonstrated in the way you interact with others? God wants you to fear Him. Jesus wants to confess you before the Father.

We love our own little kingdom. In fact, I am convinced that we often place our own little kingdom in such a position that we don’t even have a view of the kingdom of God. The strange thing is that we talk as if we really believe in the beauty and glory of God’s kingdom but, if our lives were ever biblically examined, it would quickly become obvious that our prayer often looks more like “my kingdom come, my will be done, on earth as it ought to be in heaven.”

This is what troubles so many unsaved people as they consider the claims of Christ. They can’t get past the “followers” of Christ and their little kingdoms on earth. This is exactly what Gandi was referring to when he said the following:

“I like your Christ, but I do not like your Christians.
Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

Mahatma Gandhi

A number of years ago I met a woman dying of cancer. My purpose for seeing her was to encourage and comfort her in those last, terrible hours. While in her home I happened to notice a note on her refrigerator. Here was a woman who, rather than needing encouragement and comfort, realized her ministry in the midst of trial. I jotted the note down for the purpose of ministering to others. Little did I know that years later cancer would strike all around me.

So, what was the note on the door of this elderly woman’s fridge?

“Cancer is so limited—
It Cannot cripple love,
It cannot shatter hope,
It cannot corrode Faith,
It Cannot destroy peace,
It cannot kill friendship,
It cannot suppress memories,
It cannot silence courage,
It cannot invade the soul,
It cannot steal eternal life,
It cannot conquer the spirit.
Cancer is so limited—”

She had a perspective that was focused on the life to come. II Cor. 4:16-18

Do not be mistaken. God never gave us faith to play with. It is a sword, but it was not made for presentation on a gala day, nor to be worn on state occasions only, nor to be exhibited upon a parade ground. It is a sword that was meant to cut and wound and slay; and he that has it girt about him may expect, between here and heaven, that he shall know what battle means. Faith is a sound sea-going vessel, and was not meant to lie in dock and perish of dry rot. To whom God has given faith, it is as though one gave a lantern to his friend because he expected it to be dark on his way home. The very gift of faith is a hint to you that you will want it; that at certain points and places you will especially require it, and that, at all points, and in every place, you will really need it. You cannot live without faith: for, again and again we are told-”the just shall live by faith.” Believing is our living, and we, therefore, need it always. If God gives you great faith, you must expect great trials; for, in proportion as your faith shall grow, you will have to do more, and endure more. Little boats may keep close to shore, as becomes little boats; but if God makes you a great vessel, and loads you with a rich freight, he means that you should know what great billows are, and should feel their fury till you see “his wonders in the deep.” That God, who has made nothing in vain, especially makes nothing in the spiritual kingdom in vain; and if he makes faith, it is with the design that it should be used to the utmost and exercised to the full.

Expect trial, also, because trial is the very element of faith. Faith is a salamander that lives in the fire, a star which moves in a lofty sphere, a diamond which bores its way through the rock. Faith without trial is like a diamond uncut, the brilliance of which has never been seen. Untried faith is such little faith that some have thought it no faith at all. What a fish would be without water, or a bird without air, would be faith without trial. If you have faith, you may surely expect that your faith will be tested: the great Keeper of the treasures admits no coin to his coffers without testing. It is so in the nature of faith, and so in the order of its living: it thrives not, save in such weather as might seem to threaten its death.

Taken from the sermon

“The Trial of Your Faith”

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“Man must not, and cannot start from his reason as an independent
criterion or rule of judgment and then reason to God. True
knowledge has its foundation in the voluntary self-revelation of
God, and this self-revelation is found only in the Scriptures: ‘speculation
about God, independently of Scripture is excluded. Natural
theology therefore is also excluded. . . Faith in the self-attesting
Christ is the beginning, not the conclusion of wisdom.”
Cornelius Van Til

If our thoughts and choices are determined solely by the activity of our brains rather than by our inner person, then when we do wrong it must not be our fault. A disease must be to blame. If this is so, Jesus death on the cross was utterly foolish and a waste of his life. He should have merely figured out how to correct the chemical makeup of the person. Because, if the problem is chemicals then we are not responsible. And, if the problem is chemicals then our savior is the Pharmacist. Hmmmm.

It has been an interesting and challenging two years. I am sure that many who read this would say that their lives are more challenging than mine. However, this is not a “pity me” post. Quite to the contrary, my hope is that some who are experiencing difficulties would read this post and be encouraged to worship and enjoy the God of mercy and grace.

It was a little over two years ago that my wife lost her cousin to ovarian cancer. Shortly after that event we found out that her brother had colon cancer that had moved to his liver. He died a bit over a year ago. During that time we found out that my wife had cancer. And, after the proceedures and surgery we found out that the insurance company refused to cover any of the costs. Then, Ruth’s father was diagnosed as having a tumor on his brain. And then, about one year ago my brother was diagnosed with cancer. And then my aunt was twice diagnosed with lung cancer and sarcoma in her leg. In several of these cases, death was the result while in other cases the battle is still ongoing.

On another front, I am reminded again and again that being a pastor is a call to die. Christ died for his bride and I am called to be the protector of his sheep. That demands death.

Why do I mention all this when many who may read this do not know me nor will ever know me? because of what the Lord has taught me repeatedly through these experiences. A dear friend pointed me to a song a number of months ago that has continued to challenge and encourage me when I find I am shrinking my life down to the size of my life rather than seeking to glorify Jesus Christ. It is an old hymn written by William Cowper:

God moves in a mysterious way

1. God moves in a mysterious way
   His wonders to perform;
   He plants His footsteps in the sea
   And rides upon the storm.
2. Deep in unfathomable mines
   Of never failing skill
   He treasures up His bright designs
   And works His sov’reign will.
3. Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
   The clouds ye so much dread
   Are big with mercy and shall break
   In blessings on your head.
4. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
   But trust Him for His grace;
   Behind a frowning providence
   He hides a smiling face.
5. His purposes will ripen fast,
   Unfolding every hour;
   The bud may have a bitter taste,
   But sweet will be the flow’r.
6. Blind unbelief is sure to err
   And scan His work in vain;
   God is His own interpreter,
   And He will make it plain.

“Many are so far from being better for their knowledge, that they are worse: ‘thy knowledge hath perverted thee’ (Isa. 47:10). The knowledge of most people makes them more cunning in sin; these have little cause to glory in their knowledge. Absalom might boast of the hair of his head, but that hanged him; so these may boast of the knowledge of their head, but it will destroy them.”

Thomas Watson

The Godly Man’s Picture

“God is not looking for people to work for Him, so much as he is looking for people who will let him work for them. The gospel is not a help-wanted ad. Neither is it a call to Christian service. On the contrary, the gospel commands us to give up and hang a help wanted sign (this is the basic meaning of prayer). Then the gospel promises that God will work for us if we do. He will not surrender the glory of being the Giver.”

John Piper

Proud men are much insensible of the want of frequent and fervent prayer unto God. Begging is the poor man’s trade: the humble soul perceives the need of it; he finds as constant need of God, as of air, or bread, or life itself. And he knows that the exercise of our desires and faith, and the expression by prayer of our dependence upon God, is the way appointed for our supply. But the proud are full-stomached, and think this earnest, frequent praying is but hypocritical, needless work, and they cannot make a trade of begging, and therefore they are sent away empty handed.

Richard Baxter

A Christian Director