Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. If you share your faith, If you are a light, For Jesus in your home, in your neighborhood, in your school, in your Place of business. Don't be surprised that there is opposition. Not only opposition, but some hostility. Welcome to the Verdict with Pastor John Monroe.
In many ways, it seems that followers of Jesus Christ are on a collision course with our culture. But we shouldn't be surprised. Today, we'll learn why we should expect to encounter opposition. How should we respond? And what does that mean for sharing our faith?
Let's join Pastor John Monroe as he continues our study in the book of Matthew with his message titled Confronting the World. Have you ever been persecuted for your faith? Has anyone rejected you because you're a Christ follower? any friendship ended because of the gospel, In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Our Savior wants us to shine as lights. in our dark world. But what happens if we're rejected? Those of us who seek to take seriously the teaching of Holy Scripture seem to be on a collision course with our culture. Don't compromise.
Be strong. Remember that wherever we go, Christ is with us. Today we continue our series in Matthew and we'll learn what it means when there's a confrontation between the gospel and the world. Jesus is giving a warning to his disciple. Jesus is preparing his disciples and us As to what awaits them as they go into the harvest.
Yes, we're to proclaim the gospel. were to shine for Christ. But even as we learned the last couple of verses last week, not everyone. will respond To the message. Matthew 10, if you've got your Bible there.
Matthew 10, the last two verses that we looked at last week. 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. In the first century, and indeed in the 21st century, not only Is there opposition? In some cases, there is active Persecution.
Now what awaits you and me As we take This challenge seriously coming from the very lips of our Lord Jesus Christ to share our faith. What awaits us.
Well, it's unlikely that here in the United States any of us will be imprisoned for our faith. But increasingly, it seems to me that there is an increasing conflict. Between the word of God and our contemporary society, our laws, the decision of our courts, the attitudes of those in the media, and in authority. There is this increasing conflict between the light of God and the darkness of our. world.
For example, to say that Jesus Christ Is the only way of salvation which is clearly taught in Scripture. To say that. is to be attacked. As a bigot. as intolerant, even as unloving.
to declare this truth. That Jesus Christ is the way, the truth. And the life. And increasingly then, followers of Jesus. Those of us who accept the authority of Scripture, and let's face it, less and less churches actually believe this book, and even fewer preach it.
Even those who say they believe it are not necessarily preaching it, giving a prosperity theology, a kind of motivational type of exciting. A message rather than a declaration of the truth of the gospel. Those of us who accept and seek to live by Holy Scripture, I would submit to you, are on a collision course. with our dark hostile world. And this is what Jesus is going to say in the first century.
If you share your faith, If you are a light, For Jesus in your home, in your neighborhood, in your school, in your Place of business. in your acquaintances, don't be surprised that there is opposition. Not only opposition, but some hostility. Not even just some hostility, but perhaps active persecution.
However, we're going to read. Don't be afraid.
So let's read. About the reality of persecution in Matthew 10 from verse. Sixteen. One of the reasons I preach consecutively through scripture. Is that we hear what Jesus is saying to us rather than what I think you need to hear?
We're going with the very words of Jesus in their context, trying to understand them, and asking God in His grace. To Integrate these truths into our lives. Matthew ten, sixteen. Behold, I'm sending you the twelve apostles.
Now listen to this. I'm sending you out as sheep. In the midst of wolves. 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. 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 through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
A disciple is not above his teacher. nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher. and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house.
Jesus If they have called the master of the house, The Alzheimer How much more will they malign those of his? Household. That's a serious Sober Passage, isn't it? I'm called to be a light. Jesus is sending us out.
But now here is the reality. The sobering reality, the reality of persecution. The world is hostile to followers of Jesus. Have you? Have you come across that?
Notice what Jesus says, verse 16. I'm sending you out a sheep. in the midst of wolves. Do wolves like sheep? Yes.
Because they attack them, they're going to devour them. I'm sending you out, my apostles. A sheep in the midst of wolves.
However, notice this. It is Jesus. Who's sending you out? He is commissioning us. That changes everything, doesn't it?
Paul is going to say in 2 Corinthians 5. You are ambassadors for Christ. You represent Christ. Christ is in heaven, seated at the Father's right hand. We are here as his servants.
We are the light of the world. And as you go, remember this. Whether people receive the word or not, you're a representative of Jesus. You are the light. of Jesus a light into the world.
Verse 18 as well. You will be dragged before governors and kings for my... Sake. Isn't that what Jesus taught in what we call the Beatitudes? Matthew 5 verse 11, Blessed are you.
When others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Persecution is coming. But remember, I'm sending you. And you're going to suffer on my account. And back to verse 16: as you go as sheep in the midst of wolves.
Here are things to characterize us. We are to be wise as serpents. And innocent. As doves. You see, there are many false gospels, compromised gospels, disguised gospels, and therefore we need to be as wise as serpents.
We need wisdom, we need to be discerning. We're not to be naive. Is the point. We need to be shrewd. Yes, we're to be innocent as doves, we're to be pure, we're to be authentic, we're to be transparent.
But as we go into the world, we realize there are wolves there, and therefore we need to exercise wisdom. We thought last time in Colossians 4, Jesus, Paul said that we are to walk in wisdom toward outsiders. As you share your faith, as you think, am I going to communicate? uh the gospel to my parents. Uh to the Fellow next door.
To my colleague at work, how am I going to do this? I need wisdom. I need to be wise as a serpent. Who is this individual? Yes, I'm to be innocent, I'm to be pure, I'm to be kind, I'm to be holy.
But I am not to be naive, I need wisdom. And the Bible says, if you like wisdom, ask of God, the reality is. The world hates Jesus and hates The gospel.
Now in this passage, Jesus is referring primarily to his disciples who are going to be proclaiming the gospel after the ascension.
So he gives them a warning, verse 17: beware of men. You're going to be persecuted. Verse 22, you'll be hated by all. for my sake. Verse 23, when they persecute you.
This is tough. You're sending me out? I'm to be beware of men. I'm going to be persecuted. I'm going to be hated because I'm a follower of Jesus Christ.
Jesus is preparing His disciples for the reality of future persecution. You say that this happened, of course, this happened. Read your Bible. Read the book of Acts, what happened in Acts, wonderful things. These twelve Ordinary man.
are totally transformed, filled with the Spirit. And they go preaching the gospel. Wherever they go, they proclaim the name of Jesus. What happens? They're imprisoned.
They're flogged. They're stunned. As Jesus prophesied in verse 18, they're dragged before governors and kings.
Some of them are even martyred for their faith. Faith. And says Jesus, this persecution will continue throughout the world. Did you notice verse 18? You'll be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.
The gospel Start it. Verse 6. With the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The disciples started first in Israel, not Samaria. Not the Roman world, not going to Rome, no.
First they go to Israel. They start at home, they proclaim the gospel. to the Jews first. But Jesus is saying now there's going to come a time when this message is going to go throughout the world. It's going to go to the Gentiles.
And as you bring the message to the gospel to the Gentiles, there's going to be hatred. And so the disciples are being prepared For the task. of being a light. Do you know today no one persecutes us, no one tells us. You cannot worship But some of our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world, in many countries, Right now as I speak, are in prison for their faith.
lose their jobs. Does owned by their family? Refused higher education. because of their commitment to Jesus. Christ.
On Thursday I had the privilege on our Day of prayer for missionaries. Uh with uh zoom. I joined it. And uh most of the missionaries there at the time I prayed with them were from Central Asia. You know, these strange sounding names, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and all of the stands.
And I've had the privilege of visiting some of them and know these men and women of God. And through The interpreter were learning about their prayer requests. And did you know That one of the pastors that we support In his church, Half of the men have been arrested over a period of time. thrown into prison.
Sometimes for 15 days, sometimes up to a period of two years. Evil. They're doing nothing wrong, they're law-abiding. Citizens, they're righteous men. Could you imagine?
Who's the situation? That the authorities, whether you look on them, could come into Calvary now. Harass us. And over a period of time, half of the men here would spend time in prison. You say, well, I would send for my attorney, it's not going to work.
Trump top charges. fabricated charges, false evidence. And you spend time in prison. How would it be, man, if you were faced? That if you come and live for Jesus Christ, if you're known as a Christian, there could be a strong possibility that you would be arrested.
That some night somebody would come knocking on the door and they say, Look, I hear such and such happens, and they dragged you off. happens throughout the world, down through Christian history. The organization, the voice of the martyrs, monitors some of the persecution of. Christians throughout the world. It defines a Christian martyr in this way.
A Christian martyr. is one who chooses to suffer death rather than to deny Christ. Think of that. Would I be prepared to die? before I denied Christ.
As it were, with a gun to my head. Or facing a death by hanging, or however, they're going to kill me. And I know that I would get off if I said, oh, I deny Christ and I curse the name of Christ. Or would I be prepared to die for my faith? Would you?
Chooses to suffer death rather than deny Christ or His Word. We have people in this country, pastors who deny the word of God. Sacrifice is something very important to further the kingdom of God. Do you think about sacrifice as you follow Christ? endures great suffering for Christian witness.
We could all bend down to shape because someone says, I don't believe this, or somebody argues with us, or someone says no, or someone curses us because we're a follower of Christ. Martyred for their faith. Jesus is preparing. His followers. for this possibility.
Did you notice verse 21? Brother will deliver brother over to death. And the father, his child, children will rise against parents and have put them to death. Verse 34, don't think that I've come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace with a sword.
For I've come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And the person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. That's tough, isn't it?
That Jesus is sending us into our very families. But not all families will respond. I'm sure if we went round all of the families represented here, it would be the unusual family. Who 100% Believe in Christ and live. Four.
Christ. The reality is, and I heard of this this week, of an example of someone Who was here last week? I'm challenging them to share their faith with their family. They do that. They call their family, they speak to family members, they speak to friends, and most of them.
are outraged. And say no. We don't believe, and in fact, if you're going to believe that, you are not going to be part of our family. I value my family very, very strongly. I can imagine.
When my parents were alive, if they were unbelievers, if I presented the gospel to them and they said, John, if you pursue that, you are no longer my son. But isn't that what Jesus is saying? That my top loyalty in life is not to my wife. It's not to my parents. I'm to honor my parents.
It's not to my brothers and sisters. It's not to any other human being. My first loyalty is to Jesus Christ. Isn't that what he's saying? If I love father or mother more than Christ, I'm not worthy of Christ.
This is hard hitting, isn't it? But this is The gospel. And Jesus knows as he's saying these words that What lies ahead for him, he's going to be flogged, he's going to be spat at, he's going to be falsely imprisoned, he's going to be ridiculed, he's going to be struck in the face, and eventually he's going to be led. Up that hill. Golgotha, the place of the skull, and he The Lord of Glory.
is going to be crucified. Jesus says in John 15, verse 25: They hated me without a cause. If they hated Christ without a cause and He is perfect, are you really surprised? Surely not. When people hate you.
For the gospel. It's a terrible thing to be hated by someone, isn't it? It's a terrible thing to be rejected by someone, rejected by a brother, rejected by a business partner. That is very, very tough, isn't it? But we're not to be surprised.
Jesus is saying in verses 24 through 25, don't be surprised if they're maligned, if they're persecuted. If they hated me, what are they going to do for you? The disciple, verses 24 and 25, is to be like his teacher. Are you greater than Christ? No.
No. Luther said, no man ever suffered like Jesus. He's a man of sorrow. Whatever suffering you're going through, because you're a follower of Christ, is small compared with the suffering of our Savior. You are not greater than our Savior, but we are to be like him.
We are to follow in his steps, and sometimes that involves suffering for our faith. Here is the point. As you share your faith. you may well experience hostility. opposition and perhaps even active Persecution.
Paul said, indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 2 Timothy 4:12. And so our Lord Jesus is preparing his disciples for this time which is going to come. We see it in the short term in the book of Acts, a time of suffering, a time of persecution. And we know in the history of the Christian church, it's often said that God uses persecution to grow his church. That was Acts.
The book of Acts. The more they persecuted the church, the more it grew. the blood of the martyrs. becomes the seed. of the church.
But the world. Will be judged. Remember, God is on our side. And as we share our faith, We are to be wise as serpents. We are to exercise wisdom.
And as we read in verses 14 and 15, the disciples, as they went from town to town, sometimes they had to move on. If the people of the town rejected them and rejected the gospel, they had to shake off the dust from their feet and move to the next one. Have you ever experienced? When someone repeatedly And repeatedly. and repeatedly rejects the gospel?
Not only rejects the gospel, may curse you. What are you to do? Remember in the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, in Matthew seven verse six Not to throw your pearls before pigs. Remember that strange scripture? What's the point?
Be the Saturnite. Be a wise Christian. Be discerner. This is the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. There's still more to hear when John returns in just a moment, so stay with us.
From matters of truth and identity, to the subjects of love and grace, our world seems more confused than ever. but to find truth and certainty about who we are and find peace, we must turn our attention away from the world and look to the Word of God. To help you do that, John wrote a booklet titled Eternal Security, Finding Certainty in a Chaotic World. Through this special resource, John shares his personal testimony, along with a careful examination of Scripture, to offer us clarity on matters of eternity. Get your copy today by visiting our website at theverdict.org.
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The verdict is a ministry of Calvary Church in South Charlotte. We're located on the corner of Highway 51 and Ray Road. If you've been looking for a church home or a community to help you grow in your walk with Christ, We invite you to join us for our Sunday services. For more details about Calvary and our service times, visit theverdict.org.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well, what? What's your verdict? Are you going to continue to shine as a light in the darkness? Or are you going to take the easy way and be silent? The forces of darkness hate the gospel.
And therefore followers of Jesus have always experienced pushback, ridicule and persecution. Don't compromise. Be strong. Don't be afraid.
Remember that wherever we go, Christ is with us. You are not alone. You are on the victory side. Jesus is triumphant.
Next time we continue to think of how to handle opposition, from the world. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
