Six Things Jesus Calls His Disciples To – Part 4

Last blog we looked at the call Jesus gives us to not fear the world. As promised we will now see the three reasons Jesus gave in Matthew chapter 10 for His disciples to not be afraid of the world and what it can do to us.

First of we need not fear the world because Jesus has promised that He will one day make everything right. He tells us that even though right now the dark and evil things we see going on all about us are hard to understand eventually we will see clearly His response. In Matthew 10:26-27 Jesus says, "So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.”

We need to not worry ourselves about what the world says right now with all its lies and deception but instead look to His return as Paul instructs in 1 Corinthians 4:5, “Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.” We must view things from God’s perspective not from our own. And as Matthew 10:27 says, “What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.” We must proclaim the entire message of scripture. We all memorize John 3:16 but we must not forget the verses that follow, John 3:17-18, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” God has this under control.

The second reason not to fear the world is that His eternity is of far greater matter than now and God’s power is eternal, man’s is temporal. Look at Matthew 10:28, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Neither man nor Satan can cast our souls into eternal damnation. There is a popular myth that hell is Satan’s dominion, it is not. Satan will not rule hell, God does, just as He is sovereign over all things.

In actuality the Christian’s fear of God is not a fear defined as one of terror but should instead be understood as reverence and awe in the mighty power of our God who is worthy of all praise and honor. Because of what Christ did by going to the cross, Christians need not fear hell because it is not our eternal destination. However out of respect for God’s right and power to cast souls into eternal damnation, Christians should come before God in the strictest sense of reverence. And since the only thing separating a disciple of Christ from a condemned non-believer is the blood of Christ, our attitude must always be one of tremendous thankfulness for the grace we have been given. The bottom line here is that our soul must be valued far more than our body. As Jim Elliot said, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

The third and final reason Jesus gives that tells us why a disciple should not fear the world comes in Matthew 10:29-31, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

This verse is easy to understand but we must believe it with every fiber of our being. God knows every single tiny little detail about all of His creation. And as Jesus says, if a little bird cannot fall without God knowing then we can trust He is watching over us and will not let anything happen to us that He has not allowed. God is sovereign people. So many Christians just do not grasp this concept. We may not understand why or how He operates but that does not mean we cannot trust Him. It is called faith and it is the most important thing we must have in our lives. Hebrews 11:6 is clear, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Disciples do you believe God’s Word? If you do then you can live in this world without fear. If you struggle with faith and fear then read His Word constantly. Romans 10:17, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

Keep seeking Him through His Word, through prayer, and through worship. Until next time God bless you.