The Service of Christian Workers
July 29, 2019
Commentary
If you tell others about me I will tell others that you belong to me, but if you reject me, I will tell my Father in heaven that you don’t belong to me (vv. 32-33). Once we have identified our self with Jesus Christ we are part of a war that started between God and Satan back in (Gen. 3:15). The only way a believer can escape conflict is to deny Christ and compromise his witness (vv. 34-37). We will be misunderstood and persecuted and sometimes this may even be by those who are closest to us. However, it is important that we suffer for righteousness’ sake and not because we are just difficult to live with. There is a difference between the “offense of the cross” (Gal. 5:11) and an offensive Christian.
To “carry the cross” (v. 38) does not mean to wear a pin on our lapel but instead it means to confess Christ and obey Him in spite of any shame or suffering we might encounter. If we are just looking out for ourselves we will be losers but if we die to self and live for Christ we will be winners (v. 39).If we support a person who is serving the Lord we will share in his reward. He says that even the smallest service done to the most insignificant of Christ’s servants will be rewarded by the Lord Himself (vv. 40-42).
Application
How many full-time Christian workers have I shown a personal interest in by praying and helping in a tangible way? Is there more that I could or should be doing? Why not share my thoughts and ideas with friends and co-workers on a consistent basis.
Matthew 10:32– 42 (NET)
32 “Whoever, then, acknowledges me before people, I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever denies me before people, I will deny him also before my Father in heaven.
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword! 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, 36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.
37 “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life because of me will find it.
40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 Whoever receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. Whoever receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, I tell you the truth, he will never lose his reward.”
Illustration: Preach Standing in My Shoes
There was a lad in a country village who, after a great struggle, reached the ministry. His helper in his days of study had been the village cobbler. The cobbler, like so many of his trade, was a man of wide reading and far thinking, and he had done much for the lad. In due time the lad was licensed to preach. And on that day the cobbler said to him, “It was always my desire to be a minister of the gospel, but the circumstances of my life made it impossible, But you are achieving what was closed to me. And I want you to promise me one thing-I want you to let me make and cobble your shoes for nothing and I want you to wear them in the pulpit when you preach, and then I’ll feel you are preaching the gospel that I always wanted to preach standing in my shoes.” Beyond a doubt the cobbler was serving God as the preacher was, and his reward would one day be the same. (Source Unknown).