Marching Orders
Never Ashamed
Matthew 10:1-15
Transitioning from one preaching subject to another is something that always challenges me because I want there to be a flow in what we learn. Not that we can't learn if the subjects are unrelated, but my goal is to grow and build, one topic upon the other, so we can come to the fullest understanding of who we are as Christians, and what God wants to develop in us, both as a church and individually.
So for 5 weeks we've been thinking about church growth. And while we certainly didn't exhaust the subject, we learned some Scriptural truths regarding the church and its growth and how that occurs. And the theme verse we labored under was Matthew 16:18 where Jesus said, "I will build My church."
We partner with Him and do our best to provide the atmosphere and meet the conditions for growth to happen, but ultimately, God gives the increase.
Today, and for the next 5 weeks or so, I want to move to the other side of the theology and think more in terms of our responsibility in a series I'm calling "Marching Orders". And the design of these messages is not so much about techniques and strategies, but more about calling and position.
As God's people, we are called to go into a hostile environment, marching under the flag of faith, and deliver a message of grace that is found only in Jesus Christ.
Now in my use of that language, we are immediately confronted with a military imagery. And if you question the appropriateness of that language, I will remind you that the Bible is full of references to war and battle and soldiers.
In fact, I would suggest that Christianity is under attack in America as it has never been before. In an article called Ashamed of the Gospel by Robert George, who is a professor at Princeton University, he says,
"The days of socially acceptable Christianity in the West are surely over. The days of comfortable Christian orthodoxy are past.”
Then he goes on to make his case by saying this:
"Now, if one does not believe what the Church teaches, or, for now at least, even if one does believe those teachings but is prepared to be completely silent about them, one is safe—one can still be a comfortable Christian. In other words, a tame Christian, a Christian who is ashamed of the gospel—or who is willing to act publicly as if he or she were ashamed—is still socially acceptable. But a Christian who makes it clear that he or she is not ashamed must be prepared to take risks and make sacrifices."
In theory, we all agree on this. But in an age of beheadings, those words take on a different tone.
Mike Huckabee recently said:
“Christian convictions are under attack as never before. Not just in our lifetime, but ever before in the history of this great nation. We are moving rapidly toward the criminalization of Christianity.”
It’s not just evangelicals who are sounding the warning. Catholic Cardinal Francis George said this several years ago:
“I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison, and his successor will die a martyr in the public square.”
I do not wish to be an alarmist, but alarming things are happening all over the world. The moral revolution in America is proceeding at warp speed. We can argue about whether we were ever the “Moral Majority” in this country, but if we were, we certainly aren’t now. Christians are part of a vanishing “moral minority” in America.
Dr. Albert Mohler, who serves as president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, describes the three stages of a moral revolution:
1. What was condemned is now celebrated.
2. What was celebrated is now condemned.
3. Those refusing to celebrate are condemned.
That has happened in America. And that it has happened, I suppose, shouldn't surprise us, but what is surprising is the speed with which it has happened.
Who among us would have believed even ten years ago that gay marriage would now be legal in America? But here we are. And what that causes us, as the church to do, is ask ourselves, "So what do we do? And even more to the point, how do we live?"
To help us answer that question, over the next few weeks, I want to unpack the 10th chapter of Matthew 10. So why this passage, in particular? I choose this chapter because it is the passage where Jesus commissions the twelve apostles and the words he spoke 2,000 years ago speak directly to the very issues we are now facing in the 21st-century.
In fact, it seems to me we stand where this first group of young believers stood. They faced a world that was pagan, idolatrous, immoral, superstitious, and spiritually restless. And in many way, our world is the same. In fact, America, the land that has "In God We Trust" printed on our money, is a country that is more pagan, idolatrous, immoral, and spiritually adrift than it has ever been in its history.
So in Matthew 10, Jesus gathered his men around him and gave them their marching orders. And what he said to them, he says to us today.
As I studied this text, I kept thinking of what Paul declared in Romans 1:16 when he said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.” That’s an important word for today. And I bring it up because what we find in the first fifteen verses of Matthew 10 is three reasons why we should never be ashamed of the gospel of Christ.
Reason # 1: We should never be ashamed of the Gospel because
1. Christ Has Called Us
Notice how the passage opens:
Matthew 10:2-4
I note, in particular, that when Jesus chose his men, he didn’t pick famous people. Jesus chose men who were not popular or well-known. He chose ordinary men. Average men. They were mostly from Galilee, which meant they tended to be blue-collar guys. They didn’t come from Jerusalem. They weren’t the sort of men who held high office or had a lot of money. These were men who knew about long hours and hard work.
And knowing what we know about these men, we can make a further observation about them. Jesus knows the weakness of these men, and he calls them anyway. Consider these examples:
James and John were the impetuous “sons of thunder.” Peter denied Him. Thomas doubted him.
Simon was a revolutionary. Judas betrayed him.
Why did Jesus choose so many people with character flaws and problems and temperament issues? What else would he choose? Who else would you suggest He use? Someone like you, maybe? God chose them because people like them and us are all He has to pick from! All the perfect people are in heaven. The only ones on earth are the folks with serious weaknesses and character flaws and deficiencies.
The talent pool has always been pretty thin when it
comes to moral perfection. God works with sinners because that’s all he has to work with. In heaven we will all be vastly improved–perfected by God’s grace. But until then, he chooses imperfect people so he can display his power through human weakness.
But there is one other thing to notice about this group. Jesus “calls” these men to serve him. And I emphasize the word "calls” to underline the way the Lord works. One day Peter is a fisherman; the next day he is fishing for men. One day Matthew is a hated tax collector; the next day he walks the dusty roads of Galilee, following Jesus wherever he goes.
And I take note of the fact that Christ first calls the men to himself. This is exactly how the call comes to you and me today. One day we are busy doing our own thing. The next day we leave everything to follow Christ.
That is both encouraging and frightening. It ought to encourage us that Jesus calls imperfect people because that means we all qualify. But when Christ calls us, we go without knowing what tomorrow will bring.
As Warren Wiersbe says, “Faith is not believing in spite of evidence, but obeying in spite of consequence.”
Why should we not be ashamed of the gospel? First, because we have been called by Christ to follow him.
There is a second reason we should never be ashamed of the gospel and that is because . . .
2. Christ Has Equipped Us
Matthew 10:5-10
Right up front we run into an unusual command: “Don’t go to the Gentiles.” So how does that apply to us today? Does that mean we get to pick and choose with whom we share the faith?
Keep in mind that Jesus is only sending out 12 men. He can’t send them everywhere. So he tells them to start where they are and stay among their own people. In fact, that command is in keeping with the Great Commission which instructs us to begin with "Jerusalem". To them, that meant the Jews. To us, it means those closest to us. Later, that call is expanded to Judea, Samaria and the world.
Then he tells them what to say: “The kingdom of Heaven has come near.” When the king comes to town, it can never be business as usual. The king is here! Spread the word! Tell your friends! Come and see the king while he is here! Jesus wants his disciples to spread the word the King has come.
And then He provides the proof that it is, in fact, the King that has come. Here is the proof the King has come: the sick are healed, the dead are raised, the lepers are cleansed, and the demons are cast out. So in essence, this is Jesus saying, “Go in my name and help hurting people.”
That is a pattern Jesus established that has lasted for over 2000 years. And what that means is wherever the gospel goes, burdens are lifted!
By the way, the world that desperately wants to rid itself of the church and its influence ought to ask themselves, "Do we really want to live without the influence and impact of the church?" After all, who built the clinics and hospitals? Who built the orphanages and established the universities? Who cares for the widows and the dying? Who loves the unlovely?
The followers of Jesus did all these things because our Master sent us out into the world to help the hurting and to heal the sick.
And I love what Jesus says next in verse 8: “Freely you have received. Freely give”. If the gospel is free, and it is, and if you have freely received it, and you have, then go share what you have freely received with others!
In fact, that means the whole Christian life can be summarized in just six words:
From God
To Us
To Others
What starts with God comes down to us in a flood of grace and mercy. We didn’t deserve it; we didn’t earn it. It’s a free gift from God. Have you been forgiven? Then forgive. Have you found mercy? Then show mercy. Have you received a blessing? Then bless others!
Just take what God has given you and give it away to someone else. That’s the whole Christian life in just one sentence.
Often we feel unequal to the tasks in front of us. We think we can’t do what we need to do. We’re not strong enough or smart enough or fast enough. We see what is ahead and what God has called us to do and we say, “Lord, I can’t do that. It’s too much for me.” And the Lord says back to us, “You’re right. It is too much for you. But it’s not too much for me.”
Here’s the promise: Jesus will give you everything you need to do everything He calls you to do. When He calls us, He also equips us.
Why should we not be ashamed of the gospel? Because Christ has fully equipped us.
There is a third reason in our text to never be ashamed of the Gospel. Christ has called us, Christ has equipped us, and . . .
3. Christ Has Prepared Us
Matthew 10:11-13
Now at first, I struggled with how to make these verses fit. They seem somewhat obscure or difficult to make fit, especially in light of what has just been said.
First, Jesus says, "Freely you have received, freely give", and now He's saying to be specific about who you reside and share and so forth. What did He mean by this concept of giving your peace and then taking it back again?
Well, the truth is, He is giving them very practical advice. Notice, in the previous verses, He's talked about money and clothes and food. It's just practical , daily needs that will be provided by God.
Then He continues the advice, or counsel or instruction in these verses, but He moves from the physical to the spiritual. Now He's talking about responses to the Gospel. And again, it very practical advice.
According to Jesus, there are two realities about evangelism that are still true today:
First, we never know how people will respond. And second, we respond to others as they respond to us.
The one reasons I've heard more than anything else for why people are hesitant to share the gospel, I've heard people say, "I'm afraid I might offend someone."
Well, in this text, that's exactly what Jesus addresses, and He tells them, point blank, some will be offended. Some will scoff. Some will ignore us.
And on the other hand, some will listen carefully, be deeply touched and forever changed.
So Jesus wants to prepare his disciples for the whole spectrum of responses they will face. When you enter a village, you can’t predict in advance who will welcome you and who will reject you. You have to be ready for whatever happens. It’s good to say “God bless you,” but sometimes you need to “unbless” those who do not wish to hear the Good News.
Some people don’t want to listen. Some will mock and attack you. Some will use social media to spread vile rumors about you. Some people will hate us
So what do you do then? How do you respond to those who take offense to the Gospel and the opportunity to be saved?
Jesus offers a very clear answer in
verse 14
Isn't that liberating? As hard as this saying is, it actually frees us. Jesus says, "Listen, guys. You don’t have to stay in one town or one city forever. You don't have to keep going back over and over again to the same people who don't want to hear what you have to offer. You can stay if you want to, but you are also free to leave."
It takes time and wisdom and discernment before you shake the dust off your feet and move on. And you don’t do that simply because a few people won’t listen. But you aren’t obligated to stay forever either. There comes a time when you’ve done all you can do.
My father in the ministry, Tom Cotten, said, "Everyone deserves to hear the gospel once before anyone hears it twice!"
And to quote that great theologian, Kenny Rogers,
“You've got to know when to hold 'em and Know when to fold 'em; Know when to walk away
And know when to run.”
And just to underscore how serious is this message and its response, notice how Jesus ends the passage in
verse 15
What a sobering statement that is! It will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for the city that rejects Jesus. Sodom and Gomorrah were totally destroyed by God. Fire and sulfur rained down from heaven to wipe them out.
And God says, "Sodom and Gomorrah are going to be better off than San Francisco or New York City or Ardmore, Oklahoma.
How can that be? Think about it this way: Sodom knew nothing of the cross of Christ. Gomorrah was ignorant of the message of salvation in Christ. They were judged purely on behavior that was void of New Testament theology.
America has enjoyed an unprecedented exposure to the Gospel and the things of God. We have rich and undeniable roots as a nation that that deeply embedded in Scriptural truth. There is a church on every corner. We have more preachers and Bibles and evangelists than any nation has ever known.
And what Jesus is teaching us is that light received leads to more light, but light rejected leads only to darkness.
So what God do with America? Since 1973 we have killed at least 58 million unborn babies through legalized abortion. That’s what we’ve done in the last 42 years.
That’s what we’re still doing at a rate of 1.3 million children a year.
Beyond that, we have those videos that exposed the ghoulish atrocities at Planned Parenthood who sold the body parts of aborted babies. What kind of people do this? What kind of country allows this?
No wonder Billy Graham once said, “If God doesn’t judge America, he’s going to have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.”
I believe judgment has already started. As a nation, we have rejected God’s truth about life and marriage. We kill the unborn, and we feel free to redefine marriage. We laugh at the gospel and ignore the Bible.
As Al Mohler said, we now celebrate what was once condemned, we condemn what was once celebrated, and we condemn those that refuse to celebrate that which is reprehensible to God. No wonder America is in trouble.
And yet, God sends His church into this cesspool of humanity and says, "Don't be ashamed of the gospel!" And we can do it with confidence knowing that Christ has prepared us for such a time as this.
There are two sobering implications that emerge from this passage:
First, Gospel Preaching Increases accountability for the Hearers.
Because of the great privilege and opportunity we have enjoyed, that means judgment will be worse for America than for Saudi Arabia or Mongolia or the jungle tribes because to whom much is given, much is required.
No one will get away with anything on Judgment Day. We don’t need to worry about that. No one gets a free pass. The whole world is guilty before God. But to whom much is given, much is required. America will have much to answer for in that day.
Second, the responsibility to preach the gospel increases our own accountability. What do I mean by that?
I mean in these days of confusion and controversy, when Christians are maligned and our faith marginalized, we must continually ask ourselves, “Did I courageously speak the whole truth?”
I don’t want to stand before Jesus and have to say, “You were clear, Lord, but I was a coward.”
Gospel preaching forces people to take sides. If we take the words of Jesus seriously, then we should not be surprised at the road before us. Hard times are coming. Persecution is coming. Families will be divided. Churches will be split. Leaders will disappoint us. Christians will be marginalized.
Should we be discouraged? No. Jesus said these things would happen. As a matter of fact, we’re back where it all started. In a very real sense, we’ve gone back to the first century, back to the early days of the Christian movement. God is calling us back to the future as we get our marching orders from Jesus.
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the early days of the Civil War, a song called "John Brown's Body" became popular. It told the story of an abolitionist leader who was hanged at Harpers Ferry on December 2, 1859, and it became the theme song for Federal troops and Union sympathizers. The tune was borrowed from an old Methodist hymn, called "Say, Brothers, Will You Meet Us?".
In November of 1861, Julia Ward Howe, the daughter of a well-to-do New York City banker, was touring Union army camps near Washington, D.C. with Reverend James Freeman Clarke and with her husband, Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe, who was a member of President Lincoln's Military Sanitary Commission and a fervent abolitionist.
During the course of their camp visit, the group began to sing some of the currently popular war songs, among them "John Brown's Body." In one of those rare flashes of inspiration that leave their mark on the history of a nation, Reverend Clarke was moved to suggest that Mrs. Howe pen new lyrics to the familiar tune. She replied that she had often thought of doing just exactly that.
The following morning, as Mrs. Howe later described it, she "awoke...in the gray of the early dawn, and to my astonishment found that the wished-for lines were arranging themselves in my brain. I lay quite still until the last verse had completed itself in my thoughts, then hastily arose, saying to myself, 'I shall lose this if I don't write it down immediately.'"
What she wrote went like this:
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord,
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword
His truth is marching on.
I have seen Him in the watchfires of a hundred circling camps;
they have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps
His day is marching on.
He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;
O be swift, my soul, to answer Him! Be jubilant my feet
Our God is marching on.
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
with a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me;
as He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
while God is marching on.
Chorus: Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.
When talking with discouraged Christians who felt like giving up the battle, the late Chuck Colson liked to quote his friend Richard John Neuhaus who said,
“The Christian has no right to despair because despair is a sin. The Christian has no reason to despair because Christ has risen.”
We have no reason to despair because the greatest truth in the world is that Christ is risen and He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and that truth marches on and nothing will change it!
Not a Supreme Court decision, not a march in the streets, not a riot by the demonstrators! Nothing will ever put Jesus back in the grave. His truth is marching on!
We hear voices warning us about being on “the wrong side of history.” That’s no big deal to us. The Christian church was born on the wrong side of history. We’ve been on the wrong side of history since the days of Nero, and it was enough to turn the world upside down.
We’re not the first generation of Christians to find ourselves unpopular, and we won't be the last because Jesus said, "I will build my church and the gates of Hell shall not, will not, cannot prevail against it! His truth is marching on!
Never forget, Christ has won the victory. He is risen indeed! We preach a risen Christ who is coming back soon. We preach a Christ who will save anyone who comes to him. We preach a Christ who will rule over the nations. His truth is marching on!
Our marching orders are the same today as they were in the beginning: Never be ashamed of the gospel! We are on a mission from God. The harvest ripens before us. Some will hear and receive. Others will reject us and our message.
When they do, let’s shake the dust off and move on.
The harvest remains plentiful around the world. These are great days to be a Christian! If the night is dark, then remember the darker the night, the brighter the light shines.
May God burn this into our hearts. We have our marching orders. Fear not! We are called, quipped and prepared for days like these and His truth is marching on!
Let's pray.
