All right, we're going to read from Matthew 10, verse 32 to 42.
And then David will come up and speak to us.
And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.
Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.
And whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it.
And whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Whoever receives you receives me.
And whoever receives me receives him who sent me.
The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward.
And the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward.
And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple,
truly I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.
Well, if you look at the trail of Christianity through history, there's lots of ways you can describe it.
But one way that would be quite appropriate is that it's a very bloody trail.
And it's bloody because Jesus has never been comfortable or acceptable in our world.
When faithfully proclaimed as God's king and savior,
he challenges that which is actually hardwired into every single person.
That is what we call personal sovereignty.
We just naturally believe that we're competent to run our own life apart from God.
And so when we speak of Jesus,
then we're automatically on a collision course with individuals around us and our society at large.
It can't be any other way.
We're a threat as we speak about Jesus.
We become a threat.
Jesus is a threat to how people think, to how people live.
And as a result of that, then, generally speaking,
Christians have not been welcomed or accepted as the message of Jesus has not been welcomed or accepted.
And generally speaking, when you look back through history,
generally speaking, you would have to say that the lives of Christians
who are seriously committed to Jesus and serving Jesus and speaking about Jesus,
you'd have to say their lives have not been comfortable or peaceful.
Now, I suspect that's not how most of us think about our week to come, is it?
Because, you see, I think generally in our day and age,
generally we think that having sorted out a relationship with God,
being a Christian is about getting on with life,
enjoying the things that life has to offer us.
The comforts, the leisure, the pleasure, the possessions.
Now, we might actually qualify that a little bit when talking to somebody.
They might say, well, we expect from time to time that people will attack our faith in Jesus.
But it's that sort of magnitude.
The prevailing view, I think, is that we expect, being Christians,
is an enjoyable life, perhaps even a comfortable life,
albeit with that relationship with God sorted out.
Now, friends, I think what that means as we move into this passage,
I think what it means is that we're really ill-prepared to hear these words this morning.
Perhaps even worse, perhaps we're even reluctant to hear these words this morning.
Because they detail out, as James already opened up,
whereas they detail out hostility, division, suffering,
that serving Jesus will bring,
right into even those most personal and intimate relationships.
relationships.
So, what I'm going to do now is I'm going to stop,
and I'm going to ask you to join me in prayer
that the Lord might help us impact on these verses and these verses to impact on us,
given that they're talking about selflessness
when we're so hardwired to be selfish.
So join with me now in prayer just as we move into these verses.
Lord, we are ill-prepared to hear the challenge of these verses,
perhaps even reluctant.
We are naturally inclined to self-interest,
and yet these verses call us to your interest and our selflessness.
So, Lord, we need you to go before us.
We need you to open these words to our minds
and open our minds to these words
and change us from the inside out.
Amen.
Okay, as usual,
before we get into the detail of the text,
I want to do some revision,
just to keep these chapters together,
from chapter 9, verse 35,
through to chapter 10, verse 33.
We're working on this section that stands together.
Jesus, back in chapter 9, verse 35,
likened his mission to the work of harvesting.
So preaching the gospel is harvesting.
He's the Lord of the harvest,
and he invites his disciples to share in this exciting mission,
in his exciting mission,
and indeed share in the bumper harvest that he said would be there.
Then in chapter 10,
Jesus sends out his disciples as harvest workers,
or mission partners.
And chapter 10 then is essentially
talking his disciples through the practical challenges
and difficulties they might expect to encounter.
There's a cost in being harvesters.
And as we work through chapter 10,
we see that cost steadily ramping up.
Initially, verses 5 through to 15,
any opposition seemed sort of general,
impersonal, remote.
So Jesus sends them out,
and he talks about them going into a village.
If you're going into a village or into a house,
it's out there.
It's just out there.
And he says that you can expect
there would be random people in random villages,
showing disinterest.
That's where we start,
in those verses 10 through to 15.
And then last week,
we saw verses 16 to 33.
It ramps up.
Jesus prepares them for much more challenging scenarios.
And Jesus says,
as they proclaim the gospel of Jesus,
they should expect initial opposition and disinterest
to become persecution.
violent persecution.
Violent persecution.
You should expect loss of freedom,
loss of reputation,
ridicule,
false accusations,
and in the most extreme cases,
death.
And last week,
as I tried to open up this idea of Jesus' perspective
on the cost of being harvesters,
harvesters,
I used the idea of a cost-benefit analysis.
As Jesus prepared,
his disciples for what lay ahead.
And so,
the costs are real,
says Jesus,
but the eternal benefits
of identifying with Jesus,
of keeping our eyes on him,
seeing through our circumstances
to our Savior and the Lord of the harvest
behind our circumstances,
though the benefits of that
move us from fear
to freedom,
move us from reluctance
to see opportunity
to minister and stand with Jesus,
from fear to excitement
in the mission with Jesus.
Now,
with that background,
let's step into these confronting verses
in verse 32,
but mainly kicking into verse 34
for a start.
And the cost ramps up even further.
Jesus hears warning
that the greatest cost
is likely to be experienced
in our most personal
and valued relationships.
The greatest cost
is likely to be felt closest to home,
in other words.
Verse 34.
Here's where it starts
to open up the gap
between where we are
and between what Jesus says.
As Christians,
we're determined
to believe
that Jesus' gospel
or message
will bring peace
and happiness
and well-being
to our lives.
I mean,
we're just starting to move
into that silly season
of Christmas
and that's what we're starting to hear.
You know,
peace and goodwill
to all men.
Quietly,
I think,
as Christians,
we're committed to
and demand
from the Lord
hassle-free lives.
And we see that
as so fundamental
to being Christians.
Well,
Jesus says the opposite.
Allegiance to him,
allegiance to his gospel
of salvation,
says Jesus,
inevitably
results in conflict.
Now,
we need to read this
very,
very carefully
in today's
modern society.
Jesus is not
inciting people
to violence.
That's not his point
here at all.
His point is that
people,
when they're confronted
with him
as Savior
and Lord
and confronted
with his gospel,
they will not
easily give up
their own
personal sovereignty.
There will need
to be a struggle
for that to happen.
People will push back
at anybody
who threatens
their personal
self-sovereignty.
Jesus himself,
back from the Sermon
on the Mount,
is the ultimate
peacemaker.
But when you think
of Jesus like a surgeon
who comes,
as patient comes
and his body
is ravaged
by cancer,
how is the surgeon
going to bring peace
into that body,
if I can use
that sort of metaphor?
Well,
he has to
take that patient
into a place
of more pain,
more suffering
through surgery.
There can be
no shortcutting
of that.
The pathway
to peace
and health
is suffering.
That is the way
Jesus,
the peacemaker,
brings his peace
into our lives
and in the lives
of people around us.
verses 35,
30,
37 then.
For I have come
to set a man
against his father
and a daughter
against her mother.
Even as we start
to read these verses,
we start to think,
this is obscene.
And yet,
these are the words
of Jesus.
A daughter-in-law
against her mother-in-law
and a person's enemies
will be those
of his own household.
Whoever loves
father or mother
more than me
is not worthy of me.
And whoever loves
son or daughter
more than me
is not worthy of me.
The gospel of Jesus
polarizes people.
The most painful divisions,
the greatest hostility,
the most heartbreaking
suffering,
will surface
closest to home
in our closest,
most personal relationships
when we share
that Jesus is God's king
to be obeyed.
God's savior
without whom
nobody gets to heaven.
If we share that,
even our closest relationships
will be under severe pressure.
And even then,
Jesus calls us
to absolute loyalty,
choosing relationship
with him
over any other relationship,
any other relationship.
And accepting,
in practical terms,
that sometimes
when we want to speak
the gospel
to those we love most,
they are closest to,
them,
they actually
will become
enemies.
We will become
enemies to them.
So much will they hate
what we're saying to them,
even though what we say
to them
is driven by our love
for them.
Verse 38,
as harvesters
working for Jesus,
we must be
totally selfless,
that idea that
Jen's already
opened up helpfully,
carrying the cross.
Most days
when you hear Christians,
it's just used
as a turn of phrase
when you speak
and do lots of Christians.
Oh yes,
I have a cross to carry.
That is,
there's a particular
unpleasant circumstance
in my week this week
or something like that.
That's what carrying a cross is.
But not so in Jesus' day.
When you carried your cross,
you had already
been sentenced to death.
So to carry your cross
is to act
as one whose life
has already been forfeited
to somebody else.
totally selfless.
Disciples
are to demonstrate,
we disciples
are to demonstrate
our total commitment
to Jesus
and his cause
even if necessary
walking away
from the most
treasured relationships
in our lives.
man,
that's a big call,
isn't it?
That's huge.
And it's huge
simply because
treasured relationships
are exactly as they say,
treasured relationships.
And yet,
that's what Jesus
calls us to.
Verse 39
cuts even deeper.
whoever finds his life
will lose it
and whoever loses
his life for my sake
will find it.
Another sort of
proverbial type phrase
but I think it's this.
I think Jesus is saying,
look,
there's two choices
and only two choices.
Either
we will be committed
to building
our own kingdom,
that's the self-sovereignty
thing again,
building our own kingdom,
our own secure
and comfortable life
in this world
which will mean
that we need to make
peace with this world
and in a sense
approximate something
of the values
and philosophies
of those around us
in order to be
peaceful and acceptable
among them.
So we can go that way.
So we can sort of
find a life
that says Jesus
but ultimately
will lose it
or the alternative is
we will be committed
to building
his kingdom
by speaking
the gospel
of Jesus
as God's
savior and king
and accept
the cost
involved in that.
Now,
there's no way
to sugarcoat
those verses.
They're confronting
and they force
a confronting question
for each one of us.
So go back
to the idea
of the cost-benefit
analysis
that we talked
about last week.
What will these
details
mean for your
cost-benefit
analysis
of serving Jesus?
It's quite possible
for some here
this morning
these verses
would be
a deal-breaker.
giving up
those relationships
most valuable
to me
closest to me
is just
too much
to ask.
Or
is it still
a good
decision
to serve
Jesus
getting involved
in this
mission
with ever
increasing
costs?
And so
maybe in your
mind you're
saying
could any
person in
their right
mind
be prepared
for the
intense
personal cost
of giving up
the closest
and most
precious of
relationships
and family
relationships
or close
friends
for the sake
of spreading
the gospel
of Jesus
could anybody
in their
right mind
say
yep
I'm up
for that.
Continuing
from last
Sunday
the theme
that I used
what sort
of gospel
perspective
could enable
us to go
down this
pathway?
And I tell
you
it needs
to be a
gospel
perspective
nothing
else
will take
us down
that
pathway
but what
gospel
perspective
could possibly
take us
down
that
pathway?
Well
I want to
suggest two
the first
one there
if you see
your outline
in front
of you
being clear
about family
relationships
ultimate
family
and temporary
family
Now as I
said last
week
Jesus is
sending his
disciples
out to do
something so
new
so different
so dangerous
to anything
they've ever
experienced
and so in a
sense throughout
these two
chapters Jesus
said look
the key thing
is keep
your eyes
on me
keep looking
at me
see through
the circumstances
that are going
to come to
you and
see me
the Lord
of the harvest
behind those
circumstances
that's a
gospel
perspective
it's the
great faith
that Jesus
commended back
in chapters
8 and 9
when we looked
at some of
the miracles
which was
the ability
of people
who came
to Jesus
asking for
healing
and asking
for Jesus
blessing
it was the
ability to
see through
this man
that stood
in front
of them
to see
the Lord
of the
universe
who had
power
to heal
to renew
so my
friends
this is the
gospel
perspective
we will
need
when it
comes to
rejection
and opposition
and enmity
from those
that once
we treasured
and valued
as closest
to us
being able
to look
through that
rejection
and hatred
from those
closest to us
is so hard
of course
it's hard
because to
be human
is to crave
love
to crave
acceptance
to have
somebody
reciprocate
our love
and actions
towards them
to belong
to be in a
lasting
relationship
to be in a
secure relationship
without fear
of rejection
all those
things are just
so fundamental
to us
as humans
so what
could possibly
enable us
to give
those things
up
or walk
away
from them
well
we need
to remember
that our
ultimate
lasting
family
relationship
is in
God
I said
last week
that being
a disciple
is identifying
with God
and that's
true
but far
more important
is that
God identifies
with me
his disciple
because
that's
my security
that is
the relationship
I crave
for in my
innermost being
that is the
unbreakable
relationship
which can be
enjoyed
without fear
that's the
relationship
that keeps
on getting
better
and will
keep on
getting better
until I
go to
heaven
to be
with him
forever
and enjoy
the fullness
of that
relationship
in a way
that I
can't even
begin to
imagine
now
that is
in my
heart of
hearts
the relationship
sorry
that is the
relationship
I crave
in my
heart of
hearts
and it's
mine
in Christ
this relationship
is essentially
with God
in Trinity
and underpins
everything
Jesus
saying
in chapter
10
if you look
at chapter
29
sorry
verse 29
through to
32
we looked
at this
passage
these verses
last week
God is
my father
and he cares
for me deeply
as his child
for every aspect
of me
as I serve
him
Jesus has
dealt with
my sin
he's made
me acceptable
to my
father
who has
adopted
me into
his family
making
Jesus
like a
brother
to me
so
God
the
father
Jesus
my
brother
and
Jesus
gladly
identifies
with me
before the
father
he's
happy to
acknowledge
when we
stand
with him
he will
stand
with us
that's
what
brothers
do
in the
ideal
world
verse 25
you go back
to one of the
verses we
looked at
last week
it talks
about
how
they will
be treated
just like
the master
because in
the same
household
this is
what the
family treatment
will be
says Jesus
it's an
affirmation
of
family
likeness
and belonging
and he
reassures
the
disciples
even in
the midst
of what
seems
like
negative
he
reassures
them
that yes
when they
experience
rejection
and opposition
and hatred
then yay
that's
confirmation
that they're
in the
family of
Jesus
in a
sense
verses
21 and
22
go back
further
we looked
at those
again last
week as
well
when you're
under
pressure
when you're
holed up
before the
courts
don't worry
about what
to speak
because
your
father
will give
you what
to speak
through the
holy
spirit
and there
we have
it
the
trinity
working
for us
with us
as family
the
holy
spirit
has taken
up residence
with me
the
holy
spirit
we're
told
in other
parts
of the
scripture
daily
renovates
me
from the
inside
out
in a
sense
you can
talk of
the
holy
spirit
like
new
dna
when we
become
christians
and that
new
dna
is slowly
working
through all
my body
and renewing
me
spiritually
helping me
express the
mind of
christ in the
most difficult
of circumstances
my friends
this is the
family we
belong to
in christ
this is a
family like
no other
family
and all
of this
helped me
to remember
that my
identity
and security
is not
tied
to my
human
relationships
no matter
how personal
and how
treasured
they might
be to me
now
sadly
many
christians
get it
wrong
at this
point
many
christians
act as
though
family
human
family
relationships
or other
close
personal
friendships
are permanent
are absolute
are ultimate
in other
words
they are
so important
to life
that they are
to be
protected
against
everything
else
so
these
are my
fixed
points
in life
i'll give
up all
that out
there
but no
these
family
relationships
i need
them
that's a
wrong
statement
for christians
we might
desire them
we might
love them
and enjoy
them
but we
don't
need
them
in christ
the problem
with that
thinking
is that
we
become
flexible
at the
wrong
points
we
become
flexible
in our
service
and
testimony
to jesus
because
well
i don't
want to
risk
these
intensely
personal
friendships
relationships
so we
become
flexible
about jesus
and our
relationship
with him
and inflexible
about our
relationships
yeah that's
how to
kill her
now i got
to say here
carefully
i got to
say here
oh i don't
know what i'm
going to say
this is not a
license to be
careless
or heartless
or irresponsible
or disengaged
in this world
human family
relationships
that would be
a terrible way
to understand
scripture
so it's not
a license to
step away from
human family
relations
it's a
safeguard
against making
these relationships
absolute
and therefore
being devastated
or debilitated
when gospel
conflict surfaces
in them
so as
disciples of the
great peacemaker
we too
are peacemakers
but just
as jesus
pathway to
delivering
peace
meant
rejection
by his
human
family
and remember
that jesus
human family
first came
to see what
he was up
to because
they were a
bit embarrassed
by what he
was saying
and doing
then
down the
track a
little bit
their
embarrassment
changed
to outright
anger
they thought
he had
lost it
so
the pathway
of jesus
delivering
peace
meant
rejection
by his
human
family
and
ultimately
suffering
and death
so too
our sharing
in his
mission of
true peace
and renewal
will reflect
jesus pathway
my friends
this is hard
for us to
hear
is it
not
so
often
we have
secured
peaceful
relations
in our
families
and workplace
and with
our
friends
simply
because
we've
played
down
our
loyalty
to jesus
and we've
played
down
the message
of jesus
perhaps we've
been silent
about that
which we
say is at
the heart
of our
being
because we've
not wanted
to risk
those friendships
that are fun
or intense
or personal
or immediate
so often
i think we
protest
that we
don't have
the opportunity
to stand
publicly with
jesus and
the gospel
or that we
don't have
the ability
to say
anything
worthwhile
we often
try and
excuse
ourselves
for that
when in
fact
perhaps
the reason
is slightly
different
perhaps the
reason is
that we're
not prepared
to risk
those
friendships
that mean
most to
us
perhaps we're
not prepared
to risk
division
and hostility
creeping into
those friendships
that we value
so much
now friends
don't misunderstand
me
we should
never relish
or look for
hostility in a
fight
there's never
a license to
be that
annoying
christian
member of
the family
at family
gatherings
who just
won't
shut
up
there's
never
an excuse
for that
and we
all have
them
i might
even be
the one
in my
family
i'm not
sure
but there's
no excuse
for that
we're never
looking for
hostility in a
fight with
unbelievers
but neither
should we
bag away
from telling
them
those closest
to us
of their
need
for a
fresh start
in jesus
i mean
by definition
if they're a
close friend
that means
you love
them
and if
you love
them
surely you
want to
tell the
truth
to them
and if
the truth
means
confronting
their autonomy
and sovereignty
their own
individual
sovereignty
and talk
about
bowing to
jesus
then it's a
risk
surely if you
love them
it's worth
taking
and so
perhaps the
real reason
we're
silent
is because
we put
too much
value
on these
relationships
and we
don't want
to risk
them
second point
is appreciating
that we're
never
without
family
to enjoy
and nurture
we're never
without
family
to enjoy
and nurture
now i have
to say
these last
few verses
are not
easy to
understand
but here's
what i think
they might
mean
so you look
at verse
40
whoever
receives
you
receives
me
and whoever
receives
me
receives
him
who sent
me
i think
that's a
principle
perhaps
that jesus
sort of
proverbial
principle
that then
jesus
expands
in the
next
two
verses
and i think
it goes
something like
this
in jesus
day
it was
assumed
that a
person's
representative
would be
received
welcomed
and assisted
as if
the person
themselves
were there
present
so if you
want to put
it in the
family context
we're talking
about here
a person's
representative
in a sense
was just
an extension
of the
family
and was
to be
treated
like
family
and i
think that
principle
of family
connectedness
might be
at the
heart of
verses
40
to 42
as
disciples
busy in
the work
of harvesting
or proclaiming
the gospel
in a myriad
situations
and circumstances
we will
constantly
intersect
with other
disciples
doing exactly
the same
work
for exactly
the same
reasons
and bearing
exactly the
same
costs
and we'll
intersect
with them
and their
joy and
delight in
jesus
and we'll
intersect
with them
in their
desire that
others might
hear of
jesus
and know
the salvation
that we
ourselves
have
experienced
i think
the picture
there jesus
is saying
is that
we are
never without
family
and in fact
as disciples
we're engaged
in core
family business
and so we
will actually
have a much
bigger family
to be part
of than
anything we
could possibly
imagine
at the human
level
we are
engaged in
the core
family business
we all
know and
enjoy god
as our
father
we all
have a
rich sense
of privilege
as siblings
of jesus
and joint
heirs with
him
we all
have the
holy spirit
working quietly
behind the
scenes to
create family
likeness in
us
and in
these verses
it's hard
to know
whether jesus
has got
different
levels of
formality
or different
harvest tasks
in mind
so he
talks about
a righteous
person
he talks
about a
prophet
and he
talks about
little ones
i think
possibly he's
just spelling
it out in
some sort
of concrete
terms
that regardless
of the particular
part of the
harvest
wherever you
intersect
disciples busy
in the work
of harvest
they're all
his little
ones
they're all
to be
welcomed
encouraged
supported
enjoyed
the reward
that's mentioned
in here
well again
it's really
hard to be
precise
but the idea
I think
which fits
best with
the context
is simply
that embracing
the family
as they're
busy in
harvest
will win
the approval
of christ
because this
is how
god's family
should work
that's what
family's all
about
that's what
god's
family's all
about
if your
family
gatherings
are family
gatherings
you just
come back
to the
same
stories
the same
themes
all the
time
I mean
it's funny
when you're
there with
a family
but somebody
else looking
in would
just think
this is
weird
the family
has a
core
definition
a core
shape
common
stories
common
memories
our
spiritual
family
is the
place
for us
to rest
and thrive
and all
the more
so
against
the
dysfunction
and conflict
and hostility
that will
most likely
mark our
human families
and relationships
as we
are harvesters
for Jesus
my friends
put it
all down
to something
really simple
we're never
without
family
even when
our human
family
and those
closest to us
reject us
because
those we
have most
in common
with as
family members
are in
fact
Christ's
people
we are
never
without
family
to nurture
and enjoy
family
and what
a gracious
provision
that is
and many
many
Christians
have lost
all of
their family
and been
totally
rejected
totally
rejected
by their
family
but even
they are
never without
family
in the
Lord
Jesus
so which
close
relationships
will claim
your
primary
allegiance
that's the
question
which
family
which set
of close
relationships
are you
shaped by
defined by
identified
with
which do you
find security
in
which do you
give allegiance
to
that's the
question
that boils
down to
will you
continue
to expect
and demand
a hassle
free life
and
conflict
free
close
personal
relationships
whether
family or
friends
who are
hostile
to Jesus
even if
the cost
is not
speaking
about
Jesus
to them
is that
what you'll
continue
to hang
out for
and protect
or will
you sit
loose
to human
family
and other
relationships
knowing
that
your real
family
isn't
Jesus
if you
can do
that
then I
suspect
you will
be prepared
to take
the risk
because you
want your
closest friends
to know
of the
salvation
that you've
enjoyed
and continue
to enjoy
in Jesus
but it
will only
be that
gospel
perspective
that will
help you
step into
that place
pray with
me again
please
Lord I
prayed at the
start that you
would help
us hear
words that
we're
not inclined
to hear
and perhaps
even quite
reluctant
to hear
Lord we
confess to
you that we
have put
our allegiance
in wrong
places
we have
valued human
relationships
Lord
good
relationships
important
relationships
to us Lord
immediate
relationships
but we
valued them
too highly
and unfortunately
Lord the
cost has been
that we've
been silent
about you
to those
we would
say we
love most
help us
Lord to
see through
our
dearest
and most
personal
of relationships
to see
you the
Lord of the
harvest
and help
us Lord
to take
risks
for those
we love
most
by
venturing
most
in speaking
of Jesus
to them
and in
his name
I pray
Amen
Thank you
very much