First Evangelical Free Church Sioux City, Iowa

Matthew 10:32-42 Losing and Finding Life

Pastor Kevin Miller preaches from Matthew 10, highlighting Jesus' teaching on being a disciple. You can listen to the sermon by clicking here.

• Peace vs. the Sword
  • Matthew 10:32-33 Step one in discipleship: confess Jesus. And what a blessing this is because we see that, in return, Christ will "confess" (acknowledge) us before the ___________. The opposite is also true: to be ashamed of Christ is to not have Him acknowledge you before the Father.
  • Matthew 10:34-36 Just as there is reward for allegiance to Christ, there is also judgment for those who do not trust Him as Lord. While Christ certainly brings peace, the peace that He brings is reconciliation with God first and foremost.
    • Note where this peace will not be: on the earth.
    • Look at the extent of the division - all the way down to the family. Much of the world will oppose Christ.
  • Matthew 10:37-39 However troubling these preceding facts are, Jesus is making a major point by them about being His disciple... do you love Christ most? Is He the number one priority in your life? Even above family?
    • Jesus connects this directly with "taking up the cross" - do we follow after Him in condemnation by the world and yet joyful eternity in the Kingdom?
    • Jesus is pointing His disciples towards a life that is begger and better than they could have ever expected - a life with Him in eternity. This is the point: live life now with a vision of _______ in mind.
• Acceptance instead of Rejection
  • Matthew 10:40-42 Jesus gives three examples of acceptance that last. To receive one of Christ's messengers is to receive Him. Thus, to receive a prophet (of Christ), is also to gain in the prophet's reward. The same is true for the one who is righteous (made right with God) and for the one who is seemingly helpless according to the world.
• Conclusion: We must be devoted to Christ in all things so that we can serve Him well as His ambassadors to the world.