Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
|
Post by Bro. Freddie on Nov 9, 2008 4:46:48 GMT -5
Matthew 10:7, 8 (King James Version)
7. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Last time we looked at the start of Jesus' instructions to the disciples on witnessing. We saw that Jesus gave His twelve disciples certain powers and we saw exactly to whom Jesus gave these powers. We also saw to whom Jesus sent His disciples to witness to. Today, we are going to look at the charge He gave them and more about the wondrous powers that Jesus gave them.
The first thing we need to look at is in verse 7 and is the phrase "and as ye go". Folks, this is Jesus telling His disciples right here to go out and witness to the lost. Later in Matthew, the Lord gives His church what is called the Great Commission (Matthew 28), but here He is giving a small group of people instructions. Before we go any further, I need to define what a church is. The basic definition of a church is that it is a group of baptized believers who are covenanted together to carry out the Great Commission. Now, remember, there were more people following the Lord than these twelve men. But these twelve men are who He gave these specific instructions to. Why? Because they were examples unto us! Jesus told them to "Go". How can a person witness to another unless they go to them? They can't! I have said many times on here that others are watching our life, and they are. But are these that are watching us come up to us and ask how to be saved? It may happen on a few occasions, but it is very rare. Most times we have to take that first step and go and talk to that person. Usually they won't come to us. And that is because of everyone's inherent sin nature. I'll use myself here as an example. When I was under the conviction of the Holy Spirit to surrender to preach the Gospel I came up with every excuse there is to not surrender to this call. The Sunday I surrendered was Easter Sunday, April 11th, 2004. When my pastor at the time offered invitation, I tried to use the excuse that it was Easter and that it wasn't the proper time. That didn't work. It was close to my mother's birthday was another excuse. That didn't work either. I tried several excuses but the Holy Spirit kept calling. I finally surrendered and have been blessed ever since. Folks, that was nothing but Satan telling me to wait. It is the same way with the lost. They don't realize that they need a Saviour, therefore they won't seek out someone who can tell them about the Lord. And when they do realize they need a Saviour, Satan will fill their mind with every excuse there is to not accept Jesus as Lord. That is why we are to go unto the people. The next thing the Lord told the disciples to do was to "preach". This word means to declare. They were to declare unto the people. Folks, every one of us is a preacher to this extent. We ALL are to declare the Gospel to everyone. Now don't get me wrong. Not everyone is called to be a pastor, but we are all called to be a preacher. Over the years people have decided that being a pastor and a preacher are the same thing. That is wrong! A pastor is a leader, one who leads the children of God in the way they should go. He is also a preacher, declaring the Gospel to everyone. He does this through witnessing, what we are studying, and from the pulpit. A preacher is someone who declares the Gospel. Every child of God should be a preacher declaring the Gospel to others. Now you may not be able to fill the pulpit, but you can still witness to others, which is the same as preaching. Do you? Are you a witness for the Lord? The last thing in verse 7 that I want us to look at is the message that Jesus told the disciples to declare unto the people. They were to preach "The kingdom of heaven is at hand". What is the kingdom of heaven? It is Jesus! To better understand this, we need to understand a fact about living under a king and in a kingdom. We, here in America don't live under a king so we don't really understand what it is like. When a king goes to another country, he is introduced to others as king of such and such. When I was in the Navy, and a high ranking dignitary came onboard, or a captain of another ship, a bosun's whistle would be blown, and over the load speakers they would be announced by their title. If it was the President of the United States, he would be announced as "United States, arriving" or "United States, departing". It is the same way with Jesus. He is the kingdom of heaven because He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and is ruler over all. So as you can see the disciples were to tell the people that God in human flesh (Jesus) was here.
As we look now at verse 8 we see what Jesus told the disciples to do after they preached the Gospel. They were to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead and cast out devils. One thing I want us to notice is that in verse 1 of this chapter is that Matthew listed all of these when he narrated what powers Jesus gave the disciples, except one, raising of the dead. Why is that? Could it be that Matthew didn't think raising someone from the dead was as important as healing a leper? I don't think so. So why wasn't raising of the dead mentioned in verse 1? Remember, the Bible doesn't contradict itself so something must be going on here. What is it? Some who are reading this may not like what I believe Jesus meant, but I am going to state it anyway. Jesus was speaking of those who were spiritually dead, not physically dead. In the Scriptures a lot of times, leprosy was a picture of sin. When a leper was cured, it was a picture of the cleansing power of Jesus. The same can be said for the casting out of demons. So wouldn't it stand to reason that Jesus was speaking of spiritual things? I think, and I stress think, that Jesus is speaking of raising those who are spiritually dead into life, in other words, to show them that Jesus loves them and to offer them salvation. Isn't that what a witness is to do anyway? Looking further in verse 8 we see that Jesus states "Freely have ye received, freely give." What did the disciples receive? The powers that Jesus mentioned in verse 1, but didn't they receive something else freely? What else did they receive? The gift of salvation! Folks, at one time, someone told each of the disciples about Jesus. And they accepted Him into their heart without having to pay a cent. It was a free gift! They were instructed to tell others about the Lord! We are to do the same. We are to tell others about what Jesus has done for us. Do we?
In conclusion, we have seen the beginning of the instructions that Jesus gave to His disciples when they went out on a witnessing program. They were to preach (or declare) to others that Jesus was here. That is the main thing when you are witnessing, to tell others what Jesus has done for you. Have you told someone lately that Jesus loves them? Have you presented the Gospel to them? Salvation is a free gift. Have you offered someone this gift?
|
|
Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
|
Post by Bro. Freddie on Nov 16, 2008 5:48:19 GMT -5
Matthew 10: 9, 10 (King James Version)
9. Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses. 10. Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.
If you will recall, we have begun to look at the witnessing program Jesus set up for His church. We have seen how He sent out the twelve disciples, gave them certain powers and told them what to preach. We are now going to look at another aspect of witnessing, the one of relying upon the Lord for all things in our life. I pray that each one of you who read this is blessed as much as I was when I studied this.
As we begin to look at verse 9, the first thing I noticed was the word "provide". This word carries the meaning of to get or to gain. The words "gold, silver, and brass" refer to the currency of that day. I have heard this preached that this means to carry no money, but that is simply not the case. It means to ask for or to seek money. In other words, what Jesus was telling His disciples was that when they went out witnessing to others, and preformed these miracles, they were not to ask for payment for it. This all ties in with the latter part of verse 8 in which Jesus said, "Freely have ye received, freely give." So as you can see, Jesus was telling His disciples to tell others about Him, but to not seek payment. So how does this tie in to us today? We don't have the power that Jesus gave His disciples, so what do this have to do with us? Simple. We are to tell others about Jesus because we love Him, not for payment. Before we go any further, I need to state that I hate talking about money. Those of you who have read my previous sermon notes know that. But it is necessary, because of the teachings of the Scriptures. There are a lot of people out there who call themselves "preachers" when in fact they are nothing but people who are looking for an easy way to make money. I am not like that! I don't preach the Gospel for the money. I preach because I love the Lord and He has called me to preach His Gospel. We are not to tell others about the Lord for the gain of wealth! We are to tell others about Jesus, and what He has done for us because we love Him. Do you?
In verse 10 the first thing Jesus said was to to not take script for your journey. I looked the word "script" up in my Bible dictionary and found it to be different than what I thought. This word essentially means wallet, but not like a wallet we use today. It was a leather bag or pouch used to hold provisions. Back in Biblical days, when a person went on a journey they carried most of their provisions with them. Remember, the mode of transportation was either walking or riding an animal, mainly donkey's. So a journey of any distance was a major undertaking and provisions, like food, had to be carried. They carried these provisions in a leather bag or pouch. So as you can see careful planning was required when taking a journey. I want us to now look at the rest of verse 10 before we look at what Jesus would have us to learn. He told His disciples to not take script, nor two coats, neither shoes, nor staves on their journey. We have already covered what a script is, so lets look at the rest of these items. The word "coat" refers to the inner garment over which a cloak, or outer garment was worn. "Shoes" were in fact sandals, and a "stave" was a wooden staff. So let's put all these together and see what we have. Jesus told His disciples to not take any provisions, nor a change of clothing, not extra shoes, not even a staff to help fend of thieves while on their journey. Why? The answer to this question can be found in the last part of verse 10. "For the workman is worthy of his meat". To better understand this, we have to understand the way things were in those days. When a farmer hired a person to gather a crop, he paid that workman a wage, but the farmer also provided food for that workman during this time of harvest. So what does this teach us? Folks, Jesus told His disciples to rely upon Him when they were out witnessing to others. They shouldn't worry about things like extra clothes, or provisions or anything else. We should do the same thing! We should tell others about the Lord and let Him bless us as He sees fit. We are the hired workman, Jesus is the employer, and He will provide for us while we are out doing His will. Are we trusting in the Lord to provide for us?
Today we have seen Jesus tell His disciples to not worry about worldly things, but instead to spread the Gospel. My question to you today is simple. Are you telling others about what Jesus has done for you? Or are you worrying about things of this world? Have you told someone about Jesus today? To tell someone about Jesus, you first have to know Him as your personal Saviour. Have you accepted Him as your Lord and Master? If not, I urge you to turn to Him today, knowing in your heart that he gave His life for you, trusting in Him to save you, and He will. Have you trusted in Him today?
|
|
Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
|
Post by Bro. Freddie on Nov 30, 2008 5:37:29 GMT -5
Matthew 10:11-15 (King James Version)
11. And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. 12. And when ye come into an house, salute it. 13. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. 15. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
By way of a short review, we have been looking at Jesus sending forth His disciples on a witnessing program. We have seen certain powers that Jesus gave unto His disciples and what they were to do with these powers. Today we are going to look at what they were to do when they reached a town and how they were to conduct themselves.
In verse 11 the first thing we need to look at is the phrase "and into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter". Jesus is instructing His disciples to go to the people and where better to go to the people than a large population base. If you will think about it for a moment, there was a large agricultural base, but the majority of the people lived in the cities or towns. Jesus is in fact telling His disciples to go to where the people are. Think about this for a moment also. The majority of Israel didn't know that the Messiah had come. The disciples were to go and tell the people that Jesus had come to Earth after centuries of prophecy. Folks, we are to be like the disciples. We are to go to the people, wherever they are, and we are to tell them that the Messiah has come, and that He is coming back soon. Are we? As we now look further in verse 11 we see that Jesus said "enquire who in it is worthy, and there abide till ye go thence". The word "enquire" means to ask, and the word "worthy" is an adjective and means of weight or worth. I thought on this for several days, and realized I didn't understand what Jesus meant, so I went to an older preacher brother of mine and talked to him about this. When he explained it to me it made perfect sense, but I don't know if I can put it into words, but I'll try. Remember, Jesus is instructing His disciples on how to witness to others, so we have to keep that in mind. I believe that Jesus is telling His disciples that when they enter a strange town, they are to ask around and see who is a child of God (worthy) and with that person they are to stay with until they leave that area. But how would others know that a person is a child of God? By their actions! I have said time and again that people are watching our lives. They know by our actions if we are a child of God. Can someone tell if you are a child of God by your actions?
In verse 12 Jesus told the disciples that when they came into a house to salute it. The word "salute" carries the meaning of to greet or welcome. In Biblical times, a greeting was a lavish affair. It was a long, drawn out process in which each person was required to ask about the other person's family and so forth. Was Jesus telling the disciples to go through this ornate affair each time they entered a house? YES! When the disciples entered into a house to witness to that person or family, they were to be friendly and to establish a relationship with that person or family. And the best way to begin to establish a relationship is to greet this person and show an interest in their family. You just don't knock on the door and when someone answers it, ask them point blank, "Are you saved?". You first have to establish a relationship with that person, then when the time is right, you can tell them about the Lord. How will you know when the time is right? The Holy Spirit will guide you in that area. But first you need to establish a relationship with the person that you are witnessing to.
As we look now at the first part of verse 13 we see that Jesus said "And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it." The word "worthy" is an adjective again in this instance and is defined as of worth or weight. The word "peace" is a noun here and describes a sense of rest and contentment. So what did Jesus mean? I'm not sure I can put it into words, but I'll try. Jesus told the disciples that when they went to witness to someone, in that person's house, that they were to establish a relationship with that person first. In other words, they were to respect that person's house. After they established this relationship, they could then find out if the people in that household were saved or not. If the people in this household were children of God they were counted as being "worthy". The disciple were then to let their peace, or sense of rest and contentment come upon that household. But what is this peace that the disciples had? It is the peace that each one of us who is saved has. It is the peace of knowing that you are a child of God! It is the peace that passes all understanding. Folks, I have a peace in my life today because I know without a doubt that when I pass from this life to the next I will be with the Lord. Do you have this peace in your life? In the last part of verse 13 Jesus said "but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you." The logical indicator "but" tells me that this is exactly opposite of the first part of verse 13. "It" refers to the household, and the words "worthy" and "peace" are the same as previously defined. But what does Jesus mean? I think that He meant that if a household was not saved, the disciples were to present the Gospel in such a way that the residents of that household would not rest, but be under conviction. I'll try to explain what I mean by using myself as an example here again. When I was under conviction to surrender to the ministry, the Holy Spirit would not let me rest. I would be sitting in a service and everything that I heard would be pointing towards the ministry. I even preached to myself while driving down the highway. I had no peace! But after I surrendered to the ministry I had a peace that I can't explain in my life. I was under conviction and the Holy Spirit would not let me rest. I think it was the same way when the disciples were presenting the Gospel to the people. The Holy Spirit would not let these people rest until they made a decision, either accepting the Lord as Saviour, or rejecting Him.
Looking now at verse 14 we see Jesus giving more instructions to His disciples. "And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet." Let's put this in more common language. If the people of a town or household didn't receive the disciples, or their message, when they left that town or household, they were to have nothing to do with them. The phrase "shake the dust off your feet" is referring to the fact that the people of that day wore sandals, and their feet were dirty. Think about it for a moment. If you wore sandals, and were leaving a place, and wanted nothing more to do with them, wouldn't you shake off the dust of that place from your feet? This was strictly a symbolic gesture and told the people of that town or household that they wanted nothing more to do with them.
In verse 15 Jesus gives a warning to the people who will not hear the disciple's message. "Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city". The word "verily" in today's language would be truly. This is used for emphasis. We know that ever word that Jesus said was true, but in some cases He used emphasized that this was indeed the complete and total truth. The word "tolerable" is translated endure or to hold up. More on that in a moment. Everyone knows about Sodom and Gomorrha (or Gomorrah). These were the two towns that were destroyed by God for their immorality. The phrase "day of judgment" refers to the Great White Throne judgment, where all the lost will stand before the Lord and give an account of why they didn't accept the Lord as Saviour. So what did Jesus mean? I believe that Jesus was in fact saying that at the final judgment, Sodom and Gomorrah will have a better excuse than the people that the disciples witnessed to. Now don't get me wrong! The ones that were destroyed in the fire and brimstone at Sodom and Gomorrah will still spend eternity in the lake of fire and brimstone. What I am saying though is that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were not presented the Gospel (that the Messiah had actually come) like the people that the disciples witnessed to. They were presented the Gospel that the Messiah would come one day, not that He was already here.
Today we have seen Jesus teaching His disciples how to witness to people. We have also seen a dire warning. We each have a responsibility to present the Gospel to everyone we come into contact with. Have you told someone today about Jesus? To be able to tell someone about Jesus you have to experience His love first. Have you accept the free gift of grace that God gave to mankind? Have you accepted Jesus as your Saviour? If so, tell others about what Jesus has done for you. If not, then by a simple prayer of faith, turn to Him today.
|
|
Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
|
Post by Bro. Freddie on Dec 7, 2008 5:16:19 GMT -5
Matthew 10:16-20 (King James Version)
16. Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 17. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; 18. And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
This is just the first part of this sermon. when I am allowed to preach this sermon, it will include the next two verses as well.
We have been looking at the instructions Jesus gave His disciples on how to witness to others. We have seen how we should act while out witnessing, and how we should present the Gospel to every living person. Today we are going to look more along those lines, but we are going to take it a step further. I pray that you learn as much from this as I did.
In verse 16 Jesus says "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves". The word "behold" is actually defined as to see, meaning to call attention to what may be seen or heard or mentally apprehended in any way. If we were to put this in modern English we would say "Pay attention to what I am about to say next". This tells me that what Jesus is about to tell His disciples is very important to the disciples. He goes on to tell them that He is going to send them out as sheep in the midst (among) wolves. Think for a moment if you will about a wolf and a sheep. The wolf is a carnivorous animal who likes nothing better than to eat meat. The sheep is a herbivore who eats grass. Which do you think is the most dangerous? A wolf! But Jesus said that His disciples would be like a sheep going out in the middle of these dangerous animals. A sheep has no defenses, other than the shepherd, while the wolf is a predator. Why do you think Jesus compared His disciples this way? They were to rely upon the Shepherd! Folks, Jesus said in John 10:11 "I am the good shepherd". Also in Psalm 23:1, David said "The Lord is my shepherd". Folks, Jesus is the One we are to rely upon. We are to rely upon Him for the protection we need in this world. Are we? Or are we relying upon our own strength? Jesus goes on to say in verse 16 to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves". Let's think about a serpent (snake) for a moment, then we will look at a dove. A snake doesn't chase after his prey but instead lies in wait, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. It is wise in this manner because it doesn't use up the energy it has chasing after it's prey. We are to be wise in the manner we are to present the Gospel to others. We are to wait for that moment when the Holy Spirit leads us to that person, then we are to present the Gospel in a way to that person that is like a snake bite. Swift and to the point. Now let's look at a dove for a moment. A dove is seen as a harmless creature probably because of it's coloring. It is white and seen as being pure. it doesn't attack other creatures like a wolf does because it's diet consists of seeds and insects. It is harmless! We are to be like doves in the fact that we are to be seen as being pure. Now it would seem like being wise as a snake and harmless as a dove are two different things. One is seen as being deadly and the other is seen as being harmless. Folks, we are to have the attributes of each. We are to wait till the proper time, then we are to be seen as harmless. What do I mean? We are to present the Gospel in such a way that it strikes to the very core of a person's soul, but we are to do it in a loving manner (harmless). Have you presented the Gospel to someone today?
In verse 17, Jesus delivers a warning to His disciples. "Beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues." The "councils" mentioned here was the court system, mainly the Sanhedrin council. It consisted of the high priest, former high priests, elders, members of privileged families and scribes among others. As you can see it was a very prestigious position. The "synagogue" was a place where the Jewish people met to learn about the Scriptures. The word "scourge" was in fact a beating with a whip, usually a cat-of-nine tails, which was a whip with 9 lashes and each lash was embedded with sharp objects such as glass or stones. When a person was whipped with these, it would wrap around the body, cutting both ways. It was a very cruel punishment. Now that we have seen what some of the words mean, let's look at what Jesus meant when He said this. I believe Jesus was telling His disciples to watch out for men, who are worse than wolves among a flock of sheep, because these men would take them before the court system of that day and would have them beaten severely. Folks, this is more than a warning. It was a prophecy too! From my limited understanding, each of the disciples were taken before the courts and beaten for what they stood for. Only one of the disciples died a natural death, and that was John. The rest were killed in the most inhumane manner possible. And they weren't the only ones. Down through history, there are recorded events that tell of people who were killed for their stand for the Lord. A conservative estimate is over 50 MILLION people were tortured and killed for their beliefs. And that is a low number! Would you be willing to be beaten for your stand for the Lord?
In verse 18 Jesus continues with this warning. He told the disciples that they would be brought before the ruling powers of that day (governors and kings). Now you have to realize that a governor had more powers in those days than today. He was like a minor king, and had unlimited power, in his specific area, as long as the Roman government didn't object. It was a very powerful position to be placed in, one with great responsibility, along with great power. Jesus goes on and gives the disciples two reason why they will be brought before these rulers. (1). For His name's sake, and (2) for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. The disciples would be brought before the rulers for what they believed. What did they believe? That Jesus was the Son of God! Do you really believe that Jesus was who He said He was? Would you be willing to give your life for Him?
Today we have seen a warning from Jesus to His disciples about what would happen when they spread the Gospel. This is a warning to us to, but if we love the Lord like we should, it should also be a blessing. I believe that one day, in the not too far future, people in America will once again be tortured for their beliefs. Do you love the Lord enough that you would be willing to be beaten for His sake? What about giving your life for Him? He gave His life for you, so should we be any different? How much do you love the Lord?
|
|
Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
|
Post by Bro. Freddie on Dec 14, 2008 6:06:46 GMT -5
Matthew 10:19, 20 (King James Version)
19. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 20. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
This is the second part of one sermon that I was unable to finish last week due to time constraints.
If you will recall, we have been studying the instructions Jesus gave unto His church on witnessing unto the lost. We have seen a warning given unto those who refuse to receive the Gospel, and we have seen prophecy concerning those who present the Gospel. Today we are going to look at more prophecy and the effects it should have in our lives today.
In verse 19 Jesus says But when they deliver you up. Before we get too far, we need to remember that when the Scriptures were written, there were no verse or chapter divisions. So this is a continuation of the previous verse (verse 18) in which Jesus states to Beware of men. This answers the question of who they are that Jesus refers to in this verse. I also want us to notice one little thing, that when looked at it in the proper context is not such a little thing. It is the word when. Notice Jesus didn't us the word if or anything else like that. He used the word when. Folks, this tells me a couple of things. First, Jesus was telling His disciples that there was no doubt that they would be handed over to the authorities for their preaching of the Gospel. This was both a prophecy and a warning! Each of the disciples were taken before the authorities and were punished in some way. John was banished to the Isle of Patmos, Paul was beheaded, Peter was crucified upside down (according to legend), and the list goes on and on. Folks, each of these men paid a price for their service to the Lord. They loved the Lord so much that they were willing to give their life for Him. Are we? Secondly, this tells me that Jesus KNEW that His disciples were going to go through persecution and that all of them but one would die a martyr's death. Folks, this strengthens my faith. What do I mean? I KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus was, and still is, the Son of God. But this prophecy, which would be partially fulfilled in the not to distant future, reaffirms my belief. Folks, Jesus was, and still is the Son of God! Jesus continues in verse 19 and tells the disciples to take no thought how or what ye shall speak. In other words what Jesus was telling His disciples was that when they would be brought before the authorities, to not think about how they would defend themselves, or even what they would say. Think about it this way. At one time or another, each of the disciples were placed in jail or prison. They didn't have a lawyer to defend them before a judge like we do today. They were in fact their own lawyer. They knew that if they lost the case they would be sentenced to at least a whipping with a cat-of-nine tails, but most likely death. So it would be just human nature to sit there and form a defense, meaning what they would say and how they would say it, in answer to each of the charges. But Jesus said to not think about it! In other words, He was telling them to not worry about it. Folks, we should do the same thing! We should not worry about how we are going to defend ourselves against persecution, but we should let the Lord handle it. In the last part of verse 19 Jesus tells His disciples why they should not worry about their defense. For it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. This is more than a prophecy, this is also a promise. And what a promise! Jesus was telling His disciples that they would be told what to say when they were standing before the authorities in their defense. And they were! Folks, the same thing happens to us today. We may not be brought before the authorities for preaching the Gospel, but we are put before people every day to tell them about what Jesus has done in our life. And we will be given what to say to them so that the power of the Gospel will reach a lost and dying world. Do we take advantage of this promise?
In verse 20 Jesus tells His disciples how they would be told what to speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. Folks, Jesus is telling His disciples that the Holy Spirit would be the One telling them what to say. The Holy Spirit, which is another aspect of God, was promised to be with the disciples during their time of trouble. And you know what? He was! When Paul stood before Felix, he was given what to say because he preached the Gospel. And the same thing still happens today! When I am preaching the Gospel, the Holy Spirit leads and guides my thoughts so that I will say the proper thing in the proper time. Now you may not be allowed to preach the Gospel before a congregation of people, but you still can preach to an individual through witnessing. And the Holy Spirit will lead and guide you so that you will know what to say and when to say it. Are you telling others about Jesus?
Today we have seen a warning and a promise. We have seen Jesus warning His disciples that they would be handed over to the authorities for what they preached. We have also seen that they were not to take thought about their defense, but instead rely upon the leadership of the Holy Spirit to lead them in what to say. This applies to us today just like it did back when Jesus first spoke it. We are to rely upon the leadership of the Holy Spirit in our everyday walk of life too. Do we? Are you following the guidance of the Holy Spirit? To follow His guidance, first you have to have Him living in your heart. To have Him living in your heart, you have to have accepted Jesus as your Saviour. Have you repented of your sins, and trusted in the Jesus to save you? Jesus died the most cruel death ever devised by mankind because He loved you. Have you accepted this gift of love?
|
|
Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
|
Post by Bro. Freddie on Dec 28, 2008 6:09:02 GMT -5
Matthew 10:21, 22 (King James Version)
21. And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
We have been studying the instructions Jesus gave to His disciples, and to us today, for witnessing unto others. We have seen a warning of persecution and we have also seen a promise, that of being given the right words to say at the right time. Today, we are going to look at another warning that Jesus gave to His disciples and how it relates to us today.
In verse 21 we see a sad situation. It is one of family members rising up against another family member. Before we get started, I need to state that the word brother here denotes sibling, an actual blood relation. It does not mean a spiritual brother in Christ. It is a family member! Think about a family for a moment if you will. A family is supposed to be made up of people who love each other without reservation. No matter what faults we each have, our family is supposed to love us. Notice I said supposed to love us. I know there are cases where family members don't love one another, and that is wrong. When God sent up the family unit back in Genesis, with Adam and Eve, He meant for the family to be a loving unit, with the father loving his wife and children, and each loving each other. Do we see a loving family unit in the prophecy Jesus spoke of here in verse 21? NO! What we see is the exact opposite of love, which is hate. Now I can't speak for each of you, but I know in my life it would be impossible for me to deliver up my brother, who is 7 years younger than me, to be punished by the authorities if he was witnessing to others. My brother and I have had our differences over the years, mainly from me trying to keep him from making the same mistakes I made while growing up, but we have grown closer over the last few years. Even though we have had our differences he is still my brother and I love him. And I would have a better chance of walking on the moon tomorrow than turning either one of my sons over to the authorities to be punished. And I can't see either one of my sons turning me over either. Why? Because we have the love that God intended a family unit to have. But can I say that one of my family members will never turn me over to the authorities? NO! Folks, this is a prophecy that has been partially filled in the past but is still of the future also. Even though I believe that this happened to the disciples while they were out witnessing, I also believe that this will happen again when the anti-christ is ruling in the future. If it was against the law to tell someone about Jesus, would you love the Lord enough to break that law?
In verse 22 we see more prophecy of both the times Jesus was living in and the end times. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. After Jesus death, the disciples witnessed to others and were hated of it. Almost all of them were killed for preaching to others about Jesus. They were hated, and killed, for what they preached! Folks, I believe there is coming a day when men will be killed for preaching the truth. I believe that one day I will have to make a choice. Either be killed for preaching the truth, or life. I pray that when that time comes I will be strong enough to stand for the Lord. I can sit here all day and say I will be strong enough, but until that time comes I don't know for sure. I know I love the Lord above all else, but will my desire to be with Him outweigh my desire to live in this fleshly body. What would your answer be? Looking further in verse 22 we see a phrase that is confusing to some and has stated many a false religion. But he that endureth to the end shall be saved. Folks, this is NOT speaking of salvation! Remember, to be an effective witness for someone, you have to be a follower already of that person. So to be an effective witness for Jesus, you have to be saved already. So if this is not speaking of salvation, what is it speaking of? I don't know if I can put my thoughts into a written format, but I will try. I believe that this is speaking of the end times specifically. When a person endures, they last until the very end. Those who take a stand for Jesus during the Tribulation Period and endure until the end will be saved (rescued). How? By the Lord Himself when he comes to gather His saints. I believe that one day Jesus will come and take His children home. The dead in Christ will rise first, then those who are still alive will meet Him in the air. They will be rescued from the trials and tribulations of this world. On that day, will you go to be with the Lord?
Today we have seen prophecy of both the times that Jesus lived in and of the end times. We have seen that family members will turn against each other because of one family member's stand for the Lord. We have also seen that those who persevere until the last will be rescued. My question to you today is this. Will you be in that great gathering of the saints in the air with the Lord? When He comes back for His children, will you go with Him or be left behind? To be with the Lord for all eternity, you have to first accept Him as your personal Saviour. Is Jesus your Lord and Master? If not, I urge you to turn to Him, repent of your sins, and trust in Him to save you. All this can be accomplished by a simple prayer of faith. Have you trusted in the Lord?
|
|
Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
|
Post by Bro. Freddie on Jan 4, 2009 6:01:59 GMT -5
Matthew 10:23 (King James Version)
23. But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
We have been looking at the instructions Jesus gave unto His disciples concerning witnessing. Last time we looked at part of a prophecy Jesus spoke, both for then and now. Today we are going to look at more of this prophecy and see what the Lord would have us to learn.
The first thing I noticed in this verse was the logical indicator but. This tells me that what Jesus is saying is a continuation of His previous thought, but is opposite of that thought. What was His previous thought? Of being delivered up and persecuted! Folks, if you are telling others about the Lord you will be persecuted. There is no doubt about that. It may not be in the form of physical persecution, like a public beating, but you will suffer some for of persecution. It may be in the form of ridicule, loss of a friend, and other things. But you will suffer some form of persecution.
Notice the next thing Jesus said. He said [volor=red]when[/color]. He didn't say if, or maybe but when. Like I just stated there is no doubt that the disciples suffered when telling others about the Lord and we will to. Why should we be any different?
Jesus also said to flee (or go) to another city if the one they (the disciples) were in persecuted them. Paul stated in the book of Romans that not all that heard the Gospel would be saved. We are to tell others about the Lord, and if they refuse to hear it, we are to move on. I also noticed one thing in that Jesus did not say. He didn't say we could quit! When someone persecutes you, you are to move on, but not quit. In other words, we are to keep on keeping on, even if we have to change locations.
The last part of this verse is a prophecy, both of that time and the time to come. Before we go any further, there is one thing to keep in mind at all times concerning prophecy. A lot of times, a prophecy is a two-fold prophecy, meaning that there is more than one fulfillment of it. Let me give an example. Back in the days of the Egyptian bondage, the children of Israel were promised that a Deliverer would come. They were looking for a Deliverer to come and deliver them from bondage and one did. It was Moses. But, a Deliverer also came a much greater time later. That Deliverer is Jesus. He is the Great Deliverer! He also delivers from bondage, the bondage of sin. See, the prophecy concerning a Deliverer was two-fold, meaning it had a dual fulfillment. Today we have before us another two-fold prophecy. It concerns Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. Let's look at both aspects of this prophecy for just a moment. The first fulfillment of this prophecy was during the earthly ministry of our Lord. The disciples would not be able to witness to everyone in Israel till Jesus revealed Himself to the world as the Saviour. How did He do this? By dying on the cross for our sins! The second fulfillment of this prophecy is yet to come. It concerns the end times and Israel. Israel, as a whole, will not have accepted Jesus as Saviour before the Lord comes back in all His glory. See, even to this day, Israel as a nation, has not accepted the fact that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. They think He was just a great prophet like Moses or Elijah. But one day in the future, Israel will be delivered just like in the days of old. Jesus will come with all His saints and rescue Israel just when it looks like they will be wiped out. And I will be with Jesus when He comes to fulfill this prophecy! Will you be with Him on that day?
Today we have seen a two-fold prophecy. It concerns both the days of the disciples and the end times. My question to you is will you be with Jesus when He comes back to fulfill this prophecy? To be with Him then, you have to have trusted in Him as your personal Saviour. Have you? Have you asked Him to save you?
|
|
Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
|
Post by Bro. Freddie on Jan 11, 2009 6:42:29 GMT -5
Matthew 10:24, 25 (King James Version)
24. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. 25. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
By way of introduction, we have been looking at the instructions Jesus gave to His disciples concerning witnessing to the lost. We have seen how that they were to respect the ones whom they witnessed to, but if they refused to hear it, were to move on. We have also seen Jesus prophecy about the times the disciples were to go through, meaning persecution, and how that we too will go through persecution if we are telling others about the Lord. Today we are going to look at some verses that are often misunderstood or totally ignored altogether. I pray that the Lord will guide me as I write this, so that my thoughts are His, and that I can convey them in such a manner that others will understand.
In verse 24 and 25 the first thing we need at look at is the word disciple. This is a generic term, not specific. Disciple here means follower of a teacher. It does NOT mean the original twelve disciples! It simply means follower. To better understand this, we need to think a moment about life in the days that Jesus walked upon this earth. In those days, although they had schools, it was just for boys up to a certain age, usually about 13. If a student wanted to further his education after this age he had to find a teacher who was willing to let him follow the teacher around and learn from him. This student was called a disciple or follower of this particular teacher. This is the reference Jesus is using, not of His personal disciples, but of a disciple in general. Looking further in these verses we can see the same thing about the word servants and also about the word lord. These were generic terms, not specific. Another word that we need to look at in verse 24 is the word above. In the simplest of terms it means better than. So if we were to break verse 24 down into our everyday language we would say that Jesus said that the follower is not any better than the teacher.
Before we get into what Jesus meant in verse 24, I want us to look at one word in verse 25 and then I will try and tie it all in together. That one word is Beelzebub. This word primarily denotes the chief of the evil spirits, specifically the lord of where evil spirits dwell. In the days when Jesus walked upon this earth Beelzebub was often the name given to a false god, but today people consider this same false god as Satan, which I have no problem with. Isn't Satan the leader of the evil spirits today?
Now let's take all these words that we have defined and see what Jesus meant. Remember to keep everything in context! We have been studying the persecution of those who witnessed for the Lord during His personal ministry, and immediately after wards. We have also noticed that these prophecies also refer to the end times. So keeping everything in context, what exactly did Jesus mean? Folks, it is very simple. Jesus was prophesying about His own death and was telling the disciples that they were no better than He was. Think about it for a moment. Jesus suffered the most cruel death ever devised by mankind. He hung on a cross, beaten beyond all recognition, naked under a blazing hot sun, supported by His feet and hands through which nails were driven, dehydrated, and blood pouring from every part of His body. From my limited understanding, every time Jesus tried to relax His leg muscles while upon the cross, it put so much pressure on His chest that He suffocated to death. He did all this for me! What makes me think that I am any better than He is? Or for that matter what makes me think that I am any better than the disciples who died a martyr's death? I am not! Folks, there are those that teach that after a person accepts Jesus as their Saviour that everything is going to be rosy. They are teaching heresy! I am to expect persecution because I have accepted Jesus as my Saviour, because He is my Master and Lord, and He suffered persecution. The servant (me) is not above his Lord (Jesus). Jesus suffered for me, so shouldn't I be willing to suffer for Him?
One more thing before I close today. In verse 25 Jesus said If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? Put in today's language, if they call the owner of the house the ruler of the resident of evil spirits, shouldn't the residents of the house also be called evil spirits? In other words, if they called Jesus an evil spirit, since I am a child of His, shouldn't I also expect them to call me one? YES! Again, I am no better than my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and I should expect persecution because He suffered persecution for me. I can't stress this enough. Jesus loved me so much that He gave everything for me, including His life. Should I be any different?
Today we have seen a warning to those that accept Jesus as their Saviour. It is not going to be all peaches and cream like some preach, but instead there is going to be persecution. My question to you today is this. Do you love the Lord enough to suffer for Him? He suffered for you, so shouldn't you be willing to suffer for Him? I believe that there is coming a day in America in the not too distant future where we will have to make a choice. Will we continue to stand for the Lord or will we deny Him? You make think that it is any easy choice but it is not. What if someone held a thingyed and loaded pistol to your head and said Deny Jesus or die? What would your choice be then? What if someone held a pistol to your children's head and said the same thing? Do you love the Lord enough to tell them to go ahead and shoot? Are you willing to go through persecution for the Lord? Do you love Him enough to suffer for Him?
|
|
|
Post by Hardcase on Jan 14, 2009 19:35:11 GMT -5
I think we here in the USA don't know what it means to suffer for our faith! Go to a country where it's illeagal to be a Christian we all need to help those who go there to help all we can.
|
|
Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
|
Post by Bro. Freddie on Jan 18, 2009 6:05:50 GMT -5
Matthew 10:26-28 (King James Version)
26. Fear them not therefore: for their is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed: and hid, that shall not be made known. 27. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in the light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. 28. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
We have been studying the instructions Jesus gave to His disciples concerning witnessing, and the persecution they would suffer for it. We have also seen how we, who are children of God, will suffer persecution if we stand up to others for the Lord. Today we are going to continue this theme, but we are also going to look at a promise that Jesus made to each of His children. I pray that you learn as much as I did about this subject.
The first thing I noticed in verse 26 was that Jesus said Fear them not therefore. Who is the them He is referring to? To answer this, we need to look back at the previous verses in this chapter. In verse 24 and 25 Jesus mentions a disciple (follower) and his master (teacher). He also mentions a servant and his lord (master). Are these who Jesus is referring to? NO! These are just examples, or generic terms if you will. In verse 23 Jesus refers to those who will persecute the ones who are witnessing for the Him. Are these who Jesus is referring to? YES! Sometimes in the study of the Scriptures you have to go back a few verses and find out who the person speaking is talking about. In the writing of Paul, sometimes you have to go back entire chapters to find out who he is speaking about. Getting back to out verse we now know who Jesus is referring to when he said Fear not them therefore. In other words, don't be scared of them that persecute you. Why? This is answered partially in the rest of this verse and in verse 28. Let's look at the rest of this verse and we will look at verse 28 a little later. For nothing is covered, that shall not be revealed: and hid, that shall not be known. What did Jesus mean? Brethren, I believe that Jesus is referring to the time of judgment. There is coming a time when every person who has ever lived will stand before the Lord. It will be in one of two judgments. The first will be when the saved will stand before Him and give an account of their life. This is called the Judgment Seat of Christ. This is NOT a judgment of salvation, but a judgment of what a person does for the Lord after they are saved. In other words, the people at this judgment are saved, but are going to either receive their rewards or have them taken away at this time. The other judgment is the Great White Throne Judgment. This judgment is where all the lost will be and will finally admit that Jesus is Lord over all, but it will be too late. They will be formally sentenced to everlasting torment in the lake of fire and brimstone. At each of these judgments, I believe that every persons actions will be revealed, meaning our thoughts and deeds will be on display for all to see. Therefore nothing will be hid and all will be made known. Folks, I am going to be at the first judgment, and there are going to be things made known to everyone that I really don't want them to see. Which judgment are you going to be at?
Moving on to verse 27 we see Jesus giving a command to His disciples. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in the light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. Now the word darkness doesn't literally mean a time of day when it is dark. What it means is a time of understanding. Let me try to explain. When Jesus was teaching His disciples, He taught them things that they had never heard before, and by doing so, they didn't fully understand what He was teaching them, especially about His death. They would get the full understanding of His teachings later on. So they were in darkness, not a darkness of being lost, but a darkness of understanding. After they understood what Jesus was teaching them, it was like a light was turned on. They understood, thus they were in the light. We are the same way today. As we mature in the Lord, our understanding grows, thus we are in the light. But before we understand, we are in the darkness. There are things in the Scriptures I don't understand, but as I study, and pray about it, my understanding of these things grow. Are you growing in the Lord? Looking at the last part of verse 27 we see the second part of this command. What ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. Folks, this is really Jesus telling His disciples to tell others what He was teaching them. Nothing more, nothing less. But they were to do it openly, not in secret. Why do I say that? Because of what He said! Think about being on a housetop for a moment. A housetop is a high place where everyone who is around can see you. Up on this housetop, sound carries further, therefore more people can hear you. The disciples were to preach the Gospel to everyone, openly and in public. We are to do the same! We are to proclaim the Gospel to everyone. Do we?
In verse 28 we see that Jesus said to Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Folks, this is real simple so don't try to make something out of nothing. Who are we to fear? God! He is the ONLY ONE who is able to destroy both body and soul. Mankind can kill a person's body, but only God can destroy that person's soul. It is written in the Scriptures that all everyone will die, and after this the judgment. Why should we fear something that is going to happen anyway? We shouldn't! We should be like the Apostle Paul who looked forward to being with the Lord for all eternity. We should fear God, not with a fear of punishment, but with a fear of reverence. He is holy and just and we should have a reverence of Him. Do we?
Today we have seen Jesus go into more detail about telling others about him. We have seen that we should not fear mankind, but fear God only. We have also seen that one day all things will be revealed. This will be at one of two judgments. Which judgment will you be at? Will you be at the first where the saved will be judged according to their works? Or will you be at the last where all who are there will hear the words Depart from me for I never knew ye. To be at the first judgment, and to avoid the second judgment, you have to have accepted Jesus as your Saviour. Have you accepted Him today? If not, by a simple prayer of faith, turn to Him, repenting of your sins, and asking for forgiveness. Then you will be guaranteed to be at the first judgment and not the second. Again, which judgment will you be at?
|
|
Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
|
Post by Bro. Freddie on Feb 1, 2009 5:54:58 GMT -5
Matthew 10:29-31 (King James Version)
29. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father. 30. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31. Fear ye not therefore, ye are are of more value than many sparrows.
If you will recall, we have been studying the instructions Jesus gave to His disciples concerning witnessing. We have seen how they would be persecuted, and how we will be persecuted too if we witness for Him today. Today we are going to continue this theme, because Jesus did, and see what he would have us to learn. I pray that everyone who reads this does so with an open mind and an open heart, ready to be better servants for the Lord.
In verse 29 we see the word farthing. There are two Greek words translated as farthing in the Scriptures. Both were coins used during Jesus' personal ministry while here on earth. One word translated as farthing was a Greek coin, while the other was a Roman coin. The Roman coin was worth about 1 1/2 cents in our monetary system. I also found a reference to a farthing being 1/16th of a day's wages during that time period. Whatever it was worth, it wasn't a great amount of money. The word sparrow probably refers to the house sparrow, a bird common to the area. At first, I thought that this sparrow might have been used in sacrifices that the Jews made during this time, but I found out I was wrong. There is no mention in any of the reference books that I have of a sparrow being used as a sacrifice. The bird used in sacrifices was a dove. So what were these sparrows used for? There had to be a reason that they were sold for a small amount of money. The only thing I can think of is that they were used for food, but I don't know for sure. All I can say for sure is that they were sold to people for a small amount of money, so they had to be plentiful. But does it really matter? NO! What really matters is what Jesus is trying to teach us here. I will go into more detail on this in a few moments.
In verse 30, Jesus said But the very hairs on your head are all numbered. Folks, don't make more of this that it is. It is really simple. God is so knowledgeable that He knows exactly how many hairs are on each of our heads. Now some may have more than others, but He knows exactly how many. Think about that for a moment. A single strand of hair is very fine, but God knows how many are on each of our heads. Since He knows this, doesn't it stand to reason that he knows what type of persecution we are going through? YES! Folks, God knows exactly what is going on in our lives and He is going to see us through whatever type of persecution we are going through. It may be that He allows us to give our life for Him, but we are promised a better place.
Jesus says in verse 31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Now the word many means a large amount. Folks, we are more valuable to God than a large amount of sparrows that are sold for a small price. Those of us who are saved were bought with a great price, the shed blood of Jesus Christ. God the Son took on a mortal body, suffered and gave His life on the cross for you and me. That is the price He paid for me and for you! Since He done this for us, doesn't it make sense that we are more valuable to Him than a sparrow, and that sparrow doesn't fall to the ground unless He allows it to.
Folks, the lesson that Jesus is trying to teach us today is very simple. And what is He trying to teach us? To find that out, we need to look back at verse 28. Jesus said to fear not them which kill the body, but not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. The lesson is that we may go through persecution in this life, but we are more valuable to God than a common sparrow, and He will see us through that persecution. We are not to be scared of them that can kill us, but instead we should fear God who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
In conclusion I want each of us to think on a fact of life. Each of us will die at some point. That is a foregone conclusion. What I want to know is where will you spend eternity? Will you spend it with someone who hates and despises you? I mean Satan and his demons. Or will you spend eternity with someone who loves you so much that He freely gave His life for you? Meaning Jesus Christ. To spend eternity with Jesus, you first have to ask Him to forgive you of your sins and to save you, trusting that He will and that He alone has the power to do this. Have you trusted in Him? If so, then live for Him. Show others that you serve a God who loves you so much that He gave His life for you. Jesus didn't give His life for animals, He gave His life for you. How much do you love Him?
|
|
Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
|
Post by Bro. Freddie on Feb 8, 2009 5:35:30 GMT -5
Matthew 10:32, 33 (King James Version)
32. Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33. But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
We have been looking at the instructions Jesus gave to His disciples concerning witnessing and the effects that it would have on their lives. We have also seen how witnessing for the Lord affects our lives, here and in the future. Today, we are going to look at two verses that are on a lot of e-mails that essentially say that if you don't forward this e-mail you are denying the Lord. But is that what these verses really mean? Let's look at these verses and find out.
In verse 32 the first thing I noticed was the word whosoever. This is a word that means anyone and everyone. The next word I want us to look at is the word therefore. This word is a logical indicator that means that this is a continuation of Jesus' thought. So what is this thought? In the previous 3 verses, Jesus gave an illustration about how we are worth more to Him than sparrows and how these sparrows will not fall to the ground unless it is the will of the Father, and how that the very hairs on our head are numbered. Is this the thought that Jesus is continuing? NO! I believe that Jesus is referring back to verse 28 which tells us to not fear men (those who can kill the body) but instead to fear God (the One who has power over both body and soul). More on this in a moment, first we need to define another word. That word is confess. It is used twice in this verse and means the same thing each time.This is the Greek word homologeo which means to declare openly by way of speaking out freely, such confession being the effect of deep conviction of facts. But here is where it gets interesting. In this verse, and in Luke 12:8, this word has the word en added to it, meaning in, and is followed by a personal pronoun. So this conveys the meaning of declaring openly a persons allegiance to Christ as Master and Lord, and on the other hand, of acknowledgment, on Jesus' part, of the faithful one as being His worshiper and servant, of being His loyal follower. (Vines Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words). So what does this mean? To put it in simple English, Jesus said that is a person declares truthfully to others that He is Lord and Master, then He will declare that fact to the Father. So what is Jesus getting at? Let's look at verse 33, then I will try to explain.
The first thing we need to look at in verse 33 is the logical indicator but. This is a word that is used to denote that what follows is opposite of what proceeds. So what proceeds? Confessing Jesus as Lord and Master! What follows? Denying Jesus! The word deny carries the meaning of disowning someone. So if a person denies Jesus as Lord and Master, they are disowning Him, therefore they have no claim to Him.
Now, let's bring this all together. In verse 32 Jesus declares a person to the Father, if they declare to others that He is Lord and Master. In verse 33, Jesus disowns a person if they disown Him. Before we go any further I need to state one thing. This is NOT talking about losing your salvation! In fact, it is the opposite! Jesus is saying that when we accept Him as Saviour, He declares that fact to the Father, and when the final judgments come, those who have accepted him as Saviour will be at the first judgment, not the second. Those who deny Jesus while here on earth, meaning not accepting Him as Saviour, will face the wrath of God. In other words, they will be doomed to spend eternity in the lake of fire and brimstone with Satan and his angels. Have you confessed Jesus? Have you accepted him as your Saviour? If not, I urge you to consider what He did for you. He suffered and gave His life for you so that you might spend eternity with Him. He loved you that much! By faith, turn to Him, realizing that you are a sinner and accept Him as Saviour today.
|
|
Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
|
Post by Bro. Freddie on Feb 15, 2009 6:16:06 GMT -5
Matthew 10:34-36 (King James Version)
34. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
Today we are going to look at a couple of verses in Matthew that doesn't get preached on very often. There is prophecy in these verses, both fulfilled and to be fulfilled and they are often misunderstood. If you will recall, we have been studying the instructions Jesus gave to His disciples concerning witnessing, and the effects that it would have on their lives and our lives today, both now and in the future. Hopefully I can present this in such a way that every one who reads this will understand what the Lord meant when He said this.
In verse 34 the word peace is a noun and is used to describe a harmonious relationship between men. It is the opposite of discord or fighting. The word sword is another way of saying disharmony or discord. What did Jesus mean? Literally, Jesus said that He came to bring disharmony between men, not harmony. Let's look at the rest of our verses, then I will try to explain what Jesus meant.
In verses 35 and 36, Jesus is quoting from the Old Testament. This is found in Micah 7:6. The word variance is defined as to cut apart, divide into two. This is used to describe the relationship between groups of people. A man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. In each of these instances, there should be a harmonious relationship between each. A man should have a peaceful relationship with his father. I know there are times in my life when my dad and I don't get along, but there are other times when we get along great. He is 70 now, and at times he doesn't see things the way I do. Why? Because he has a different perspective on things than I do. He was raised in a different time, and had things a lot different than I do. And the same can be said for a mother/daughter relationship, and a daughter in law/mother in law relationship. Each sees things a little differently than the other. But is that what Jesus is getting at here? NO! Jesus is NOT speaking of earthly things but of spiritual things.
In verse 36 Jesus said that a man's foes shall be they of his own household. To better understand this, we need to think about a what a household entailed back in those days. It consisted of the family, and servants. The family could have included a mother in law that was widowed, a sister that was not married yet, or any number of other people that were related to the head of the household. If the man was fairly wealthy, he could have had servants or slaves to tend to the everyday chores of the household and the fields. A servant was to be treated like family. So as you can see, a household in those days could have been a large affair.
Now, let's tie this all together. Jesus said that He came to bring disharmony between people, not harmony, and that a man's enemies were of his own household. To better understand this, a person has to understand the time of those days. The people were still under the Law. The religious leaders taught the people that if a man obeyed the letter of the Law he was not in violation of the Law. Which we have learned in previous lessons was wrong. But when Jesus came and kept the Law, the Law was fulfilled and we came under grace. Therefore there was no need of animal sacrifices. In other words, Jesus was changing how God dealt with man. Now, think about this for a moment. Say a man was saved by listening to Jesus preach, and went home to tell his father. The father was still clinging to the sacrifices, or old way if you will. The man witnesses to his father. What would happen? Wouldn't it set them at odds one with another? YES! The man who is saved would not have a harmonious relationship with his father due to the fact that there was a change in the way God dealt with man. The same could be said for each of the relationships listed. But what about the foes in a man's household? The religious leaders of that day didn't believe that Jesus was the Son of God. And anyone who professed that He was, was considered to have blasphemed against God. And the penalty for blasphemy was death by stoning. Who was the most likely people to have turned a man in for professing Jesus? It was those of his own household! The people who were around the person everyday and knew them the best were the ones most likely to turn them in for blasphemy.
So what does this have to do with us today? We are not under the Law but instead we are under grace. We don't have to offer animal sacrifices. It is simple. If one person of a household, be it father, mother, or child, accepts Jesus as their Saviour, the others will be at odds with them. There will not be a harmonious relationship until the others accept Jesus as their Saviour too.
In conclusion, we have seen that when a person accepts Jesus as their Saviour, things are not always going to be rosy. There will be hardships if you follow the Lord. But folks, the blessings will be worth it! Have you availed yourself of these blessings? Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Master?
|
|
Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
|
Post by Bro. Freddie on Mar 1, 2009 5:28:44 GMT -5
Matthew 10:37, 38 (King James Version)
37. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
If you will remember, we have been studying the instructions Jesus gave to His disciples concerning witnessing. As I look ahead, I noticed that we are drawing close to an end of these instructions and I have learned a lot. Today we are going to look at 2 verses that are sometimes taken out of context. I pray that you will learn as much as I did when i stated studying these.
In verse 37 we see two different types of people. In the first part of the verse Jesus mentions a person that loves his parents more than Him. In the last part of this verse, Jesus mentions those who love their offspring more than Him. Before we look at these individually, I want us to define one word that appears in both of our verse for today. That word is worthy. This is the Greek word axios and is an adjective, not an adverb. It is defined as of weight, or worth concerning a person and their deeds. Now remember, an adjective, in a nutshell, describes the noun while an adverb tells the action of the verb. What is the noun? The word he! Therefore a person that loves someone else more than the Lord has no weight or worth. More on this in a moment. Now. let's look at the two examples Jesus gave us. (1). He that loveth father or mother more than me. While this is very simple it is hard to do. If you love your parents more than the Lord, you are not worthy of the Lord. In other words, you are to love the Lord above your parents. Like I said, it is hard to do. Your parents are the ones who conceived you and raised you. They are the ones, in your immediate life, who sacrificed things for your benefit, as you were growing up, to satisfy your needs. But you want to know something? Jesus sacrificed more! He gave His life for you! (2). He that loveth son or daughter more than me. This is just as hard as not loving your parents more than Jesus. As most of you know, I have 2 sons. I love them dearly. I was in the delivery room when both were born, and the first person, other than the doctor, to hold them in my arms. I have been blessed beyond measure to have them as my children. And as a parent, I love them both very much. But I love Jesus more. How is that possible? Because of what Jesus did for me! He loved me so much that He left the splendor of heaven and came and gave His life for me.
In verse 38 Jesus said And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. Now before we get into this verse very far, I need to point one thing out. The word cross doesn't mean an actual cross like Jesus was crucified on. In fact, the word cross means stake or pole. But I digress. What Jesus is referring to here is suffering. If you are not willing to suffer for the Lord, you have no weight or merit. In other words, if you say you love the Lord but are not willing to suffer for Him, how can others believe you? They can't! Folks, Jesus suffered tremendously while on the cross at Calvary. Since He willingly suffered for our sins, shouldn't we, who are supposed to be like Him, be willing to suffer also? YES! Too many people teach today that once a person accepts Jesus as their Saviour every thing is going to be rosy. They are wrong! After a person accepts Jesus as their Saviour, Satan is going to do everything in his power to discredit them and their testimony up to and including persecution. Do you love the Lord enough to suffer for Him?
Today we have seen that we are supposed to love the Lord above anyone else, including ourselves. My question to you today is, do you? Do you love the Lord more than your parents or your children? Do you love the Lord enough that you would suffer for Him? How much do you love the One who gave His life for you?
|
|
Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
|
Post by Bro. Freddie on Apr 12, 2009 6:50:29 GMT -5
Matthew 10:39 (King James Version)
39. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
If you will recall, we have been looking at the instructions Jesus gave unto His disciples concerning witnessing. Last time we saw how people that loved their family more than Jesus were not worthy of Him. We also saw how that we are to take up our cross, meaning to be willing to suffer, and follow Him. Today we are going to stay on the same general theme, but go into it a little further. I pray that I can convey what the Lord has laid on my heart to each and every one who reads this.
As I started studying this verse, I noticed one thing that was very interesting to me. The word that the King James translators translated life is actually translated in other places in the Scriptures as the word soul. While this one word change doesn't change the meaning of this verse, to me it gives it a deeper meaning. What do I mean? Think about it for a moment. Is there life without a soul? NO! When the soul leaves the body, life ceases to exist. Medical science has advanced to the state where they can keep a body alive through machinery almost indefinitely. Please keep in mind that I am referring to total life support here. But is that really life? To me, life is experiencing the things that the Lord desires me to experience, be it the love of a child, the love of a mate, the joy of serving Him in the way He desires, or a host of other things. I'm sure you get my point. Being kept alive by machinery is not life in my opinion.
Let's look at the first part of our verse now. Jesus said, He that findeth his life shall lose it. What did He mean? What I am about to say may be controversial, but the Lord is leading me in this direction. Each and every person has a soul, from conception onward. There is no end of a person soul. What happens when a person realizes they have a soul? Don't they have to make a decision of where that soul will spend eternity? YES! They may have to make this decision many, many times, or they may just have to make it once. But they have to make a decision. This is called the age, or point, of accountability. It is when a person comes to a knowledge that they are lost and need a Saviour. They have come to a knowledge that they have a soul, therefore they have found life. When a person comes to that knowledge and reject the conviction of the Holy Spirit they have lost life or their soul. So they have found they have a soul, or life, but in the end will lose that life unless they have accepted Jesus as their Saviour.
In the latter part of our verse, Jesus said, and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. Now this is going to get complicated so please bear with me. This is and isn't talking about salvation. Let's look at the part about it not talking about salvation first. If a person dies thinking that they are giving their life for the Lord, but has never accepted Him as Saviour, they are going to spend eternity in hell. There is no way around it. Accepting Jesus as your personal Saviour is the only way you will ever enter into heaven. Now let's look at the part where it is about salvation. When a person reaches a point in time where they realize that they need a Saviour, and accept Jesus as their Saviour, they essentially lose their soul. It is not their's anymore. It is the Lord's! He bought it with His shed blood on the cross at Calvary. So they lose their life, but there is coming a time when they will find it. What do I mean? There is coming a time when all men will stand before the Lord. Those who have accepted Jesus as Saviour will hear the words Enter in. Folks, they will spend eternity with the Lord. That is life!
Have you seen the point that Jesus is making? Unless a person accepts Jesus as their personal Saviour they will spend eternity separated from Him. He is the giver of life! Where will you spend eternity? Will it be with the Lord? Or will it be with the devil and his angels? My prayer is that you will make the right decision.
|
|