Skip to content Embracing Life through Sacrifice: Lessons from Matthew 10 & 11 Jun 17 · 18 min ...more
Embracing Life through Sacrifice: Lessons from Matthew 10 & 11
June 17, 2025 · 18 min
Dive into Matthew 10 to uncover what Jesus teaches about the dual gift of authority and power for healing and spiritual warfare.
Series Stand on the Word - Audio On Demand June 17, 2025 · 18 min · Stand on the Word - Audio On Demand
Dive into Matthew 10 to uncover what Jesus teaches about the dual gift of authority and power for healing and spiritual warfare. ...more Show the full description Show less Dive into Matthew 10 to uncover what Jesus teaches about the dual gift of authority and power for healing and spiritual warfare.
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The Paradox of the Kingdom 0:10 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word. Alright. Our journey today takes us to Matthew chapter 10 and 11 verse 39 of chapter 10. He who finds his life will lose it, and he0:21 who loses his life for my sake will find it. Now Jesus is moving into the very practical application of the paradoxical realities of the kingdom of0:33 God. Do you wanna find your life? Lose it. You wanna be a conqueror? Then surrender to Jesus. Want the abundant life? Die to self, and you'll find life. There's so0:45 much in these 2 chapters that we could spend a week or more just discussing this passage, but we can't. So I wanna encourage you to read both of these chapters thoroughly. I'm gonna focus0:57 primarily on chapter 10 this morning. Verse 1, chapter 10, and when he had called his 12 disciples to him, he gave them power over unclean spirits to cast them out and to heal all kinds of1:09 sicknesses and all kinds of disease. Now first, he called his 12 disciples soon to become apostles, and he gave them, as Luke makes clear in1:21 Luke 9 1, power and authority. And And I'd also point out here that he gave them power to heal all kinds of sicknesses and diseases, but notice what comes first in1:32 this list of authority and power that's given, unclean spirits. There's often a connection between what we see in the physical and experience in the physical to the spiritual.1:45 But notice again power and authority. You can have the power but not the authority, and then you're a renegade or an outlaw. You can have the authority, but no power, and1:56 it's not gonna end well. You have to have both. We need both, the authority and the power. Now we're gonna talk a little bit more about that in a moment. Matthew then provides a listing of the 122:08 disciples. Then Jesus gives them direction for their specific mission beginning here through verse 15. Look at verse 5. These 12, Jesus sent out and commanded them2:20 saying, do not go into the way of the Gentiles. Do not enter into the city of a the Samaritans, but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Now their mission2:32 before the cross was to the Jewish nation. Contrast Jesus' instruction here to the instructions postcross. Verse, 8 8 of chapter 1 of2:44 x of Acts says this, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and2:56 Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Alright. Post cross, as we read as we'll see later in Matthew chapter 28, all authority in heaven on earth was3:08 given to Jesus, and he commissioned he gave authority to his followers. And then in Acts, we see when the Holy Spirit came, that the power3:20 was given. Alright. Verse 7. And as you go preach, saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick. Cleanse the lepers. Raise the dead. Cast out demons. Freely you3:32 have received. Freely give. Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor 23:44 tunics, nor sandals, nor staff, for a worker is worthy of his food. Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy and stay there until you go out.3:56 Drop down to verse 14. And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable4:07 for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city. Wow. Now notice again, we're gonna see we've seen this before in the Old Testament. We're gonna continue to see it in the New4:19 Testament. Sodom and Gomorrah is used as a standard of sin and judgment. Alright? Just keep that in mind. Alright. From here, there are warnings of the opposition4:31 that they would encounter, and how they were to respond to that opposition has application beyond their limited mission during Jesus' 3 year ministry into the present age of4:43 the church. So we need to pay close attention to this. Verse 16. Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as as serpents and harmless as doves. Notice4:55 who is sending. I send you. Alright? Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 1 commentator5:11 Verse 17. But be aware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake as a testimony to5:23 them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak, for it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak. For it5:34 is not you who speak, but the spirit of your father who speaks in you. That's the power of the Holy Spirit. Now let's stop here for a moment because there is something that I think5:46 is especially relevant for us right now right now where we're living. Alright? This age in which we're living right now. Persecution. Hear me.5:58 Okay? Persecution has a purpose. Look what Jesus says. You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake. Before governors and kings for my sake. It6:10 says for the lord's sake. Now what does that mean? Let's unpack that because sometimes we hear that so much, we just kinda skip over it. Alright. Here here's what it means when it says for the lord's sake, for his glory.6:21 Right? I I I know we wrestle with this. Well, let me let me go on. For his glory, for his purposes, for his kingdom. Now I know we don't like to hear this, and in6:33 fact, we have a hard time grasping6:46 foster this idea that6:48 it's all about us. Yes. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, and he gave his6:49 us. Yes. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life. And and we've taken that, and we've kinda made us the center7:01 of God's plan and purpose. His plan and purpose is to bring glory to himself. Jesus, as we're gonna see through his ministry, his purpose was to bring glory to the father all the way through7:13 his ministry. And so we, when we face persecution, it is about bringing honor and glory to God. It is about his name. It is about7:25 elevating his name. Recall what Jesus said in chapter 5 5 chapter 5 verse 10 of Matthew. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,7:37 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for for my sake. Rejoice7:49 and be exceedingly glad for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. So this is not this doesn't count when it's about us when we are because we have a chip on our8:01 shoulder because we're whatever. It is about the glory of God. When we are serving him and we face the opposition now that does not mean in America today that we do8:13 not exercise our rights in terms of the the legal rights that we have. We certainly do. But we understand that the outcome is to bring glory to God, and so we should8:25 have confidence in that no matter what happens. Alright. This is it it's just important, and I think we need to understand that that we live we live in a time when8:37 we're going to face persecution. Jesus warned us of that. So we should you know, I I don't I don't welcome it, but I'm ready for it. And I will persevere8:49 through it knowing that it's going to bring glory to God as I keep my eyes faced upon him. Now, verse 21, now brother will deliver up brother to death and father his child and children9:00 will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. Now this is unnatural, and Jesus expands upon it in verses 34 through 36. This type of division in the9:12 family reveals the spiritual warfare that is taking place between the kingdom of God and the kingdom that Satan has temporarily established in this world. It's happening right now. Right? We see9:24 this happening in our culture today, which is being fostered, quite frankly, by elements of our own government, which it okay. So let's unpack this for a moment. When our government, whether it be9:36 schools, whether it be local city councils or the federal government, whoever it might be, is pushing policies that would divide or drive9:48 a wedge between parents who are teaching their children biblical truth and those children. We know that's not of God, is it? No. It's not. It's not the kingdom of God. It is10:00 the kingdom of Satan. There's only 2. Okay? There's there's good and there's evil. Jesus said either you're for me or you're against me. And so we know what the root of that, it is satanic. It is demonic. We10:11 must stand against it even when it's coming from our own government, especially when it's coming from our own government, especially the the freedoms that we have in this country to shape our own policy.10:24 And parents, we're on this 21 day family bible challenge. You you you may not have heard this before because we've talked about it on the journey. But if you're new to the10:36 journey, let me just say this. God has given to parents, and we see this over in Deuteronomy. He has given parents both the authority and the responsibility to train up their children, to teach10:47 them the proper worldview, to follow God, to to know God, to know his ways, his word, and what he expects of us. Now you can delegate11:00 the, responsibility to teach your children. I don't advocate that you do, but you can to a public school system, a church, you know, a religious school, but you can11:11 never delegate the authority because God or the responsibility you can delegate the authority, but never the responsibility. God is gonna hold you accountable, not the school system. He's gonna hold you11:23 and I as parents responsible for what our children are taught. Verse 22, and you will be hated by all for my name's sake, but he who endures11:35 to the end will be saved. Now Jesus clearly states the warning that there's nothing going to be hidden. I mean, he he doesn't hide anything here in the small print. Alright? He's not this is not11:47 a, you know, a bait and switch. He's telling very clearly upfront, truly following Jesus has a price. Right? He he he is not11:59 candy coating it. Verse 38 spells it out. You have to take up your cross, which means death. Right? That's what it meant, dying to self. You had to be willing to lay down your life for the kingdom12:11 of God and for his purposes. And that that doesn't necessarily in today's world. Some places, it does in this in this world. But for us, it doesn't mean physical depth, but it often12:22 means laying down our reputations, laying down our desires. It it it means a lot. Just surrendering it all to God. Now we sing these songs12:34 in church, but do we really do them? And this is what he's saying that living in the kingdom requires. Now he says, here12:47 is is why followers of Jesus should not be surprised by the hatred and rejection that we experience from those outside the kingdom of God. Look at verse 24. A disciple is not12:58 above his teacher nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call13:10 those of his household? See, they did this to Jesus, Beelzebub being the chief of of of demons. They they did this to Jesus. They will do it to those who follow him, but13:22 he immediately transitions to this. Look what he says. Do not be afraid. Verse 26. Therefore, do not fear them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed and hidden that will13:34 not be known. Don't worry about what they're saying about you. The truth will come out. It will be known. Verse 28. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, but rather fear him who is able to13:46 destroy both soul and body in hell. Verse 31. Do not fear, therefore, you are of therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows. Look what it says next to those who,13:58 do not shrink back but faithfully endure. Verse 32. Therefore, whoever confesses me before men, I will also confess them before my father who is in heaven. But14:10 whoever denies me before men, him, I will also deny before my father who is in heaven. You might be saying, wait a minute. Wait a minute. There's just too much conflict here. I thought Jesus14:22 was about peace. Look at verse 34. Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Verse 38, and he who does not14:33 take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. Now here's something that will send the left walkers.14:46 Peace comes through conquest, not through compromise and capitulation. That said, alright, our conquest is spiritual. It's not physical.14:58 Jesus will accomplish both spiritual and physical con conquest when he returns in the millennial kingdom. That's not for us now. Ours is spiritual. Now lest you're overwhelmed15:10 by what Jesus is calling you to do, let me jump to the last 3 verses of chapter 11. Okay? This is all I'm gonna cover in chapter 11. Verse 28, chapter 11. Come to me, all you who15:22 labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you15:34 will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Yoke, we don't really grasp these these, agricultural15:49 horses or donkeys, whatever they were, were yoked together. That's his word. So they would be working together. And Jesus said, you know, my yoke, it's easy, and my16:01 burden is light. See, Jesus offers to carry us and carry the load. Jesus offers internal peace amid external tribulation, and he16:13 promises to do the heavy lifting for us. Look at John 16 33. He says, these things I have spoken to you that in me, you may have peace. In the world,16:25 you'll have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Father, we thank you for your word. And and, Lord, I pray that we would grasp16:38 the the the paradoxical realities of the kingdom of God, that it's opposite of the world. If we if we want to live, we have to die. Lord, if we16:50 wanna gain, we surrender. It's the opposite of what the world would tell us. So, lord, give us the the kingdom mindset to follow you in total absolute obedience. And, Lord, I just17:01 pray a blessing upon the families that are on this journey. And, Lord, may you strengthen them, encourage them, and build them up through the power of your Holy Spirit and your word. We pray17:13 in Jesus' name. Amen. Alright. Thanks for joining me this morning. Until next time, keep standing on the word.17:23 Today's study comes from the stand on the word bible reading plan available for free at frc dot org slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you17:35 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 The Paradox of the Kingdom
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