Flipside Christian Church

In Matthew ten.

Oh, we're going to see a transition point.

With what Jesus

commands and demands of his disciples.

And this is one of those messages that,

did for Jesus, probably,

and has the real possibility
in our time in our midst.

Just turn some people away

from following Jesus and what that means.

And and some people
are going to probably walk out.

But this is
this is one of the hinge points

in the Gospel of Matthew
that Jesus kind of turns the corner,

and says, I'm
going to lay it down for you.

My expectation and it's hard.

And I've really struggled

this week
with how to approach this chapter.

And I was really convicted

last night and early
in the early hours of this morning.

I believe second Timothy 316

that says all Scripture is inspired

and God breathed.

And I feel the eviction of us

for us to recapture the sacredness

and recapture
the holiness of reading the words of God.

Because these inspired words

are breathed out of his mouth.

I believe that when Scripture is read

that God personally speaks.

We treat Scripture as mere content.

The historic church treat the scripture

as an audience with God.

When we come to places like this

and I understand it,
but we come to learn about God,

the ancient people of God
came to hear God.

And so church,

we're about to hear the words
of the living God.

We're not merely studying a book.

Or being addressed by the Creator himself.

Hebrews 412 is present tense

that says,
the Word of God is living and active.

Present tense.

Right now.

And so when we open the Bible together,

we're not starting a lesson.

We're entering a moment with the God

who spoke the galaxies into existence,

has chosen in his mercy

and by his grace to speak

to us, his people once again.

And so in this moment,
we're not just reading Scripture.

God is breathing

into us.

And we're going to do it
differently today.

And I'm going to ask
that if you are able to stand,

that you stand in the reverence
for the Word of God

as I read it.

And out of reverence

for the God breathed word.

I want you just to listen.

My prayer

is that by the Spirit of God,
he'll speak to us through the Word of God.

Matthew ten.

And he called to him his 12 disciples,

and gave them authority
over unclean spirits,

to cast them out and to heal every disease
and every affliction.

The names of the 12 apostles are these
first Simon, who was called Peter,

and Andrew his brother James,
the son of Zebedee, and John his brother

Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas
and Matthew the tax collector, James

the son of Alphaeus and Thaddeus, Simon

the Zealot and Judas Iscariot,
who betrayed him.

These 12 Jesus sent out, instructing them,

go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter
no town of the Samaritans,

but go rather to the lost sheep
of the house of Israel, and proclaim

as you go, saying,
the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Heal the sick. Raise the dead.

Cleanse lepers.

Cast out demons you received without pain.

Give without pay.

Acquire no gold or silver
or copper for your belts.

No bag for your journey, or two tunics
or sandals, or a staff,

for the laborer deserves his food.

And whatever town or village
you enter, find out

who is worthy in it
and stay there until you depart.

As you enter the house, greeted.

And if the house is worthy,
let your peace come upon it.

But if it is not worthy,
let your peace return to you.

And if anyone will not receive you
or listen to your words,

shake off the dust from your feet
when you leave that house or town.

Truly, I say to you,
it will be more bearable on the day

of judgment for the land of Sodom
and Gomorrah than for that town.

Behold, I am sending you out as sheep,
as sheep in the midst of wolves.

So be wise as serpents and innocent
as doves.

Beware of men, for they will deliver

you over to courts and flog
you in their synagogues,

and you will be dragged
before governors and kings for my sake,

to bear witness before them
and the Gentiles.

When they deliver you over,
do not be anxious

how you are to speak,
or what you are to say,

or what you for what you are to say,
will be given to you in that hour.

For it is not you

who speak, but the spirit of your father
speaking through you.

Brother will deliver brother
over to death,

and the father, his child and children

will rise against parents
and have them put to death.

And you will be
hated by all for my name's sake.

But the one who endures to
the end will be saved.

When they persecute you
in one town, flee to the next.

For truly, I say to you, you will not have
gone throughout all the towns of Israel.

But for the Son of Man comes.

A disciple is not above his teacher,
nor servant above his master.

It is enough for the disciple

to be like his teacher,
and the servant like his master.

If they have called
the master of the house bills above.

How much more will they
malign those of his household?

The God breathed the breath

through his word.

I pray we hear it.

I pray we ingest it,

and I pray it lives within us.

Please have a seat.

Matthew nine.

Matthew one through nine.

The disciples simply watched
Jesus do ministry.

In chapter ten

he says, your observation time is over.

Now tag you're it.

And then the disciples move

from admiration to participation.

And here's the big idea for today.

Following Jesus is not just about learning
about his mission.

It's joining him in his mission.

And Jesus is very clear

that joining him in
his mission will be costly.

Following Jesus

may begin with attending church,

but it must result in deployment.

Because a saved life is a life.

And so Jesus in Matthew ten now
is going to say, here's the expectation.

If you say you're a follower of
mine, here's the expectation.

And with

these words, some are going to turn away

and others are going to choose

to be deployed.

Verses one through four.

He called to him his 12 disciples,
and gave them authority

over unclean spirits, to cast them out, to
heal every disease and every affliction.

The names of the 12 apostles are these.

First, Simon is called Peter and Andrew,
his brother James the son of Zebedee,

and John his brother Philip North,

all of you, Thomas and Matthew the tax
collector, James the son of Alphaeus

and Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot,
and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Here's the first thing

for the disciple of Jesus.

What Jesus is saying
is that we must accept responsibility.

He's giving his disciples authority.

They must accept responsibility.

This is the first time that Jesus will
share his ministry power with anybody.

And notice what he says.

He does not say,
I want you to watch me and take notes.

Now he says,
I want you to take responsibility.

That's what it means

to be a follower of Jesus,
to take responsibility.

Most Christians,
most people want teachings.

They want Bible studies
and they want podcasts,

but they don't want responsibility.

And Jesus says,

if you're going to follow me,
you have to take responsibility.

You've had enough studies.

You have enough podcasts,
you got enough services.

Now it's time to take responsibility.

This is the only time

Matthew calls the 12 disciples apostles.

The word apostle is a Greek
word called apostolic,

and it literally means sent

ones or messengers.

Jesus himself is called

the apostle in Hebrews three verse one.

But here for these 12,

these disciples are now given the title
apostles.

These 12 have a special apostolic office.

This is a special dispensation
where these 12 are

those who were deemed
as the apostles of Christ.

Jesus had hundreds of disciples.

All the disciples is
someone who just followed a rabbi

and occasionally peaked in sometimes

these 12 have the title
as the Apostles of Christ.

He names them

as his specific sent ones.

Later, Paul will include himself
in this list in first Corinthians nine.

In our time, the idea of apostles.

There's no more special dispensation
like there was for these 12.

Now, what we have regarding
the idea of apostles is a spiritual gift.

There is a spiritual gift of apostleship.

Ephesians
four says, God gave some to be apostles

and prophets
and evangelists and pastors and teachers

to prepare God's people
for works of service.

And so there is a spiritual gift
of apostleship that's given to some

with the special ability
by God to start churches

and to expand the kingdom
through churches.

It's a, it's
a, it's a spiritual gift of apostleship.

But generally speaking,
every Christ follower is a sent one.

Plays the role has the role of an apostle.

Matthew 28 Jesus says,

go therefore into all the world.

I'm sending you all to make disciples.

So every Christ follower assumes this
responsibility says this responsibility

of fulfilling the role of an apostle,
in other words, and being sent.

There are some who God has gifted

the spiritual gift of apostleship,

but there's no more special
dispensation of the apostles.

You follow.

So these 12

and it amazes me as we look at these 12,
that Jesus get this.

Jesus gave his own authority
to the worst of his followers,

not the best.

And at least for us, these 12.

In verse two through four
we see three sets of four

in every list of the disciples.

Sometimes some of the
the order changes slightly,

but always Peter is listed
first and Judas is always listed last.

And I think you understand why.

And in this list
there's two sets of brothers, Peter

and Andrew, and James and John

and Peter and Andrew.

James and John are always
the first list of the first four.

Always.

And in each group,
before each group has their own leader.

Peter is the leader
of the first group of four.

Philip is always the leader
of the second group of four,

and James the son of Alphaeus is always

the leader of the third group of four.

And it says,
If Jesus saying, look, you're all leaders.

However, there are leaders
and subgroups of leaders,

and there are leaders of leaders,
and of all the 12,

there were four that were leaders
of of of those other eight.

And even of those four,
there were three Peter, James and John.

What amazes me about this group

is that some of them are just simple
fishermen,

hardworking, blue collar,

tough men, hard working men.

One of them was a traitor
to his own people.

One of them was a militant extremist.

He would be the one who was burning

the Roman flag.

They were political opposites,

polar opposites on the political spectrum.

Hated each other.

Most very uneducated.

1 or 2 wealthy, the rest extremely poor.

And Jesus says,
whatever your identity has been,

whatever your ideology has been,

whatever you have used to say,
this is who I am.

He says. Those things don't exist anymore.

Now your mind

and you have a new identity.

You have a new role, a new position.

All things are passed away.

New things have come.

However, you have identified yourself
politically,

economically, socially, culturally.

Those things are no longer
a part of my kingdom.

Now. It's just my kingdom.

Whether you're on the right
or you're on the left.

No longer
can you tag my kingdom to your political

position.

It's my kingdom.

And he gives us authority

to the worst of his disciples.

And I want you to know something.
Verse two.

He called them,
and then he gave them authority.

This is how God works.

The call always comes first

before the gift.

See, God
always gives power equal to his call,

but only after one accepts his call.

Never before.

And I understand
Jesus is giving his disciples,

giving his followers his very authority.

And I understand that most of us

feel very

unqualified to carry the authority of God
with us,

to speak with the authority of God,
to act with the authority of God.

But yet that is what Jesus does
for his disciples,

for those who are willing
to accept the responsibility.

I'm going to call you,

and then I'm going to empower you.

And for the disciple,
once that realization comes,

the disciple must then begin
living with urgency

in verse
five and following the 12, these 12

Jesus sent out instructed them, go nowhere
among the Gentiles, or enter the.

No town of the Samaritans, but go rather
to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,

and proclaim as you go, saying,
the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse
the lepers, cast out demons.

You received without pain,
give without pay.

Acquire no gold or silver, a copper
for your belt, no bag for your journey,

or two tunics or sandals,
or a staff for the laborer

deserves his food
and whatever town or village you enter.

Find out who is worthy in it
and stay there until you depart.

As you enter the house and greet it.

If the house was worthy,
let your peace come upon it.

If it is not worthy,
let your peace return to you.

And if anyone will not receive you
or listen to your words, shake the

dust off your feet

when you leave that house or town.

Truly I say to you,

it will be more bearable
on that day of judgment

for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah
than for that town.

Here's what you saying.

He said, I'm sending you out.

Accept the responsibility
and then live with urgency.

Your apostles. And you have two roles.

Your first role is to proclaim.

He says, go nowhere among the Gentiles,
or enter the town of the Samaritans,

but only to the lost sheep
of the house of Israel.

History saying, he's saying, start.

With your huddle.

These were Jews.

He's saying that the message

of the Messiah comes
first to the Jew, then to the Gentile,

and the Jews will reject it,
and the Gentiles will be adopted in.

But to honor my covenant

commitment to my people,
we start with the Jews.

This is exactly what Jesus will say.

He said,
you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,

right
where you are, and Judea, your people.

And then to Mary
into the ends of the earth.

But you start where you are,

and his commission
to us accept the responsibility.

Live with urgency

with those people in your huddle
that are right around you right now.

Before you ever dream
about crossing a border

or an ocean, cross the street.

Do you understand?

As you go

proclaim saying,
the kingdom of heaven is at hand,

the first rule of the disciple
wants you to accept

the responsibility of God is to live
with urgency and make proclamation.

Here's the here's the thing

if your faith never leaves
your mouth, it hasn't reached your heart.

The first

responsibility of the disciples
of Christ, of these apostles specifically

and of us, is to go and proclaim
the kingdom of God is at hand.

There's a sense of urgency
in the proclamation.

He never said, Jesus never says, look,
if you're not made up your mind

about Jesus,
just give us some time. Think about it.

He doesn't say that,

and he doesn't tell his people
to tell people who haven't accepted Jesus.

Just give us some thought. Think about it.

Let us know if you got with.

He doesn't say that.

He says make the proclamation that
right now the Kingdom of God is upon you.

You better decide.

He doesn't say, debate your politics.

He doesn't say, try to reform
the government of Rome.

He says, just make

the announcement
that the kingdom of God is now

in the person of Jesus.

Go make proclamation.

And then he says, as you go
and make proclamation, demonstrate

his mercy through his power.

I want you to understand something.

This is exactly what the disciples did.

You read through the Gospels and these 12.

They follow Jesus. They watched Jesus.

They thought one day
they might emulate him.

They saw Jesus interact with the sick
and the possessed and the needy.

And then Jesus is crucified.
He's resurrected.

He ascended to heaven.

And now the disciples are thinking, well,
what do we do now?

And as you, once you read the Gospels

and see how Jesus responds for the sick
and the needy.

Then you read the book of acts
and you will you will find, is this

when you read the book of acts,
knowing the

the account of the Gospels,
you will see the disciples, especially

Peter and John, encounter
many of the almost the exact same issues

Jesus encountered with the sick
and the dead and the needy.

Almost the exact same situations.

And the only thing the disciples

and Peter and John knew to do is like,
we have no idea what to do right now.

Have you ever felt that way?

God, I don't.

I mean, I know what you did, but I

and so what they did
is you read the book of acts.

They did exactly what they saw and heard
Jesus do

they encounter a leper?

They encounter a blind person. Encounter
a dead person.

They did exactly what Jesus
they saw Jesus do.

And it worked.

Can you imagine living with

that kind of simple faith in urgency?

I got no idea what to do,

so let's just copy Jesus.

If he has given his followers
his authority

and they've accepted that responsibility,

and we choose to live with urgency.

Imagine.

Actually living and speaking
and acting in this world.

Exactly how Jesus did.

Imagine what would happen.

This is the role of the disciple.

In verse nine and ten.

Acquire
no gold or silver copper for your belts.

No bag for your journey.

Or two tunics or sandals or staff.

For the laborer deserves his food.

Here's what he's saying.

He said, I don't want you to take anything
that you think you're going to need.

Don't take extra money.

Have no contingency plans.

Don't, don't, don't

take anything
that will give you any sense of security.

Do you know why?

Because dependance is an important

part of discipleship.

He says, I want you to completely depend

on me.

Don't make contingency plans.

Don't insulate yourself

from every bad possible outcome.

Because your dependance on me
is a very important

part of your discipleship.

We have great comfort and and

and confidence when we got money right.

Great comfort and confidence.

We've got security,
great comfort and confidence.

When we feel like we're in control.

But Jesus is doing something.

He's training his people
to trust God's provision

through their obedience.

Not to be obedient

because God has already provided.

See, most of us,

most of us
want certainty before obedience.

God, if you show me how

I will go.

And God says, no.

That's not
how I'm going to choose to work.

You go

and I'll show you how.

Every year

at at our actual mission trip,
this is always the issue.

There's so many people.

I'd love to go, I don't know.

Oh, if God makes a way.

If he confirms he wants me to go.

If God does this, that, and the other,
I don't know if I can trust my,

you know, with my kids and blah
blah, blah, blah, blah.

And God says, if that's what you're
waiting for, you're never going to go.

You decide to go,

and then I'll show you
how I'm going to make a way

for you and your children.

Here's here's what we have to understand.

Provision always follows obedience.

What Jesus is saying to them and to us

is comfort is the enemy of your call.

Comfort is the enemy of your calling.

When we try to insulate ourselves

from anything that would be uncomfortable

and as a result, we never step into

the call of God
as his ambassadors in this world.

And this is very difficult
for some people,

and I understand
some people are very much wired to.

I need to know.

The biggest question in my life for some
is am I safe?

Am I secure?

And God says

you will never feel more safe and secure
when you're out of control.

But I am in control.

Comfort is the enemy of your call.

And Jesus says
the labor is worth his food.

Here's what he's saying.

He said, listen,
you focus on my call in your life,

and I will move my people
to take care of your needs.

This this is the truth all through the Old
Testament and New Testament.

For those of you who jump in with me
to meet the spiritual needs of people,

I will move people to take care of you
materially.

For those who receive
from one spiritually.

The obligation is to provide materially.

That's what he's saying.

The labor is worth is for.
Don't worry about it.

You're. That's what you're worth.

Don't worry. I'll take care of you.

But I want you to shed some.

He says the labor is worth it.

Not the lazy worth a handout.

All through the Bible, you don't work.

You don't eat.

We understand that

in theory, at least, in the civil realm.

Right? Right.

Let me let me just go.

Side note here.

Did you know up until the mid 1920s,

our country had completely open borders,

completely open borders.

All anybody had to do from
any other country get to Ellis Island.

And they're American right now.

What we didn't have when we had open
borders was welfare.

So anybody coming to our country,
completely open

borders, completely free immigration.

They knew that once they got here,
they had to work.

And so there was benefit both

for the person who was immigrating
and for the country,

because those who came knew they were
getting nothing unless they worked.

And it worked beautifully,

and it built our country

until the Great Depression.

In the 1934 35,

FDR created welfare,

and the caution to FDR at the time
was be very careful.

This must be for a very limited time,

otherwise
you will create a nation of beggars.

So people could come
before the welfare system.

And there were some great things
with the welfare system,

disability insurance, all kinds of stuff.

But before then, all the needs of

the society was taken care of by non,

governmental agencies
and organizations, by churches.

But what happened is there came so many

with open borders
that the populace who was providing

couldn't keep up with the populace
who was needing.

Then people could come
and just have a hand

without producing.

You follow.

So we understand this in the civil realm.

Why don't we

understand it in the spiritual realm?

God, I'm not being employed by you.

I'm not speaking. I'm not witnessing.

I'm not serving. I'm not going.

But will you please.

The laborer.

Is where this food.

He says you go in a place,
you find a house that's worthy.

Let your peace rest on them.

It's not a value statement.

What he's saying is this.

If they receive you and your message,

that's a worthy house, a worthy people.

They receive.

He says.

Those who receive this message
of the kingdom, let your peace be there.

Just be there with them.

Earlier, Jesus said,
don't throw your purse at the swine

if they're not going to receive you.

Shake the dust off your feet.
Move on to someone who will.

And when
Jesus said, shake the dust off your feet,

this was this was treasonous
to the Jewish people

because the Jews believed
that they had this spiritual

superiority
over all the non-Jews, the Gentiles.

And when a Jew would walk through

Gentile land, they'd get that nasty
Gentile dirt on their feet

as they left that Gentile land
and got back to the Jewish mean,

they would shake the dust off their feet
as a statement to those dirty Gentiles.

You are damned to hell
because of your spiritual filth.

And what Jesus is saying.

You don't accept my message
and my kingdom.

I don't care who you think you are.

You are condemned

apart from my kingdom.

Scathing to these Jews.

No wonder they wanted to kill him.

He was so revolutionary

and he expected his disciples
to be revolutionary

as well.

Verses 16 through 18.

Behold, I'm sending you out
as sheep in the midst of wolves.

So be wise as serpents, and innocent
as beware of men,

for they will deliver you over the courts
and flog you in their synagogues,

and you will be dragged
before governors and kings

for my sake to bear witness before them.

And the Gentiles be saying,

he's saying, listen, if you're good,
you're going to accept responsibility,

and you're going to live
with some urgency.

You have to expect resistance.

You got to expect resistance.

Jesus never sold a soft or a safe life.

If it's an obedient life,

he was not selling a soft or a safe life.

If it's obedient.

I love

when he says, I'm sending you a sheep
amidst midst the wolves.

He's turning the tables.

What are you saying is, listen,
you are the sheep of my flock

and I am sending you on attack mode.

Sheep don't attack wolves.

And that's what he's saying.

And to do this,

to be this person in this world,
you gotta be.

Excuse me.

Why is the serpents innocent of history
saying

he's saying nobody like snakes,

right?

You see a snake other than running away?

What do you want to do?

Kill it.

It's what he's saying.

He said they're going to want to kill you.

And so you have to be as wise
as a serpent.

In other words,

be very wise. And how you live.

Be crafty, be wise and be creative
because they're coming after you.

What you saying?

Why is this a serpent?

They're going to want to kill you.

And then he says, be innocent as doves.

Doves?

Don't go looking for a fight.

And they don't seek retaliation.

And you say, this is the.

This is the nature of a disciple.

I'm sending you among the wolves.

Be wise and creative.

Watch out for yourself.

Don't seek out harm.

It's going to come.

But you don't have the right to retaliate
either.

An obedient life,

he says, will cause friction with others,
even those we love.

Well, the gospel is good news.

Not everybody wants it to be true.

He says they're going to hand you
over to the courts.

I'm going to flog you in the synagogues.

Here's what he's saying.

Send the laws

of the culture and the society
are going to be against you

and against my kingdom.

We understand this.

The laws of our country
have turned against

the simple evangelical Christian

ethos.

And not only, he says,

will the laws of the land
turn against you,

but they will flog you in the synagogues.

Organized religion

will become very unbiblical,

or even for one to believe
and to hold true

to the simple conservative
evangelical faith

by those in the religious establishment
will be labeled narrow

minded bigots, and all these other things

they want to tag on.

He said, if you're going to follow me,
culture is going to turn against you,

and eventually the religious people
turn against you.

And even people in your own house listen,

if everybody approves of your faith, you
probably haven't explained it correctly.

And in verses 19 and 20.

When they deliver

you over, do not be anxious for what
you are to speak, or what we will see, for

you are to see what you are to see
will be given to you in that hour.

For it is not you who speak,
but the spirit of your father

speaking through you. Here's
what he's saying.

Said, if you're going to accept
responsibility, be my own disciple,

and you're going to live with urgency.

You have to expect resistance.

But you must speak boldly without fear.

You must speak boldly.

Without fear, is what he's saying.

See, the the witness
is not the willingness to speak.

The witness is the word spoken.

A lot of us have the willingness,

but don't employ the words.

Say words from God.

Come only when our mouth is open.

Don't worry about a perfect speech.

You're promised
divine help and intervention.

Most Christians

are silent not because they lack faith,

but because they fear inadequacy.

I don't know what to say.

I mean, I don't have the answers.

What happens if they ask me something?

I'm like, I don't know, like.

It's not that I don't have faith.

It's just I feel I fear being inadequate
and looking stupid.

Well, Jesus removes that excuse.

You don't know what to say ahead of time,

but remember.

My provision comes

after you accept the call.

If you have the Spirit of God in you,
you start

speaking and words
will be given you in that power.

Not before.

And then

some of the hardest teaching
that Jesus will teach.

Verse 21.

Brother will deliver brother
over to death.

This is this is not hyperbole.

This isn't metaphor.

He's saying for some

this is going to be reality.

And Jesus doesn't protect his people

from it.

Brother will deliver brother over death.

And the father his child.

What?

And children will rise against parents
and have them put to death?

And you will be
hated by all for my name's sake.

But the one who endures to
the end will be saved.

When they persecute you in one town
fleet of the next.

For truly,

I say to you,
you will not have gone through

all the towns of Israel
before the Son of Man comes.

A disciple is not above his teacher,
nor servant above his master.

It's enough for the disciple
to be like his teacher, and the servant

like his master that they've called
the master of the house bills above them.

How much more will they?

Will they malign those of his household
bills?

Above
was a pagan god, the Lord of the flies.

Basically, it was the leader of demons

attached to Satan.

And what they charged Jesus with is Jesus.

You're
nothing but a demon possessed Satan.

And he says,
if they're going to call me that,

guess what they're going to say
about your reputation?

It's going to be ruined.

Some of the hardest
teaching of Jesus right here.

What he's saying is this

you give allegiance to Jesus alone.

And it will divide family

and it will divide friends.

So what do you say in

and when it comes down to them or Jesus,

the choice is always Jesus.

Even if it divides those

whom you love.

It's a tough teaching.

Jesus doesn't ask to be added to our life.

I don't ever say,
just ask Jesus to come into your heart.

I don't say that because it's almost as
if we add Jesus to everything

else already in our heart.

And that's not what Jesus is saying.

Jesus claims I must be the Lord

and the ruler of your entire life.

And he says, for some,
this persecution that they will face

because they follow me, will be extreme

and ultimate persecution
that will for some and then death.

Now that's not our story.

It is some story. It's not ours.

Our persecution will be in the realms

of socially and financially.

And when our reputation

and he says, those who endure to the end

will be saved.

What he's saying is this

faith that cost nothing, accomplishes

nothing.

If it caution,

nothing is going to accomplish nothing.

It is very true

that being a Christ
follower is very costly.

But I suggest to you, according to the
Word of God, that is is worth every cost.

Those who endured to the end.

Just last week I was in Guatemala.

Working with a lot of people and couples

who desperately want their country
to come to faith

or plant in churches up in the hills,
some of the poorest of the poor.

And we support all of them financially.

The poorest of the poor.

And to a person.

They came up to me this week
and they said, please tell your church

thank you.

Without your church's investment
in our lives, we don't eat.

They're enduring until the end.

One then man named Patricio,

big tears in his eyes, an old man

limped up to make a barely walk.

He said, nine years ago

I was involved in an automobile accident
and I had surgery after surgery.

After surgery, nine years later,
his leg is still infected.

They can't cure him of the infection
and it's eating up his leg

and will eventually eat up his body.

And he said,

my body is wasting away
and I am in great pain every day,

but my heart is so big and soulful
that God would count me

worthy.

And so taken aback

by these people
that I'm walking down to my room

and I just stop for a moment
and this overwhelming message came to me,

and I wrote it down on my phone
because I didn't want to forget it.

And this is what I thought.

I thought

some of us are going to be so ashamed
when we get to heaven

and stand next to the poorest of the poor
saints who endured

will be so ashamed

at what was so dissatisfying for us

in this world, and of the excuses
we use to not serve God.

Tumbling.

And she says, look, they're going to come
after you if you're doing it right.

So when you face persecution fleet

in the next town, here's what he's saying.

He's saying don't seek out suffering
if you don't have to.

If you can get out of persecution
with your faith intact,

full of integrity, go to the next town.

Here's
why he's saying that not because our lives

are the key thing he's saying.

Flee to the next town because there's more
people to share the kingdom of God with.

Not because you want to save your own
skin.

You die.

You go to heaven.

Like that's a great transaction.

And if that's what God asks, that's
what God has.

How wonderful is that?

There are so many people
who want to live their best life now.

Well, you can if you're bound for hell,
this will be your best life.

Don't ever say I want to live

my best life now don't say that.

Because that'll come true.

This will be your best life.

If you're bound for hell.

I want my best life to be there.

And so what Jesus is saying is like,
look, go.

Not because you want to save this thing,
but because there's more people.

The fields are right.

Proclaim the kingdom.

So the question is not
if following Jesus is costly,

the question is whether he's worth
what it will cost.

And there are some here that same in
Jesus who

determined, no, it's not worth the cost.

And there are some here,

as in the page of Scripture

that will say,

even if all fall away, I won't.

The challenge
is that the disciples entered

this chapter as students and they left as
messengers, and so must we.

We are not in

the arenas of our life by random chance
nor accident.

We're in the arenas
of our life on purpose.

They are our huddle.

And for the Christ follower, as boring

and as mundane as your earthly life
may be, day by day,

as that day goes by, you've got.

We've got to realize.

That we are someone's God

and pointed encounter with the gospel.

And the goal for the disciple

is to be like Christ.

He says it's enough for the disciple
to be like the master.

It's enough for the pupil
to be like the student.

Just then Jesus says, be like me.

Paul will say the same thing
in Romans 829.

Be conformed to the image of the son.

And so, dear friends,

once Jesus rescues us from sin,

he commissions us

to be radicalized image

bearers in the world.

I want you to hear my words.

Once he saves us from sin,
he commissions us to be

get this radicalized image bearers.

And whatever it costs us,

it's worth it.

And so today.

Decide to give your allegiance

to Jesus alone.

And decide for salvation.

I want you to pray with me.

If you've never yet.

Pledged allegiance to Jesus.

I want to give you that chance.

Simple prayer.

Profound transformation.

To God, I admit that I've sinned

and lived my own way.

I believe Jesus died for my sin
and that he rose again.

Forgive me.

I accept your forgiveness.

I commit to turn from my sin.

And I dedicate my life
and my allegiance to you alone.

Help me live for you openly,

without shame and without hesitation.

Friends,

for some of you,
this is the day of salvation.

Some of you have prayed that prayer.

You have a relationship with Jesus,

but you're realizing

that the call of Christ

is much greater

either than what
you've realized or accepted.

And so I would invite you in this moment
just simply to pray.

Father,

I pledge my allegiance to you

and to you alone.

I accept the responsibility

to be your radicalized image

bearer in this world.

Have mercy on me.

Give me all that your grace will allow.

But whatever it costs,

I count it worthy.

Amen.

Matthew ten.

Can you see how Jesus turns
the corner here?

He's going to fall.

We're going to finish up
Matthew ten next week.

And Jesus is going to come out of all this
with one message.

Don't you dare be afraid. Now.

Don't you dare be afraid.

Don't be afraid of the culture.

Don't be afraid of the wolves.

Don't be afraid of the cost.

I am with you.

And so this week, read all of chapter ten.

As the disciple

who is choosing
to pledge their allegiance.

To the God of our salvation.

I love you.

I'm proud of you.
Let's sing one more song.