[0:00] Our reading tonight is from Matthew chapter 10, verses 1 to 33. That's on page 974 of the Church Bibles.
[0:12] That's Matthew chapter 10, verse 1 to 33. Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and illness.
[0:27] These are the names of the twelve apostles. First, Simon, who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew. James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
[0:38] Philip and Bartholomew. Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector. James, son of Alphaeus and Thaddeus. Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions.
[0:52] Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message.
[1:03] The kingdom of heaven has come near. Heal those who are ill. Raise the dead. Cleanse those who have leprosy. Drive out demons. Freely you have received.
[1:14] Freely give. Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts. No bag for the journey or extra shirts or sandals or a staff. For the worker is worth his keep.
[1:27] Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it.
[1:40] If it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.
[1:52] Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. I'm sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
[2:07] Be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. On my account, you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.
[2:20] But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time, you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the spirit of your father speaking through you.
[2:33] Brother will betray brother to death and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me.
[2:45] But the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
[2:59] The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 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?
[3:17] 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. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight.
[3:28] What is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 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.
[3:41] Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your father's care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid.
[3:52] You are worth more than many sparrows. Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
[4:15] Well, good evening and let me add my welcome to Jamie's. My name is Simon and I'm the trainee minister here at St. Silas. Let's pray for God's help as we dig into his word this evening. Father, thank you that you are with us, that you identify so closely with your people in Christ.
[4:33] And I pray that as we listen to you this evening, we would hear your words as the very words of our heavenly Father. Amen. I have been to what I would describe as a ridiculous amount of weddings in the last few years.
[4:48] And at weddings, you see these moments and you're always waiting for them to happen. They're exciting. And I think I'm always looking forward to that moment just at the start of the groom's speech when the groom gets up and says, on behalf of my wife and I.
[5:01] Because you just got that moment where everyone cheers. And it's a sign that these people are now a couple. These are people for whom a person can say, on behalf of my wife and I, we are a unit.
[5:11] I speak for us. And we see this in lots of other ways and where a person speaks on behalf of another person. How you relate to both the one speaking and the one that you're speaking for really matters.
[5:25] Recently, the British ambassador to the Ukraine, Martin Harris, said this as he addressed Vladimir Zelensky and other Ukrainian leaders. The courage and resolve of the Ukrainian armed forces and people are a constant inspiration to us.
[5:39] It's a privilege to be here in the Ukraine, standing alongside them. Our relationship has never been closer or more important. Together, we are stronger. So he's there speaking on behalf of an entire country, saying, we are with you.
[5:54] What Martin Harris says in the Ukraine is what the UK says to that entire country. So the question is, well, what happens to us when we're ambassadors for Jesus?
[6:06] Or in Bible terms, what does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus out in the world? What should we expect when we live and speak for Jesus? And as we'll see in this chapter of Matthew, when Jesus' disciples are sent out into the world, they will be treated how Jesus was.
[6:27] We've been in a series in Matthew's Gospel from chapters 8 onwards. And we are now at the second of Matthew's big teaching sections. This teaching is addressed specifically to the disciples.
[6:39] As we see in 10 verse 1, Jesus called the 12. And if you were to look forward to 11 verse 1, after Jesus had finished instructing the 12 disciples. So we're getting a kind of backstage pass for Jesus' teaching of his closest followers.
[6:55] He's preparing his disciples to be his royal ambassadors. This is the king sending his people out into the world for instructions of how he wants to be known. He's preparing them for their mission, but also through them, preparing the future church for what it will mean for us to live and speak for Jesus.
[7:13] And tonight, I want to just pick up two big ideas on what Jesus is saying about being a disciple. First is that the apostles are sent out on Jesus' mission. Now that might seem obvious, but actually Jesus defines the very task of mission itself for these disciples.
[7:30] So everything they do come from him. And secondly, these disciples will be treated the way that Jesus was. As we'll say in the second half of the passage, all the reactions they should expect are as if Jesus was turning up in the flesh.
[7:45] So first, the apostles are sent out on Jesus' mission with Jesus' authority. Jesus gives these 12 disciples his own authority. Look at verse 1.
[7:56] If you were to read the last two chapters, and as we've seen, as we've been hearing it in the evening services, that is a description of exactly what Jesus himself has been doing for the last two chapters.
[8:13] After the Sermon on the Mount, he comes down into the valley, into the huge groups and crowds of people coming to him, and he is healing them and freeing them and forgiving them and welcoming them.
[8:27] On his authority, he is bringing restoration to life. And Jesus says, that's what you're going to do, disciples. It's interesting that the 12 disciples here in verses 1 to 4 are just named.
[8:41] It's a specific commission to these 12 men to do what Jesus has been doing. A few, they are all named, including, assumedly, the writer of this gospel, Matthew himself. But were you to read through this gospel?
[8:53] This is quite a diverse group. There's tax men, fishermen, and freedom fighters. You can kind of, I think, build a picture as you go through the gospel. It's been quite a rowdy bunch following Jesus around.
[9:05] But yet, they're all being sent out to do the same task. And for people who read this gospel, some of these men might well still be alive in the time of its writing. They could go and talk to these men about the Jesus that commissioned them to do this.
[9:20] But next, verses 5 to 8, they go out proclaiming Jesus' message. Now, it's hard to miss the association with the 12 tribes of Israel.
[9:30] You hear 12 disciples, 12 tribes. And so the first people that they are sent to are the original people of God, the Jewish nation. They will one day be sent to the whole world.
[9:41] That is coming. But for now, Jesus is sending his own people to, well, actually a very familiar group. If you look in verse 6, sending them to lost sheep.
[9:52] Last week, Michael brought to us the last section. And if we look back at chapter 9, verses 36 to 38, we hear that when Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.
[10:08] And in response to that, he sends out the disciples. Jesus is sending out his disciples to multiply this harvest to go and take his compassion to lost sheep in need of shepherds.
[10:22] And he's sending them out in some ways as his lieutenant shepherds. They go out into the world doing Jesus' work to bring people in and show his compassion. And verse 7 says, they go proclaiming the message, the kingdom of heaven has come near.
[10:36] And that's simply because Jesus has come. Because Jesus has come, he has made clear what the kingdom is going to be like. And he's sending them out to do works that will lend credence to that message.
[10:52] The point of all of these miracles, again, look in verse 8, all of this healing and raising and cleansing and freeing, is to show the authority of Jesus in his words.
[11:03] The disciples go out with that message and these miracles back up the truth that the one who has come to restore the world really is here. That these disciples really are the ambassadors of the king.
[11:17] So next, they go out depending on Jesus' provision. They go out in a way that backs up the message that they say. If you look at the end of verse 8, we see the words, freely you have received, freely give.
[11:30] Jesus didn't come to these 12 people because they were the most excited. He didn't come to them because they paid him something to receive anything.
[11:41] Actually, everything that these disciples have received in this whole gospel is because Jesus has come to them. They have received freely everything he has given them. And that will always be the direction of travel for these disciples.
[11:55] They will always be ones receiving things from Jesus. And that being the case then, they are called to give freely too. And so they go out in need.
[12:07] They don't go out charging for the gospel. They go out with what seems like very meager provisions as you look at verses 9 and 10. You don't go out even with a second pair of shoes.
[12:18] You don't go out even with extra money. You go out needing, in some ways, the kindness of strangers to support you. This is a mission that they're going to go on that involves complete dependence on the Lord Jesus as they go.
[12:32] They are a walking message. This mission is not about self-serving power. These miracles are not to make these men look good. This mission is all about the king that has sent them and relying on him.
[12:45] Because, 11 to 15, they go out proclaiming Jesus' judgment. Because, ultimately, whoever receives these disciples is receiving Jesus himself.
[12:57] Their dependence on Jesus makes them dependent on others. But wherever they receive a good reception, Jesus is being received in place of them. What makes a good reception, according to Jesus, look with me at verse 11.
[13:13] It says, look for a worthy person. Now, this isn't a worthy person in terms of someone who is, in some way, good enough, or gives the best food, or gives even the best welcome, but merely someone who is ready to respond to what the disciples have to say.
[13:31] As you see in verse 12, they are to go and greet the house, and then 13, proclaim peace to it. The dependent factor of worthiness here is all in verse 14, though.
[13:43] As it says, if anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake off the dust of your feet. The worthy people are the ones who receive Jesus' ambassadors because they represent Jesus himself.
[14:00] But to flip that round, the unworthy ones are those who reject. Because if you reject these disciples, you are rejecting Jesus himself. Judgment will come to these people for their rejection of Jesus.
[14:17] Rejection of them really is rejection of him. Those who receive these apostles providing for them are receiving Jesus and at peace with him because they have met the risen Jesus in them and in their words.
[14:31] But those who reject these apostles are to be rejected. That picture of shaking the dust off your feet is what you do when you leave someone's house or territory think everyone's wearing sandals.
[14:44] And it's a kind of like, right, we're done with that. It's what a lot of the Jewish people would do when they got back into a Jewish territory after having been in a Gentile territory. It's a sign of rejection.
[14:57] And Jesus then sends something incredibly shocking in verse 15 to cap this all off. Truly, I tell you, it'll be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
[15:07] Alluding to the days of Abraham in Genesis where God completely destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their sin, Jesus says that when the day of judgment comes, these towns that the disciples have gone to and been rejected by will be more culpable than even Sodom and Gomorrah were.
[15:29] The question is, why is that the case? The answer is because they are rejecting Jesus himself, the Son of God has turned up through these disciples and rejecting him, well, is to reject the only one who could give you life.
[15:47] The disciples' mission is a serious one with eternal ramifications for its heroes. The apostles are ambassadors of the king. And so the question for us, I think, as we read this is, well, what do we do with that?
[16:00] Because we're not the apostles. We're not the twelve, and this is addressed directly to them. We are not restricted on our mission, specifically just to Israel, as they are being directed here.
[16:12] And we're not given the same authority in the same way to do these miracles as they are. Yet we know that we are people sent out into the world by Jesus. And how Jesus sends these apostles then shows us how we should go.
[16:27] So as you look through those points, well, we can pick up something about what our mission is like from their mission. When we go out and speak about Jesus to people who don't yet know him, living and speaking for Jesus as an ambassador of Christ, we have to believe that we go out with Jesus' authority.
[16:45] When we go out, Jesus turns up. This is Jesus' compassion on lost sheep, sending his people out into the world to speak about him. So when you go and live as Christ did, Christ is at work in the world.
[17:00] God is impacting the world and showing his love and grace wherever a believer is seeking to live and speak for Jesus. Mission is Jesus' compassion on the move.
[17:11] And that is what we do. Secondly, we go out with Jesus' message, the message that the king has come, that Jesus came to earth, did the works that we're reading about, died on the cross and was raised to life forever and in that, there is real hope.
[17:27] We go with the message that is all focused on him is not a message of human works but the coming of a gracious king. Next, we do mission with Jesus' provision.
[17:37] We've received freely from Jesus in the same way as the disciples have and so we also freely give. We don't charge for the gospel. We don't do gospel work in gospel ministry so that we can become rich.
[17:53] But we give of our time and our lives so that people can hear about Jesus even when it really costs us. And let's face it, for everyone in here who's become a Christian, someone has already had to bear some cost for you to step over the threshold to tell you the gospel, whether that was telling you it over and over and over again as you were a child or finding you and speaking the truth about Jesus to you as they've met you.
[18:18] That is because Jesus in his compassion sends out his people with his message. And it's a mission, therefore, it's done in dependence. We're not sent out with absolutely nothing like the apostles.
[18:29] We're not doing it in quite the same way. But there is a sense in which we live dependently on Christ for everything in a way that lends integrity to the message we speak. And finally, it's a mission that proclaims Jesus' judgment.
[18:43] So often, we find the compassion of Jesus right next to words about the wrath of God and judgment coming. Same in this passage. We see Jesus' compassion sending out people but with a message that when rejected brings judgment.
[19:00] The disciples were sent to Israel and later to the world with that dual message of compassion welcoming lost sheep home but also of judgment for those who reject. And so, we too are people who are sent out with the good news of the gospel but with a real awareness that when it is rejected people are rejecting the only hope that there is.
[19:24] Through the death and resurrection of Christ we can be forgiven and welcomed but if you reject the King who gives you life there is nowhere else to go. It may well be that when we speak about that judgment about the reality of hell that that is the exact moment people don't want to listen anymore.
[19:42] But if so, that's exactly what these disciples faced. As we're going to see in the next section it's not going to be an easy mission for them. To sum this up, we are sent out with Jesus' authority proclaiming Jesus' message depending on Jesus' provision and proclaiming Jesus' judgment.
[20:00] The mission that we do at every single step is informed by who Jesus is and what he has done. because we speak as royal ambassadors. It's a position of real joy.
[20:13] It's a position of real dignity. Jesus actually thinks and actually sends out his people to do his work in the world and through our words people can come into everlasting life because we really do speak for the King.
[20:28] And that is remarkable. When you think about how that actually is that seems completely unrealistic and yet it's entirely what God has chosen to do that his word goes out through his people in the world.
[20:42] Now I think as we move on to the second part of this there's a real excitement. I wonder if the apostles were starting to think yeah let's get going. Let's get out there. People need to hear that Jesus has come and there's not just one of him.
[20:55] There's now all of us going out and we can go and tell people. This is the first steps of the gospel going out into the world. It is a stage in history like no other and it is hugely exciting.
[21:07] But as we've been reading through Matthew's gospel have you got a sense of what reaction they might get from the world? What reaction do you think that they would face?
[21:19] Because what Jesus goes on to say is quite heavy. Being a disciple of Jesus is going to cost these men everything they have. But notice that Jesus is totally up front and totally clear about what this mission will entail.
[21:33] He's sending the apostles on a mission not with a small print that says by the way it's going to be really painful. He just says actually when you go out all these things are going to happen.
[21:46] But all these things will happen because these men will be treated as if Christ is there with them. So let's look at this next part then looking at verses 16 through 31. first we have that they will face persecution with the Spirit's presence.
[22:04] However hard the mission is they simply don't go alone. Jesus sends them out as vulnerable in a dangerous world. If you look at verse 16 you get those words I am sending you out as sheep among wolves.
[22:19] If you read that the other way I'm sending you out as prey among predators. It's not comfortable is it? This mission is genuinely dangerous. And so we get two more animal images be shrewd as a snake and innocent as a dove and be on your guard.
[22:38] Snakes are excellent at dodging danger and hiding. There's a kind of created wisdom to a snake it's careful where it goes. But that doesn't mean that you can be crafty like a snake.
[22:50] No you can't use underhanded means. Doves are not intelligent creatures but they aren't predators either. The mission that these disciples are to do is to be like Christ to be good.
[23:04] To do a mission in a way that reflects the character of the one that sent them. But Jesus is clear they also have to be on their guard because attack will come. So what's going to come because of that?
[23:17] Well it's hard reading isn't it on verse 17 onwards. Arrest flogging trial? If you go on to read the book of Acts later in the New Testament you just find out that this is exactly what happens to the disciples.
[23:34] They are arrested. They are beaten. They are put on trial. Some of them are just executed. If you go and read about the Apostle Paul pretty much this entire list just seems to keep happening to him over and over and over and over again.
[23:51] Their lives will bear out the truth of what Jesus says in these words. As they go the Gentile mission to the rest of the world however is already in view even in this small mission that they do and I say small to Israel to their own people.
[24:07] Jesus is already talking about when they are brought before governors when they are brought before kings when they are brought before the courts of Gentile leaders in verse 18. Through this persecution through this fear the proclamation of the kingdom goes out even in the most unlikely circumstances.
[24:25] The focus of this teaching is not on the fear of pain or violence though that will come up again in verse 28 but that when they are taken to trial Jesus is with them and when they are beaten Jesus is with them and when they face persecution and are put on trial and have to give account of why they believe this message and followed this man they will never be alone.
[24:54] When one of Jesus' ambassadors is on trial Jesus is on trial and all of a sudden Jesus' words will be given to that person. How amazing is the assurance you read in 19 and 20 don't worry about what to say or how to say it at that time you will be given what to say for it will not be you speaking but the spirit of your father speaking through you.
[25:18] In a sense it's not the disciples on trial but Jesus himself being on trial in the flesh through these people but therefore it's also his words. Some of the most important mission that the church ever does in the early church and still today is when people are on trial they speak the truth about Jesus to people who are watching who say recant this or you will face punishment and they say I won't I will never give up on the truth for this I will not betray my king and in a sense it's a moment of deep courage but what a picture to the world of what really matters and how important that is they will be given the words because the spirit is with them.
[26:04] Next they are facing rejection knowing that the day is coming so having said that the world would be against the disciples Jesus goes even further the rejection won't just come from the authorities the rejection and betrayal will come even from their closest relatives look at verse 21 see how sharp this is brother will betray brother to death and a father his child and children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death imagine your brother or sister your child your mom or dad choosing to because you believed in Jesus hand you over to the authorities so that you could be killed Jesus says that is what will happen to people who go and live and speak for him and again this is played out in the lives of these disciples following Jesus will actually bring division as his people as the people in the world reject his followers betraying even those closest to them who choose to follow Jesus why?
[27:15] because when they reject a disciple they're actually rejecting Jesus himself Jesus identifies so closely with believers that the rejection that he faces is lived out by them and you see this pointedly in verse 22 you will be hated by everyone because of me Jesus then expands on this in verses 24 and 25 all the stuff about the students and the teachers the servants and masters all this is saying that actually Jesus' disciples are going to be like him and therefore be treated like him they're not going to be above him or below him no more no less they will receive the treatment that Jesus would have received had he turned up in the flesh and if you look at Jesus' words in verse 25 about Beelzebub that's just a Jewish term that is used for Satan some of the Jewish leaders have started saying that Jesus was the devil that he was so blasphemous so evil that he was the devil himself and if that's what they're calling the leader what are they going to do with his followers the Jewish nation is going to turn around to these men and say you are followers of the devil and they're going to treat them as if that is the case and then all persecution will come but Jesus says that in following him the disciples will be betrayed by their nearest and dearest by their society and culture and I'm sure that the disciples heard this and maybe wondered is this worth it is it worth keeping going this is so hard in their explanation of what their mission will be like however
[29:02] Jesus talks about all these references to the future and maybe you can pick these up as we go he's already talked about a day of judgment coming in verse 15 but here at the end of verse 22 the one who stands firm to the end will be saved and in 23 though persecution will come in the midst of their mission there is a day when the son of man will come now quite exactly what verse 23 means when it says you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the son of man comes honestly it's not entirely clear what it does say for definite though is that there is a day coming when something will change and change in a big way there will be a day when the son of man comes and Jesus at that point is picking up an old testament title for the coming king predicted in the book of Daniel the one who would come and rule the whole earth there will be a day when Jesus comes in judgment to rescue his followers and whatever Jesus means about finishing going through the towns of Israel the mission that these disciples are sent on and all of its accompanying pains are temporary this is a factor of this age this is not a factor of the age to come
[30:16] Jesus has set a day aside when he will come and fully redeem his people and that painful rejection will end and all those who followed him and all those who have gone out and spoken his words at great cost to others who have then chosen to follow him will all be there on that day with him forever and there will be no more pain and no more suffering because the gospel will have come in full and the king will reign in the meantime the disciples task is to keep standing firm until the end until that day comes and so finally they face their fears trusting in the father's care this task of mission is both an exciting one but also a daunting one the commission that Jesus gives these disciples is going to set the path for their whole lives to come and I imagine there would be a significant amount of fear but notice the three things that Jesus says about that fear first verse 26 do not be afraid of them for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed or hidden that will not be made known the first comfort is that one day
[31:24] God will bring everything into the light one day the lies of the world and all of its persecution will be exposed for what it really was and people will see that all of this is one ginormous rejection of God and sinfulness the disciples participate in this by speaking the words of Jesus and saying them publicly they start to drag things into the light now preparing people for that day coming all of the persecution that goes on behind closed doors will one day be brought to judgment and the disciples now play their part in proclaiming Jesus' message of light in a dark world secondly verse 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 and this reminds the disciples that in all of these things life is not out of control God still reigns under fear of threat of persecution of violence the disciples must remember that whatever pain they experience even being put to death for following
[32:32] Jesus that is the worst that can happen pain and death it's awful but that's where it ends the world can't do anything more to you friends as terrifying as those things could be the world can do nothing to your eternity God has power over not just this life but over death too Jesus says fear the one who decides your fate for eternity not the one who can hurt you now fear the one who can send you to hell for a day of judgment and destruction forever don't fear those who can only harm you now fear in God is to fear the right thing and it puts every other fear in perspective pain and death are awful but they're not eternal and that is great news for the people of God that this won't last forever though following Jesus may cost these disciples their earthly lives the eternal life they have in Christ will never be taken away and they're absolutely assured of that and that leads us to one final fear verse 31 so don't be afraid you're worth more than many sparrows all this rejection and persecution and pain for following Jesus is never a sign of being rejected by
[33:53] God but a sign of the world's rejection of Jesus Jesus uses the image of sparrows small birds worth almost nothing but he says those things that are insignificant to us the Lord sees them he knows them and he cares about them and you're a lot bigger and a lot more important than a sparrow you're not just some tiny bird that dies insignificantly you are a person made in God's image and you matter whatever happens to you it isn't because God has forgotten you there is no way that you will ever die outside of his love and care those who put their hope in Christ will never be rejected whatever happens to them now they're saved for Jesus for eternity the easy way to avoid persecution really is just to not follow Jesus you won't be persecuted for agreeing with the world on everything you will be if you follow Christ and Jesus tells the apostles on their mission that they will be treated as he is and in the face of persecution and rejection and fear they must remember that
[35:01] God is with them the end is in sight and they are never separated from the love of their heavenly father so finally to wrap this up the question is back for us again still we're not the apostles what does this mean for us I think the question reading this passage really seriously is do you still want to follow Jesus isn't it it's pretty heavy and let's face it when we look at the world though we aren't these twelve we see a world that does treat Christians this way when you follow Jesus it comes at cost but at least the small print is not hidden it is just said by Jesus and Jesus people in most of the world in most of history have been persecuted significantly for their faith in the modern west it is relatively easy to be a Christian a lot of the time but let's face it that will get harder over time and here it will still cost us I know a friend who took stand on a
[36:02] Christian issue at work recently and just lost her job there wasn't any process she was just told that's not appropriate you can't work here there are churches in our network of Anglican churches that have been denied buildings because they hold firm to a biblical view of sexuality there are Christian unions in Scotland who have been thrown off their campuses and had their speakers vetted and told that they weren't welcome friends it will come you will not get through this life believing in Christ and receive no opposition we know this is true in some of the more dangerous places for Christians in the world that the violent edge of the world's persecution comes in full there are people who are rejected and abused by their families there are people who are immediately put to death for believing in Christ so why still follow and the answer is because of who Jesus is he is the one who has compassion on a dying broken world and out of compassion for all those lost sheep sends out his followers to be his ambassadors that the light and restoration that he brings through his death and resurrection might go and spread out to others your words about Jesus can bring someone else to eternal life and that is wonderful it is absolutely remarkable that the gospel is true and that people can come to life because of the words that we say about him we are Jesus compassion to the world made flesh and so though we face rejection and though that rejection is tough we fix our eyes on Christ the one who has already died and has risen we trust that this is his mission and so we do it his way following what he said and though it cost us our whole lives it is absolutely worth it because one day the kingdom will come in full and we will see our king we will go yeah this was worth it look at him let's pray father thank you that one day you will bring this world to judgment one day all the evil and pain that Christians through the ages have faced will be brought to justice lord one day you will bring us into your wide open arms and we will be with you in a perfect remade world forever so keep our eyes focused on Jesus our king help us to live lives worthy of the calling that we have received and to be bold and courageous with the gospel amen