Confronting the World

One of our themes this year has been, share your faith. We had four themes. I challenged the staff.

I would challenge you with these four themes. Study the Word, surrender to God's will, serve your Lord, and then share your faith, which has been our focus over these last few weeks. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, you, referring to his followers, you are the light of the world, light illuminating the darkness. And that light first came to our world 2,000 years ago with Jesus, who is the light of the world. And we praise God that that light can never, ever be extinguished.

The forces of darkness may intensify as our culture is becoming increasingly dark, but there is no force in the whole universe, including hell itself, which can extinguish this light. You are the light of the world. Not that you should be, but you are, says Jesus, the light of the world. So our challenge is, as we share our faith, that you are the light for Jesus in your home, in your neighborhood, where you work, at the school, the college, the factory, the hospital, the bank, wherever God in his sovereign purposes has placed you, I remind you that you are there, not primarily to make a living, but you're there as the light of God. Now, I think many of you in Sunday school learned the little song, Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam to Shine for Him Each Day.

I learned it. It's not the most theologically deep. It's not the most biblical song, but I remember it. Jesus wants me, as a sunbeam, to shine for Him each day. In every way, try to please Him at home, at school, at play, and then refrain, Jesus wants me for a sunbeam. Did any of you learn that? You did?

Good. And as a little boy, I understood that I am to shine for Jesus. I didn't know all that that meant, but I knew that Jesus wants people to shine for Him.

A wonderful thing to teach children, a wonderful thing for adults to shine for Jesus Christ. Wherever you are, I hear people saying how dark the world is, what a messed up world we have, and that is true. Here in the United States, wherever you go, life is a mess.

Back in the UK, wherever you look, there's chaos, there's darkness. Let's not despair. Let's not just curse the darkness, as it were, but Jesus calls you and me to shine for Him. Now, our commitment to the Lord Jesus, and our commitment to this book as the Word of God, and our commitment to the Gospel must lead to sharing our faith.

How can you not do it? The Gospel is good news. We believe it's a matter of eternal life or eternal judgment. And so, last week, we learned that Jesus is sending out the twelve to proclaim the glorious message of the Kingdom of Heaven. Now, that's very exciting, and I trust we're taking that seriously to be a light. Thank you to so many of you who have signed up for the program, be a light, but for all of us to shine wherever Jesus Christ has placed us. But as we come to this passage, we learn that as we do that, we must be aware of certain realities. 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. We're to shine for Christ. But even as we learned in 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.

Excuse me. Not everyone will listen. In fact, as we're going to read, 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 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 16. 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 the context, trying to understand them, and asking God in His grace to integrate these truths into our lives. Matthew 10, 16. Behold, I am sending you, the twelve apostles. Now listen to this. I am 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, Beelzebul, 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 come across that? Notice what Jesus says, verse 16, I'm sending you out as 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, as sheep in the midst of wolves. However, notice this, it is Jesus who is 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.

But not to be naïve 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, Paul said that we are to walk in wisdom toward outsiders. As you share your faith, as you think, am I going to communicate the gospel to my parents, 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 naïve.

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 aware 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, did this happen?

Of course this happened. Read your Bible. Read the book of Acts. What happened in Acts?

Wonderful things. These twelve ordinary men 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 stoned. As Jesus prophesied in verse 18, they're dragged before governors and kings. Some of them are even martyred for their 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 started, 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 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, I mean we come in relative comfort here at Calvary don't we in the United States in worship. No one persecutes us.

No one tells us you cannot worship. But some of our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world, many countries, right now as I speak, are in prison for their faith, lose their jobs, disowned by their family, refused higher education because of their commitment to Jesus Christ. And I'm so thankful here at Calvary we partner with missionaries, some of them local missionaries throughout the world. On Thursday I had the privilege on our day of prayer for missionaries with Zoom. I joined it and 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 we are 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, it was 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.

Trumped up charges, fabricated charges, false evidence, and you spend time in prison. Of course they start with the pastors. I hope that wouldn't reduce our pastoral staff. Too much rob, I know you would take a bullet for me so you'd probably go first.

But seriously, how would it be? How would it be, men, if you were faced that if you come and live for Jesus Christ, if you're known as a Christian in fellowship here at Calvary Church, 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 drag 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 say no, 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 to deny Christ or His Word. We people in this country, pastors who deny the Word of God, sacrifices something very important to further the Kingdom of God. Do you want to think about sacrifice as you follow Christ? Endures great suffering for Christian witness.

We could all bend out of 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 know this 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've not come to bring peace but 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 a 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 around all of the families represented here, it would be the unusual family who 100% believe in Christ and live for 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. 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't imagine when my parents were alive, if they were unbelievers, if I presented the gospel to them and they say, 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, is 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. If I love my son, who I love dearly more than Christ, I'm not worthy of being a follower 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 maligned, if they 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, perhaps 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 experienced when someone repeatedly and repeatedly and repeatedly rejects the gospel? Not only rejects the gospel, it may curse you.

What are you to do? Remember in the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says in John, in Matthew 7 verse 6, not to throw your pearls before pigs. Remember that strange scripture.

What's the point? Be discerning. Be a wise Christian.

Be discerning. Sometimes when people are ignorant, when they constantly reject the gospel, there is a time to stop. Not because you are trying to escape persecution, but there is a time sometimes to stop. To continue to pray and ask in the future that God in His grace would open the door so that this person who once was very opposed may be open to the gospel. And sometimes it is wise to move on. You say to give up on someone?

No, not to give up on them, but to move on rather than to continue to receive abuse. Acts 13 may be an example of Paul and Barnabas. They are in Antioch. Acts 13 verse 44, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, 5th book of the New Testament, chapter 13 verse 44, the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.

How wonderful. Yes, there are people who want to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. Now Paul is an apostle giving the truth of God, proving his case from the Old Testament, and they try to contradict him.

So don't be surprised when people try to contradict you. You're not the apostle Paul. And they reviled him. And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly saying, I love this, it was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you, since you thrust it aside and judge yourself unworthy of eternal life. Behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us saying, I have made you a light, hear this, a light for the Gentiles that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord and as many as were appointed to eternal life, believed.

How wonderful. You don't receive it, therefore we're going to turn and proclaim the message to the Gentiles. In the meantime, we are to be courageous and to continue to proclaim the message. Verse 23, 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. It's a very difficult reference there to the coming of the Son of Man. Is it a reference to the coming of the Son of Man in judgment in A.D. 70 when the Romans put fire to Jerusalem and the Jewish people are scattered?

Is that the reference? Is it a reference to the fulfillment of the ministry of Jesus when He comes to the Father's right hand and sits down? What we do know is this, that during the tribulation period, you say, what's the tribulation? The tribulation is a period after the rapture. The next event in God's prophetic calendar is the rapture when our Lord Jesus Christ will come. We, the church, will be caught up to be forever with Him on the earth. Unbelievers are left, but in the purposes of God, 144,000 Jewish evangelists are going to spread the word, Revelation 7.

Twelve thousand from each of the twelve tribes, and they are going to spread the gospel throughout the world, not only in Israel but throughout the world, and then the Son of Man, Jesus Himself, will come with power and glory. Listen to what He says in Matthew 24, immediately, verse 25, immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from heaven, the powers of the heavens will be shaken, then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man. And then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other.

Glorious event. We proclaim the gospel. We keep doing it.

We go, as it were, from town to town. They are going to continue, no, the Son of Man, a reference to Himself, is going to come. Meantime, until that happens, this is the reality. As you share your faith, there is the reality of persecution. You say, well, that's very discouraging. Not really, because listen to the response. How are we to respond? What are we to do with this reality that as you go and share your faith, there's going to be opposition? You say, well, I don't fancy opposition. I'm just going to pull back.

No, that's not the case at all. You're to continue to share your faith. Think of the response, verse 26 through 42. So, have no fear of them.

You get it? Don't be afraid. So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and when you hear whispered, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops, and do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul.

Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your father, but even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before man, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before man, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

I write verses 34 through 37, verse 38, and whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it. Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Whoever receives you receives me. Whoever receives me receives him who sent me. The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward. And the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. I don't have time to go through all these verses one by one obviously this morning, but think of it, big picture. What is the response that I'm to have when I'm told to be a light and there's opposition? I'm told not to be afraid as I share my faith. Did you notice back to verse 19, when they deliver you over, do not be anxious. So you're arrested. Because you're here illegally worshipping God, let's say.

You're taken before the judge. What are you going to say? Hey, don't be anxious at all. You say, I am. Don't be anxious.

Why? How you are to speak or what you are to say for what you 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. Haven't you found? Surely you have if you're a follower of Jesus. Haven't you found in the time of your deepest despair, in the midst of the worst problem and situation of your life, isn't it the case that God reveals himself to you? He gives you a peace which passes all understanding. He assures you that he is with you. Here is the promise of God.

Here's a picture. I'm before the governor because I'm a follower of Jesus Christ. Jesus says, John, don't be anxious. Don't even worry what you're going to say because when that time comes I'm going to give you the exact words and the Holy Spirit is going to guide you. Have you experienced this? I hope you have when you've been witnessing to someone. Perhaps you're a little anxious. You feel I don't have all of the answers to all of the questions which this hostile person may be.

That's true. None of us have all the answers but remember we have the Holy Spirit. And isn't it wonderful that as we're talking to someone the Holy Spirit can bring a verse to our mind, an illustration, a point? I've experienced that.

It's incredible. God is helping me here. Does God want you to be a light? Of course he does. That person is intimidating. I understand that your father is intimidating. It's tough to speak to him.

That professor at college is very supercilious and you feel so inferior. Don't be anxious. Share your faith. Draw on the wisdom of God and you will be amazed at how God will use you in the most difficult of circumstances.

Why? One word of truth is greater than a world of lies and deception. Our enemy is a father of lies, a father of deception and as you share your faith one thing that you must try to do is to share something from this book. You say I don't know the Bible too well. Well you need to start reading and studying it.

We can help you with that. Read the Bible. But even if you're a young believer and don't know too much, you know that God loves us. You know that Christ came. Can you quote John 3.16? Can you tell them of God's mighty love? Can you point them to the cross of Christ that we were singing about?

Yes you can. Can you tell them that Christ is risen? It's not our message. It's the gospel of God. And three times, yes three times in verses 26-31 Jesus tells us in these circumstances not to fear. Verse 26, so have no fear of them. Verse 28, and do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Verse 31, fear not therefore you are of more value than many sparrows. You're afraid of people, don't be afraid of them, be afraid of God. Because all the worst that our enemy can do is to kill us. And while they can kill our body Jesus is saying, they can't kill your soul.

Don't fear that person. No fear God who is able to put soul and body in hell forever. Isn't that what Jesus is saying? He's saying that's tough, that's the teaching of Jesus. Why is it, I ask you, the apostles after being such an ordinary group of people, one of them doubting the resurrection, one of them their leader denying the Lord three times, all of them abandoning the Lord, how is it that just days after the resurrection they can go and with great boldness preach the gospel and in a sense turn the world upside down.

How did that happen? These are not great people in and of themselves. We saw that last week. Ordinary men, fishermen, a tax collector, a zealot, a doubting Thomas. What happened to them? They saw the risen Christ. They knew the reality of eternity that Jesus Christ was risen from the dead. How is it that our brothers and sisters down through the centuries have stood? Some of them have been burnt at the stake. Some of them have been stoned to death. How is it that they can stand, these men and women of faith, and not deny Christ?

Why? Because of the eternal reality they believed. They believed there was a hell and they believed there was a heaven. And that whatever the devil can do, he cannot take from you your salvation. He cannot separate you from your union with our Lord Jesus Christ. That our Saviour gives us eternal life and we shall never perish. Don't be afraid of people, says Jesus.

No, fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. I wonder sometimes if we believe, really believe in the gospel. Do you really believe John 3.16?

Let me tell you again. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. You say, what a glorious promise. It is a glorious promise. And if you have never believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, receive him today as your Saviour.

But implicit in John 3.16 is this, that if I do not believe, I will perish in hell forever. During the 17th century in Scotland, there were what was called the Scottish covenanters. They were persecuted for their faith and they were persecuted particularly by a man, John Graham of Cleaver House. And he was looking for a particular man, one of the leaders, a man called Mr. Douglas. And he came to the home of Mr. Douglas and he couldn't find him. And he searched and he searched and there was Mr. Douglas' little boy, Jamie Douglas, and Cleaver House was pretty sure that the wee boy knew where his father was hiding. And so he said to the little boy, where's your dad? And the little boy refused to speak. And so, Cleaver House picked up the little boy, dangled him over a deep, deep cliff and said to him, where is your dad?

The little boy said, I'm not saying. Cleaver House said to the little boy, look down, see how deep it is. And the little boy who knew his Bible said, yes, but not as deep as hell.

Not as deep as hell. Fear not those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. My dear brother, my dear sister, if you're an authentic follower of Jesus Christ, don't be afraid.

Don't be afraid. Jesus is saying with these wonderful words that we love about the sparrows that your heavenly Father is watching over you and cares for you. That God's care for you is to the most intimate detail of your life and your person.

Did you notice verse 30, for even the hairs of your head are all numbered. That is incredible, incredible care. I love my wife. I'm interested in most of what she does. 99.9% of what she does but I've never sat down and don't intend to number the hairs of her head. I mean my interest in my wife doesn't extend to counting the numbers of hair on her head.

I do know that when we fell in love I had a great head of hair and she's cut my hair ever since and so I have wondered about what she's done to me. The hairs of your head are numbered. I heard the story of the man who was bald. Please don't make jokes about people who are bald. We are very, very sensitive. Isn't that right, Rob?

Yes. So people think, you know, if you're bald you can make jokes. I mean you can't make jokes about someone with a big nose or big ears but you can make a fool of someone who's bald. Anyhow, there was this man who only had two hairs on his head and he cultivated them and he grew them long and long and then he kind of curled them around the top of his head.

Have you seen this? And he plastered them down with some kind of hair lotion. Now when he went swimming or in a windy day, it was a little embarrassing to have these two – my wife is laughing – to have two hairs out there. But anyhow, one morning he woke up and to his great dismay the two hairs were on the pillow. And he says, oh no, I'm bald. So sometimes it's easy to count the hairs of your head but for – but the point is this.

God knows how many hairs you've got. God knows when a sparrow falls. You're driving along, you hit a little bird, you look back in your mirror and you see it fluttering on the road and for about five seconds you feel kind of bad about it, right? Sorry little bird, you're dead. What does Jesus say?

Not one sparrow, although two are sold for a penny, not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your father. What is the point? The point is this, a very obvious point, that this great God is you go and you serve him and you're sharing your faith and yes there's hostility and yes you sometimes are afraid. Jesus is saying don't be anxious, don't be afraid, I'm with you, I know you, I love you, even to the most intimate detail of your life that no one else knows about. But God loves me. I'm loved by my wife, I'm loved by my son, I'm loved by you, at least I hope I am, but that doesn't compare with the love of God. That God's love for me is greater than any other human being. The person in this universe who loves you the most, that love is small compared with the love of God and so as you go, what are you afraid about? What are you anxious about? God is watching over you, he knows every single situation about it.

Nothing can harm you apart from your father. If he watches over the fall of his sparrow, how much more is he interested in those he's redeemed by his blood, who are his joint heirs with Christ, who will be with them for all of eternity. Of course he loves us, of course he cares for us, therefore do not be afraid and share your faith with boldness.

Will you do that? Verse 32 and 33 tell us, not to deny Christ but to be open. It's one of the reasons we have baptisms isn't it?

November 1, November 15, Lord willing we'll have baptisms here of our brothers and sisters openly confessing their faith, not living in the shadows, not secret disciples, but saying I love Christ and I want the whole world to know that the most important thing about me is that I love Jesus Christ. And as you go think of the blessings people receive. Jesus said in these last two verses, 14, 42, to receive a prophet, a righteous person or a little one is to receive Christ himself. Seemingly trivial little deeds done in the name of Christ reap great rewards when they're done for Jesus, a cup of cold water given to a disciple. Truly I say to you he will by no means lose his reward.

You think of the opposition, hey it's small, just for time. Soon all of us will be in eternity. Can I say to you, plead with you, make sure your loyalty to Jesus is the top loyalty of your life. Listen to verses 38 and 39, whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Today will you take up your cross and follow Jesus?

If you've never done that will you do that? Whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it. What it is to find your life? To have yourself at the centre of your life. It's all about you, your career, your possessions, your friends, your happiness. If you do that you'll lose your life for what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul. Whoever finds his life will lose it but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Lose your life for Jesus.

Students do you hear me? Follow Christ, seek first his kingdom. You'll never regret it and by doing that you will reap rich rewards and the joy of the Lord.

No greater joy than telling others about Jesus. Yes the darkness is intensifying. Yes the opposition is real but we're on the winning side.

What are we to do? Go boldly this week. Shining as lights in the darkness telling people that Jesus saves. There's no greater message.

There's no greater privilege. Share your faith. Be a light in the dark world. Help us Father to do just that we pray for those outside of Christ. Father I pray for how terrible it would be that someone would come to Calvary Church and end in hell itself. May they look to Christ, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved and help us Father at Calvary Church to rise up, to be a church filled with the Spirit, spiritually bold as we shine for Jesus in this world. We ask it in his name. Amen.