Churches throughout the southeastern US are attended mostly by generational believers.  Many of the believers attend the church their parents, grandparents and other family members attended.  Generational faith is mentioned in scripture and is critical for passing the message of the Gospel and discipleship to the next generation.  Timothy was a product of generational faith.  In II Timothy 1:4-5 Paul writes about Timothy’s sincere faith which first lived in his grandmother then in his mother and now lives in him.  Many children take on the faith of their mothers, grandmothers and influential women in their lives.

Timothy is first mentioned in Acts 16.  He was the son of a mixed marriage between a faithful Jewish woman and a Greek father.  Consider the challenges of a young man called to teach and preach the Gospel to Greeks and Jews who is from a mixed heritage, a mixed marriage.  He could have trouble being accepted by either culture.  Yet, he was faithful to follow his call.  Paul told him to “fan into flame” the gift which had been given to him.

Generational faith has limitations, if believers only reach the next generation of their family the Gospel will not penetrate further than the family lines within the existing churches.  Many churches are not even reaching the children and grandchildren of the current membership.  Paul and Timothy were committed to build on their generational faith, reach across family and cultural lines to share the Gospel and make disciples of Gentiles and Jews.  Believers must begin to fan into flame the gift of the Holy Spirit placed in them and reach across generational, family and cultural lines to reach communities for the Gospel.  Continuing generational faith for the families and beginning a tradition of generational faith for families outside of the Gospel and church.

At Christmas we sing of “Peace on Earth, and Good will toward all men”  as we sing and think of the lyrics to some of he Christmas hymns we get lulled into the belief that part of Jesus purpose was to bring peace to the earth.  As we face adversity in life, persecution for our faith or sharing the Gospel many will stop sharing and question why the persecution.

Of course for most believers in the western world they have face little persecution because they have only shared the gospel a few times or the greatest level of resistance they have faced is a closed door or cold shoulder.

As Jesus finished giving instructions to his disciples before sending them out the share the news of the kingdom he gave a second warning.  This warning was a little stronger than the first.  In verse 34 he clearly states that he did not come to earth to bring “peace” but to bring a “sword”.  An instrument of hand to hand, close combat.  The weapon of choice for personal protection in Jesus day.

The enemy was not from opposing religious groups, opposing ethnic groups or far away countries.  The enemy would be in the homes and families of believers.  Fathers against children, children against parents, mother in laws against spouses of their children.  The swords would be drawn by those closest to the believers.

Families today can hinder and battle against the work a believer is called to do.  Family members will have concern and request their children or parents not to follow the call to foreign lands, claiming a fear of personal safety for the believer.  Family members will discourage believers from leaving the security of secular employment to follow the call of God into ministry.  Family members will encourage the believer to put family ties above their relationship with God.

Jesus tells his disciples in verses 38 and 39 of Matthew 10 that believers must put him above family, and ” ³⁹ Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (ESV)  This phrase is repeated in the Gospels by Jesus and was probably repeated by him to his disciples often.

Most of the teaching we receive about following Jesus centers on keeping the commandments and we will be blessed.  Jesus emphasizes losing our life for him.  Following him at all cost, even the cost of family members becoming enemies.  This message should make most believers uncomfortable and cause each one to question how much they love Jesus.

When a person in Jesus day took up their cross they had been sentenced to die on the cross.  They took up the cross to walk to the place of crucifixion.  For all practical purposes the person was dead to family and friends when they took up the cross.  Jesus tells his believers to take up their cross in Matthew 10:38.  Take up your cross and follow Jesus today.

People have many fears and phobias in life.  One of the most common fears is “arachnophobia” the fear of spiders.  Some refuse to travel by air due to “aviophobia” the fear of flying.  The list of phobias runs long and there are many common and uncommon fears.  Most phobias are more psychological and the thing or things feared presents limited real danger to the person.  However, in their mind the fear is very real and causes anxiety and stress sometimes even symptoms of illness.  Many Christians and churches suffer from “tropophobia” the fear of moving or making changes.  Another fear is “glossophobia” or the fear of speaking.  For some this is manifest as a fear of public speaking, for others it is a fear of speaking in general.

Jesus instructs his disciples in Matthew 10:26 “So have no fear of them…”  He tells them not to fear those who will persecute and bring them to trial for speaking in his name.  The disciples had reason to fear them.  They would persecute them, beat them and even put many of them to death.  History records that the Apostles died martyrs deaths because of their witness for Jesus, and Jesus is telling them “not to fear.”

In verse 27 Jesus instructs his disciples to proclaim what he has taught them.  To declare from the rooftops, to boldly share the message of the kingdom.  His message is for sharing in the light and on the rooftops.  The equivalent of the porches in the western world.

“And do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  Rather fear him who can kill both body and soul in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)  Jesus message to his disciples is one of eternity.  He goes on and describes how the father watches over all of his created beings.  Death never occurs without the father watching.  The only death his followers are to fear is the death of the soul which occurs when separated from God throughout eternity.

in light of the words of Jesus most of the common fears and phobias hold little weight in life.  Most fears and phobias are not founded in real danger.  Jesus tells his disciples not to fear death in order to share the message of the kingdom.

Consider the fear keeping most believers today from sharing the message of the kingdom.  Fear of speaking, fear of rejection, fear of ridicule, fear of not being accepted.  Now compare the consequences of the fear and being separated from God throughout eternity and the resulting death of the soul.

Share the message of the kingdom of God without fear!

A friend asked me a couple of weeks ago: “Did you ever think Christians would be treated this way in our country?”  I inquired what he meant.  He was referring to the media backlash against Christians in the name of political correctness.  As we talked I thought of the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”  In the verses following Jesus describes the persecution his disciples can expect as he sends them out with the message of the gospel.  He tells them to expect to be flogged, beaten, placed on trial and even put to death.  The trials and persecution will come from men of the Synagogues and from close family members.

We have enjoyed religious freedom and safety for a long time in our nation.  Most believers have never faced any opposition or persecution for being a believer.  This is due in part to the freedoms protected by our Constitution.  However, it may also be in part due to believers are reluctant to discuss or share their beliefs outside the safety of Church meetings and when gathered with people who hold the same beliefs.

Society expects believers to be as “Gentle as doves” however they do not expect when believers are “wise as serpents”.  In Genesis 3:1 the serpent is described as the most cunning of the creatures of the field God created.  The serpent is usually viewed as the instrument Satan used to cause the fall of man and people tend to forget the Serpent is one of God’s creatures.  The serpent was only used by Satan to lead mankind into sin.  The Serpent remains one of God’s creatures.

Believers are to use wisdom, intelligence, prudence, cunning (in a positive way) and love to share the Gospel with the world.  Believers should not be surprised when opposition and persecution come.  If one reads the whole of the New Testament and studies the lives of the Apostles, disciples and early leaders from scripture they will see that all were persecuted for thier faith and for the sake of the Gospel.  The persecution began with Jesus and carried through all of the Apostles.

Why should western believers be treated any differently than first century believers and believers in many parts of the world today?

We should question why we are not facing opposition instead of why we are facing a little media backlash.  Believers have not faced opposition because to many have been “as quiet as a Church mouse” when outside the confines of the buildings in which the church meets.  Most have never faced any personal threats or opposition.  The opposition could be mostly media hype with no real threats.

In the preceding verses of Matthew 10, Jesus sends his disciples out to the “lost sheep of Israel”.  Who are the lost sheep of your family, church, community, county, state, country and world that Jesus is sending you to share the message of the Gospel with?

The souls of the lost is worth more than any opposition or persecution a believer may face.

Who or what is the shepherd of your life?  Do you know anyone who does not have the right shepherd in their life?

Rick Warren writes that we all have drivers in our life.  We are driven by something.  Some are driven by money, power, relationships, things and some have practically no drive.  As Jesus went about the region of Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom he noticed the multitude of of the people were “…harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:36.  The multitude who lived in the region in Jesus day were harassed and helpless in many ways.  The lived in subjection to an occupation government.  Taxes were high.  People lived in constant fear of persecution.  They worked to provide food and shelter for their families and the circumstances of the days gave most people little hope.

Jesus was a man of compassion.  He had compassion on the crowds when he saw they were harassed and helpless.  He used his power of healing to help those who had physical issues and illnesses.  But, his primary message was to share the good news (Gospel) about the Kingdom.  Believers should have compassion and share the gospel of the Kingdom with others.

Today we do not see ourselves as being harassed and helpless in the same sense of the people of Galilee in Jesus day.  I would submit that many people today may not be harassed and helpless, but many are following the wrong shepherd.  Families and individuals both inside and outside the church should consider their shepherd.  Children and children’s sports/activities have become the shepherd of many families.  The entire schedule of the family is centered around the activities of the child.  Some are shepherded by their work or career.  Their life and their identity are based on what they do for a living.  And the list goes on.

The Shepherd Jesus refers to is the only shepherd we should be following, the shepherd of the Holy Spirit.  If a persons priority in life is anything other than God then they are following the wrong shepherd.

This passage closes with Jesus telling his disciples to pray to the Lord of the harvest.  Pray that the Lord will send workers.  Christians and churches usually pray with a list of requests and needs.  Scripture does encourage Christians to pray for needs and health issues.  But the real purpose of prayer is to bring the believer to the plans of God not to request God to fulfill our plan.  If believers would pray for the Lord to send workers to specific lost souls, souls without a shepherd.  The Lord will send the worker.  Some may even find they are the worker the Lord is sending to the lost soul.

Ask yourself where you need to show compassion, share the message of Christ and pray for those in your circle of influence who do not have Christ as their shepherd.

Matthew 9:35-38

Paul encourages the Romans to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice” (HCSB Romans 12:1).  The sacrifices to the Lord originated in the Old Testament with the first being the offering presented by Cain and Able in Genesis.  The OT laws defined specific requirements for sacrifices, times to present the sacrifice and specifics of how the sacrifice was to be prepared and presented.

Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice for forgiveness of sins and ended the need to offer animal sacrifices before God.  However the ending of the animal sacrifice did not totally end the need for offering sacrifice.  Paul describes how each believer is to offer the ultimate sacrifice.  Believers are to offer themselves to the Lord as a “living sacrifice”.  A sacrifice was considered a victim whose life ended when they were offered as a sacrifice.  Over the years many believers have offered Romans 12:2 as a request that God would transform them and maybe reveal His vision to them.  Seldom or probably never have I heard a believer stating they were offering themselves as a “living sacrifice” giving up their life to live for God.

Most people, believers, non believers, marginal Christians and the like place emphasis on blessings and thankfulness during the weeks from the celebration of Thanksgiving in late November to the western Christmas celebration of Jesus birth on December 25.  (Not all Christians in the world celebrate Christ’s birth on December 25.)  Try not to get too hung up or upset over the December 25th comment.  This post is not to detract from our need to be thankful for all of our blessings.  Blessings and being thankful for them is not the emphasis, focus and purpose behind our faith in God.

Jesus called his Apostles and Disciples to a life of serving, sharing and living committed to Him.  Paul supports this with the passage written in Romans 12.  Calling on believers to offer themselves as a living sacrifice before God.  He goes on to state that offering and serving become the believers act of worship.  Worship is not something to be consumed, believing is not about the abundance of blessing we receive while living on earth.

As we are 8 days into 2016 most “New Years Resolutions” have either already been broken or maybe time has not allowed you to begin the resolute activity by now.  Ditch the resolution and begin to follow the words of Paul.  “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice” study each phrase and word in this passage and all of Romans 12.  Commit to daily renewal of your mind to seek God’s vision and perfect will for your life each day.  Sacrifice your goals and desires to focus on goals that will result in kingdom growth and kingdom building in 2016, the Kingdom of Christ not your own personal domain.