Endure unafraid until Christ returns for you.

 

Sermon for Pentecost 4, June 25, 2023

Grace to you and peace from Him who is, who was, and who is coming.  Amen.

Matthew 10:5, 21-33  ⁵Jesus sent these twelve out and commanded them, … ²¹“Brother will hand over his brother to death, and a father will do the same with his child.  Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.  ²²You will be hated by all people because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.  ²³And when they persecute you in one town, flee to the next.  Amen I tell you: You will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.  ²⁴“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor is a servant above his master.  ²⁵It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher and the servant like his master.  If the master of the house was called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!  ²⁶“So do not be afraid of them, because there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.  ²⁷What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops.  ²⁸Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  Rather, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  ²⁹“Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?  Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without the knowledge and consent of your Father.  ³⁰And even the hairs of your head are all numbered.  ³¹So do not be afraid.  You are worth more than many sparrows.  ³²“Everyone who confesses me before others, I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven.  ³³But whoever denies me before others, I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven. (EHV)

Endure unafraid until Christ returns for you.

Dear disciples of the living Savior,

            Our text is a portion of what we might say is Jesus’ ordination address to His disciples.  He commanded these personally chosen twelve to go first “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 10:6)  Yet, Jesus also explained how they would be witnesses of His work to all the people of the world.  He had much instruction for them—they were to be shrewd yet innocent, on guard against those who would oppose them, yet freely giving of their testimony concerning the grace He was bringing to the world. 

In this portion of His direction to them, Jesus warns that being His follower will bring much opposition even from those closest to the disciple.  Still, they are not to fear earthly enemies, for the salvation He has won for them will be all they need to receive life everlasting.  The message likewise for us is to Endure unafraid until Christ returns for you.

We live in a world that pretends to want unity and equity in all things.  However, many things divide people naturally.  Christianity, even more so, is by nature divisive.  The natural man wants to rule his own destiny.  The sinner wants to believe that he can get along without a Savior.  The reality is that God alone can save us, because heaven requires perfect holiness for entry into that glorious place. 

Jesus told His friends, “Brother will hand over his brother to death, and a father will do the same with his child.  Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.  You will be hated by all people because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.”  Because of the sinful nature, those who follow Jesus will be rejected just as He was.  Remember, even Jesus’ own family thought Him insane before His death and resurrection. 

The closer we get to Judgment Day, the more we see families divided by faith.  When someone who comes from a nonreligious family begins to believe in Jesus, many of those people closest to the person assume that the believer has become judgmental because he or she no longer wants to chase after the sinful ways of the world.  Some non-Christian religions even demand death for those who become Christians.  In certain countries around the world, converting to Christianity can lead to a death sentence if that conversion becomes public knowledge.  Thus, we recognize that Jesus knew what He was talking about when He taught His disciples.

Three times Jesus told His disciples not to be afraid.  Accordingly, we might ask, what do you fear?  Are you afraid of rejection from your neighbors or family members if you speak about Jesus?  Do you fear what people think of you if you live according to the teachings of the Bible?  We live in a world where many things are changing, and more and more fear is being expressed about the changes in our politics and the safety of our surroundings. 

As one listens to the news and peruses social media, it is easy to become afraid that we will become victims of persecution, or that bad actors intent on making martyrs of believers will hunt us down.  Psychologists and sociologists bombard us with more and more reports of fear between the generations.  Young people, and old as well, are consumed by stress and anxiety.  But why?  Is it because of fear of an unknown future?  Because we fear the finality of death?  Or is it because of a lack of faith in the One who has taken away all guilt and fear?  We know that the answer for more and more people, today, is their lack of trust in the One True God.

For Jesus’ disciples, faithful confidence didn’t come immediately.  When Jesus was arrested, they all fled in terror.  However, everything changed for them when Jesus rose from the dead Easter morning.  Those who once had been paralyzed by fear because bold proclaimers of the Good News to the world, men who were not afraid to die for Jesus’ name.  Rather, in fact, for the rest of their lives, regardless of the opposition, they testified boldly to the truth of what Jesus had done for them.  The same is true for you and me.  Christ’s resurrection from the tomb is sure and certain proof that everything the Bible says is accurate, and everything God promised is real for you and me.

Jesus said, “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor is a servant above his master.  It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher and the servant like his master.  If the master of the house was called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!  So do not be afraid of them, because there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.”  There were many early Christians, including all of Jesus’ disciples, who were persecuted, and many were killed for their faith in Jesus.  It is also reported that some early Christians even sang hymns of praise to God as they were led to slaughter. 

The apostles themselves, after they were arrested, jailed, beaten, and ordered not to teach about Jesus, “left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were considered worthy to suffer shame for the Name.” (Acts 5:41)  Why could they do that?  Because they now knew the end of the story.  They remembered that Jesus had said they would be treated like their Lord.  At the same time, they remembered the sure hope they had in Jesus.  All their sins were forgiven.  All their fears and lack of confidence were forgotten by the God who is their true Judge.  And all of this is just as true for you and me.  Therefore, we too can Endure unafraid until Christ returns for us all.

There will come a time when every evil intention will be revealed.  Those who reject Jesus here on earth will be rejected by Him when it matters most, and they will be cast into eternal punishment.  You, on the other hand, have a Savior and a God who valued you above everything.  You have a Friend on high who suffered God’s wrath on your behalf, and has opened the gates of heaven for you.  A Friend who promises “that all things work together for the good of those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose, because those God foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:28-29)

Jesus gave us a command of kindness: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  Rather, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”  It comes naturally to us who are caught in the curse of sin to be afraid of anyone or anything that would hurt or kill us.  However, Jesus wants us to respect the power of our almighty God and Savior.  Yes, Jesus has the power to send us to hell, but rather than use His power and life to destroy, He gave of Himself to cleanse and save us, and in the end, He will use His power to give us life and restore our bodies to eternal glory.

Jesus asked rhetorically, “Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?  Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without the knowledge and consent of your Father.  And even the hairs of your head are all numbered.  So do not be afraid.  You are worth more than many sparrows.”  Your God and Father in heaven knows every intimate detail about you, but even the worst of your sins didn’t stop Him from sending His beloved Son to live and die for you.  How much are you worth to God?  The very life and sacrifice of the Son most dear to His heart.  For you, Jesus lived and died.  For you, Jesus rose from the grave triumphant over death and the devil.  For you, Jesus and the Father send the Holy Spirit through the Gospel so that you can be converted from sinner to saint, from someone walking in darkness to the light of life, so that you may be transformed from a sinner terrified to meet your Judge on Judgment Day, to a beloved child running to the arms of the Father who loved you from the beginning.

Why should you be able to Endure unafraid until Christ returns for you?  Because Jesus, the One Man who has been given authority to judge all things, promises, “Everyone who confesses me before others, I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies me before others, I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven.”  Those of us who have been given faith in Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit have nothing to fear.  Our Savior who loves us is in control of all things.  No matter how beastly the world might rage against us, we have a sure and certain future with Jesus in heaven. 

The unbeliever and all those who persecute and kill God’s children will be cast into outer darkness for eternal suffering.  However, those whom God has called to faith and cleansed by the blood of His Lamb have been “conformed to the image of his Son” via the faith in Jesus they now possess. 

When we stand before our Savior, either at Judgment Day, or should our life on this earth be taken away someday soon, we will hear the proclamation of Him who has done all things well, “Well done, good and faithful servant! … Enter into the joy of your master.” (Matthew 25:23)  You see, when we are judged, we won’t be rejected for our sins, because Jesus has paid for them all.  Through faith, we will instead be dressed in the righteousness Christ Jesus lived for us all, and in His righteousness, we will be received into heaven to the shouts of saints and angels praising God for His goodness to us.

This morning again, all you who believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, come to the altar of our beloved Brother who gave His life so that we may live and never die.  Come receive of His precious body and blood in the bread and wine, the sure forgiveness Jesus won for you and the medicine that strengthens your faith in Him as your Savior.  Trusting in Jesus for righteousness pure and forgiveness full and free, Endure unafraid until Christ returns for you.  Amen.

Now may the God of hope fill you with complete joy and peace as you continue to believe, so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.