Matthew 44
A bible study in the truth (part 2)
Let your light shine!
Matthew 10:26–33 (NIV)
26 “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed or hidden that will not be made known.
27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.
28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.
30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.
33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
A time is coming
26 “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed or hidden that will not be made known."
· From the previous verse:
Matthew 10:25 (NIV)
25 It is enough for students to be like their teachers and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!
· We know that hard times await us as believers
· It"s kind of like bull riding, it’s not if, but when you’re going to get thrown and stomped!
· But there is hope, hope for a better time!
o There will come a time when everything will be revealed
o Both who Christ is and who you are in Him!
o We may never live to see it here, but we will see it
· So, don’t fear it, don’t worry about it, be prepared for it
We are constantly under attack
· And most of the time we don’t even see it
o It’s in our thoughts, our fears, our worries
o It’s in our good intentions, be careful, the worst laid plans are in good intentions
· We take our eye off the mission at hand and get sidetracked by things that are not in our lane
· Be careful, pray about everything and seek wise counsel
o And listen, don’t look for people that agree!
· Remember Jesus has got the gates secure, you fight the good fight for the lost souls God has in your path
It all will come out in the wash!
27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.
· Jesus, up to this point tried and keep things quiet, but it was time for things to be revealed
· It started here and took hold at Pentecost.
Acts 2:11–12 (NIV)
11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”
12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
· The word started to spread like Jesus proclaimed it would
· And He wants us all to continue to proclaim the gospel to a lost and dying world
Paul warns us what to expect, and why we do it!
1 Corinthians 4:9–14 (NIV)
9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings.
10 We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored!
11 To this very hour, we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.
12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;
13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.
14 I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children.
· Everything we endure is for Jesus
· To lift Him up
· To proclaim His name
· And if we have the right expectations we will be able to love the lost of this world
We are to love the world and those in it, not judge it or condemn it, we leave that to Jesus!
1 Corinthians 4:1–7 (NIV)
1 This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed.
2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.
3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.
4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.
5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.
6 Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other.
7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
· Love is how we will reach a lost world, not judgment and condemnation!
· I found a great Article on this very subject
Have a health Fear
28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
· This is not a fear of our Father in the way that we would think here on earth
· If you have faith and believe He is a good Father
· Our fear should be that He has the final say
o That we don’t worry what anything on this earth can do
o That we put Him first in all things
o And we fear for the ones that don’t call Him Father
o Because one day they will call Him ord and Just God!
o For every knee will bow, and tongue confess!
You are more precious that any other creature on earth!
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.
30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
· What kind of comfort can we take from this?
· That nothing happens without God's Knowledge!
· That He has numbered every hair on your head!
· That you mean that much to Him
Verses to remind ourselves how much we are loved as Children of God!
1 John 3:1 (NIV)
1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
1 John 4:7–8 (NIV)
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Deuteronomy 7:9 (NIV)
9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.
· So, step into the world boldly
· Knowing you are a loved child
· A Loved child of the creator of heaven and earth!
· So have no fear that He will not take care of you in every situation!
There are consequences for everything!
32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.
33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
· We must never forget that there are consequences for everything we do
· Both good and bad
· We could avoid a little pain here on earth by knowing Jesus on Sunday
o And then putting Him in a little box the rest of the week
o It might be easier today
o But there are consequences on the backside for it
· Or we could take a little pain, some inconvenience today
o And have a different set of consequences on the other side
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