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Matthew 10:34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword."
Presenting the truth of the Person and teaching of Jesus Christ is a sword that divides families.
Disappointment will come to those sent ones who expect to be received well, and accepted by everyone.
It is often the case that those closest to sent ones are the ones who reject them because of the message they bring (Matthew 10:35-36; Micah 7:6).
The cost of being a sent one is plainly stated by Jesus. He never sends without giving every opportunity to count the cost (Luke 14:28). He expects you to be ready to face and accept rejection (Luke 14:27).
Preaching the gospel will stir up opposition, but sent ones should emphasise the great work of Christ in making the Church "one new man" in union through Him (Ephesians 2:14-17). He demolished the middle wall of separation between believing Jews and Gentiles. Sent ones should not be part of inciting any form of division among God's people (Romans 16:17).
Never allow natural ties to turn you from true love, loyalty to the Lord and His Word. Always make Jesus first (Matthew 10:38).
Living the life of a sent one involves enduring and overcoming. Face up to your challenges, focus on winning the lost, and establishing and equipping others. Work to strengthen churches to bear the weight of growth (See Romans 1:11-17).
Your foes should never be allowed to hinder your ministry of encouragement, motivation, and stimulation.
Hebrews 12:3 "For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls."
Matthew 10:38 "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me."
Christ's consciousness of His own worth sets the standard for what He requires of His sent ones. He must be first in your love and devotion, so that for Him you abandon self; even death would not be too high a price in His service.
Christ Jesus was sending forth in His hour of public popularity, but the vision of His cross was before Him as His coming hour. He sees His faithful sent ones and all His followers, each with his cross, moving towards a crown of glory.
Each of His must take his cross of self-abandonment for Him. The cross must be willingly taken up by yourself. You may not have to literally die for Christ, but you will in your own special form have to deny self and abandon personal rights for Him. Doing whatever the Lord and His word requires of you, demands a preparedness for rejection, pain, surrender of self.
As a sent one you need a heart like your Lord. Suffering for Him must be borne just as He bore the pain of His.
Following Jesus in His willing choice of God the Father's will for Him - the cross - should mean for you daily choices of God's will for you whatever His will may prove to be. This can only be so when you keep close to Jesus. It is in His strength only that your self abandonment can be made.
To be worthy of the Lord Jesus as His sent one you willingly follow Jesus, going and doing whatever He purposes, gladly and of your own volition taking up your cross in proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom. The cross is to be in your life and in your message (Matthew 10:38. 16:24; 1 Corinthians 1:23; Galatians 3:1). Be a worthy representative of Christ by clearly portraying the gospel of Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2).
Matthew 10:39 "He who finds his life will lose it ..."
To find life in the material things of the world, is to lose it. None of which you can take with you in departing from this world.
To focus on something you cannot possibly keep makes you a loser. And to teach others to covet with passion this world's riches can put them in the process of forfeiting eternal life.
False leaders who centre on worldly things are stumbling others. They do so because they have departed from the principles of Holy Scripture, and thereby caused many to stumble. (See Malachi 2:8). The Word warns that their judgment would be more severe because of the disastrous consequences for those who follow them (Cf Hosea 4:5). Regrettably there are those who speak the mind of Satan instead of embracing God's purposes, just as Peter did and received the Lord's rebuke as one giving offence (Matthew 16:23). Jesus warns the one who causes any of His weak ones to sin,
Matthew 18:6 "... it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea."
In leading it should be obvious to all that for you there is no sacrifice for the Lord Jesus that can possibly compare with what you receive from Him. Let it be seen that you estimate the wealth of eternal realities before anything this passing world could offer.
Matthew 10:39 "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."
True sent ones are willing to forsake everything, even physical life should that be necessary for the Lord who has sent them.
Commitment to the Lord Jesus is to be expressed in losing your life for His sake. This will mean centering all your aims and activities in Him and for Him. You will not cling to your possessions as your own. They will be surrendered to Him in responsible stewardship, willingly losing your life for His sake.
Unconditional surrender of all is claimed by your divine Lord who gave His life for you. Let the dominion of self be driven out of the inner temple of your being by the force of Christ's love and sacrifice for you. Every day hear Jesus Christ saying "For My sake". It should transform all you do.
"Will find it." In giving all to your wonderful Master, all your rooms, your work, your leisure, your family and home, you will find real life that is sweeter, meaningful, far better, and His life more abundant. Oh, the incredibly richness of life that flows from enthroning Christ.
Willingness to lose your life now is really no loss at all because you find in devotedness to Him, life in its true fulness now and the life to come, with Him forever.
By surrendering yourself to the transforming power of Jesus you can become the self (the person) that God created you to be. Your yearning for that can only be realised by being daily yielded to Him.
INTERACTIVE QUESTIONS