Matthew 10:16-39
“I Came to Send a Sword”
Woodlawn Baptist Church
July 7, 2005
Introduction
It goes without saying that we live in a war torn world. Just this week we have witnessed the terrorist bombing of London by religious fanatics. In Africa, over two million Christians have died at the hands of Muslim extremists since 1985. This month’s National Geographic magazine did a piece about Russia’s wars against its own southern border states like Chechnya, and of course our soldiers are fighting as we speak in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. In fact, it seems like there really has never been a time when people around the world have not been fighting.
In history we learned about the Romans killing the Christians. In church history we read about the Catholics killing Christians. Today, even though you won’t see it on TV, the Muslims are killing Christians by the thousands all over the world, but that seems so remote. Even the deaths of the disciples have little effect on such a privileged and prosperous people as we.
Before Jesus came on the scene, the Jews had been experiencing 200 years of war and fighting with Syrian armies as the Greek religion, language and culture was being forced on them. The Syrians had raided and overthrown Jerusalem, had plundered the temple and had desecrated it, causing the Jewish people to fight back with great intensity. In an act of desperation, one of the Jewish priests made a pact with Rome for military help, which eventually led to their being subjected to Roman rule. While all of this is the extremely short version of what happened, perhaps you can understand that when Jesus came to earth and the people understood Him to be the Messiah, He was expected to set up His kingdom and establish a kingdom of peace and perfect righteousness. They were tired of war and tired of fighting.
In Isaiah 9:6, it was prophesied that a child would be born, “and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.”
Jesus was expected to establish His kingdom and overthrow the Roman rule from their backs. He was expected to restore the land to the glories of David and Solomon so they might live in peace and prosperity. Jesus Himself would make statements like “Salt is good. But if salt loses its taste, how can you restore its flavor? Keep on having salt among yourselves, and live in peace with one another.” Jesus would tell more than one individual to depart from Him in peace. As He was preparing to leave the disciples behind He told them, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
When the apostle Paul wrote about Jesus and the gospel, he called it a gospel of peace. He would say later that we are to follow after things that make for peace. God is called the God of peace. Jesus is called the Prince of peace. The book of Ephesians says He is our peace, that by His blood He made peace and that He came and preached peace. Yet in our text today in Matthew 10:34, Jesus says very clearly,
“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”
Was Jesus confused? How could the Prince of peace, who came preaching peace, encouraging His people to live in peace, in fact purchasing peace with His own blood, say here that He did not come to bring peace, but instead He came to bring a sword? Does this sound like the loving, gentle and meek Jesus that has been made popular in Christianity today? What does the sword have to do with Christ’s work of redemption? Now, in the last two messages, it was the Pharisees and scribes: those who opposed Jesus who had misconceptions about His coming, but here it is His own followers, and so far as this aspect of His coming goes, He is still misunderstood today among most believers and in most churches. As we consider what Jesus has really said about His coming, there are three choices you must make.
Adjust Your View
In Jesus’ day as well as in ours, most people follow Him with an agenda. They wanted peace. Tired of the Roman rule and tired of the Pharisaical domination, Jesus’ followers wanted to put Him on the throne so they might enjoy a land of prosperity and comfort. You can imagine living in one of those war-torn cities today where there is shooting in the street, anarchy everywhere as we watch scenes of demolished buildings and burning cars on our televisions. They want peace, and that’s what the Messiah was supposed to bring.
In our own day, Christian people everywhere have been pushing this agenda for years so that our churches have become nothing more than social do-gooders preaching that everyone should all get along and that Christ promises a life of peace and tranquility.
To be sure, Jesus wants us to be peaceable people. It is a fruit of the Spirit after all. When you are walking in the Spirit: surrendered to His leadership in your life the peace of God will naturally be manifested in your life. If you back up to verse 16 in our text, Jesus clearly says that He wants His followers to be peaceable people.
“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”
Sheep are not aggressive animals. Doves are not aggressive animals. They are pictures of gentleness and meekness. In verse 24, we are told to identify with Christ.
“The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord.”
But listen, saying that Jesus wants you and me to be peaceable people and saying that He doesn’t want us doing or saying anything that bothers anyone are two different things. “I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves.” He did not say that He was sending us out as sheep to hang out with other sheep in a quiet peaceful pasture. He sent His followers out then and He has commanded us to go out today as His representatives to a hostile and indifferent world that is in need of the message we bear.
And what message is that? It is the message that men are sinful; that without Christ man is at enmity with God. We can go out and declare that man needs God and no one much seems to mind, God is “in” these days. God has always been in. The Romans had gods. The Greeks and the Persians and everyone else had gods. People are fine if you leave them with their religion, but to go out and tell them that they need Jesus is a different thing.
We are to declare that Jesus is the way – the one and only way. So long as we tolerate everyone’s ideas about how to go to heaven or how to be saved we are loved and accepted. “God doesn’t care how you worship,” or “God doesn’t care so much what you believe, but you must be sincere.” So long as we don’t tell people different then we can be at peace with them, but when once you tell them that there is only one truth and everything else is a lie you cross the line. You tell people that they are lost in their sin and the only way to enter heaven is to confess their sin and trust in the work of Christ on the cross and you immediately find out that no matter how peaceable you are you will not be at peace with your fellow hostile man.
Now, if you’re looking for peace and prosperity, then don’t follow Jesus. If you’re looking for a good time with no trouble then don’t follow Him. Jesus doesn’t offer those things. Let me tell you what He does offer though: it is life – real life – not that pseudo, bubble gum, Jesus makes it all better, shallow Christianity. He offers the adventure of a lifetime, but the way is hard and narrow. He offers ecstasy, but it doesn’t have anything to do with pills or sex or bottles. When you accept Jesus’ invitation to service, you need to know that you’re signing up for a life of trials and tribulation, and for all the multitudes of people who hear the invitation, few there be that accept it.
Expect Opposition
For those who accept Christ’s invitation, Jesus warned that opposition would come. There are at least three kinds of opposition mentioned in these verses, the first of which is religious opposition. He told the disciples in verse 17 to “beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues.” That’s exactly what happened. Luke records in the book of Acts that Peter and James and John all were beaten and whipped and warned not to preach the name of Jesus, all by the religious leaders of the day. The vast majority of religious people in our own day and time would rather you be calm and quiet as opposed to stirring things up. Most of Christianity today would rather you just keep your mouth shut and your wallet open – but the gospel involves having them both open.
Not only does declaring Christ to the masses bring on religious opposition, it also brings on family opposition. In verse 21, Jesus said,
“And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”
Every day the reality of these verses is known as men and women make choices to follow Christ and serve Him with their whole hearts. In some parts of the world today like Africa and India it is not unheard of for families to kill sons or daughters who have placed their faith in Christ. We may not be killing each other here today, but some of you are well aware of the opposition that comes in your families when you begin living according to the Word of God and begin telling your own family members that they too must repent and be saved.
In spite of any opposition we face, we ought to know there will be good results for spreading the message of Christ. Jesus said in verse 23 that “when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another…” That’s what happened when Saul and his companions persecuted the church in Jerusalem. After the stoning of Stephen the church dispersed and other congregations began popping up all over the place. Persecution in one places moves us on to other places. It even broadens our audience. The disciples were brought before rulers and kings: men they never would have spoken to otherwise.
I want to tell you firsthand that speaking the Word of God to family and strangers is no easy task for most people. Most of you only get a glimpse of your pastor’s Biblical exposition after hours in the study, but even after much study I still get nervous speaking to people in the public about the Bible and God. Maybe it ought not be that way, but it is. I know that it is intimidating for most of you as well. But notice that Jesus says that we are to “take no thought how or what we shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.” What does that mean? It means that we don’t really have an excuse – we are to trust God.
I think it’s worth pointing out that God’s not going to cause something to come out of your mouth that you have not first placed in your head. You have a responsibility to study the Word of God – to spend much time in it. It is God’s duty to bring to your memory those things once you begin to need them, but do not neglect your part in the matter and then blame God when you don’t know what to say, and don’t blame the Holy Spirit if what comes out of your mouth is all messed up. Study!
Now, there is a third kind of opposition that you are going to face, and though it is not mentioned explicitly, it is implied and is in my opinion the most troublesome opposition you will face. The third kind of opposition is that opposition that comes from within your own heart. Look at verse 26, “Fear them not therefore…” Verse 28 says it again, “And fear not them…” Verse 31 gives it a third time, “Fear ye not therefore…” I don’t think I have to convince anyone here of this – our personal fears do more to stop us than any opposition we face from others. Most of our fears are unwarranted – perceived oppositions that never unfold.
We don’t have to fear! We don’t have to fear any kind of opposition because according to verses 26-27 the truth is going to triumph.
“Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.”
At the final judgment those who have persecuted you will be exposed, and those who have been faithful will be rewarded.
Not only is the truth going to triumph, but you shouldn’t fear opposition because your soul matters more than your body. Verse 28 says,
“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
The worst anyone can do to you is take your life. I know that sounds pretty bad, but is it really? Paul said that “to live is Christ, but to die is gain.” Don’t let your earthly attachments stand in the way of your eternal purpose. I’ll never forget the story I heard of the evangelist by the name of Dr. Rice. I’ve told you before how he was preaching a revival, and as his habit was he started preaching against sin. He got so stirred up he wasn’t just naming sin, he was naming people committing those sins. He started telling men from the pulpit they were drunks needing to quit drinking. He called the names of several men making their sins public and told them to repent. After the service as he was walking home those men accosted him, stuffing him in the car and drove him outside of town and put a gun to his head and told him he’d better quit preaching like that. “You quit saying those things or we’ll kill you!” Dr. Rice simply looked at them and said, “You’re not going to threaten me with heaven!”
The final reason we don’t have to fear opposition is because God is sovereign. Verses 29-31 say,
“Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And on of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.”
If God knows the activities of one of the least of all the birds and cares for them, will He not do the same and even more for you and me?
Decide For Christ
“Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”
I have asked you today to adjust your view of Christ. Following Him is not a stroll through the park. He hasn’t called you to peace and prosperity. In fact, Jesus didn’t really offer an invitation – it was a warning. If you’re going to follow me it’s going to cost you something. It may cost you your friends. It may cost you your reputation. It may cost you your job, your social standing or your personal ambitions. Following Jesus may cost you your family, and it could end up costing you your life. The risks are high and the cost is great, but frankly, the cost is great if you choose not to proclaim His name.
Notice again the invitation. Jesus says that you must value Him more than man’s favor: “If you don’t confess me then I won’t confess you…”; more than your own family: “He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me…”; and more than life itself: “he that takes not his cross (his instrument of death) is not worthy of me.”
Listen to me: there is no higher calling in all the world than to declare the name of Christ. There is no greater purpose for living than to live for Christ. Lose your life in His and you’ll find the life you’ve longed for.
I am aware that preaching a message like this is not going to result in lots of favorable decisions. Most people just don’t have the heart for what Jesus offers. Most are too caught up in their own lives to see how temporal most of life really is. Others will never overcome their fears. But I believe that some of you are tired of giving in to those fears and you are ready to give in and trust God with your life and with your words. If you’re one of those few, then admit that to God today. Confess to Him whatever it is that’s been holding you back. Commit yourself to His Word and to proclaiming His name, and trust Him with the results. I love what Jesus said in the book of John.
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
