Warning from the King - Matthew 10:16-25 from Damascus Road Church on Vimeo.

 

Introduction

Good Morning! We are continuing to preach through the book of Matthew, the gospel account

of Jesus as the Savoir-King of God’s people. We are in Part 2 (Chapters 8-13) the Mission of

the King. Since launching his public ministry back in the end of chapter 4, Jesus ministry has

been defined by teaching the values of God’s kingdom, preaching repentance of sin and calling

people to the kingdom, and actively living out the kingdom through healing. While these are

all awesome, Jesus is more than simply a good teacher, a great preacher, and miraculous

healer. He is the great savior and king of God’s people. Jesus is God in the flesh. There are

many hurting and lost people who need the message and healing of the kingdom. As Jesus

was sent from Heaven to earth on mission, Jesus sends those who are citizens of the kingdom

on the same mission. Last week we saw him commission 12 of his disciples as apostles and

prepare to send out missionary teams two by two. Before sending these teams he gives them

clear instructions like a general giving orders to officers who will be out in the field conducting

individual operations. Previously, Jesus has said to not take any provisions and expect to

be met with some amount hospitality, but that will not always be the case. As this Sermon of

the Mission continues, we see how Jesus sends, expectations for the mission, purposes in

persecution, and how Jesus suffers so we can endure.

Matthew 10:16-25 16

as serpents and innocent as doves. 17Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts

and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my

sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19When they deliver you over, do not be

anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to

you in that hour. 20For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through

you. 21Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise

against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by all for my name's

sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23When they persecute you in one

town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of

Israel before the Son of Man comes. 24

his master. 25

they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of

his household.

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise

It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If

10:16 Jesus Sends

Jesus send his people out on mission to the world to proclaim and live out His kingdom. This is

Jesus intention for his followers, they will not receive the good news of the gospel and saving

power of Jesus and not actively engage with sharing it with others. Disciples of Jesus are sent,

but not to safety. Jesus knowingly sends his followers on mission into harm’s way. This is not

an accident, but part of Jesus plan from the start. If we are to seek and save the lost, hurting

people of God we have to be willing to dive into the difficult places they find themselves stuck

in. In Ch 9 Jesus see His people as sheep without a shepherd. As he saves them they are

still sheep but now have a good shepherd in Jesus to lead them. Where Jesus leads is directly

into the midst of ravenous wolves with no clear way out. As Jesus was sent into a dangerous

world Jesus sends us. John 17:15-18 15

that you keep them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, just as I am not of the

world. 17Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18As you sent me into the world, so I have

sent them into the world.

Sheep are sent but not alone. Jesus tells His disciples at the end of Matthew he will be with us

always till the end of the age. Jesus gives us a clear understanding of challenges we will face

on mission. We are to be sheep but we are not to be stupid, naïve, or stained by the world. We

are to be wise/cunning like those in the world that seek to lead sheep astray while also being

innocent of evil. This means we need to be students of the world to understand it’s darkness,

and students of the word be able to shine light into it.

10:17-20 Expectations for Mission

Part of having wisdom is having clear expectations about what being on mission for Jesus

is going to look like. In a world marked by sin and opposition to God as King. When you are

faithfully living on mission for King Jesus you should readily expect two things to happen in

response.

Expect Hostility- Yes we preach, proclaim, and live out the Gospel of Jesus hoping it will be

receive for the saving, healing, restoring joy that it is, and indeed many will respond and

follow Jesus. This is incredibly encouraging when it happens. However, even more than an

expectation of being received hospitably we need to be prepared this won’t always be the case.

Spreading the Gospel is not perpetually easy. From many who reject Jesus as Lord over their

lives we should expect nothing more than hostility. Jesus doesn’t say if we as messengers are

rejected by men who hate the message, he says when. This is a certainty.

John 3:19-20 19And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the

darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20For everyone who does wicked

things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

There are people who don’t like to think their lives include sin, wickedness, or darkness. When

you are calling sinners to turn from their sin and turn to King Jesus they may want to remain

their own king. Telling someone Jesus died for their sin in of no value to them if they don’t think

they have any. The same light that melts the ice hardens the clay. We need to change our goal

on mission from acceptance in the world to faithfulness. We need to be killed of our idol of cool

and acceptance. Jesus + Cool = Nothing.

And I believe with all my heart that what the world needs is radically bold, sacrificially loving, God-
besotted, “freaks” and aliens. In other words, I am inviting you to say no to the world for the sake of the

world. The world does not need more cool, hip, culturally savvy, irrelevant copies of itself. That is a hoax

that has duped thousands of young Christians. -John Piper

We all want acceptance and approval in some form. We all fear rejection and pain, but we

should expect it if we are remaining faithful. If we are not facing more hostility and opposition as

individuals and as a church we have to ask ourselves, why? Are we simply enjoying a period of

God’s favor that is not typical for Christians regardless of time or place? Or are we truly being as

innocent as doves as we ought?

Expect the Spirit. We are to expect hostility but we are not to fear it. When we meet hostility on

account of the Gospel of King Jesus and the Father of Heaven we do not need to be anxious.

The Holy Spirit will guide our speech and our conduct. Luke 12:12 says at that hour the Holy

Spirit will be there to teach what to say. Our role is not to always be prepared or worry about

how eloquent our speech is. Jesus tells us to be faithful in the going and He will speak through

us. It is the same promise God gave to Moses back in Exodus when Moses was concerned

with how his speech would be received before Pharaoh. In Acts 7 we see this happening when

Stephen, an early deacon in the church is brought before the High Priest and the Sanhedrin and

preaches an amazingly deep, theologically rich, bible saturated sermon. He was empowered by

the Holy Spirit. It was true, it was right. How was it received? He was still stoned.

10:21-23 Purpose in Persecution

Jesus elsewhere promises God know every hair on our head and not one will perish he does

not promise we will be free of persecution. Christians will not perish because there is everlasting

life with God in Jesus. Our experience as Christians in this country and part of the world is

not normal. Persecution is a very real present daily reality for millions of our Christian brothers

and sisters around the world that we are completely removed from and usually blind to. Daily,

Christians face trials and persecution of various kinds. While seemingly random and chaotic, it is

never meaningless; there is always a purpose in persecution.

Knowing who your real family is- You are either ultimately defined by the blood line of your family

or you are defined by the blood line Jesus poured out on the cross to cover your sin. By the

blood of Jesus we are graciously given adoption in to the family of God. Jesus says when you’re

delivered up “The Spirit of your Father” will be speaking through you. Not just Jesus’ Father, if

you are in Christ, you and Jesus have the same Father you are part of the same family. When

you are adopted into a family you are no longer part of your old family. If your family doesn’t

worship God in Jesus, they may reject you.

Miriam Ibrahim a young Sudanese women born and abandoned by her Muslim father, grew up

with her mother a Christian. She was brought up to local courts by relatives including her own

brother on charges of apostasy and adultery for not practicing Islam and marrying a Christian

man. Pregnant, put in jail, where she gave birth she was convicted and given 3 days to reject

Jesus, follow Islam, or be sentenced to death At her sentencing hearing she said, “I am a

Christian and I will remain a Christian.” Because they value life so much she was going to

be allowed to wean here newborn (up to 2 years old) and then face 100 lashes and death by

hanging. By God’s grace she has been released, here and her husband are trying to make it out

of the country. Here brother said this week during her release "The law has failed to uphold our

rights. This is now an issue of honor. The Christians have tarnished our honor, and we will know how to

avenge it." She knows she has a Father in Heaven who will never leave her or forsake her, she

knows she is part of a kingdom where Jesus reigns who, she has a comforter and a teacher in

the Holy Spirit. She is our sister.

The Sake of Jesus Name- You should expect when you are faithful to follow Jesus you will be hated

by those who hate Jesus “for his name sake” not the sake of you being a jerk or being a coward.

Those are different. Sudhakar was pastoring in Hyderabad in India and the towns around. In

one of the towns pastors were boiled alive in acid their bodies dismembered and placed in

bags at the four corners of the city as a warning to other Christians and pastors. Sudhakar was

attacked during a service by Hindu militants and hit in the head by a brick. He was taken the

local police station and charged with disturbing the peace and starting a riot. He faced the threat

of legal action for years. These are our brothers.

John 20:18-19 18

were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but

I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19

For our Endurance For our hope. We are soft. We are weak. We are easily deterred. We seek

instant gratification on any effort we put in and get quickly discouraged when we are not

immediately rewarded. On mission for Jesus is supposed to a marathon and not a sprint, and

it’s a marathon down a road of trial.

Pastor Saeed Abedini sentenced to 8 years back in 2012 in Iran Converted to Christianity

in 2000 began planting house churches (over 100 in 30 different cities with roughly 2,000

members) Moved to US in 2005 when Ahmedinjad got elected and a crack down began.

Returned in 2009 knowing the social/legal climate of the country had become less favorable.

He made several trips to build orphanages and was arrested. Sentenced for “undermining the

Iranian government by creating a network of Christian house churches and attempting to sway

Iranian youth away from Islam.” He avoided the death penalty but has been moved to Rajai

Shahr prison populated with Iran’s worse criminals and the harshest condition in the country.

He knew it would be hard road to return to work in Iran yet he chose it anyway. He is our

brother.....

Rom 5:3-5 3

endurance, 4

does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the

Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

For His Name to Spread – here Jesus tells them to flee. We are not to seek martyrdom, we are to

seek and save the lost. We are blessed to live in a country with great freedom and relative

stability but our freedom has often led to compliancy. Instead of taking our blessings as an

opportunity for boldness we have become bystanders in the battle. Rather than a sense of

urgency, we easily fall into apathy. We are slaves to comfort and clarity. Jesus name will be

spread and when Christians seek to settle down or slow down the mission for comfort they will

find the opposite. The safest place to be is precisely where Jesus has called you to be.

Persecution keeps the momentum of the mission going. The mission isn’t done yet.

James 1:2-3 2Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3

that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

10:24-25 Jesus Endures, We are saved.

How can Jesus ask his follower to go to places and be on missions he knows will lead them into

trials, persecutions, and possibly even death. Why ask so much of us? What is he preparing his

followers for?

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces

and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5

2 Cor 4:17-18 17For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory

beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are

unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

For the world, they saw the message and kingship of Jesus as something to be mocked and

scorned. They called him “Beelzebul” – lord of the flies or lord of dung. This was the worst insult

one could be given. Jesus is saying at the heart those that do not follow and obey him have

not merely respectfully declined an offer of salvation but have bitterly rejected Jesus as King

and see his kingdom as valuable as a pile of dung. Jesus wants us to know if this is how they

see him, they will see his followers as even lower. Sends his followers out on a difficult mission

knowing his mission would be even more difficult. Jesus would be “delivered over” to courts of

the Jewish leaders and Gentiles like Pontius Pilate and King Herod. The word we’ve seen in

this section as “deliver you over” is the same word used to describe how Judas betrayed Jesus.

Jesus was betrayed by those as close to him as family.

Jesus was rejected by the world, Jesus was delivered over to death. Jesus endured so we can

be saved.

Jesus suffered worse. Jesus suffering on the cross saves, so we can be saved in our suffering.

Because Jesus was silent we can be bold to speak. Because Jesus was lead as a lamb to

slaughter we can be sent by Jesus as sheep knowing we have a shepherd who has laid his life

down for us. Trust Jesus!