SENT: Reward (Part 2 of 2 blogs)

Jesus’ conclusion to His Sermon on Mission in Matthew 10:40-42 contains some important truths for us in the way of implications & applications.

1st, You can't reach someone at arms length, so get close enough to matter. 10:40 It is implied there will be close contact, a relationship. You might engage in e-evangelism...via text, email, Facebook, but nonetheless there is some sort of relationship being built. Refers back to Matt. 9:36-38. There are few enough workers as it is who claim to have compassion but instead they keep people at arms length. Why? Fear of not knowing the Gospel. Being rejected. Take the time to develop a relationship so that they are not at arms length. I am so thankful for the people of Grace Church, who are such great partners in ministry, who are willing, as Paul was, to spend & be spent for the souls of others.

2nd, Christians are Christ's representatives, so represent well.10:40-42 indicates the importance of the servant of Christ as a representative of Christ. They carried his authority & message. The Lord was always with them. So to receive them was to receive the Christ Himself. 2 Cor. 5:16-20 as new creations we have a new identity & new message (testimony). Because of this, we are ambassadors for Christ. Always ready to give an answer for the hope in us. How can you share Christ in non-threatening & effective way? People are sensitive about how they’re approached regarding God. We can get so excited about our faith in Christ that we want to share it with everyone we meet, and our motives are good...but we can come across to people as somehow portraying that we are better than others. People are rightly turned off by that. Somebody said once that true evangelism, is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. There’s nothing that should make me boastful about my faith. My faith is a result of the grace of God. When we’re talking to people, we’re called to be gracious, kind, patient, friendly, and respectful. But we cannot completely remove the offense of the gospel because the gospel speaks of man's true sinful condition and need for repentance, and people are threatened by that. To many Jesus is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. But we should not add to the offense that is built into the message. Sometimes people reject what we say because they’re rejecting Christ. There are times people get offended by our actions or treatment of them as people. Closed door. We need to get close enough to matter…and get along. 1 hurdle in the way of evangelism is personality conflict. Another is worldview disagreements. All I can say is, & I speak from the experience of making this mistake, don't allow your dislike for another person or your disagreement with their views to keep you from attempting to reach them for Christ. You may have some relational cleaning up to do before re-engaging someone with the gospel. Humble yourself and make amends. Trust God to give you the courage to love them enough to courageously tell the gospel story, even risking rejection and embarrassment. 1 Thess. 2:1-6.

3rd, we need to Preach the gospel always, & it is necessary to use words, accurate ones. If we want to share the gospel with unbelievers we will need to get to know them & tell them the accurate truth of the message. 10:41 People can't know what you don't tell them. You may be a wonderful example, but they aren't mind readers. In contrast to the oft-quoted and most likely misquoted or misattributed St. Francis of Assisi line, "preach the Gospel always, if necessary use words", I say preach the gospel always, it is necessary to use words. Our lives must ring true & not cancel out our words, but if we don't use words we leave it up to them to fill in the blanks. Mere words are cheap, but God's Word is a priceless treasure. Ps. 19. 2 Tim. 4:2 preach the Word, the inerrant, infallible, perfect Word of God, in which the gospel is found, which is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe Rom. 1:16. The Word which does its work in those who believe 1 Thess. 2:13. R.C. Sproul wrote... the Gospel…is often given to massive distortions or over-simplifications. People think they’re preaching the Gospel…when they tell you, ‘you can have a purpose to your life’, or ‘you can have meaning to your life’, or even that ‘you can have a personal relationship with Jesus.’ All of those things are true, and important, but they are not the heart of the Gospel. The Gospel addresses the most serious problem that we have, which is: God is holy and just, and we are not. And at the end of our life, we will stand before Him and be judged, either on the basis of our own righteousness – or lack of it – or the righteousness of another. The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus has done for us what we could never do for ourselves. He offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice to satisfy the justice and the righteousness of God. All mankind was lost in Adam & became children of wrath, under a sentence of death & God has provided a way to reconcile us to Himself again. The 2nd Person in the Trinity took man’s nature upon Himself, and was condemned with our sin. He suffered what God’s justice required. A faulty assumption many people want to believe today is that somehow God overlooks everyone’s sins & forgives to everyone – that He is not concerned with upholding His own integrity or acting in accord with His character. The Gospel is the message of who Jesus is & what He did. The Bible makes it clear that we are justified not by our works, our efforts, or our deeds, but by faith alone. The only way a person can receive the benefit of Christ’s life & death is by putting their trust in Him alone. All who do are declared just by God, adopted into His family, forgiven of their sins. 1 Thess. 1:5 Our gospel did not come to you merely in words, but in power & the Holy Spirit & with full conviction (much assurance). What encouragement: we represent the King of kings & Jesus, the Apostle & High Priest of our calling, is with us as we serve Him. The triune God fills our hearts and inspires our words.

4th, Every Christian's testimony is significant. 10:42 God has chosen us, & as His chosen ones we are to be a witness. It reveals the work of God in a sinner’s life that is practical to the person hearing our testimony. It identifies us with other believers, all coming from different life experiences & back grounds, but redeemed by 1 Savior who by grace gives us a corporate identity. Your story is needed. The world is blinded by Satan who wants to keep people from seeing the glorious nature of the gospel of Christ (2 Cor. 4:3-4), but we should never be ashamed of the gospel or afraid to share it because the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes for the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel (Rom. 1:16-17). The gospel does not come simply in words.

5th, Every person's response to the gospel is important. 10:40-42 Jesus describes the proper response to him. Receiving Jesus is equivalent to receiving God. To receive Christ as He is presented by His messengers is to experience God and salvation. Hence the main point: Those who receive the gospel favorably are rewarded with eternal life. Those who reject the gospel get the just reward of their error. To turn away from Christ when He is offered is to be on the road to hell, to be close to perishing. Those who reject Him with finality will perish. In a day of depressing headlines & uncertainty all around, good news is very welcome. Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sin so that we might become God’s children through faith in Christ alone. If you aren’t sure whether or not you are God’s child, you need to make sure. If there is anything keeping you from believing in Jesus you need to receive Jesus, then trust God to take care of that thing, whatever it is. There is no other way to freedom. Maybe you think you can't forgive...you can’t until accept Christ's forgiveness. Receive His forgiveness, you’ll find you have the capacity to truly forgive. Or you can’t understand the Bible…receive Jesus, the Holy Spirit will help you understand. Or you fear your family and friends reaction…receive Jesus, you will have the courage to face any reaction.

Christ's words in 10:40-42were written 2000 years ago. It is by obedience to these words that Christ's followers have taken the gospel of the grace of God in Christ through the whole world. It is because of these words that I proclaim the gospel to you now. In Christ's name and by His authority I say to you, believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, Acts 16:31. In Christ's name and by His authority I also say, reject the Lord Jesus Christ and you’ll be lost forever. That is truth that you must deal with.
Soli Deo Gloria