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Turn in your Bibles to Matthew 
chapter 10. Matthew 10 as we continue our 
exposition of Matthew's gospel. This morning we find ourselves 
in verses 24 to 33, which the overarching concern of the overarching 
theme seems to be response to persecution. How do the disciples, 
how are the disciples to respond to the persecution that Jesus 
has promised is coming? their particular way. Remember 
in chapter 10, in response to his statement in chapter 9, when 
he said to his disciples, the harvest truly is plentiful, but 
the laborers are few, therefore pray the Lord of the harvest 
to send out laborers into his harvest. In response to that 
petition offered up to God, Jesus then appoints the 12. He appoints 
these 12 men and gives them a specific commission. Specifically in verses 
5 to 15, they are to engage in a localized mission to the region 
of Galilee. They are to go to the lost sheep 
of the house of Israel. In verses 16 to 23, it seems 
to transcend that localized mission. In other words, what they receive 
in that mission isn't necessarily the things promised in verses 
16 to 23. Rather, that extends to the church, 
to the early church, and we see it fleshed out in the book of 
Acts. And then what we have considered, or what we will consider this 
morning, as I said, is the response to persecution in verses 24 to 
33. But I'll just pick up reading. 
in verse 16 to remind us of our context. Behold, I send you out 
as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents 
and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will 
deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 
You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake. as a testimony 
to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, 
do not worry about how or what you should speak, for it will 
be given to you in that hour what you should speak. For it 
is not you who speak, but the spirit of your father who speaks 
in you. Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father 
his child, and children will rise up against parents and cause 
them to be put to death. and you will be hated by all 
for my name's sake. But he who endures to the end 
will be saved. When they persecute you in this 
city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, 
you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the 
Son of Man comes. A disciple is not above his teacher, 
nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that 
he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have 
If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub or Beelzebul, 
how much more will they call those of his household? Therefore, 
do not fear them, for there is nothing covered that will not 
be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Whatever I 
tell you in the dark, speak in the light. And what you hear 
in the air, preach on the housetops. 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. Are not two 
sparrows sold for a copper coin? and not one of them falls to 
the ground apart from your father's will. But the very heads of your 
hair, or the hairs of your head, are all numbered. Do not fear, 
therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows. Therefore, 
whoever confesses me before men, him I will also confess before 
my father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before 
men, him I will also deny before my father who is in heaven. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father, we thank you for this, your word, and we pray for the 
ministry of your spirit now. Again, we call upon you to cleanse 
us in the blood of Christ, to illumine our minds and our hearts, 
and help us to learn the lessons of this passage. Help us to take 
them to heart, God in heaven, and help us to faithfully confess 
our Lord Jesus Christ. May we say with Paul, I'm not 
ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For it is the power of God unto 
salvation. Give us boldness, give us zeal, 
give us courage, and God, give us the wisdom to know that persecution 
will occur, that these things will happen, and help us, God, 
to just have the grace to persevere through these things. We thank 
you, God, that Jesus speaks to all of these issues, that Jesus 
does not leave his disciples unarmed or uneducated, but he 
gives them the things that they will need on their mission. And 
we praise you through Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, as I said, 
they have already been told what lie in their future in verses 
16 to 23. Remember, the strategy they are 
to imbibe is found in verse 16. They are to be as wise as serpents 
and they are to be as harmless as doves." In other words, they're 
to be like Christ. They're to have cunning. They're 
to have wisdom. They're to have ingenuity. They're 
to have that wherewithal to be able to go into various circumstances 
and situations and people groups and tell them the gospel. They 
are to be harmless. They are to be marked. by Christian 
ethics. They're not to be those sorts 
of people that say the ends justify the means and we can lie and 
cheat and destroy and do whatever it is as long as people are saved. 
No, God not only ordains the ends, but he ordains the means 
we are to pursue. with reference to those ends. 
And then Jesus highlights the specifics that await them. Beware 
of men, he says in verse 17. Again, we saw that's not all 
men. There will be those worthy ones. There will be those who 
receive the word. There will be those who, by God's 
grace, respond to the gospel in belief. But those men that 
are antagonistic, those men that are contrary to Christ, those 
men that hate God, will deliver you up to councils and scourge 
you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors 
and kings, for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles." 
I mean, it seems like a very bleak picture lying in their 
future. And if that isn't enough, it's 
not just deliverance up by the ecclesiastical authority to councils 
and being scourged in the synagogues, but it's also being delivered 
up to the state. You will stand before Gentiles. 
You will stand before kings. But it then penetrates to the 
family situation. It affects the domestic realm 
according to verses 21 and following. Brother will deliver up brother 
to death and a father his child and children will rise up against 
parents and cause them to be put to death and you will be 
hated by all for my name's sake. Now, if you heard this in its 
original setting and in its original context, you might be tempted 
to fear. You might be tempted to raise 
your hand and say, Lord, is there someone else that you want to 
pick for this particular job? Because I don't think that I 
can handle this. Lord, can't you call another 
man to this task of being part of the twelve? Because I'm a 
wimp, I'm fearful, I'm riddled with concern and cares and all 
those sorts of things. Perhaps these men were thinking 
that, and that is precisely what Jesus responds to or answers 
in verses 24 to 33. There are certain dispositions 
or attitudes or certain truths you need by way of preparation 
to fortify your soul so that you will embark on the mission. 
And the primary emphasis, especially in verses 26 to 31, is do not 
fear. Christ repeats this three times, 
verses 26, 28, and 31. It's one of those passages where 
after having read, you don't have to say, I wonder what the 
Lord wants me to do. Don't fear. Do not fear. Do not be afraid. Fear paralyzes faithful witness. Men who are riddled with fear 
do not go out and testify for the Lord Jesus Christ. When we're 
afraid of a person, when we're afraid of what they might think 
about us, when we're afraid of how we might come across, we 
generally aren't consistent and forthcoming with Christian testimony. Jesus knows this, and he speaks 
to this particular issue, and he tells them with reference 
to persecution, here is how you ought to respond. He says, first 
of all, there is an expectation concerning persecution that you 
must have, verses 24 and 25. He then says there is a prohibition 
during persecution, verses 26 to 31. In other words, when you're 
going through persecution, don't fear, don't fear, don't fear. And then verses 32 and 33 are 
an exhortation to faithfulness in the midst of persecution. So we have an expectation, a 
prohibition, and an exhortation given by our Lord in how we are 
to respond to the promise of being delivered up by ecclesiastical, 
civil authority, and also by our own families. This is what 
Christ communicates to the Twelve in preparation for their mission 
that will ultimately include the entirety of the earth. So let's look first of all at 
the expectation concerning persecution. Verses 24 and 25. Jesus uses 
a comparison. Jesus' point here is very simple. You won't be dazzled exegetically 
this morning because the passage is very cut and dry. Christ says 
a disciple is not above his teacher nor a servant above his master. It's a no-brainer, isn't it? The disciple does not exceed 
or become greater than his teacher. The slave doesn't ever exceed 
the master. Jesus says it is enough, it is 
right, it is good when the disciple is like the teacher and the slave 
is like the master. The disciple needs to realize 
and the disciple needs to know that he is aligned with his master. His Lord, His Savior. This comparison is very simple 
in this way. He brings the point home with 
this illustration. If they, the ungodly men that 
deliver you up to councils, that deliver you up to state authority, 
if they, ungodly men in your own household, call the master 
Beelzebul, then how much more will they call the disciple? 
In other words, Jesus' point in verses 24 and 25 is simply 
this. Expect persecution. It cannot be otherwise. If they 
malign, if they curse, if they repudiate the master himself, 
well then certainly they are not going to deal kindly with 
the Master's household. Remember I mentioned, it was 
either last week or a couple of weeks ago, Edward said, men 
can't get to God's throne. If unconverted, unsaved, wicked 
men could, they would shimmy their way up into the heavenly 
court, they would take God off His throne, and they would dash 
Him to the ground and step on Him. They would try and destroy 
Him. Because men cannot do that, they 
target His people. And if they malign the Master, 
if they call Him the Lord of Flies, They call him Satan, they 
call him the master of demons himself. If they're going to 
do that with the Lord Jesus, then certainly disciples, they're 
going to do that with you as well. He teaches them in the 
upper room discourse in John 15, verse 18. He says, if the 
world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. 
If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet 
because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, 
therefore the world hates you. You see the point? They call 
Christ Beelzebub, they're going to call you Beelzebub. If they 
deliver Jesus up to the synagogue, if they deliver him up to be 
scourged, they're going to deliver you up. If they ultimately give 
him to Caesar and shout, away with him, away with him, crucify 
him, then that's going to be your lot as well. It's not as 
if the world of ungodly men are going to say, oh, you serve the 
master. The master we despised, the master 
we hated, the master we rejected, the master we spat on, the master 
we ultimately delivered up to be crucified. But you know, you're 
pretty good after all. We'll let you live. No. There's 
to be an expectation in the hearts of God's people that there is 
going to be persecution and tribulation and trial in this world. Isn't 
this what Paul says in 2 Timothy 3? All who desire to live godly 
in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Jesus has not only promised it 
in verses 16 to 23, but with his illustration of verses 24 
and 25, says it's inevitable. You can't escape it. If they 
despise the master, they're going to despise the servant. If they've 
despised the teacher, they're going to despise the disciple. 
It is a no-brainer. It is the way this world works. 
It is what wicked men are about. They can't keep crucifying the 
master, so they'll crucify his servants. They can't keep killing 
the teacher, so they'll try and kill the disciple. This is the 
point of what our Lord is highlighting to them. Expect it. Peter makes this statement, 1 
Peter chapter 4. 1 Peter chapter 4 with reference 
to trial, with reference to difficulty. Peter says, Beloved, do not think 
it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as 
though some strange thing happened to you. You know what shouldn't 
be strange in your Christian life is trial. You know what 
shouldn't be strange in your Christian life is difficulty. 
You know what shouldn't be strange in your Christian life is persecution. What should be strange is when 
all men speak well of you. What should be strange is when 
everything goes your way. Now, I know some sensitive soul 
will leave here and say, life's going pretty good for me right 
now. I must be under damnation. No, no, no. That's not the point. 
Peter says don't think it's strange. Read Hebrews chapter 11. It's 
not strange that the people of God are plagued with suffering. It's not strange that the people 
of God are despised and rejected by the non-people of God. It's 
not strange when we live in a sin-cursed world with men and women who 
despise the living and true God, who reject Him, who reject His 
Christ, and who say, we will not have Him to rule over us. 
It ought not to surprise us when men meet us with persecution, 
trial, and difficulty. That's Christ's point in verses 
24 and 25. If they have called the master 
of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of 
his household?" And then that brings us to consider the prohibition 
during persecution in verses 26 to 31. The statement is clear. Therefore, do not fear them. In case you missed it in verse 
28, do not fear them. In case you missed it in verse 
31, do not fear them. What is Christ speaking to? Christ 
is speaking to that natural, sinful disposition in the heart 
of man to be ashamed of his Lord, to not honor his God, to weigh 
the situation and say, if I confess Christ, then this person won't 
like me, so I won't confess Christ. If I say this, then this friend 
group might alienate me. Or if I say this, then these 
bad things will happen to me. Jesus says, don't fear them. 
Don't be afraid of them. Don't give them second thought. 
What is more important, the living and true God or some peer group 
in your junior high? Do you know how much we give to 
others in terms of their claim on our lives? What will so-and-so 
think? What will whoever say? Who cares? Who gives a rip what a seventh 
grader thinks of you? What is serious and what is determinative 
and what matters is what does God think of us. Peer pressure 
is of the devil. Children are brought up in a 
Christian home. Children are catechized. Children 
sit at the family altar. Children attend churches where 
the word is expounded. And they go into a school situation, 
and they're afraid to own their Lord. Jesus says, don't be afraid 
of them. Do not fear them. Do not let 
that affect you. Pay them no mind. Pay them no 
attention. Because when you do so, you're 
not testifying of Christ. You're not witnessing for Christ. 
And what's far more important in this world is not your acceptance 
with an 11th grader, but with the glory of the gospel of Jesus 
Christ, our Lord. You see, that's what matters 
at the end of the day. I love the last stanza of the 
hymn we sang right before we went to the sermon. He will own 
my worthless name. Can you imagine the self-esteem, 
self-help group singing that? My name's not worthless. I'm 
me. I'm great. I'm awesome. I'm wonderful. If 
you know yourself rightly in God's world, you have no problem 
singing stanza four, that He will own my worthless name before 
God Most High. That's what matters. That's all 
that's important. The final analysis, my dear brothers 
and sisters, that's it! Jesus says, don't fear them. And Jesus, because he's so kind, 
and because he's so gracious, and because he's so wonderful, 
and because he's such an excellent teacher, not only tells us, don't 
fear them, but he gives us three reasons why we ought not to. 
Three reasons why we aren't to fear. In verses 26 and 27, the 
reason is the propagation of truth. In verse 28, the reason 
is the powerlessness of man. And in verses 29 to 31, the reason 
is the omnipotence of God. You see, for those three reasons, 
do not fear them. For those three reasons, do not 
be concerned. For those three reasons, don't 
be paralyzed and riddled with fear so that it inhibits faithful 
testimony and witness to your God. So let's just look at those 
three reasons. Notice, first of all, the propagation 
of truth, verses 26 and 27. After saying, therefore, do not 
fear them, Jesus says, for there is nothing covered that will 
not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Now, some 
take this as the villainous crimes that are being perpetrated on 
the people of God. On that day of judgment, the 
spotlight will shine on their wickedness, God will condemn 
them to hell, and the righteous will be vindicated. I think that's 
taught in the Bible, but I don't think that's taught in this verse. 
I think what Jesus is doing in both verses 26 and 27 is highlighting, 
do not fear them, because as inevitable as persecution is, 
so inevitable is the truth that the gospel of Jesus Christ will 
be proclaimed from sea to sea, and that Christ Most High will 
save men from every tribe, every tongue, every people, and every 
nation. When he says, for there is nothing 
covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known, 
Calvin, I think, is right when he says he's talking about the 
doctrine of salvation. He's talking about this fundamental 
truth, that the kingdom of God starts off small, like a mustard 
seed. Initially, Christ, though He 
does speak publicly, He speaks primarily privately to His disciples. He is educating them. He is instructing 
them. What appears to be covered, what 
appears to be small, what appears to be little, there is nothing 
covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. 
In other words, the truth of the gospel is going to go forth. The truth of the gospel is going 
to march on. Christ does not come into this 
world. He does not respond to the covenant 
of redemption. He does not orchestrate the covenant 
of grace simply to fail at His task. The Father gave Him a great 
multitude which no man can number. The Lord Christ took their sin, 
their pain, their suffering on Himself on the cross. He exhausted 
the wrath of God on their behalf. He secured the salvation of all 
those whom the Father had given Him. So therefore, His gospel 
is going to go forth. He will see the travail of His 
soul, and He will be satisfied. He will gather up His elect. He will take His church to heaven. He will translate them from the 
church militant to the church triumphant. And based on this 
reality, based on this statement, that there is nothing covered 
that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known, 
Jesus then makes this statement to them, whatever I tell you 
in the dark, speak in the light. And this isn't like secret societies. It's private settings versus 
public declaration. It's Christ's entourage of the 
twelve whom he educates for these three years and teaches them 
and gives them this theological education. He teaches them Hermeneutics. Isn't that great? He taught them 
how to interpret the Bible. He taught them that the Old Testament 
was all about Him. He taught them the doctrine of 
God. He taught them the doctrine of salvation. He taught them 
the doctrine of ecclesiology. He taught them eschatology. The 
Lord Jesus, with these 12 men, prepares them. And this is the 
contrast. It's not darkness in terms of 
bad, it's darkness in terms of relative obscurity. He says, 
go and speak in the light. He says, what you hear in the 
ear, preach on the housetops. Again, in those private settings 
with the Lord Jesus, you shimmy up to the housetop in a Palestinian 
home. They're flat. People would go 
up there to rest. People would go up there to entertain. 
Jesus says, I want you to go up there, but I don't want you 
to rest and I don't want you to entertain. I want you to preach 
the gospel of the kingdom. Don't fear them. Don't be crippled. Don't be paralyzed. Instead of 
not only don't fear them, get up on the housetops and preach 
to them repentance and faith in the Savior. D. A. Carson says 
it this way. He says, the truth must emerge. The gospel and its outworkings 
in the disciples may not now be visible to all, but nothing 
will remain hidden forever. And if the truth will emerge 
at the end, how wise to declare it fully and boldly now. You 
see the point. Don't fear, preach. Don't fear, 
propagate. Don't fear. Spare not. Lift up your voice like a trumpet. Declare to Jerusalem her sins 
and call her to her God through faith in Jesus Christ. Don't 
fear. Preach. This isn't that weird 
song, Don't Worry, Be Happy. This is don't fear. Preach the 
gospel. Don't be afraid of them. Don't 
let them shut your mouth. When somebody says, oh, the world 
wasn't created by God in the space of six days and all very 
good, it was obviously evolution. Don't be afraid of them. Don't 
be paralyzed by them. Maybe they're right. No, preach 
to them. Remember that bit, that scene 
where the apostle is preaching to Agrippa, and Festus says, 
much learning is driving you mad, Paul. What does Paul say 
to Festus? Oh, well, I guess I better reconsider. I speak the words of truth and 
reason, he says to that godless man. You see, that's what Christ 
wants in the Twelve. He wants bold men. He wants courageous 
men. He doesn't want feeble men that 
put their hands in their pockets and tell stories instead of crying 
aloud, sparing not in preaching. He doesn't want chatty pastors. 
He doesn't want ringleaders. He doesn't want CEOs. He doesn't 
want managerial staffs. He wants men, full of the Spirit, 
full of sound doctrine, preaching the gospel. That's the point 
in verses 26 and 27. Don't fear them. Rather, get 
up on the housetop and preach. The second reason he tells them 
not to fear is because of the powerlessness of man. Verse 28a. Notice. and do not fear those who kill 
the body but cannot kill the soul." He presupposes the reality 
of martyrdom. You see, his words in 16 to 23 
aren't just theory. It's not just hypothesis. When Jesus says, brother will 
deliver up brother, father will deliver up son, son will deliver 
up father, he is not speaking hyperbolically. He is not speaking 
metaphorically. He's not trying to add a bit 
of drama and intrigue to his words. He is speaking the truth. It could very well be the case 
when you go into a particular community, they will kill you. Isn't that our greatest fear? Isn't that, if not ours, perhaps, 
man in general's greatest fear? It really is. Well, Jesus, if what you're saying 
is true, we might die on this mission. Jesus, if what you're 
saying is true, when we go into that Muslim nation, they might 
cut our heads off. Jesus, if what you're saying 
is true, when we go to that atheistic nation, they might cut our heads 
off. Jesus, if what you're saying is true, we might die. What does 
Jesus say? Don't fear them. Don't be afraid 
of them. Look at their impotence. The contrast is with God's omnipotence. Do not fear those who kill the 
body but cannot kill the soul. The body they may kill, God's 
word, abideth still. When they kill this physical 
being, they can't destroy the soul. What's the worst thing 
that can happen if you go to a Muslim country and they cut 
your heads off? Your soul goes to be with Jesus. 
That's not a bad thing, is it? That's a good thing. I'm not 
suggesting go buy a ticket tomorrow and fly from YVR to wherever 
you need to go in Saudi Arabia and say, I'm a Christian. Cut 
my head off. Remember, you need to be cunning. 
You need to be wise as a serpent. You need to be harmless as a 
dove. But notice Jesus' logic is impeccable. Do not fear them. 
All they can do is kill the body. There is something more important. 
There is something underlying his statement. There is life 
beyond the grave. There is an eternal state. And 
it's interesting, verse 28 teaches us something of the bodily resurrection 
of the unjust as well. You see, people call into question 
this idea, you know, if I drop dead right now, my spirit goes 
to be with Jesus, which is far better, as the Apostle Paul says. 
They bury my body in the grave, but on that last day, on that 
great day, Jesus will raise every body from the dead, he will reunite 
body and soul, the righteous will go into everlasting life, 
and the wicked will be consigned to everlasting punishment. Jesus says, don't be afraid of 
those who can only kill the body. But, he says, we're just backing 
up for just a moment. The statement assumes the possibility 
of martyrdom. The statement is given to put 
things into proper perspective. Calvin says this, This frail 
and perishing life ought to be little regarded by men who have 
been created for a heavenly immortality. And this statement as well is 
given to defang the enemy. Let's just suppose for a moment 
we were going to go into battle with Abbotsford, Chilliwackians, 
and we sent out a scout. And that scout came back and 
they said, you know, in Abbotsford all they have are pea shooters. 
They have squirt guns. They have bicycles. And we're 
standing there, backs to tanks, automatic weaponry and bombs. 
That puts a spring in your step, doesn't it? When the enemy is 
defanged, when the sting is taken out of him, what do you do? You 
go against him. This is what Jesus is saying. 
Don't fear man who can simply kill the body but can't kill 
the soul. Spurgeon says it this way, a 
mighty argument against fear is the comparative weakness of 
the enemy. Don't be afraid of that which 
has no effect on you. Don't be afraid of that which 
takes you out forever. And then he says, but rather 
fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. He 
is speaking here of his father. He is speaking of God Almighty. God has power over body. God 
has power over soul. God has power over who enters 
into everlasting life and who enters into everlasting death. Jesus says, fear the greater 
so that you don't fear the lesser. Jesus says the righteous fear 
of God displaces the unrighteous fear of man. The fear of man 
brings a snare. The fear of God leads to life. You see the contrast that Christ 
sets up in this particular issue. The Lord God Almighty has sovereign 
power and therefore He alone ought to be feared, not these 
men who deliver you up to councils, who scourge you in the synagogues, 
Gentiles and kings who sit upon their thrones. The body they 
may kill, but your soul departs and goes to be with Christ, which 
is much better. Rather, you ought to fear the 
God of unrivaled sovereignty, of unparalleled majesty, the 
God who holds you in His hand. Fear Him and not man. You see 
his point? Don't fear. Don't fear. The third reason don't fear is 
because of God's omnipotence. You see, the fear of God enjoined 
upon his people in the scripture includes trust. Trust. Love. Affection. Communion. That's what 29 to 
31 illustrates. Fear God who has power to destroy 
both soul and body in hell. But, not but, and consider this 
God. Consider Him. Are not two sparrows 
sold for a copper coin? A copper coin, your margin reads, 
is 1 16th of a denarius, which was a day wage. Sparrows were 
the cheapest food source for the poor. Pets for the rich. Man's always been wicked, hasn't 
he? We're entertained by someone's 
food source. In Luke's gospel in 12.6, you 
can get five of them for two of these coins. Probably the 
bulk rate. Costco thinks they're cheaper 
when you buy more. What's Jesus' point? These insignificant, 
nothing of a bird, when they fall to the ground, it's because 
of your father's will. You see, some of the old philosophers 
and the theologians said, you know, to speak of God being concerned 
about gnats is really to demean him. I think it's just the opposite. I think the principle Jesus lays 
out for his disciples is at least analogically applicable to God. 
We are told to be faithful in little. When we're faithful in 
little, then we'll be trusted with much. God's sovereignty 
is comprehensive. He not only sustains the universe 
by the word of his power, and I don't want to sound like that 
cheesy song, but his eye is on the sparrow. Jesus says, fear Him. He has 
power to kill both body and soul in hell. And He is the God of 
sovereign providence. He is the God who has you in 
His hand. Jesus says the hairs of your 
head are numbered. Not because God is in heaven 
counting. Not because he's saying, boy, 
it's good he got a haircut. Now I can figure out how many. 
That's not the point. God's sovereignty is comprehensive. It penetrates every area. It 
penetrates every detail. It extends throughout the universe 
from the greatest to the least. We ought to find great comfort 
in the reality that a sparrow doesn't fall out of heaven apart 
from God. We ought to find great comfort 
that we don't have one hair on our pillow in some atheistic 
random universe. God didn't want that hair on 
your head anymore. You might have wanted it, but God doesn't. You see what Christ is doing 
here? He's encouraging his disciples. 
Do not fear, propagate the truth. Do not fear because man can only 
kill the body. Do not fear because God is sovereign 
over sparrows. God is sovereign over hair. And 
much to the chagrin of Peter, he says, are you not more valuable 
than many sparrows? Don't you matter more? Man in 
general, Christian man in particular. So why would you fear? Why would 
you be paralyzed? Why would you be ashamed to own 
His name? God is comprehensively sovereign. Certainly He can empower you 
and enable you and give you the supplies of the Spirit that you 
need so that you can faithfully testify for your Lord. The Spirit 
is insignificant but under our sovereign God's care and control. 
The hairs of our head are numbered under the sovereign care and 
control of our God. The disciples are more important 
than sparrows. What John will later write in 
Revelation 19.6 is what Jesus is saying here. The Lord God 
omnipotent reigns. Don't fear man. Don't be afraid 
of man. Don't be a coward. Don't be paralyzed. In this missionary 
context, when these men are told, you're gonna go and more than 
likely you're going to be beaten and you're going to die, Christ 
says, don't fear, don't fear, don't fear. Notice thirdly and 
finally, verses 32 to 33, the exhortation to faithfulness in 
the midst of persecution. Therefore, implication, application, 
let's bring it to bear. All that he said, This exhortation, 
this prohibition leads, or this expectation and this prohibition 
leads finally to this exhortation to confess him. Be a faithful 
confessor. Whoever confesses me before men, 
him I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven. The conduct of disciples in their 
mission on earth will be sanctioned by heaven itself. What you do 
for God on earth will be remembered by God on the Day of Judgment. Jesus makes this blessed promise. Jesus makes this blessed statement. Jesus says, if you confess Me 
before men, I will confess you before My Father. I will own 
your worthless name. I will present it to Him on that 
day. And in so doing, there will be 
acceptance, there will be joy, there will be bliss. They may 
be expelled from the synagogue, they may be executed by the state, 
but they will eventually be confessed Isn't that beautiful? That Christ 
would own our names? That Christ would take your name 
or my name upon his lips and say, welcome him in! He was a 
good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your rest. Take your seat with Abraham, 
Isaac, and Jacob. Take your seat with our blessed 
Austin and with Uncle Johnny. Take your seat with Spurgeon. 
Take your seat with Paul. Take your seat with confessors 
who have gone before you, owning Christ, because Jesus says he 
will own you. It's an amazing reality. Spurgeon 
says our confession of faith is a confession of Christ. I 
love this. He is our theology or word of God. What a joy to 
confess Him now. What a reward to be confessed 
by Him hereafter in the glory world. It's beautiful. Whoever 
confesses my name before men, Him I will also confess before 
my Father who is in heaven. Great encouragement, isn't it? 
It's a great stimulus, isn't it? Go out and confess the name 
of the Lord Jesus Christ. So on that day, he will confess 
your name. It doesn't end there. It doesn't 
stop there. He continues on. He says, but 
whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my 
Father who is in heaven. That's terrifying. You realize 
in the space of chapter 10 we've already been struck by a couple 
of terrifying statements? Remember verse 15, truly I say 
to you, it will be more tolerable in the day of judgment for Sodom 
and Gomorrah than for those who heard your word and refused. That's a terrifying statement. 
So is verse 33, whoever denies me before men Him I will also 
deny before my Father who is in heaven." Remember, a couple 
of weeks ago we looked at Revelation 21, and in verse 8 the Apostle 
highlights who is excluded from the Holy City, who is outside 
of the Holy City, who is in the Lake of Fire with the beast and 
the false prophet. And the Apostle tells us that 
the cowardly are in the Lake of Fire. I took some time to 
explain that that doesn't mean you're afraid of spiders, you're 
afraid of bears, you're afraid of lions, or you're afraid of 
the business end of an assault rifle. It's legit to be afraid 
of those particulars. The cowardly in the lake of fire 
in Revelation 21 are those who did not overcome. Isn't that 
how each of the letters in chapters 2 and 3 end? But to Him who overcomes. But to Him who overcomes. But 
to Him who overcomes. But to Him who overcomes. But 
to Him who overcomes. But to Him who overcomes. But 
to Him who overcomes. When we get to 21.8 and that 
holy city comes down out of heaven, the new Jerusalem adorned as 
a bride for her husband, it ought not to surprise us that the ones 
who did not overcome are in the lake of fire. It's the same principle. Whoever denies me before men, 
him I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven. And 
just think about this text for just one moment. We're going 
to be done soon. It's one of those hot days in 
Chilliwack and I don't know why it seems 20 degrees hotter in 
here on those days. Notice that Jesus makes the eternal 
destiny of men rest upon himself. He does the same thing at the 
end of the Sermon on the Mount in chapters 7, 21 to 23. Then I will say, depart from 
me, I never knew you. Shocking, isn't it? Ned Stonehouse 
makes this comment. Jesus makes the entire position 
of men in the world to come, whether for weal or woe. Weal there is W-E-A-L. It means blessing. It means happiness. It means contentedness. It is 
the opposite of woe. Heaven, in essence. Jesus makes 
the entire position of men in the world to come, whether for 
will or woe, to depend upon the relationship to and attitude 
toward him in this present world. Is this a claim which any mere 
man might have made? Absolutely not. Only the God-man 
can make such a statement. Only the Son can make such a 
statement. Only Jesus can say, whoever denies 
me before men, Him I will deny before my Father in heaven. Now, 
one other thought before we conclude with reference to this statement 
in verse 33. Now, there are some sensitive 
souls in Christ's Church. Somebody right now could be thinking, 
you know, I went to White Spot on Tuesday and I was so hungry 
I forgot to say grace. And I just tore into my food 
like I was a beast. I failed to recognize the sovereignty 
of God. I failed to give Him thanks for 
my food. And I just ate like there was 
no tomorrow. I was a pagan. I denied my Lord. I think we ought to assume, brethren, 
in verse 33, this is unrepentant. This is pattern. This is apostasy. You know, some preachers will 
stand up and say, if you don't speak to your workmate, that 
means you hate him and you don't value the gospel. Man, that's tough. Maybe I love him and I value 
the gospel, but I'm a wimp and I need grace and help from God 
so that I can speak to him. Could that possibly be a third 
position? See, I don't think, or I think, 
that if we don't understand what Jesus is speaking to here, we're 
going to run into some trouble. By all means, confess Jesus. By all means, tell everyone Jesus 
saves. By all means, open your mouth 
and speak. the truth. By all means do it 
in the context of cunning as serpents and harmless as doves. Do it in the context of if they 
persecute you in this city, then flee to another city. Do it in 
the understanding that we will falter, we will fail, we don't 
always testify like we ought, but there is forgiveness with 
thee that thou mayest be feared. Go back to God, plead the mercies 
of Christ, ask for forgiveness, and pray the Lord will open your 
mouth and give you the word to speak that will truly honor and 
reflect the glory of God Almighty. There was a man subsequent to 
this declaration, a man in the original target audience, a man 
who heard this, a man who's listed first among the 12 that would 
go to deny his Lord three times. Is he damned? Is he in hell? Is he with Beelzebub? No. When you have returned, Jesus 
says, then strengthen your brethren. Trent says, the later experience 
of Peter is an object lesson in denying Jesus under the pressure 
of public opinion. But Peter's subsequent rehabilitation 
adds a reassuring suggestion that the stark verdict of this 
saying may be understood to refer to a settled course of acknowledgement 
or denial rather than to every temporary lapse under pressure. We need that. We need to understand 
that. By all means, be bold. By all 
means, confess. By all means, declare. But don't 
put yourself in hell if you faltered and you seek God for forgiveness 
through the gospel. That's the Christian life. We 
all fail in many things. We all falter and stumble in 
a whole host of things. What do we do? Do we consign 
ourselves to hell? Or do we apply to Christ? Do 
we appeal to 1 John 1.9? Do we say He's faithful and just 
to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness? 
Do we take Psalm 25.11 and plead it with God? Pardon my iniquity, 
O Lord, for it is great. We consider Psalm 130, even after 
having said, if you, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who 
can stand? But he says, there is forgiveness with you that 
you may be feared. By all means, confess. By all 
means, profess. By all means, seize up every 
opportunity to speak the truth in love to sinners who stand 
in need. But by all means, if you falter, 
by all means, if you fail, go back to that fount that is open 
for sin, and uncleanness. Not trying to justify carelessness, 
not trying to justify denial, but as well not trying to put 
people in hell because they might struggle with some boldness and 
courage. Not everybody is described like 
Apollos in the book of Acts. He was a mighty man in the scriptures. 
He was eloquent. Is everybody mighty in the scriptures 
and eloquent? No. Does that mean everybody 
else is going to be in hell except for Apollos? There is forgiveness. There is 
mercy. Having said that, you need to 
ponder the implications of verses 32 and 33 in terms of gospel 
propagation. Where are you this morning? Do 
you confess him or deny him? See the two options? That's it. 
There's no third place in Jesus' world. You either are with Him 
or you're against Him. You either confess Him before 
men or you deny Him before men. You either own him as Lord and 
Savior or you refuse him as Lord and Savior. Those are the two 
options. And my desire for you this morning 
is to consider verses 32 and 33 and ask this most important 
question. Is Jesus going to confess me 
before the Father or is Jesus going to deny me before the Father? If for a moment it is in your 
heart of hearts or your mind to think He might deny me, then 
believe on Him. Flee to Christ. Believe the Gospel. Believe on the Lord Jesus and 
you will be saved. It is a blessed reality that 
God saves sinners in and through the Lord Jesus. He takes the 
Word. He applies it by His Spirit. 
If there's conviction of sin now, there's a place for relief. 
There's a place for remedy. There's a place for hope and 
a place for life. And it is Calvary. It is the 
Lord of glory. One of the most shocking statements 
you'll ever hear on that day is, depart from me, I never knew 
you. You'd rather have your parents 
kick you out of the house. You'd rather have the government 
say, we're gonna throw you in prison because you didn't pay 
your taxes. You'd rather hear anything in this created universe 
than those accursed words from our Lord. Depart from me, I never 
knew you. I mentioned verse 28. Fear Him who can kill both soul 
and body. There is a future resurrection 
of the just and the unjust. Daniel 12, John 5, Matthew 10, Revelation 20. Christ underscores this reality. Do not think for a moment that 
this is all there is. Do not think for a moment that 
there is no day coming when the Son of God Himself will either 
confess or deny men in the presence of His Father who is in heaven. Christ brings eternity to bear 
upon His disciples to encourage them to go about the task of 
calling sinners to repentance and faith. You need to consider 
eternity. You need to consider the reality. 
What Moses, the man of God, writes in the 90th Psalm. If we are 
given strength to live for however many years, then we fly away. You ever ask the question, where 
will I fly? You ever ask the question, where 
will I go? You ever ask the question in 
Luke 12 that God may say to you, this day, fool, I require your 
soul. You've denied Christ, you'll 
be denied by Christ. You've confessed Christ, you'll 
be confessed by Christ. It is a beautiful thing. The 
Lord Jesus Christ is calling His disciples to go and evangelize. He gives them these three reasons, 
and my word to you today is to consider, are you a confessor 
or a denier? Do you own Him? Have you believed? I love that tank back there. That's a great way to confess, 
isn't it? That tank doesn't save, that tank proclaims God saves. Confess Him as Lord. Believe 
on Him with the heart and confess Him with the mouth and you will 
be saved. Young people, children, adults, 
church member, attender, regular, visitor, whoever you are, verses 
32 and 33 are true of you in one way or the other. Christ 
in the gospel saves. Come to him and you will be saved. Let us pray. Father, we thank 
you for your word and we thank you for these encouragements 
on why we ought not to fear men. Give us boldness, God. Give us 
grace to confess Christ before men. Forgive us when we do falter. Forgive us when we are inconsistent. 
Cleanse us in the blood of the Lamb. Wash us and purify us and 
embolden us so that we may, as harmless doves, as cunning serpents, 
go into the world that you've placed us to shine as lights 
and to hold forth your word. God, for any and all who are 
here this morning that are not in Christ, we pray that you would 
save them, We pray that you would wash them, we pray that you would 
justify them. Do that work which is yours alone, 
Lord God. Exercise sovereign power, exercise 
sovereign grace, and bring salvation to bear. And thank you as well 
that in the life of the believer you watch over us. You not only 
are concerned for our hairs or for the sparrows in the sky, 
but you are concerned chiefly for your people, for the Church 
of Christ. And in this we greatly rejoice, 
we are greatly comforted, Your comprehensive sovereignty truly 
does bring hope and encouragement to our hearts. Go with us now, 
we pray, in Christ's holy name. Amen.