WEBVTT

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 Do turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 10. Matthew chapter 10. We're going through Matthew's Gospel.

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! If you've got a church Bible, it's on page 815.

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 Matthew 10, verse 32 to 42.

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 How have they done it? How have Christians been tamed? How has it come about that Christian

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 people are just respectable members of society, who do good, who support the status quo, who

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 vote conservatively, and never offend anyone? It's been quite an achievement, hasn't it?

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 It's so successful that most people, and most Christian people, maybe you, regard the question

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 as silly. We expect Christian people, don't we, to be respectable, not disreputable. We

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 expect them to do good rather than harm, don't we? We expect them to be conservative rather

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 than radical ratbags. We expect Christians to be peacemakers, not troublemakers. Which

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 just goes to show that the taming process has been very, very thorough indeed. And not only

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 Christians have been tamed, but everyone expects them to be tamed. So why do I ask such a dumb

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 question? Well, because we have these words, don't we, in Matthew 10, 32 to 42. And they

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 are words, I don't know whether you picked it up in the reading, where it is perfectly clear

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 that Jesus did not expect his followers to be tamed. And this chapter is in Matthew's account

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 of Jesus' life. And he's given us, doesn't he, in chapter 8 and 9, the most dramatic report,

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 the kind of things Jesus did in the early days when he was in public life in the area

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 of Galilee. There was the healings and the exorcisms, there was the raising of the dead.

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 And it's hardly surprising that in that context, word spreads about Jesus like wildfire, the kind

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 of things this man was doing. And what we've seen is there have been reactions of really

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 various kinds to what Jesus did. Things that people perceived that he was doing. They realised

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 Jesus was doing more than miracles. They're not less than miracles, but they are powerful

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 things that Jesus did in chapter 8 and 9. They were, in fact, demonstrations. They were

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 anticipations of something that was to come. Of an even more powerful thing that he claimed

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 to have done. Those miracles are showing you and I that Jesus has come to establish God's rule,

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 God's kingdom. The kingdom of heaven here on earth. And so it says at the end of chapter 9,

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 I don't know whether you remember that, that Jesus having done these things, and having

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 demonstrated who he was and what he's come to do, he looks out on the crowds of people

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 and he has deep compassion on them. And as he looks out on them, he says,

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 they're like sheep without a shepherd. And so you'll remember at the end of chapter 10,

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 he sends out his 12 to these sheep without a shepherd. Disciples with the message of God's

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 kingdom. The king has come. And what we've seen in chapter 10 is really the instructions

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 that Jesus gives as he sends his disciples out. And it's really important that as we come

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 to the end of chapter 10, which is really a break in Matthew's gospel, that we appreciate

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 the connection of what we've seen. The connection between chapter 8 and 9, the stories of the

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 miracles, and chapter 10, the instructions given to his disciples going out. And as we

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 understand chapter 8 and 9, we see what Jesus did. And if we understand it at all, we understand

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 that he came to bring God's rule on earth. And we get little glimpses of what God's rule

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 is like. Of what heaven one day will be like. And we understand that chapter 10, that now

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 the rule of God is going to be established in the world, and it will go out through the world,

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 and it will make progress. As the news about Jesus goes out. God's rule. As the message of Jesus,

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 the king of all is proclaimed. And Jesus is saying that message must be told no matter

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 what, that the king is kept. But what reactions can be expected to this message? Well, as we

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 listen to the words of Jesus in chapter 10, the one reaction that he did not anticipate,

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 in this chapter at least, is the message we see mainly on your street and on mine. And

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 in the UK. And that is apathy. I don't care. The message is about God's rule, and Jesus says

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 as that is announced, people will be hostile to God. And so he says, as you go about and

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 you say the king has come, what you'll expect is hostility to this message from some at least.

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 Because the message is about God's rule. There will be others, they won't be hostile,

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 they will welcome it with joy. Because God's rule is so good. But not apathy. Not apathy.

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 There's no apathy in Matthew chapter 10. And I think that's worth thinking about, isn't it?

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 that is the apathy of the modern UK to the message of Jesus Christ clear proof that the

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 followers of Jesus in this land have been thoroughly domesticated? And tame, is it?

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 Well, we come to the last part of chapter 10. And I'm beginning in chapter 32. I think that

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 is where the kind of sections divide up. And the theme of the passage is really simple.

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 The points really are exactly the same. What we're going to see here today is the decisive,

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 shocking, divisive words of Jesus. Decisive, shocking, divisive words. And the news about

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 God's rule, which is what the message of Jesus is, will meet with two responses wherever it

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 goes. It will meet with one response or the other. It will either be joyfully accepted or

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 there will be conflict. And then there will be the division of people's loyalties. So let's

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 firstly see the decisive words. Two responses, the decisive words and a division of loyalties

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 Jesus later on. Look at verses 32 and 33. Verse 32. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also

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 will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before men, I also will deny

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 before my Father who is in heaven. Do you see the two responses there? It's really obvious this morning.

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 Two responses anticipated by Jesus before men. And what's really helped me this week, as I've

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 thought about this, is that he's not talking about private, personal, secret faith that's

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 just between me and God, is he? And that is the pressure, and that is what people often talk

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 about. They often want to say religion is a private matter. Have you heard that? I don't want

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 to talk about my religion. My religion is about me and God. Well, that may be so for your religion,

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 but if that is your religion, that is not the religion of Jesus Christ. Because I want you

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 to see, which is so shocking, isn't it, that Jesus is not interested in that private religion.

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 It is people's response to him in front of other people that is the issue here. And so there

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 will be those who, according to verse 32, acknowledge Jesus Christ in the presence of other people.

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 You acknowledge Jesus to be your Lord yourself, and you're prepared to say so, publicly.

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 And really, what it is, is that you've come to understand, chapters 8 and 9, that Jesus Christ

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 is so important that you cannot treat your allegiance to him just as a private matter.

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 He's not just your Lord, and my Lord. He is the Lord. And so he is the rightful ruler over

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 the whole world. And somebody who's understood Matthew chapter 8 and 9 is prepared to say so,

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 publicly. And being prepared to say so publicly is evidence that you do actually acknowledge Jesus

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 at all. But there will be those in verse 33, can you see them, who disown Jesus in the presence

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 of other people. They don't accept his claim over you, and the evidence for that is that they're

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 not prepared to acknowledge him publicly. That's really interesting, isn't it? Jesus did not

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 take the middle path which our culture wants us to take, that of the private Christian.

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 Or even the person that owns Jesus in their heart, but never gets around to acknowledging

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 the fact publicly. He really does seem to be saying, doesn't he, that we tend to think,

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 don't we, that what we are in public is not the real me. The real me is what I'm privately

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 like inside. But Jesus looks at it the other way around. He says, what you are, is what you

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 are in public. That if you acknowledge Jesus in public, then you'll acknowledge Jesus.

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 And if you will not acknowledge Jesus in public, well then you're going to acknowledge him at

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 all that is false. And of course, Jesus speaks in this way because he knows your heart and

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 he knows my heart. And he knows that acknowledging Jesus in public is something that you and I

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 shrink from doing naturally. And we mustn't deceive ourselves into thinking, well this is just a

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 problem with the modern world. It's got nothing to do with that. It's always been like that.

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 Always, always. And Jesus at the very beginning is speaking like this. And the reason it is

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 difficult, the reason that you and I shrink back from Jesus in public, well that's been very much a part

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 of the whole chapter, isn't it? Look back over it and you'll see it. It's perfectly clear, doesn't it?

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 That it takes boldness and it takes great courage to acknowledge Jesus Christ in the family.

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 And to acknowledge Jesus Christ in the workplace. And to acknowledge Jesus Christ amongst your friends

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 and your neighbours. And where can I find such courage? We'll look again at the words of Jesus.

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 Jesus. They are magnificent words when you fully understand them. He says, whoever acknowledges me

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 before men, I also will acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. Do you hear that?

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 But as I acknowledge Jesus, as I stand up for Jesus here on earth before people, he will acknowledge

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 me and stand up for me before God the Father in heaven. As I own Christ now before people,

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 he will own me before God then. And so you see, if this morning you find yourself thinking,

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 Jesus is really requiring too much. This is too much for me. I'm not willing to do this.

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 Well, think again of the promises. Because the promise is far, far, far greater than the requirement.

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 Don't you think? For Jesus to own you. Let alone you. To acknowledge you before God in heaven.

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 To speak your name. To speak your name and say, he belongs to me. She belongs to me.

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 You see how according to the Lord Jesus Christ, there is no follower of him. There is no Christian

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 who is not required to be his witness. No doubt. Don't misunderstand me. Don't mishear me this

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 morning. We're all going to have different opportunities.

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 We will find ourselves, won't we, in different circumstances. I am not asking you to go into

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 the workplace tomorrow and come over the town alley and say, I believe in Jesus. I'm not

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 asking you that. I'm not asking you to do an open air this week. Some of you want to, go for it.

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 But I do think you and I need to see that there is no Christian who is not required to be his

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 witness. We'll have different abilities, won't we? And so we're not all going to acknowledge

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 Jesus in exactly the same way. But we must be clear that if we make the claim to belong

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 to Jesus, we must make sure we do our duty as followers of Jesus. It's as simple as that

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 to acknowledge Jesus Christ before others. And to do that, we must ask for great wisdom,

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 mustn't we? I'm encouraged to do so. But we must do so. Why must we do so? Well, verse 33

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 tells you because of the alternative. Whoever disowns me before man, I will disown him before

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 my father in heaven. Doesn't that make you tremble? It makes a mockery, doesn't it, of somebody

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 who's called a secret disciple. And it shows me how stupid it is when I fear people more

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 than I fear God. And I know that none of us like the idea of fear in God. We don't like

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 the idea of fear in God. But that is stupid too, because if you look back at verse 28, you'll

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 be reminded of Jesus' word on that subject. And so the message about God's rule and the

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 message about Jesus Christ is going to meet with two opposite responses. And of course, it's

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 very important to see which response has this message met in me and in you. And so what

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 is true of you? Do you acknowledge Jesus Christ before people? Or do you disown him before people?

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 One of the other is true. And before God the Father in heaven, Jesus will either acknowledge

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 you or disown you or disown you. And which will it be? Because one or the other is true

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 of every person who's ever heard this message. And this message creates conflict. And so secondly,

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 let's see the shocking words of Jesus. And if you weren't shocked before, verse 34 really

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 is shocking.

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 Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace

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 but a sword. And the people that first heard that, these disciples, they would have been

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 shocked when they heard it. And they are still a shock today. I have not come to bring peace

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 on earth. That is an extraordinary thing to say, because what have we seen through chapters

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 8 and 9 and 10, we've seen Jesus claiming to be the Messiah, the one that God's people

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 were looking for. The Old Testament really made it very, very clear that when God's rule

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 was established in this world, the great outcome would be peace. It would be that Jewish word

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 shalom.

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 I think of that. One of the frequent problems that the Jewish people have today with the

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 message of Jesus as the Messiah, that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, is they would say the

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 world is not of peace. So how can Jesus be the Messiah? How can the Messiah have come

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 when the world is like what it is? How can Jesus have been the Messiah when he did not

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 bring peace? How anyone can see that? And here Jesus says, well don't think that I'd come

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 to bring peace on the earth. Of course lots of us have been around long enough that we know

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 that we'll never see peace on earth. We're so cynical, aren't we, about the world that

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 we think it'll never happen. Certainly it hasn't happened in the last century and it doesn't

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 look like it's going to happen this century. Then there are those people that internalise

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 the whole thing and say if Christianity is about anything, Christianity is about inner peace.

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 We all long for peace. We long for peace in the world. We're so grateful, aren't we, to

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 live in a land which is at the moment peaceful? We long for inner peace. And in the New Testament

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 we do find Jesus Christ is called our peace. And in another place Jesus says to his followers,

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 he says, peace I give to you. So verse 34 is a shock, isn't it? A real shock to hear Jesus

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 say, don't think that I've come to bring peace on earth. And the shock is intensified by the

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 words that follow, I did not come to bring peace but a sword. And so if we hear him, it

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 is perfectly clear that Jesus did not anticipate his followers would enjoy a tranquil life and

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 free from conflict life. In fact he goes on to say in verse 35, for I have come to set a man

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 against his father and a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

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 And a person's enemy will be those of his own household.

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 So that quote is adapted from the prophet Micah, Micah chapter 7 and verse 6. It's a really

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 dark passage in Israel's history. It's a miserable time for the people of God when Micah was preaching

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 and when things were so bad that you couldn't trust anyone. You couldn't trust even the members

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 of your own household. Micah the prophet, if you go back to his book and you look at it, he

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 was looking forward to a day when God will bring salvation from that kind of misery.

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 In Micah chapter 5, you find he talks about the Messiah and he says he will be their peace.

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 And now we hear Jesus, who's claiming to be the Messiah, say, well I did not come to bring

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 peace but to bring times that are like the terrible times in Micah. So what is Jesus talking

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 about? I think you can say three things about these words.

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 Of Jesus. The first is Jesus is not saying this is going to be the final outcome of what

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 I've come to do. It's perfectly clear that Jesus Christ has come ultimately, wonderfully,

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 powerfully and clearly that Jesus Christ will bring ultimate peace. Praise God.

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 But in the words before us, he's speaking of the immediate effects of his coming.

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 Not the final result when all is said and done and when every wrong is righted. And so this

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 isn't the final outcome of his coming. Secondly, he's not saying, and we'll see this clearly

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 in a moment, he's not saying that this is the only effect of his coming. And the uniform

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 effect of his coming. He's not saying that every person is going to be set against his

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 father and every daughter will be set against their mother and so on. Not every family is

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 going to be divided. Praise God. We've known that in this church, isn't it? You've said that

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 today and many of you have got families that are not divided over Christ. And thirdly and

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 obviously it would be an abuse of Jesus' teaching here to use it as an excuse for bad family

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 relationships. And so it will not do, children, if you turn around to your parents this morning

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 and then quote this verse at them and say, well, I'm just being Christian. Alright? It's

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 not what it's about. So why did Jesus speak like this? Why is it so important for you and

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 I to get it? It's so important for you and I to understand because the depth of hostility

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 there is in the human heart towards Jesus. Towards God. So deep is that hostility that when

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 a person acknowledges Jesus Christ and so comes into God's kingdoms, even family ties of the

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 closest kind will not be enough to subdue the opposition from other families who will not

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 acknowledge Jesus. And the truth of Jesus' words have been shown again and again down

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 through the ages in some people's lives here. I think of some of our Persian brothers and

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 sisters and how their families have reacted to them coming to faith in Christ. And verse

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 35 is a reality for them. Authentic Christianity, wherever it is present and whenever Christians

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 are not tamed, authentic Christianity always arouses opposition and anger. And families have

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 been split by the message of Jesus. And the tone of Jesus' words here are this, they are

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 not going to be surprised when they are not going to be caught off guard at all. And above all,

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 whatever you do, don't hold back from acknowledging Jesus Christ from before people, including your

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 own family. Because you can see it will cause conflict and of course it will cause conflict.

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 This is what happens when God's rule confronts God rejecters. Well that raises really serious

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 questions for you and I, doesn't it? Why would you ever acknowledge Jesus Christ if it meant

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 turning your son against you? What would you do if your daughter or your father or your mother

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 or your husband to indicate that families are precious? That is a biblical value. Family

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 relationships are, aren't they, one of the most valuable possessions we have. And so my third

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 point is the decisive, the divisive words of Jesus in verse 37. Look at verse 37. Whoever

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 loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever loves son or daughter

00:23:32.319 --> 00:23:39.220
 more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not

00:23:39.220 --> 00:23:43.859
 worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it and whoever loses his life for my sin will

00:23:43.859 --> 00:23:49.339
 find it. We are so twisted and distorted in our understanding that most of us, when we hear

00:23:49.339 --> 00:24:00.679
 those words, we think those words are very harsh. And even over the top. And I mean live

00:24:00.680 --> 00:24:05.500
 with those words for the last week. I don't think that they are harsh. It's not, it's not

00:24:05.500 --> 00:24:11.440
 that Jesus was deprecating family. It's not that he's putting down family. He is elevating

00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:18.360
 himself. If he was not who he claimed to be, it would be absolutely monstrous. Who is it

00:24:18.360 --> 00:24:23.980
 that calls me to love him more than I love my own father and more than I love my own mother

00:24:23.980 --> 00:24:31.880
 or my own wife? How is it that Jesus calls me to love him more than I love my own wife

00:24:31.880 --> 00:24:41.180
 and my own children? Maybe you want to protest at this point. But just think for a moment.

00:24:41.279 --> 00:24:47.200
 Think for a moment. In your mind's eye, think about your dad or your mum. And whether they're

00:24:47.200 --> 00:24:54.279
 still alive or not, think about them. I hope that as you think of them right now, I hope

00:24:54.279 --> 00:24:59.720
 that you can think of them with deep, deep affection. It's not always possible, I know that. Some

00:24:59.720 --> 00:25:04.920
 of you have had terrible experiences at the hands of your parents. But we all recognise, don't

00:25:04.920 --> 00:25:11.580
 we, that it shouldn't be like that. Parents should love their children. And children should

00:25:11.579 --> 00:25:17.859
 deeply love and honour their parents. And we owe so much, don't we, to our fathers and

00:25:17.859 --> 00:25:25.019
 our mothers. And they mean so much to us. And now Jesus says to us, in effect, if you

00:25:25.019 --> 00:25:32.939
 know me, you will love me even more than that. And you can say, if you like, well that is

00:25:32.940 --> 00:25:46.940
 asking a lot, that is demanding. Or you might say, yes, I do owe him even more than I owe

00:25:46.940 --> 00:25:56.259
 my parents. Now that I understand what Jesus Christ has done for me, I understand that he

00:25:56.259 --> 00:26:04.839
 means more than my mother or my father. Think about a son, if you have a son, or a daughter,

00:26:05.140 --> 00:26:11.599
 if you have a daughter. How do you feel about them this morning? Don't answer that, some

00:26:11.599 --> 00:26:20.920
 of you. How do you really feel about them? You love them, don't you, very deeply. You actually

00:26:20.920 --> 00:26:29.200
 love them more than you're able to show. Certainly more than you're able to tell them. Certainly

00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:37.039
 and definitely more than they realise. Jesus says, in effect, if you know me, you will love

00:26:37.039 --> 00:26:45.680
 me even more than that. And I want to say to you, does that not tell you about the worthiness

00:26:45.680 --> 00:26:53.900
 of Jesus Christ? More than it tells us about anything else. This is not so much demanding,

00:26:54.039 --> 00:26:59.539
 but showing us what a saviour we have. Do you see what is happening? Jesus is picking up

00:26:59.539 --> 00:27:04.779
 those things that are most precious to us. And he's telling you this morning, and I, there

00:27:04.779 --> 00:27:09.560
 is something even more precious than the most precious thing in your life. And he's saying,

00:27:09.680 --> 00:27:13.440
 if you can't see that, you're missing the point. And if you can't see that, and if you

00:27:13.440 --> 00:27:20.600
 won't see that, even love for your family, as good as though it is, can be twisted and

00:27:20.600 --> 00:27:26.680
 turned into an idolatry. And so he presses in on you this morning, and he says, what is

00:27:26.680 --> 00:27:31.740
 most precious in your life? And that's what he's talking about in verse 38. Let me just

00:27:31.740 --> 00:27:36.320
 finish this up. Verse 38, where he says, anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me

00:27:36.320 --> 00:27:41.920
 is not worthy of me. And then he says, whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses

00:27:41.920 --> 00:27:47.960
 his life for my sake will find it. For some people down the years, that verse literally

00:27:47.960 --> 00:27:52.960
 meant martyrdom, didn't it? For some today. Do you see the extraordinary thing Jesus is

00:27:52.960 --> 00:28:00.560
 saying? He's saying, if you lose your life for my sake, you'll be better off than if you

00:28:00.560 --> 00:28:07.160
 saved your life for your own sake. And if we can come to see that that is actually true,

00:28:07.160 --> 00:28:12.500
 that if we can come to see this morning, that it's actually better for me to lose my life

00:28:12.500 --> 00:28:19.660
 in the sense of no longer living for myself. But to lose my life in that sense, in the sense

00:28:19.660 --> 00:28:25.040
 of living it now for the sake of Jesus Christ, that is really better than just living it for

00:28:25.039 --> 00:28:38.000
 myself. What holds people back from acknowledging Jesus Christ before others? What holds us back

00:28:38.000 --> 00:28:43.639
 from acknowledging Jesus Christ before others? It's actually what we love more than him.

00:28:43.640 --> 00:28:50.600
 And we've got to see, isn't it? Jesus is showing us that these things can be so deceptive.

00:28:51.980 --> 00:29:00.920
 Is it really loving my family to hold back speaking of Jesus? It's not. Indeed, it's not even loving

00:29:00.920 --> 00:29:07.600
 my own life, if that is what keeps me from acknowledging Jesus. It's the surest way to lose my life in the

00:29:07.600 --> 00:29:13.580
 end. And I wonder, what has actually tamed Christians in the UK is our other loves.

00:29:13.640 --> 00:29:19.600
 In the last paragraph, really quickly, Jesus underlines the importance of his followers

00:29:19.600 --> 00:29:24.720
 acknowledging him. Because it not only leads to division, but it leads to decision. Look

00:29:24.720 --> 00:29:30.040
 at the way he talks in verse 40. He says, whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives

00:29:30.040 --> 00:29:34.759
 me receives the one who sent me. The one who receives a prophet, because he is a prophet, will

00:29:34.759 --> 00:29:38.620
 receive a prophet's reward. And the one who receives a righteous person, because he is a righteous

00:29:38.620 --> 00:29:43.020
 person, will receive a righteous person's reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones

00:29:43.019 --> 00:29:47.420
 even a cup of cold water, because he is a disciple, truly I say to you, he will by no means lose

00:29:47.420 --> 00:29:55.579
 his reward. Do you see the principle there? In the first place, this refers, doesn't it,

00:29:55.579 --> 00:30:01.579
 to the apostles who were in front of him. They were the first listeners. Who were sent out

00:30:01.579 --> 00:30:04.879
 by Jesus to preach the gospel. But I don't think for a moment it's restricting to them.

00:30:04.880 --> 00:30:09.280
 Because don't these words still apply to those who acknowledge Jesus

00:30:09.279 --> 00:30:13.680
 Christ before other people. These are very, very

00:30:13.680 --> 00:30:17.740
 encouraging words from Jesus. That when you acknowledge him publicly, when you speak

00:30:17.740 --> 00:30:21.099
 of him, there will be those who will really surprise you by receiving him.

00:30:22.160 --> 00:30:23.059
 And receiving you.

00:30:24.960 --> 00:30:28.099
 And Jesus says here that it's very, very important. That when you acknowledge him,

00:30:29.180 --> 00:30:32.079
 that a person receives you because you acknowledge him

00:30:32.079 --> 00:30:35.059
 in such circumstances. Here is the amazing truth.

00:30:35.059 --> 00:30:38.159
 That to receive you is to receive Jesus Christ.

00:30:44.259 --> 00:30:46.480
 And to receive Jesus is to receive God, isn't it?

00:30:47.579 --> 00:30:52.339
 It's explained in verse 41. It's the one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet

00:30:52.339 --> 00:30:55.539
 will receive a prophet's reward. A prophet is somebody who speaks God's word.

00:30:56.019 --> 00:30:59.940
 And so receiving a prophet because he is a prophet is more than just being friendly.

00:30:59.940 --> 00:31:04.140
 Jesus says anyone who receives a righteous person.

00:31:04.779 --> 00:31:09.140
 Because he is a righteous person. A righteous person is somebody who is in the right with God.

00:31:11.320 --> 00:31:16.340
 So receiving a righteous person is more than just being nice.

00:31:17.559 --> 00:31:18.539
 Verse 42.

00:31:19.660 --> 00:31:23.960
 And whoever gives one of these little ones a cup of cold water because he is a disciple.

00:31:24.140 --> 00:31:26.400
 Truly I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.

00:31:26.400 --> 00:31:29.880
 The big point here is this.

00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:32.420
 People who respond

00:31:32.420 --> 00:31:34.420
 to him,

00:31:34.560 --> 00:31:36.600
 people respond to him by responding

00:31:36.600 --> 00:31:37.320
 to his disciples.

00:31:38.820 --> 00:31:40.440
 People respond to Jesus

00:31:40.440 --> 00:31:42.320
 by responding to his followers,

00:31:42.480 --> 00:31:42.980
 the Christians.

00:31:45.980 --> 00:31:46.580
 And so

00:31:46.580 --> 00:31:47.720
 that can only happen

00:31:47.720 --> 00:31:50.160
 if you and I are

00:31:50.160 --> 00:31:50.980
 untamed.

00:31:52.360 --> 00:31:53.820
 If we start acknowledging him.

00:31:53.819 --> 00:31:57.399
 How can other people receive Jesus

00:31:57.399 --> 00:31:58.779
 if we won't speak of him?

00:32:00.619 --> 00:32:01.720
 Because what is at stake

00:32:01.720 --> 00:32:02.339
 is verse

00:32:02.339 --> 00:32:04.059
 41.

00:32:07.899 --> 00:32:09.359
 The one who receives a prophet

00:32:09.359 --> 00:32:10.259
 because he is a prophet

00:32:10.259 --> 00:32:11.559
 will receive a prophet's reward.

00:32:11.659 --> 00:32:12.759
 They'll receive God's word.

00:32:14.220 --> 00:32:15.779
 And the one who receives a righteous person

00:32:15.779 --> 00:32:17.039
 because he is a righteous person

00:32:17.039 --> 00:32:19.179
 will receive a righteous person's reward.

00:32:20.480 --> 00:32:21.700
 They'll receive God's word.

00:32:21.700 --> 00:32:23.680
 Which means they'll receive God.

00:32:25.440 --> 00:32:26.600
 So let's hear Jesus'

00:32:27.200 --> 00:32:28.380
 word this morning as I finish.

00:32:29.620 --> 00:32:30.819
 Let's hear Jesus' word

00:32:30.819 --> 00:32:31.920
 and see Christian people

00:32:31.920 --> 00:32:32.779
 in this congregation

00:32:32.779 --> 00:32:33.680
 let loose

00:32:33.680 --> 00:32:34.779
 and tamed.

00:32:36.600 --> 00:32:37.440
 Our families,

00:32:37.559 --> 00:32:38.019
 our colleagues,

00:32:38.140 --> 00:32:38.500
 our neighbours,

00:32:38.900 --> 00:32:39.480
 our communities,

00:32:40.600 --> 00:32:41.140
 our world,

00:32:41.220 --> 00:32:42.240
 they don't want us

00:32:42.240 --> 00:32:42.880
 to acknowledge

00:32:42.880 --> 00:32:44.319
 Jesus Christ before them.

00:32:45.440 --> 00:32:46.580
 But they need us to.

00:32:46.579 --> 00:32:49.199
 And that is what

00:32:49.199 --> 00:32:50.740
 followers of Jesus Christ do.

00:32:52.539 --> 00:32:53.379
 Decisive words.

00:32:54.839 --> 00:32:55.720
 Shocking words.

00:32:57.759 --> 00:32:58.519
 Divisive words.

00:33:00.919 --> 00:33:01.740
 As I finished

00:33:01.740 --> 00:33:04.000
 writing this sermon,

00:33:04.079 --> 00:33:04.439
 I read,

00:33:05.259 --> 00:33:06.419
 I'm reading this book

00:33:06.419 --> 00:33:07.099
 by John Fenton

00:33:07.099 --> 00:33:07.579
 who's the editor

00:33:07.579 --> 00:33:08.659
 of Egon Gentiles Now.

00:33:09.899 --> 00:33:10.839
 And he said this.

00:33:10.839 --> 00:33:12.699
 Today,

00:33:13.779 --> 00:33:14.559
 many Christians

00:33:14.559 --> 00:33:15.699
 are having to wake up

00:33:15.699 --> 00:33:16.339
 to a reality

00:33:16.339 --> 00:33:17.480
 they don't much care for.

00:33:18.720 --> 00:33:19.699
 They may not have been

00:33:19.699 --> 00:33:20.980
 in a long-term coma

00:33:20.980 --> 00:33:22.839
 but they've been asleep spiritually.

00:33:24.000 --> 00:33:24.759
 Insulated in the

00:33:24.759 --> 00:33:25.939
 Christian bubble of church,

00:33:26.079 --> 00:33:27.459
 conferences and Christian books.

00:33:28.119 --> 00:33:29.339
 Somehow in denial

00:33:29.339 --> 00:33:30.179
 about what's happened

00:33:30.179 --> 00:33:31.199
 in secular society

00:33:31.199 --> 00:33:32.359
 over the last few decades.

00:33:32.559 --> 00:33:33.859
 And now they are at last

00:33:33.859 --> 00:33:34.619
 becoming conscious

00:33:34.619 --> 00:33:35.419
 of the fact

00:33:35.419 --> 00:33:36.399
 that the world

00:33:36.399 --> 00:33:37.339
 has changed dramatically.

00:33:37.339 --> 00:33:39.720
 Whereas Christians

00:33:39.720 --> 00:33:40.519
 used to be thought

00:33:40.519 --> 00:33:41.319
 of a bit nutty

00:33:41.319 --> 00:33:42.759
 but basically good folk,

00:33:43.279 --> 00:33:44.220
 dependable citizens,

00:33:44.519 --> 00:33:45.299
 we are increasingly

00:33:45.299 --> 00:33:46.579
 regarded as a bad

00:33:46.579 --> 00:33:47.639
 influence in society.

00:33:48.759 --> 00:33:49.319
 Christian marriage,

00:33:49.419 --> 00:33:50.220
 which was the foundation

00:33:50.220 --> 00:33:51.220
 of Western society

00:33:51.220 --> 00:33:52.039
 a generation ago,

00:33:52.079 --> 00:33:52.679
 is now ignored

00:33:52.679 --> 00:33:53.619
 and even despised.

00:33:54.439 --> 00:33:55.359
 Freedom of religion

00:33:55.359 --> 00:33:56.299
 and freedom of speech

00:33:56.299 --> 00:33:56.839
 are under attack

00:33:56.839 --> 00:33:57.359
 in the West.

00:33:58.339 --> 00:33:59.480
 Our world has morphed

00:33:59.480 --> 00:34:00.679
 almost out of all recognition.

00:34:00.919 --> 00:34:01.519
 Things which were

00:34:01.519 --> 00:34:02.519
 once universally

00:34:02.519 --> 00:34:03.699
 regarded as bad

00:34:03.699 --> 00:34:04.519
 are now celebrated

00:34:04.519 --> 00:34:05.019
 as good.

00:34:05.159 --> 00:34:06.459
 It is a woeful situation.

00:34:07.339 --> 00:34:08.440
 Many people,

00:34:09.039 --> 00:34:09.840
 including those

00:34:09.840 --> 00:34:10.759
 in positions of power

00:34:10.759 --> 00:34:11.440
 in politics

00:34:11.440 --> 00:34:12.239
 and the media,

00:34:13.199 --> 00:34:14.480
 are now very antagonistic

00:34:14.480 --> 00:34:15.259
 towards Christianity

00:34:15.259 --> 00:34:15.920
 and the churches.

00:34:17.299 --> 00:34:18.279
 A cultural revolution

00:34:18.279 --> 00:34:18.980
 has taken place

00:34:18.980 --> 00:34:19.579
 and the old order

00:34:19.579 --> 00:34:20.000
 is gone.

00:34:21.380 --> 00:34:22.519
 The thesis of this chapter

00:34:22.519 --> 00:34:23.539
 and of this sermon

00:34:23.539 --> 00:34:24.199
 is that Christians

00:34:24.199 --> 00:34:25.400
 and Christian leaders

00:34:25.400 --> 00:34:26.139
 must wake up

00:34:26.139 --> 00:34:26.699
 to the fact

00:34:26.699 --> 00:34:27.860
 of this change

00:34:27.860 --> 00:34:29.500
 and that they must

00:34:29.500 --> 00:34:30.319
 realise also

00:34:30.319 --> 00:34:31.559
 that they will need

00:34:31.559 --> 00:34:32.259
 to be increasingly

00:34:32.259 --> 00:34:32.840
 resilient

00:34:32.840 --> 00:34:34.179
 in order to stand

00:34:34.179 --> 00:34:35.699
 and be faithful

00:34:35.699 --> 00:34:36.619
 in this increasingly

00:34:36.619 --> 00:34:37.480
 hostile environment.

00:34:39.799 --> 00:34:40.480
 Let's pray.

00:34:40.480 --> 00:34:40.599
 Thank you.

00:34:40.599 --> 00:34:40.599


00:34:40.599 --> 00:34:40.599