Sunday, February 26, 2012

Demands of Discipleship


Demands of Discipleship

Matthew 10: 34 – 42.



Introduction.
It should come as no real surprise to hear me say the word “disciple” is the most popular word in the New Testament to refer to the followers of Jesus.  The Greek word for “disciple” appears 262 times in the Gospels and Acts.  It sometimes refers to the original twelve disciples of Jesus.  But, it is also used to refer to other men and women who became “disciples” after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.
Interestingly, Jesus used a verb-form of the Greek word for “disciple” in his last words of instruction to his remaining eleven disciples.  We refer to Jesus’ last instructions as the Great Commission, “Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28: 18 – 20 NIV).”
The fact that the Greek word for “disciple” is used both in Jesus’ last instructions and in the Book of Acts to refer to men and women who never encountered Jesus in the flesh leads me to believe that “discipleship” should not be limited as a reference to the original twelve disciples.  This is a universal term, which applies just as much to Twenty-First Century men and women like us as it did to the First Century disciples of Jesus.
Therefore, we need to read Jesus’ instructions about discipleship as universal instructions.  What Jesus told his original twelve disciples applies to their lives in the First Century AND applies to our lives in the Twenty-First Century.  There is no difference.  Jesus’ words have not changed.
Of course, that raises an important question for us today.  What did Jesus tell us about discipleship?
There is no simplistic answer to this question.  Jesus taught his original disciples about discipleship through his teachings and by modeling the lifestyle they (and we) should adopt.  Jesus even gave an extended sermon about discipleship in Matthew 5, 6, and 7—The Sermon on the Mount.  The only way to discover what Jesus wants us to understand about discipleship is to look at the entire life of Jesus in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Our Scripture for today is one of Jesus’ teachings about discipleship.  It does not give us a full picture of discipleship.  But, it does give us three principles (or three demands) Jesus expected of his original disciples and that he expects of us today.
Love Jesus above all others…
Deny yourself…
Join Jesus’ mission to the world…
(I will stand behind the “three-point-line” this morning as I preach a three-point sermon.)

Matthew 10: 34 – 42.

34 "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35 For I have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law--
36 a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'
37 "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
40 "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me.
41 Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward.
42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."
(NIV)

The Gospel of Matthew contains five sections that represent five extended sermons.  This Scripture falls in the second sermon.  We might refer to this as the Sermon on Mission, since Matthew places this sermon in the context of Jesus’ commissioning his disciples to become apostles.  The men who had spent their lives learning from Jesus and imitating his lifestyle now become “apostles,” who are sent out to engage the world in the same way Jesus did.  Jesus gave them authority to cast out evil (or unclean) spirits, to heal all sorts of diseases, and to preach the message of the Gospel—the Kingdom of God is coming.
Before Jesus sent out the twelve disciples as the twelve apostles, he gave them some words of instruction and words of warning.  They were instructed to go only to “the lost sheep of Israel.”  They were warned that not everyone would accept their message.  In fact, the apostles could expect the world to treat them in the same way it first treated Jesus.  People who accepted Jesus would also accept the apostles.  People who were hostile to Jesus would be hostile to the apostles. 

Love Jesus above All.
Hostility is a little easier to accept when it comes from perfect strangers.  Hostility is very difficult to accept when it comes from the people who have been the closest to us relationally.  And this is what Jesus is warning us about.  The Gospel of Jesus and the message of the Kingdom of God will not bring peace.  It will bring hostility in every relationship, including the father-son relationship, the mother-daughter relationship, and the people who live in the same household.
More than likely, Jesus’ disciples had an underlying expectation that the Messiah would bring a time of peace on earth.  This was the hope of the ancient Jews.  One day the Messiah would come and establish peace on earth.  However, even their expectation of peace was understood to come after a time of intense conflict.  There would be political conflict as the Messiah had to displace the illegitimate king of Israel to assume his role as the true Son of David to rule over God’s people.  There would be military conflict as the Messiah led the united Israel to defeat all of her enemies—specifically the Roman Empire.  Peace would come, but it would not be immediate.
In some ways, Jesus is affirming this point of view.  Yes, the Kingdom of God does promise peace on earth.  But, this peace would not be an immediate peace.  The peace of the Kingdom of God would follow a time of persecution and hostility.  The world would not immediately recognize Jesus as the Messiah.  And, until the world does recognize Jesus as the Messiah, people will do everything in their power to oppose Jesus and the people who preach Jesus’ message about the Kingdom.
In other ways, Jesus is contradicting the disciples’ previous understanding of the Messiah.  Jesus did not lead a political revolt.  Jesus did not assume the role of a revolutionary warrior.  Instead, Jesus preached about individual repentance and faith.  We see this in Jesus’ description of human relationships and his use of “sword” as a metaphor.
There are at least two ways to understand “sword” as a metaphor.  In some cases, “sword” is used to refer to war and violence.  Jesus used “sword” this way in Matthew 26: 52:

"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword (Matthew 26: 52 NIV).”

Violence begets more violence.  A violent person is likely to die a violent death.  In other cases, “sword” is used to refer to division.  We see this in Hebrews 4: 12 – 13:

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight.  Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4: 12 – 13 NIV).”

Just as a sword can be used to divide flesh from bones, the Word of God can be used to divide our motives from our actions.
This is what I think Jesus is saying in Matthew 10.  He is not commanding us to start a war against our families or our family members.  Instead, he is describing the result of what happens when we put Jesus first in our lives.
As disciples of Jesus, we are to be committed to Jesus above all other relationships.  We are to love Jesus more than we love anyone else in our lives.  No relationship is to stand in the way of our relationship with Jesus.  (Notice, however, that Jesus never tells us to break off all contact with the people in our households.  Jesus does not tell us to abandon our parents, our children, or even our spouses.  Instead, Jesus tells us to expect to experience conflict in our relationships as a result of our relationship with Jesus.  In fact, we can learn a lot by following Jesus’ own example at this point.  Jesus’ earthly family did not accept him during his lifetime.  But Jesus never abandoned them.  He lovingly provided for his family at his death by asking one of his disciples to take care of his mother.)

Deny Self.
Verse 38 is one of several places where Jesus told his disciples to “take up” a cross.  On one hand, this is a kind of surprise.  The other times Jesus tells his disciples to “take up” a cross fall in the context of Jesus’ predictions of his own crucifixion.  He told his followers that he was headed toward a literal cross and demanded they be willing to take up their own symbolic crosses.  On the other hand, we don’t have to be surprised.  Jewish men and women of the First Century were very familiar with the sight of a criminal carrying his own cross to his own crucifixion.
Crucifixion was a popular form of execution for the Romans for a couple of reasons.  First, it was an effective way to execute a criminal.  No one was coming down from the cross until he was actually dead.  When the criminal was dead, he posed no more threat to the Empire.  Second, crucifixion was an effective way to deter other criminals.  It was a public form of humiliation and death.  People who witnessed crucifixions were “encouraged” to live under the Roman law so that they would not face the same kind of humiliation and death.
“Take up your cross” is one of those biblical expressions that has lost its “shock value” over the past 2,000 years.  There wasn’t a single person in this sanctuary who was surprised when you heard Jesus say “take up your cross.”  That would not have been the case in the original, First Century setting.  First Century people would have immediately remembered the gruesome scene of lifeless criminals hanging on crosses on the side of the “interstate highway.”  Perhaps they would even remember watching condemned men agonizing under the weight of a cross-beam, walking through the city streets.
It was a typical practice for Roman executioners to force criminals to carry their own crosses to the place of execution.  It was a part of the shame of crucifixion.  Everyone could watch.  Everyone could ridicule.  Everyone could experience the terror of the Romans.  Yet, Jesus said this shame and humiliation is a part of being a disciple.
We can interpret this in two ways.  I think both of these interpretations are correct.  First, Jesus’ life was headed toward a literal Roman cross.  And we know now that most of Jesus’ original disciples faced extreme suffering and humiliation just because they were followers of Jesus.  This tells us that we will not have an easy life just because we are Christians.  We can expect to face the same kind of life that Jesus and his disciples faced.  We will face the sufferings of the human life, and we will suffer for our faith.  Jesus never promised us an easy life.  Jesus didn’t pull a switcheroo on us by telling us life would be wonderful and letting us discover otherwise on our own.  No.  Jesus promised us up front that the way of discipleship involves taking up a cross.
Second, we can build on the image of a condemned criminal carrying his own cross.  As the criminal was marched through the busy city streets, everyone who saw him knew that he was headed to his own death.  He was a “dead man walking.”  That is what it means to be a Christian.  Your life is over.  You can no longer live for your own desires.  You belong to Jesus.  Your past is over, and your future is in God’s hands.
If there are two different ways to interpret “take up your cross,” then there must be two ways to apply this as well.  Think of your life in monetary terms.  For the sake of argument, let’s assume your life is worth $100.  There are many different ways to pay $100—one $100 bill; two $50 bills; five $20 bills; one hundred $1 bills; or a jar full of loose change.
Many of Jesus’ original disciples were killed for their faith in Jesus.  There was a time when they paid all they had.  They gave one $100 bill at the end of their lives.
Most Christians will not be killed for their faith in Jesus.  For most of us, life is like a jar of loose change.  We give a little here and a little there.  We make small sacrifices for our faith every day.  But, at the end of life, we have paid all we have.
The only way to “find” true life is to give your life away for Jesus.  The person who tries to protect life will realize one day there is nothing to protect.  The person who gives away life as a sacrifice for Jesus will find life—abundant life and eternal life.  Eternal life is the resurrected life with Jesus.  Abundant life is a life filled with meaning…a life filled with purpose…and a life filled with mission.

Join Jesus’ Mission.
Jesus has not called us to a life of maintenance.  Jesus has called us to a life of mission.  And, there is a big difference between maintenance and mission.
The person who is focused on maintenance does everything in his or her power to preserve the life they have.  They avoid conflict.  They agree with whatever they hear other people saying.  They get along with others by fitting in—they want to avoid any perceived differences between themselves and others.  At the end of life, they discover there is nothing left worth protecting.
The person who is focused on mission has one driving objective in their mind—to complete the assignment they have been given.  They don’t worry about conflict or fitting in with the crowd.  They simply want to be faithful in doing their job.  At the end of life, they discover they have given everything away only to gain something much more valuable—abundant life and eternal life.

Conclusion.
Of course, we can say the same thing about churches.  Churches focused on maintenance avoid conflict and do everything to make sure everyone is happy.  They go along with whatever their members want to do and refuse to do things to make the members uncomfortable.  In the end, they discover there is nothing left worth preserving.  But, the churches who focus on mission give everything away and discover they have gained something even more valuable.  They hear the voice of Jesus saying, “Well done, my good and faithful servants.”
Jesus warned us that not everyone will accept our message.  But Jesus also gave us words of encouragement…Not everyone will reject our message.  If we will be faithful to do the work Jesus has given us, we will find success.  The people who receive us also receive Jesus.  The messengers are an important part of God’s plan.  If there are no messengers, the message cannot spread around the world.
What kind of disciple has Jesus called you to be?  In all reality, Jesus only calls one kind of disciple.  Jesus calls us to love him above all other relationships.  Jesus calls us to deny ourselves by giving our lives away.  Jesus calls us to join him in his mission to the world.  If we are not doing these things, we are not living up to Jesus’ demands for discipleship.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Identify with Jesus


Identify with Jesus
Matthew 10: 24 – 33

Introduction
A couple of years ago, I was with Dr. Jim Denison in a retreat setting.  The retreat was for Texas Baptist pastors, and Jim Denison was our speaker.  He gave several presentations about the beliefs of what he calls “Radical Islam” and the ways Islam is growing in the United States.
It is remarkable that Islam is growing in the United States faster than Christianity is growing.  But, that is not the case in the rest of the world.  Outside the United States, there is a Christian Awakening taking place.  Denison cites statistics from David Barrett’s World Christian Encyclopedia to tell us approximately 82,000 people become Christians every day around the world.  However, only 6,000 of those decisions take place in North America and Europe COMBINED.[1]
We even see a growth of Christianity among the Muslim nations, even in places like Iran.  Some groups estimate there are as many as 350,000 Christians worshipping illegally in Iran.  The Iranian government spies on Christians through their cell phones.  When the government finds a place of Christian worship, they break in and confiscate their Bibles.  Individual Christian men and women are harassed and persecuted by their government.  Yet, the Christian church continues to grow.[2]
While Christianity is exploding around the world, the fastest growing religious group in the United States is the group that claims to be “unaffiliated,” or “spiritual but not religious.”[3]
The Christian church in the United States is getting left behind.  And, it makes me wonder why.  I suspect one of the biggest problems we face as Christians in the United States is the fact that it is completely “safe” to be a Christian in our country.  On one hand, history shows us that Christianity has grown the fastest when Christians faced hostility and persecution for their beliefs.  When Christians are not persecuted for their beliefs, the church usually becomes complacent and outright lazy about sharing the Gospel with others.  On the other hand, our experience of Christian faith in the United States does not exactly match what Jesus told his original followers they could expect to experience.

Matthew 10: 24 – 33.

24 "A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.
25 It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!
26 "So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.
27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.
28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.
30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
32 "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.
33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
(NIV)




Jesus spoke these words to his twelve disciples right before he sent them out on their mission to the “lost sheep of Israel.”  Jesus gathered his diverse group of disciples—some were fishermen, one was a tax collector, one was a Zealot, and one was a traitor.  He gave them authority to cast out evil (or unclean) spirits, to heal all sorts of illnesses, and to preach a short sermon—“The Kingdom of Heaven is near.”  But, they were only to do this mission work inside the boundaries of Israel.  Their mission to the Gentiles had to wait until after the crucifixion and resurrection.  Then, they were to “make disciples of all nations.”


Student and Teacher
Verse 24 contains a rather obvious truth.  Students cannot learn more than their teachers are capable of teaching.  But, there are a couple of surprises in Jesus’ parable.
First, the word translated “student” in the New International Version is actually the Greek word for “disciple.”  Since Jesus addressed these words to his original twelve disciples, we ought to recognize this as a personal instruction.  The disciples would never exceed Jesus.  The very best they could hope for is to imitate Jesus and to become like Jesus in his relationship with and understanding of God the Father.
Second, Jesus surprises us by not talking about a traditional understanding of discipleship.  It is true that we as disciples will never be better than Jesus in our ethics or our relationship with God.  It is also true that we should not expect to be treated better by the world than Jesus was treated by the world.
Of course, at this point in the Gospel, Jesus has not yet experienced physical suffering.  He has been despised and rejected by the Jewish religious leaders.  But, Jesus has not been arrested and beaten and crucified.  The disciples will have to learn that as it plays out in real time.  But, we know what lies ahead.
According to Jesus, discipleship brings unavoidable suffering.  The world will be just as hostile to the Gospel of Jesus as it was to Jesus himself.  The people who accepted Jesus will accept the preaching of the Gospel.  The people who opposed Jesus will also oppose the preaching of the Gospel.
It is important to read Jesus’ words about suffering in context of what Jesus has said previously.  Jesus never told his followers to seek out persecution.  In fact, it is just the opposite.  

In Matthew 10: 23, Jesus told his disciples, “When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another…”  

In Matthew 10: 16, Jesus commanded his followers to be “as shrewd (or wise) as snakes and as innocent as doves.”

We are to be wise enough to avoid suffering.  However, we are to be courageous enough to endure suffering which is unavoidable.  We will have the strength to endure, because Jesus has already been through the same kind of suffering and promises to give us his presence to sustain us.


Comforting Words
If persecution were the only thing Jesus promised his disciples, we probably would not be here today.  Peter, James and John would not have given their lives for the Gospel and preached the Kingdom of God to all nations without a hope of something better than persecution.  And, Jesus gave them two reasons to hope.
First, Jesus told them not to fear people.  People can hurt you physically and emotionally; but people cannot hurt you spiritually.  Only God has power over your soul.  Jesus’ message to his original disciples and to us today is that we should fear God more than we fear people.  It is true that other people can kill you, but that is all they can do.  Once you are dead, they are through.  But, God is not through after death.
It is natural and normal to fear death.  Death is the worst thing that can happen to your body.  But, life is more than your body.  There is something that happens to every person after death.  After death, we face the judgment of God.  And, God cannot be persuaded by our words or bribed with our money.
Second, Jesus promised that God is concerned about our sufferings.  Of course, God is more than simply concerned.  God also promises to be present with us, no matter how difficult life may be.
This is the meaning of Jesus’ words about sparrows.  The sparrow was the cheapest source of food in the ancient world.  A person could purchase two sparrows for one penny.  On one hand, God is concerned with the life of the sparrow.  On the other hand, God thinks you are more valuable than many sparrows.

Matthew 10: 29 – 31, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.  And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

I have heard some people use this passage to defend their belief that God causes everything to happen—including the death of something as insignificant as a sparrow.  However, that does not seem to fit what Jesus is saying.  If that is the point, then we have to say God is the source of our suffering—even when we suffer as a result of preaching the Gospel.  God kills sparrows.  Therefore, God kills faithful Christians.
The words “the will of” do not appear in the Greek text of Matthew 10: 29.  The New American Standard Bible claims to be a literal translation of the Greek and does not have these words.  Rather, it translates, “Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.”  This translation seems to refer to God’s care and God’s concern—perhaps even God’s presence.
That fits better with what Jesus says about the hairs on our heads.  God cares about every little concern in your life.  He even knows how many hairs you have.  If God cares for sparrows, and God cares enough to count the hairs on your head, then God is concerned with the suffering and pain you experience in your life.  But, even more than concern, God promises to be with you—in whatever circumstances you face.


Heavenly Implications
If God is concerned about our earthly lives, we need to realize that the way we live today has eternal implications.  Your present life on earth affects your future life in Heaven.  Jesus explains this by giving us a promise and a warning.  If you acknowledge Jesus on earth, Jesus will acknowledge you in Heaven.  If you deny Jesus on earth, Jesus will deny you in Heaven.
To acknowledge Jesus is to believe the message of the Gospel.  In the Person of Jesus, God was fulfilling his promises to Israel.  Jesus is the promised Messiah—the son of Abraham, the son of David, the Son of God.  Jesus gave his life as the perfect and final sacrifice for our sins.  Jesus rose again to promise us that life does not end in a grave.  All who believe in Jesus will live a new life—abundant life on earth and eternal life in Heaven.
To acknowledge Jesus is to become a disciple of Jesus.  A disciple is a student who learns from a master-teacher.  Disciples will never exceed the knowledge of their masters, but disciples will do everything in their power to imitate the ethics and lifestyle of their master.
To acknowledge Jesus is to answer the call Jesus gave to his original disciples.  In Matthew 4: 19, Jesus encountered four fishermen on the Lake of Galilee.  Jesus said, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  Discipleship involves more than simply learning about Jesus.  Discipleship requires each of us to join Jesus in his mission to share the message of the Kingdom of God with all people.
This is where we make our biggest mistake as American Christians.  We believe Jesus has called us to GO TO CHURCH.
That’s the extent of what it means to be a Christian in the United States.  We go to church.  Some of us go to church for one hour on Sunday mornings.  Some of us are twice as spiritual, because we go to church for two hours on Sunday mornings (Sunday School and worship).  There are even some hyper-spiritual people who go to night church on Sunday nights and Wednesday nights.  But that is the extent of our faith.  We are proud to be Americans, because we have the freedom to go to church as much or as little as we want.
Remarkably, this is not what Jesus says about being his disciple.  Jesus calls us to learn about Jesus and to imitate Jesus’ ethical life and spiritual relationship with God.  AND, Jesus calls us to join him in his mission to the world.
If we acknowledge Jesus on earth, Jesus will acknowledge us in Heaven.  If we deny Jesus on earth, Jesus will deny us in Heaven.  There is no middle ground.  If you think going to church is the extent of what it means to be a Christian, you are searching for a middle ground.  You are looking for the smallest amount of commitment required to get Jesus to acknowledge you in Heaven.
Jesus requires unwavering loyalty and faith and mission from all his followers.  Remember, these words were not spoken to a group of ordained ministers.  These words were spoken to fishermen, tax collectors, Zealots and even a traitor.  Perhaps some of these men became ordained ministers.  But, most of them lived the rest of their lives faithful to Jesus their Lord and committed to spreading the love of Jesus and the message of Jesus’ Kingdom.

Conclusion
I think the reason the Christian church is losing ground in the United States is because we are complacent, we are lazy, and we have not taken Jesus’ call to mission seriously.  Jesus did not give us a political challenge which could be won at the ballot box.  Jesus did not give us an economic challenge which can be won by picketing and boycotts.  Jesus gave us a Gospel challenge which can only be won as individual men and women take seriously the call to share their faith with others.

Imagine that you are the only Christian person remaining on earth.  Now imagine that you share your faith with me, and I become a Christian.  There are now two Christians in the world.  If you and I both witness to another person tomorrow, we can have four Christians tomorrow.  If each Christian wins one person every day…How long will it take to win the entire world to Christ?  34 days!  (There are approximately 7,000,000,000 people in the world.  If the number of Christians doubled every day, there would be 8.5 Billion Christians in 34 days.)

I know what you are thinking.  “We can’t do that every day!”  What about every year?  We could evangelize the entire world in 34 years! 

We could evangelize the United States in 29 years (307,006,550 population)! 

We could evangelize the state of Texas in 25 years (24,782,302 population)! 

We could evangelize Lufkin in 17 years (35,067 population)!

This is God’s plan for evangelism.  God’s people are to join Jesus in carrying out his mission to the world.  He didn’t leave it to the preachers and pastors.  He left it to the fishermen, the tax collectors, the students, the teachers, the doctors, the nurses, the businessmen, the businesswomen.  He left it to us.

Sunday, February 05, 2012

Bold Witness


Bold Witness

Matthew 10: 11 – 23.


Introduction.
Since today is Super Bowl Sunday, I think it is appropriate that I make a confession of sorts. I confess that I have conflicted feelings about the NFL quarterback Tim Tebow.  On one hand, I have been very surprised at his success this year with the Denver Broncos.  I thought he was another example of an excellent college quarterback whose skills would not translate to the professional level.  On the other hand, I can’t help but pull for him.  He is the son of Baptist missionaries, and he lives out his faith by continuing to invest himself in annual mission trips.
Some people think Tim Tebow is trying to “push his faith down people’s throats” by bowing to pray after touchdowns.  I don’t think that is what he is doing.  I think that is just the way he is.  I think he probably has a radical faith in Jesus that exposes him to criticism.
Ultimately that is what happens to any Christian who has a public faith.  We open ourselves to criticism from many different kinds of people.
We live in a world that believes it is acceptable to believe anything you want to believe…as long as you keep your beliefs to yourself.  Faith is supposed to be private—between you and your god.  Faith is supposed to be something you reserve for Sunday mornings in church.  It is not supposed to affect the way you live the rest of your life.  It should not affect the way you conduct yourself at work—as a teacher, a student, a doctor, a nurse, a lawyer, a businessman, a businesswoman, or whatever you do Monday through Saturday.
Of course, this is what the world believes about faith.  It is not what the Bible teaches us about faith.  And, it does not fit with what Jesus told his disciples.
Jesus called all sorts of people to be his disciples.  There were fishermen, a tax collector, a Zealot, and even a traitor.  Jesus took this diverse group of disciples and sent them out to extend and continue his own ministry.  Jesus gave his disciples the authority to cast out evil (or unclean) spirits, to heal all sorts of diseases, and to preach the same message Jesus preached—the Kingdom of God is near.
Jesus does the same thing with us.  He calls us as from many different walks of life and sends us out to continue his work and the work of the original disciples.


Read Matthew 10: 11 – 23.

This is a continuation of the Scripture we read last week.  Jesus called together his twelve disciples and sent them out as his apostles.  Jesus gave them specific instructions to cast out evil spirits, to heal the sick and to preach the short sermon, “The Kingdom of God is near.”  Jesus also gave them specific instructions about where they were to go.  He told them not to go into Gentile or Samaritan territories, but to go exclusively to the “lost sheep of Israel.”
There are a couple of important things taking place in Jesus’ instructions about Israel.  First, it demonstrates how the Gospel moved in salvation history.  God fulfilled all his promises to Israel by sending Jesus to Israel.  Through Jesus, God was restoring Israel as his people and calling Israel to reclaim her God-given mission to be a Light to all Nations.  In order for the Gospel to go out to the Gentiles, Israel first had to be restored.  Therefore, Jesus sent his apostles to the people of Israel before the crucifixion and resurrection.  Then, after the resurrection, Jesus sent his apostles to make disciples of all nations.
The other thing we see in Jesus’ sending his apostles to Israel has something to do with their message about the Kingdom of God.  In the Old Testament, we read that the nation of Israel was God’s chosen people.  This did not mean they were God’s only people.  It meant they were the people God had chosen to spread his message around the world—they were to be Light to all Nations.  Israel did not fulfill this God-given mission.  Instead, they preferred to think of themselves as the Kingdom of God.
Jesus preached that the Kingdom of God was something else.  The nation of Israel was not the Kingdom of God.  The Kingdom of God was coming, and it was near.  I think this is why Jesus selected twelve disciples and sent them out as twelve apostles.
Twelve was an important number in the Bible.  Jacob had twelve sons.  Jacob’s name was changed to Israel, and his twelve sons became the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel.  When Jesus selected twelve disciples, he was drawing comparisons between himself and the nation of Israel.  When Jesus sent his twelve apostles to witness to the nation of Israel, he was professing that his disciples had something Israel did not have.  Jesus’ disciples had a relationship with God through Jesus.  They had the authority to do what neither the Temple nor the Law could do—make people clean by casting out unclean spirits and healing their sicknesses.  They had the message of the Gospel—The Kingdom of God is coming.
God was fulfilling his promises to Israel in the Person of Jesus.  Jesus is the faithful Israel.  The True Israel is made up of people who recognize Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy.  Now, the followers of Jesus are becoming the True Israel by fulfilling Israel’s God-given mission.


Hospitality vs. Hostility.
When Jesus sent out his apostles, he told them to live a simple lifestyle.  They were not to take extra clothes or shoes.  They were not even to take money on their mission.  Instead, they were to live totally reliant on God through the hospitality of others. 
It’s possible this reflects how important hospitality was among ancient Jews.  The Jewish people took care of each other.  Since Jesus’ twelve disciples were Jews, they could depend on other Jews welcoming them and helping them meet their needs.  Of course, this would only be true within the borders of Israel.  It would not be true among the Gentiles or the Samaritans.  This strategy would work for the first part of their mission inside Israel.
It is also possible that Jesus was teaching his apostles to live their lives free from the excesses of materialism.  While they were on their Gospel mission, materialism would be a heavy baggage for the disciples and an obstacle to the spread of the Gospel.  They were to preach about the Kingdom of God.  They were to encourage people to live with God as their King and the One who provides for their needs.  It would be difficult to preach that God is all you need while living a materialistic lifestyle.
The same thing is true for us.  Materialism is a heavy burden for us as we try to preach about dependence on God.  Materialism is an obstacle in spreading the Gospel in our culture.  We cannot tell people that God is all they need, as long as we are living materialistic lives.  We cannot preach that God will supply all your needs, when we are unwilling to live the same message we preach.
Jesus told his apostles that not everyone would be hospitable to them.  Some people would outright reject them and refuse to welcome them.  This is because the message of the Gospel always demands a decision.  Everyone who hears the message of the Gospel must do something with it.  The Gospel must be accepted or rejected.  The people who showed hospitality were the ones who accepted the Gospel.  The people who were unwelcoming to the apostles were the ones who rejected the Gospel.
Rejection is an expected consequence of preaching the Gospel.  But, rejection is not the only thing Jesus’ disciples can expect.  Jesus’ words of warning show us that some people will be unwelcoming to our message, and others will be overtly hostile.

Why Hostility?
Notice that Jesus tells his disciples that he is sending them out as sheep among wolves.  This is a clear description of danger.  When wolves attack a herd of sheep, there is nothing the sheep can do to defend themselves.  Sheep have no way of defending themselves.  In other words, Jesus told his disciples, “I am sending you on a very dangerous mission.  If you survive, it will be a miracle.” 
Doesn’t that sound like a fun assignment?  It will be a miracle if you survive.
Of course, we know from church history this is exactly what eventually happened to the original twelve disciples.  They survived for a while—long enough to begin to spread the Gospel around the world.  However, they eventually lost their lives because of the message they preached.
One example is the life of Peter.  When Jesus was arrested, Peter ran away.  He was confronted by a young slave girl who recognized Peter as one of Jesus’ disciples.  He cursed and denied that he even knew who Jesus was.  That all changed after the resurrection.  After the resurrection, Peter became a bold witness.  He preached a message on the Day of Pentecost where over three thousand people were saved.  In Acts 10, he received a vision from God to begin preaching the Gospel to Gentiles.  Peter obeyed and the Gospel began moving outside the boundaries of Israel.  Peter was arrested several times to prevent the Gospel from spreading.  On one occasion, God miraculously opened the prison doors so Peter could escape.  But that didn’t happen every time.  Eventually, Peter was arrested and executed for his faith and preaching the Gospel.
Peter’s life shows us a couple of important things about the Gospel.  It shows us he truly believed what he was preaching.  I doubt very seriously that Peter would have been willing to die over a lie.  If the disciples made up the resurrection and spread it as a lie, they would have quickly recanted their lies in the face of arrest, persecution and death.  But Peter actually saw the resurrected Jesus.  He couldn’t deny the resurrection, because he had experienced it with his own life.  The resurrection was such an important experience for Peter, he felt an obligation to tell everyone he could tell that Jesus is alive.
Peter’s life also shows us that Jesus’ words of warning came true for the disciples.  Jesus did not tell them their mission would be easy.  In fact, he told them survival would be a miracle.  They knew what they were getting into.  And they believed it was worth the risk.
The message of the Kingdom of God is offensive.  It offends every sector of human life.  Jesus promised us that religion would be offended—the disciples faced opposition from the Jewish synagogues.  Jesus promised us that government would be offended—the disciples faced opposition from the Jewish councils (literally Sanhedrin) and from Gentile kings and governors.  Jesus promised us that even families would be offended—some of the disciples faced rejection from their own mothers and fathers.
Disciples of Jesus have always faced rejection, opposition and persecution.  This is not because of who we are.  It is because of who we serve.  For some reason, Jesus is offensive.  I think it is because Jesus challenges the status quo.  Because of what Jesus has done for us, we cannot continue to live as we have always lived.
Jesus gives us direct access to God.  Therefore, religion is offended that it no longer has control over us as it once did.
Jesus promises us a new Kingdom of God.  Therefore, government is offended that Someone is more important to us than our political leaders.
Jesus promises us a new family—through Jesus, God is our Father and all believers are our brothers and sisters.  Therefore, family is offended that it is no longer our primary social entity.

God Will Provide.
Jesus promised us that God will provide, regardless of the opposition we face.
God will provide the words to say.  We are not to worry about what we will say when we are opposed by the world.  The “Spirit of our Father” will provide the words we need.  This is a great message of comfort for people like us who often feel like we are inadequate to preach the Gospel or even to witness to our friends and family members.  However, this is not an excuse for us to neglect study and preparation. 
As disciples of Jesus, we are students of Jesus.  We are not supposed to stop learning and growing in our faith.  We are to read our Bibles, spend time with God in prayer, and we are to memorize Scripture to prepare ourselves for God’s mission.  God uses what we have stored away in our hearts and minds. 
There is someone in your life that God wants you to witness to.  God wants you to invite them to church.  God wants you to share your testimony of how you became a Christian or how you have learned to depend on God through adversity in your life.  God wants you to sit down with them over lunch or coffee and discuss who Jesus is and what Jesus has done for you.   Some of you already know who this person is.  If you don’t know who this is, you need to pray about it.  You need to ask God to place that person on your heart and to give you opportunities to engage them in spiritual conversations.
Then, your next step is to be prepared.  Through your Bible readings, Sunday School lessons, Sunday morning sermons and daily experiences, God is preparing you to be a bold witness.  But, if you are not paying attention to God, you will find yourself unprepared to witness.  Imagine that God leads you into an opportunity to witness tomorrow.  You are talking with a friend, and they share with you how they are struggling with faith and believing in Jesus.  It would be a tragedy if you have that opportunity and all you can say is, “Did you know the shortest verse in the Bible is John 6:35, ‘Jesus wept?’”  Or, “The first verse in the Bible is Genesis 1:1, ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’”
God will provide you with the words to say, but we need to pay attention to what God is saying to us right now.

Conclusion.
This past week the national news reported about just how dangerous it is to be a witness for Christ.  Two Baptist missionaries from Amarillo (John and Wanda Casias) were killed in Mexico on Wednesday.  They knew they were living in a dangerous part of the world.  They had even talked to their church and family about what to do if anything bad ever happened to them.  But, they felt called to do mission work in Mexico.  And, they were willing to take the risks or face the consequences.[1]
Jesus never promised that our mission to spread the Gospel would be easy or without suffering.  But he did promise that God will provide.
When we hear stories of modern-day missionaries being killed for the Gospel, it really makes us stop and think about our own witnessing.  These people knew they were in a dangerous country.  They knew they faced the risk of being kidnapped or murdered.  Yet, they continued to be bold witnesses.
We don’t live in a dangerous country.  We don’t face the risk of being kidnapped or murdered.  The biggest problem we have is our own fear of embarrassment or rejection.
The fear of death was not enough to stop Peter from being a bold witness, and it wasn’t enough to stop John and Wanda Casias.  What fear is stopping us?