Matthew 10:34-42
Loyalty to the King
Read
Matt. 13:20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
Matt. 13:21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.
Pray
Intro
√ Loyalty to the King
Ministry always looks so exciting and even fun when the harvest comes in!
Watching thousands come forward at a Billy Graham, or Harvest Crusade.
Experiencing the powerful emotions of people that are blessed by relief efforts like Operation Christmas Child or the work in the Gulf region.
During Harvest times it almost seems like the World loves the servants of the King and the message they bring.
Such was the time for the apostles as Jesus sends them out to do the work of the Kingdom.
They were now going to participate in the awesome harvest that came as a result of Jesus’ ministry.
But, Jesus warns the disciples (and us) that it won’t always be Harvest time…
…in fact there will come times when the people of the world will reject us and even hate us!
It will be during those times that our loyalty to King Jesus will be tested!
Will we (will the disciples) continue to do the work of the Kingdom? Or will we prove to be unfaithful, like the seed in rocky soil, when tested by the opposition of the world?
In this closing section of chapter 10 the King warns us regarding three tests of our loyalty to Him…
A sword that will test our heart
A cross that will test our will
A cup that will test our motives
May Jesus’ words bring us the strength and enduring love required to remain faithful to our King!
A sword (vs. 34-37)
Matt. 10:34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.
Matt. 10:35 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’;
Matt. 10:36 and “a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’
Matt. 10:37 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.
√ A sword
A sword!
That’s not the way I remember Jesus…
…in the paintings He’s snuggling lambs and holding children!
So, how can Jesus say that He did not…
“…come to bring peace but a sword.”
Doesn’t that contradict what the angelic choir that sang on that first Christmas morn!?
“Peace on earth, good will toward Men”?
Sounds like Jesus is contradicting the testimony of the angels, or having a bad day?!
The resolution to any confusion is found when we look the context of both scriptures.
The Angelic choir spoke of…
Peace between God and Mankind through the ministry of Jesus Christ.
The Angels sang of the mission that Jesus had been sent to perform, bridging the gap between God and Man as a Mediator.
Jesus’ warnings speak of…
War between people (believers) and other people (unbelievers) because of Jesus Christ and His Message.
That is, not everyone will receive the peace that God offers through Jesus.
Specifically, Jesus speaks in this text of the conflict that would divide families over the allegiance of their hearts.
Ex. War and Peace
Remember that Christ came to give us…
Peace with God
Peace in our conscience
Peace with our brethren
…but He also told us that “in the world you shall have tribulation.” (ref. John 16:33)
The point is that the Gospel Message, the Message of the King will received by some people, and rejected by others.
While we’ll find sweet fellowship with those who have received the Gospel…
…we’ll discover that the Gospel will divide us from those who reject the King and His Message.
Even dividing families!
Matt. 10:35 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’;
Matt. 10:36 and “a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’
Ex. Jesus’ experience
Jesus’ own family initially rejected Him as their king! We too then can expect that some within our own families may reject us if we chose to follow Jesus.
The question then is to whom will we be loyal?
To our family, or the King?
Jesus makes it clear that His disciples must love Him before, and above, the members of their own family.
Matt. 10:37 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.
That’s the “sword” that can divide a family, and pierce our own heart when forced to choose between…
…Jesus and our own flesh & blood.
It is the sword
that test’s the loyalty of our heart.
Who is first in our heart? Whom do we love the most?
The reality is that while it is the Lord Who created the love we have for family, it is also true that He must be the undisputed supreme love of our lives!
Everyone else must come after our love for Jesus.
Ex. Abraham and Isaac
As followers of God we all have to make that same choice, to sacrifice our love for family that we might obey the command of the King and faithfully carry out His will.
A Cross (vs. 38-39)
Matt. 10:38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
Matt. 10:39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
√ A cross
Jesus now tells this group of men that if they are truly His disciples then they must be willing to…
Carry their own cross (the mission He gives them)
Follow Him (wherever that mission leads)
It is a cross that will test our will.
Ex. Carrying your cross
The Romans forced the condemned to carry their own cross to their own execution.
As such the condemned was tacitly admitting that that the
Similarly, Jesus’ followers who pick up their “cross” (the
mission He has given them) are admitting His
right over their lives.
To dictate where they live, what they do in life, how they use the gifts and talents that He’s given them.
In short, to die to ourselves and our own self-centered goals and live for King Jesus!
The benefit is that in so doing Jesus promises that they would find real life in return for having surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ.
Ap. A great exchange!
Why even worry about what we’re “giving up” to the Lord!
The best that you can hope to gain separate from Jesus is…
…a long, healthy life, full of physical pleasure, emotional highs, and all the material possessions a person could want.
Then, you’ll die and spend eternity in misery.
Hum, let’s think about the deal He’s offering! 80-100 years of tarnished joy…
…or an eternity of blessing?
The truth is that we can never out give God! Anything we surrender to Him, including our…
Life’s ambition
Our will
Things and pleasures of this world
…will be repaid by the Lord for eternity.
Jesus promised this same group of men (and all who would follow them)…
Mark 10:28 Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.”
Mark 10:29 So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s,
Mark 10:30 who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.
Yet, the reality is that many followers of Christ chose not to pick up their cross and follow Him.
The reason is that they are not willing to surrender their will that they might do His will.
So, the mission that the King sets before us is a cross that will test our will.
Ex. The rich young ruler
Mark 10:21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”
Mark 10:22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Don’t let any of the treasures of this world keep you from the treasure of heaven!
Ap. Had I stayed in the corporate world
I would never have…
Got to pray with a king in
Drink real African chai under the trees in Masaka
Eat grits and learn to call the hawgs
Walk the same roads that Jesus did
Make friends for eternity all over the world
I’d still be stuck in a prefab cubicle somewhere worried about what my marketing department sold to some customer that can’t be built!
Take the cross man, Jesus did, you won’t regret it!
A Cup (vs. 40-42)
Matt. 10:40 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.
Matt. 10:41 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.
Matt. 10:42 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.”
√ A cup
The final test of our loyalty to the King regards the motives of our service.
In these three verses Jesus tells the 12 that not everyone will reject them…
…some will receive them and the message they bring!
Note that the Lord says…
“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” ~ vs. 40
Some good news for the boys!
Yet, even this good news is tempered because not everyone who will receive the ambassadors of the King will do so with proper enthusiasm.
Note that different ways in which people will receive the King’s companions…
As a prophet ~ vs. 41
As a righteous man ~ vs. 41
As a “little one” disciple ~ vs. 42
That is, those who receive the boys as a…
Prophet ~ recognize that the disciples are speaking as ambassadors of God! That the message they bring is the Word of Life. These receive the disciples with great honor as they understand that they represent the King!
Righteous man ~ appreciate the moral character of Jesus and acknowledge Him as a good man, but fall short in that they don’t trust in Him as King. These receive the disciples with kindness, but do not recognize the authority of the apostles of the Gospel.
Little one ~ these folks don’t really esteem the disciples our Jesus very highly, but have enough kindness to provide water to a thirsty traveler.
You’ll also note that Jesus says that each person will receive a reward, but that the reward is proportional to how they received the disciples.
Ap. Testing your motive
If everyone received the Lord’s messengers as a “prophet”…
…we’d all be excited about serving the Lord!
We all love the attention, the accolades and the fuse people would make over us.
It’s nice to be appreciated and recognized as ambassadors of the King!
Ex. Visiting Nigeria
We felt like international rock stars!
But, back home most folks don’t treat us that way. In fact, many people could care less about the work we’re doing for Jesus.
They’re not interested to know that you teach Sunday School.
They’re not overly impressed that you shared the Gospel with your co-workers this week.
They’d rather talk about football than hear about Jesus.
While they might not be antagonistic to you, neither do they appreciate what you do.
That’s not as exciting to minister to people like that.
So, the question we’re faced with is…
“Why do I serve the King?
…is it for the appreciation and strokes we get from people who think highly of us?
Are we still willing to do what Jesus asks of us when we aren’t recognized by the people we’re serving?
Do we serve with the same zeal when all they offer is a cup of cold water?
So, the cup will test the motive of our service and the depth of our loyalty to do as the King has asked of us.
Close
√ Loyalty to the King
As we go out to do the King’s will and to communicate His Message we’ll find that our loyalty to Him will be tested by…
A sword that will test our heart
A cross that will test our will
A cup that will test our motives
Remember, there will be exciting times in ministry – harvest! But, there will also be times when the work is routine and difficult – sowing!
Be loyal to the King!
May Jesus’ words give us the strength and the enduring love required to fulfill the King’s command.