A Severe Checklist for Disciples, Part 3

Today on Insight for living from Chuck's window every done for the glory of God. Every righteous every self-denial notice he remembers he will reward one of the best ways for it to be revealed is how you treat the least of those around even a cup of cold water to someone who is unable to keep up. God is not unjust to forget when hunting for a new job. There's a natural tension between the employer and candidate bother looking after their own interests while trying to satisfy the expectations of the other party things like vacation time compensation. Other benefits are on the table well when Jesus recruited his disciples. It sounded far more one-sided. Jesus called his followers into a life of sacrificial service. We talked about denying self, taking up your cross today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll points us to Matthew chapter 10 and what he calls a severe checklist for disciples.

Jesus prepared them for combat if you will with this checklist I'll give you a place to write down for in the passage were looking you drawn from the passage were looking at 32 through 42 of this passage before us. The first one that will read the words loyal disciples openly acknowledge Christ before the world disciples openly acknowledge Christ before the world will keep it secret without being ashamed or hesitant true disciples acknowledge him as Lord, how it reads everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth.

I will also acknowledge before my father is a public acknowledgment. Please observe. We acknowledge him publicly here on earth we make him no we do that, obviously, we do it with our lives. To start with when your life is what it should be.

Your words will not surprise them, they may not agree you like to hear it, but they can't say you don't live what you're saying.

Ideally, your life gets the attention and then words follow. So that's another way we acknowledge the opposite is also true deny him here. He denies you, there is evidence that you don't belong to him.

Another way I am. If my dad is your silence. In fact, usually will unify if I do this as you describe were to do you realize there will be problems. Look at verse 34 don't imagine I came to bring peace on the earth. I came not to bring peace but a sword in his first coming came with the sword in his second coming. It comes with peace is the Prince of peace. He sets up a kingdom of peace. But when he first came here, and those who follow him presented a sword off with a very sharp sword that causes others to feel uneasy. You don't do it to make them feel uneasy, but you're just a loyal disciple willing to acknowledge Christ without hesitation and without feeling ashamed.

So we start there.

Here's number two loyal disciples willingly accept rejection, even from their own family members loyal disciples willingly accept rejection, even from their own family members. Look at verse 35 I told you this, the list was severe.

I come to set a man against his father and the daughter against her mother or daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, our enemies will be right in your own household. You love your father or mother more than you love me or not worthy of being my before we go there, let's pause at this place and think about moms and dads attorney gets kids because the kids get so serious about spiritual things. Maybe you're one of those moms or dads. Maybe you're one of the kids. Family members can make ugly statements about Christians that it come to be known as such in the family you got a child more interested in Christ that you are you God thanks you got a parent or relative that didn't quite agree with commitment you have understand why. Remember, that's what Jesus said would happen. This leads us to our third in the checklist, loyal disciple sacrificially choose their essential priorities loyal disciple sacrificially choose their essential priorities. Life always boils down to priorities.

Let's see what Jesus teaches, if you love your father or mother more than you love me you not worthy of being mine if you love your son or daughter more than me. You are not worthy of being mine you refuse to take up your cross and follow me. You're not worthy of being manager cling to your life, you will lose it, but if you give your life up for me to find what on earth does that mean what it does not mean is that you don't love your mother or father start teaching that you don't just truly love your sons and daughters so teaching that look at what it says more than me more than me in a little later. Give up your life for me is comparative.

My love for Christ is to be greater than my love for my wife, her love for Christ is to be greater than her love for her husband, our love for the Lord Jesus is greater than our love for our four don't kids and how we love, but it isn't the love greater than our highest love.

How does it work its way out will loyal disciple acknowledges that there is a commitment that supersedes all other commitments.

Choices are made based on that look at this last one here that he mentions as he talks about clinging to your life, you lose it, and if you give up your life and it which ties in with taking up your cross. That's colloquialism for the first century what is it mean the 21st, it means self-denial. It means being willing to dodge yourself for the purposes of Christ not carrying out your will, but is not walking your way but his way not deciding on what pleases you. But what pleases him.

Jim Elliott put it better than anyone else I've ever read outside the Bible.

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. Easy to be caught up in the stuff that really pleases. I've never known such narcissism is witness now around. It's everywhere. It's even in presidential candidates is all about.

Who cares about.

I care about there being a servant. They're having character being willing to stand alone on things that are right regardless how rare that is how difficult it is in the day when you can make lots of money to know how to restrain yourself and not get lost in your own toys, one man puts it better than I could.

If you're doing everything in your power to make it to get the perfect spouse, the lucrative job the big house the sleek car in all the right connections, guess what, you lose the biggest gators of the biggest losers, but but if you're willing to come to Jesus Christ as your king. Given your life. Here's my life, Lord, it it it's all yours ago wherever you want me to go do whatever you want me to do. I'll do whatever you want me to give a suffering whatever you have me suffer the this is a beautiful irony of the kingdom life, then you will find life true life in this life and true life and reward in the life to come. So rights Douglas O'Donnell's book on Matthew.

So where are you right now in this whole thing you see when you follow Christ line of thinking and living in the end, you win really when he is no fool gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. Never forget that. Never forget to teach that to your children and your grandchildren. Do your best to live it will quick review and will go to one more in the checklist through number one openly acknowledge Christ before the world without hesitation and without shame willingly accept rejection, even from your own family, sacrificially choose the essential priorities as much as possible. Say no to yourself and number four, a loyal disciple.

This is the most positive and invisible, of all loyal disciple humbly anticipates and accepts eternal rewards humbly anticipates eternal rewards. This will motivate you in these other areas look at what it reads 40. Anyone who receives you receives me.

Anyone who receives me receives the father who sent me. If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God will be given the same reward as a prophet. You receive righteous people because of their righteousness.

You will be given a reward like there's and if you have even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers. You will surely be rewarded with great words with the grace of God. All rewards await us. There will be ours, by his grace to claim the first to write in the margin of your Bible Reading Hebrews 610 get home. Look it up is worth some time. God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward his name and that you minister to the saints, and you keep on ministering God is not unjust. Forget every deed done for the glory of God.

Every righteous act. Every self-denial he notices he remembers he will reward one of the best ways for it to be revealed is how you treat the least of those around even a cup of cold water to someone a little slower than you are someone bound to a wheelchair.

Someone who needs another in order to stand someone who is unable to keep up one of the special needs individuals. They're all around us by the millions ever said in a wheelchair probably happened. I did, I did one time just to know what it felt like I was in San Diego airport.

We were on a flight.

Several fellows and I we were going through San Diego to the next leg of our flight and we were there for about three and half hours all recall we were sitting in the public waiting area and there is a stack of wheelchairs off to the side were to be used to help people who needed them and I walked over and sat down in one and a wheeled out further didn't make us show of anything. I just sat there, guys will be here staring at me like what's he up to now and I sitting there in the most interesting experience. Most people totally ignore you somewhat bind pat you on the head. I never could figure that one out several leaned over and said I'm sorry and they walked. Maybe one or two in the passing of an hour or more stop to visit the former church I served with one of our very faithful couples. He had been injured and was paralyzed from the waist down so he was in the chair's wife often would be the one who would assist in getting them into the church service in one occasion became man. He was in the chair she was vitamin when the ushers said what he like one of the worshipful verse and she goes once you ask him he'll be able to hear you and in answering funny is that we feel like there you have five people in your life who were specially about three it's amazing what happens when you take time for the least something wonderful Jesus said in another place and is much as you've done under the least of these my brothers you've done it unto me. It's a great thing when you you who're so successful in capable take time for those who will never be either assisted value.

I love it that our church has a place for them since the very first day we worship place for I love it that we have a service for them just for them. Where we honor the my favorite stories comes out of that they are the ones who are sure they're the one sometimes bring the music they are often the ones who take the offering and have a special offering that would take at the end for their summer camp.

Johnny Erickson, summer camp in one time we had one of our young men there taking the offering.

A gentleman walked up with the thousand dollar check to put the check in the offering plate. The young man said to no cash paper cash not good with a great thing about specially, they just say what okay fellow disciples was crystal. Let's do this together we can make it. It's going to get harder, we learn that last time is not going to get easier to make Christ known you may lose a friend or two, you may lose her job. Let's go at it together.

Time for some questions.

Only you can answer. I will linger here.

Had you been one of the 12 would you have walked away that day, another question do you deliberately keep others from knowing that your Christian there's 1/3 are you still offended because a family member turned on you rejected you because of your faith what others say that your a model of self-denial over the sea was selfish you out as this one. When was the last time you took time for the least of the can you remember the last time. Finally, are you a true believer in Jesus Christ really a believer in Jesus Christ's. Please bow with me was Isaac Watts who wrote am I a soldier of the cross, a follower of the Lamb shall not fear to own is because her blush to speak his name. Are there no photos for me to face, must I not stem the flood is this vile world a friend grace to help me on to God. You've never trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ. I don't know what you're missing. No idea what this kind of self-denial can mean to your walk and your maturity, how much your family will appreciate what a difference you will make in the groups you run with what a change. He will bring in decisions that right now just one selfish decision after another.

How much fun will begin to have with clear conch much better mom or dad, you will be because Christ is enthroned in your life. Don't wait, come to them now simple prayer Lord Jesus Christ, take my life. Let it be what you would have it be I freely and immediately give it to you.

I take your forgiveness and grace is my own. Thank you, dear father, help us in this battleground journey to walk it with caution and care but free of worry not easily offended, forgetful of self and interested in others.

Start here.

This pulpit teach me the things I need to know to be a far better witness.

Give me the grace to go in the same for my brothers and sisters of those who just come to Christ guide them into the same vein. Everyone's name at the outset of this message. Chuck Swindoll warned today's passage is difficult to understand, yet it sets the standard for our commitment as followers of Jesus.

This is insight for living. To learn more about this ministry. Please visit us online@insightworld.org as your radio Bible teacher Chuck makes it his personal mission to preach the whole counsel of God's word. Even the challenging passages like the one we studied today in Matthew chapter 10. These requirements from Jesus, though presented 2000 years ago have immediate application for our times and to help you apply these principles to your daily life you would like to know Chuck wrote a helpful commentary on this first book of the New Testament actually because of its depth, but commentary for Matthew comes in two volumes. This is in a stereo typical commentary that sometimes feels dry academic the format of Swindoll's living incites commentary on Matthew is clear and easy to navigate and it's integrated with articles, practical application, and a variety of helpful pictures. So whether you're a serious student of the Bible or you're just beginning to learn what it means to follow Jesus. We believe Swindoll's living incites commentary on Matthew will help you to purchase both volumes go to insight.org/store or call us if you're listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888.

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Chuck Swindoll describes how to survive confusing moments when disappointment leads to doubt. Tune in for insight for living in the preceding message a severe checklist for the site is copyrighted in 2016 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R. Swindoll. All rights are reserved.

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