Don't be afraid
On Saturday past (1st July), I had the great pleasure of attending the 30th Anniversary Celebration service for BarnabasAid that was held down at Belfast Bible College. During this, the Rev Dr. Patrick Sookhdeo (International Director) outlined the 30-year history of the charity and the aid that it has been able to provide. Following this, Patrick gave a Global overview of help the charity has and was providing to the persecuted Church, Those living in parts of the world that are under the control of Islamist fundamentalists and terrorist groups such as the Boko Harem and ISIS. Following this Caroline Kerslake (International Director of Projects) outlined the current projects that are helping to ease the suffering and plight of many Christians who live in these areas.
As I listened to the stories of religious discrimination, accusations of blasphemy, physical abuse, family rejection, and even the constant threat of martyrdom that's faced daily by so many, the stark truth of Jesus's words that he spoke to the disciples in Matthew 10 filled my mind. Those of us who live in the developed world don't know how blessed with the freedoms that we have!
I've put a link to BarnabusAids website below, Please check out their site to learn of the work that they are do; and maybe if you can help out in some way.
https://www.barnabasaid.org/gb/Matt 10: 24-33
24“The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 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!
26 “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. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 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. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
Q. How do we respond when someone says, “Don’t be afraid”
If we trust the person that’s saying it, our fears ebb, but if we don’t, our fears remains.
Chapter 10 of Matthew is known as the “Mission discourse” where Jesus prepares his disciples and all future followers for the work he would have us do after he ascends to the Father. That work is to be His witnesses and spread the gospel throughout the world.
In our text, Jesus gives us instructions, warnings about things to look out for, and assurances about this mission. He also tells us about the challenges and fears that we are likely to face on our journey.
Verse 24 Jesus sets the tone when he says,
" The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master." By this, Jesus makes it clear that we shouldn’t expect an easy path in this life. If the Master faced opposition, rejection, and suffering, and Jesus did, then we can expect to face it also. The cost of discipleship is high, and so we need to be prepared for what's ahead of us. We must keep our eyes focused on Him if we are to persevere with endurance o that we can overcome the adversities that come our way.
Earlier in the chapter, in verse 16 Jesus said “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves! And in verse 17 He said that we could expect to be dragged before the authorities, that we would be flogged, and then in verse 21, even your closest family members would turn against us, we’d be hated, persecuted, and some of us will be put to death.
But in the verses that follow, he then says to the disciples, and us,
“Do not be afraid of them.” v26
And then gives reasons why we shouldn’t be afraid,
Firstly: 'there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed' V26
In verses 25-26, Jesus acknowledges the persecution and slander that His followers are likely to encounter. St Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12 that our
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms
And the devil doesn’t play fair, with evil lurking around every corner, behind closed doors, where evil schemes, lies, and false accusations are dreamt up to tear down and discredit believers who proclaim the gospel. But have you ever noticed that with allegations, most of the time the accuser or “alligator” isn't to be found?
The rumour monger spews their lies beginning with, ‘Have you heard, or ‘You won’t believe what I heard’, and then they finish their tale with the words, ‘Now you didn’t get it from me, ‘I’m just telling you because I know you can keep a secret, so don’t say a word’! Then they slip back into their sin-soaked swamp, content that will never be found out and that no one will ever know that the lies came from them.
And every one of us can fall into the trap of spreading nasty rumours. So, with hindsight if someone says, have you heard, simply say, 'No, I haven’t, but if it’s about someone else, let’s go and find them so that you can tell me in front of them and we’ll get the truth of the matter'. Then watch them scarper.
Sadly, in this life, ‘alligators’ do get away with it. But Jesus assures us that in the end, they won’t. Because the day of judgment is coming when all secrets will be made known, and all alligators will be outed.
There is great comfort in this because on that day we’ll be vindicated. And with this promise, our fears vanish just like the rays of the sun burn away the morning dew.
But beware, Jesus points out that if we let the Master of our house be called Beelzebul, (another name for Satan) then how much more malign and eviller are we. Because if we take part in the slander, then we become members of Satan's household. So, all of us need to be careful with our words and who it is we serve by them!
Verse 27: Jesus tells the disciples, “What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roof”
Many theologians agree that here the dark is a reference to Jesus whispering to the disciples in the upper room as he prepared for the cross and his resurrection. After His resurrection we’re told to proclaim the gospel in the daylight and from the rooftops, boldly proclaiming His teachings, even if faced with opposition! Fear leads us to keep our heads down, beneath the parapet, to say nothing and remain quiet, but in Jesus, we have nothing to fear, so he tells us to proclaim it from the rooftops and don’t be afraid of them.
Secondly: there is more than this life
Verse 28 begins, Do not be afraid of those who kill the body,
Now our natural reaction to anyone that wants to kill us is fear because our primary desire is to live. But for us Christians, we know that death is not the end, because death is merely the point of 'transition' or 'translation' into the heavenly realm. A gateway through Jesus that brings us into everlasting life with the Almighty. So we're nothing to be afraid of in death.
However, He goes on to say, 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.
Death is not the end. And we can trust him because he rose from the dead. But after death, Jesus tells us here that there is a second death, Hell.
Jesus says don’t fear the death of the body in this life but rather fear the person that can destroy both body and soul in Hell, the second death. In this life, we often fear the people around us, people who might cause us to lose our job, our status, our friends, or even harm us physically and even kill us. But Jesus says death is not the greatest threat that we face, sure people might kill us, but there is one who determines our eternal destiny, and it’s Him only that we should fear!
Thirdly: Our Father is in complete control.
Verse 29. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.
Why do we fear the future? Because we don’t know what it holds for us, and we worry about what might happen, it’s beyond our control and we are subject to its winds of change. But this doesn’t mean that it’s outside anyone’s control! Sparrows are two a penny, they live and die going unnoticed by us all the time, yet here Jesus tells us that God cares when every one of them falls to the ground.
God is in control of everything, even the insignificant details. So, if He controls the little details, then it stands to reason that he must control the big things as well. Our Father is in complete control, and that can raise all sorts of questions for us that are often hard to understand when things go badly wrong, but it’s true, everything that happens is according to the will of the Father. And it’s not just in the world, it’s true for each of us individually because Jesus assures us in verse 30 that “even the very hairs of your head are all numbered”
In your life and mine, right down to the smallest details, God is in control, So we don’t need to be afraid, we just need to trust in Him.
Fourthly: Our Father cares, V 31
So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Look carefully at the language Jesus uses. He changes it from the impersonal to the personal. We don’t have a distant “clock machine minder”, an impersonal God. Because Jesus tells us that the Almighty, the sovereign God, is our Father.
The Almighty, who knows every detail about us, who loves us and cares about us, so much that He sent his son to die for us so that we could come back into a right relationship with him. He knows our fears, our worries, our hopes, and our dreams. He values the sparrows, but ask yourself how much more value does he place on his own children, children like you and me?
Our world is not out of control, God is very much in control, and He is very much on our side. Our Father is always working all things for the good, so no matter what happens, we don’t need to be afraid because He cares for each and every one of us.
Lastly Witnessing for Jesus is what matters V 32-33s
“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.
Sometimes when we fear being a witness for Jesus, we justify our failing by saying that it doesn’t really matter whether I speak up or not, God will find a way without me.
But as we consider what we are commanded to do, Jesus makes it clear about witnessing for him or not.
The issue isn’t whether we get to enjoy the easy life. It’s not whether we get to keep our job or our plans. It’s not about our popularity, our status, or even our very life. Jesus says it’s whether or not we acknowledge Him before others.
If we proclaim;
Yes, I follow Jesus, Yes, I bear witness that He is the Son of God, Yes, He is my King, and Yes, His spirit lives in my heart.
If we do that, Jesus says that he will acknowledge us when we stand with him before the Father in judgment.
But if we remain silent and we don’t acknowledge Him, then we deny Him and on judgment day, Jesus won’t acknowledge us, and he’ll deny us before the Father!
So, as we consider, should I acknowledge him, should I speak for Him or not,
we need to remember that our eternal destiny is at stake!
That’s the bottom line, it’s not a matter of what we think or other people think, it’s all about what God thinks and ultimately the verdict he will give on judgment day.
In your prayers this day, please remember our brothers and sisters throughout the world who live every day with suffering and persecution because of their faith in Jesus.
Have a super day, and God bless.
Trev.