Fear NOT The World! Matthew 10:24-42 John 12:24-26

John 12:24-26 24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor."

In our TEXT, JESUS CHRIST teaches us THREE things to DIE To and ONE Reward… DIE To Offenses - vs 24-26 DIE To The Body/Flesh - vs 27-33 DIE For Our Faith - vs 34-39 Rewards For Kingdom Supporters - vs 40-42

The world will CALL US NAMES! Vs 24-26 DIE To Offenses The world will CALL US NAMES! Vs 24-26 1. In our text, Jesus Christ said, "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.... If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub how much more will they call those of his household!" vs 24-25. 2. In Mark 3, after doing so many miracles, in the vs 20-30, His family came to take Him away and they said, “He is out of His mind.” Apostle Paul was called a mad man by governor Festus in Acts 26:24. In Acts 2, " 13 Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”

Our Challenge HERE is NOT to FEAR THEM! "Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known." Vs 26. Apostle Paul says in Rom 1:18, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness," Acts 14:22, "22 ... and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”  Endure HARDNESS as good soldier of the LORD - 2 Timothy 2:3.

They will REJECT US and THREATEN to KILL US! Vs 27-33 DIE To The Body/Flesh They will REJECT US and THREATEN to KILL US! Vs 27-33 The summary of what Jesus wants us to know here is "Don't Disappoint Me!" "3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,..." - 2 Cor 4:3-4 David said in Psalm 40:10, "I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth From the great assembly." In Matthew 10:33, "But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven." Practically, NOT TO CONFESS is DENYING Him! NOT to OBEY Him is TO be against Him!   Not to FOLLOW Him is to GO AWAY from Him! Because of our FLESH, we don’t want to CONFESS, OBEY and FOLLOW Him! DIE to the FLESH!

Our Challenge HERE is NOT to FEAR THEM! "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.- vs 28.  Heb 13:5-6, ".... For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" Romans 8:36-39, "36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”[c] 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.....”

DIE For Our Faith Fight In Faith! Vs 34-39 In Isaiah 49:24-26, "Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, Or the captives of the righteous be delivered? 25 But thus says the LORD: “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, And the prey of the terrible be delivered; For I will contend with him who contends with you, And I will save your children....” The Bible says Colo 1:13-14 "13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Matthew 10:34, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.“

Our Challenge HERE is to TAKE UP our CROSS 38And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.“ He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 8:21-22, "21 Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” 1 Timothy 5:8 says, "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.“ Finally, in Gal. 1:10, "For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ."

Rewards For Kingdom Supporters In the book of Hebrews 11:31, "31 By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace." She saved herself and her household. Hebrew 6:10, "10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister." GOD is a JUST GOD and a JUST REWARDER! He will NEVER deprive us of our REWARD for supporting the Kingdom’s work!

Summary Our LORD GOD wants us His children on mission to be forearmed of the demand on our mission! He wants us to NOT ALLOW OFFENSES - to save ourselves from being hindered; He wants us to NOT DISAPPOINT HIM - by hiding the TRUTH from the world! He wants us to FIGHT IN FAITH - Die for our Faith. He will REWARD anyone who will support His children in this cause! Finally, Apostle Paul admonishes us in 1 Cor 15:58, "58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."