Jesus Brought a Sword

Matthew 10:34-39 – Jesus Sword

• This is a difficult portion of scripture to manage
• Part of what I am constantly doing here- is trying to introduce you and keeping you acquainted with the Jesus of the scriptures, not the Jesus of Social media
• It is very difficult in this day and age because some of the most ignorant people alive have just as much opportunity to share aberrant theology as the good guys
• And sometimes likes, shares and exposure will lead people to believe things that aren’t true
• You will hear people say things like “Jesus would never do that because he’s loving”
• Understanding what a loving Biblical God looks like is more important than having good SM 
• So from a cursory look it might appear that Jesus is being contradictory or hypocritical
• That these statements are an affront to a loving God who 
• Claimed that Jesus would come as the prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6, luke 2:14)
• We are supposed to honor father and mother (Mark 7:10, ex 20:12)
• We are supposed to love people 1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
• So we know these things and we come to this scripture and it throws out some pretty big bombs in the text
• That he wants to bring war and not peace, to create division between a man and his family so much so that they will actually be his enemy
• He Goes to the heart- and says “after I’ve set you as enemies with your family, I’m going to be looking at your hear to make sure you don’t love them more than me” 
• And then he goes to the next- if you wont go be crucified- I’m not for you
• Finishes with “lose your life- lose it for me and you’re gonna find it” 

what can we get out of this text- 

1. Jesus came to divide 34-35 – Jesus Sword

• 34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set[j] 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 those of his own household.’
• This idea that Christ came to divide is a central truth that you must internalize
• Genesis 4 cain and abel beginning of familial strife
• Prophecy of 
• Micah 7:5-6 Do not trust in a friend; Do not put your confidence in a companion; Guard the doors of your mouth From her who lies in your bosom. 6 For son dishonors father, Daughter rises against her mother, Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man’s enemies are the men of his own household.
• This prophecy was true and is true today- put yourself in the sandals of the early Jews who saw Christ as messiah and decided to follow him and become his disciple
• We do it somewhat easily today- there are a billion people who believe in Jesus
• It’s not like you were the first 12 disciples that made the choice to believe
• But it still takes a bit of gumption to choose to follow Jesus demonstratively 
• If you understand this and apply it to your beliefs and practices- it will help you as you navigate through the confines of the earth as you attempt to honor God with your life- you can’t otherwise navigate it because when you come to a fork in the road so to speak- you’ll struggle
• People naturally want to conform to the groups around them
• People conform to group pressure because they are dependent on the group for satisfying two important desires: the desire to have an accurate perception of reality and the desire to be accepted by other people.
• Scientists Asch and Sherif did studies where they had people judge distances of light- how far they were from each other, and how different were the lengths of lines- 
• Here’s what they found- They had confederates with wrong answers to influence and people will go with the group that is wrong more likely than not because of the desire for acceptance and the desire to feel like they have an accurate perception of reality
• Me? I want whats right- not the group- Hot sun, line, took the whole line- it was RIGHT- but people will just stand roasting in the sun because they want to just be part of the group
• Take that on Christianity and you can see how it can take a hard mental rational exercise to go against the grain- its easier to just acquiesce to the group- believe what the group believes in the world- can you see how this simple truth can be manipulated to get you to believe contrary to what your eyes and ears see and hear? People who control info/media to get you
• Psalm 41:9 Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me
• And It would be easy if we would just believe in a Jesus that wasn’t against the things of the world- the Jesus that we can use for our own political ends to coerce Christians into votes
• “Jesus was a refugee” “Jesus gave out free healthcare” “Jesus would fight for gays” etc etc
• Jesus came to divide- He came to separate his disciples from the world in the same way that God wanted to separate Israel from the pagan nations around them- separate
• Job struggled because no one understood why he lived how he lived- Job 19:13-19
• This continues to be the heart of those who choose to honor God with their lives v doing what those people around them are doing- you are going to struggle in your heart- painful
• David had to deal with Absalom
• Jesus was not a unifier he was a divided and will continue to do so
• Sheep and goats, wheat and tares, heaven and hell, there has been and will continue to be a separation from the world- “therefore come out of them and be separate” 
• This is why you hear me constant preaching about this- I want to prepare you for what it takes
• This is not an easy endeavor for people who do not have conviction but I pray that sermons like this encourage you to be a person who takes action- is ok with being different
• Salvation is one thing- but believing what they DON’T and STICKING TO IT> 
• So much that he is going to divide families based on their allegiance to him

2. Jesus wants the best of your heart not leftovers – Jesus Sword

• Jesus gives a great prescription of what it takes to live this type of life- LOVE not towards others- towards HIM- full submitted loving allegiance to JESUS
• This is the heart of the entire Bible- Israel, disciples, church, us. FULL heart and devotion
• “love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, and soul” we say it- but live it?
• 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
• Jesus goes straight to the heart on this one- Most people love their parents and kids
• Back then it was the same apparently or Jesus wouldn’t have said it- Familial relationships are the strongest bonds that you can have “blood is thicker than water” they say
• And so Jesus says- think of the most deep love you have for someone on earth- I want that place- I want the primary place on the throne of your heart- I don’t want your leftovers. First
• What does that look like? How is that applied for today?
• Let me give you an example- and this is a real one- a Husband and wife have two children raised in a Christian home- Only believe in normal marriage- two boys repeatedly abused by neighbor- both come out, mom switches churches to affirming to earn favor of kids
• Seemingly because she cared what her children thought of her and what God didn’t
• I talk about the gay issue because its everywhere- movies, tvs, commercials but fornication is the same- welcoming your fornicating partner to your thanksgiving table and family pictures because “they are eventually going to get married” doesn’t cut it. I care what God thinks and I don’t want people to be led into sin by what I approve
• Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
• This means if those around me that are my blood relatives do not agree with me or my beliefs I learn to not care what they think. I am going to embrace the redeemed sinner
• Recently talked to a man who had cheated on his wife with a man- she forgave him- they are staying married- some would grab for pitchforks- I want to minister grace. I want to love. 
• Sometimes loving Jesus more than family is not separating from sinners- its embracing those who many don’t want to associate with based on their past sin. Befriend a past pedophile. See what people think about you. Say Muslims aren’t going to heaven. Say Trump or Biden aren’t Christians. Say Trump was the judgment of God not the blessing of it. 
• Here’s the deal- God wants the first fruits of your heart and that means you ask yourself- who’s heart am I pleasing with this thought, action, deed, belief, use of time etc? and if God is pleased with it- then other people can pound sand
• I’m not going there, doing that, believing that, changing my plans, I’m not going to say I’m Ok with it, I’m not going to do it. I love Jesus far to much for that
• Philippians 3:7-9 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
• When my kids got to about Jr high I remember them asking- why don’t we take them to Hawaii for spring break- why we don’t have new cars etc. 
•  loving Jesus  means my money decisions go to him. I explained to them about tithing- many people tithe probably between 300-1000 or more a month- that’s a new car, better house, vacation, clothes, restaurants etc. it just is- But I don’t care about peoples perceptions. Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be ]safe.

• Matthew 13:44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
• I want the Kingdom of God- That’s what I want. 

3. You must die to self – Jesus Sword

• You will notice that many churches and pastors use the bait of “its all about you” “God has a plan/purpose” “God wants to partner with your destiny” etc to get people to church
• There’s not a schtick they haven’t tried- prosperity, service, racial vindication, sexual promiscuity, sin acceptance, easy beleivism
• But most nobody leads out with “Come and lose your life and live for Jesus”
• 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
• I go and listen to people’s sermons, I visit churches, rare to hear “Come and die” 
• But that’s what Jesus is doing here- take up your cross- die to yourself, lose your life
• Now the PROMISE is that you’ll find your life if your lose your life- that’s a promise
• But the beginning of it is you have to lose your life if you are going to find it. LOSE IT
• What does that mean? You have to die to your plans, what you want, what you need, what you think it looks like and do what he wants for you to
• 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
• Now you can look at my life and say “must be nice” and yeah man- my life is nice. Real nice
• But you didn’t see my lonely weeping nights- and I’m going to hold on to that boast- but most people wont see what you gave up and the sacrifices that you made
• People look at a submitted life of Christ and say “what’s the least amount I can give or die to to get what they have” 
• It’s so weird to me- I’ve never looked at another Christian and compared myself to their level of holiness- I’ve always went back to cross and found that I was woefully inadequate that the answer was more death to my own plans-. 
• I just can’t live for myself anymore. I have simple desires that occasionally the Lord allows, but in the big things- I’m submitted to him. 
• Let me give you a real easy example- I could, yes I, could easily grow a 2000 member church in about 24 months. Guaranteed. 1. Change the message, 2. Change the approach 3. Be entertaining 4. Fog. 
• But that’s not dying to self- My flesh would like to be wearing holy jeans kicking it with beiber
• Dying to self is- how about you make sure that people are actually discipled. Actually worship. 
• Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
• I’m not looking for rewards on this thing- just being honest. 
• 1 Corinthians 15:31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
• In my life, when I see professing Christians struggle- its usually because they haven’t died
• How then should we live? Live to Christ

Pastor Matt Krachunis preaches on Jesus Brought a Sword. Please share online for others to see.

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Jesus Sword