MATTHEW LESSON 22

     We will begin in Matthew 10:28 "And fear not them which kill the
body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is
able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

     Our fear of man is unfounded simply because he can do just so
much to you. Our fear should be of God, who could send you to a
burning hell.  One of the biggest fears in our society today is fear
of our own government, and particularly the I.R.S.; Probably, because
most people do not understand the tax laws. Ninety percent of the
time, the things we fear never happen. Besides, fear is the opposite of
faith, and it is displeasing to God. Fear of God could be classified
as respect, and that is very smart.

     Matthew 10:29 "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one
of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father."  Matthew
10:30 "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered."  Matthew
10:31 "Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many
sparrows.

     We think very poorly of ourselves, generally. God sees our potential.
God is concerned about even the little things in our lives as well as the big problems. If He would go so far as to number even the hairs on our heads, He loved us very much. Man's  worth to God is much greater than the worth of all 
the other things God created. Mankind was made in the image of God. 
Everything else was made for the use of man on the earth. 

     Matthew 10:32 “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, 
him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.” 
Matthew 10:33 “But whosoever shall deny me before men, 
him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”

     In Romans 10-9, we read, "That if thou shalt confess with thy
mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath
raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Romans 10:10 "For with
the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation."

     These Scriptures tell it all. We must open our mouths and tell
everyone about Jesus. If we really love Him, we will. He loved us
enough to die for us. We should love Him enough to live for Him. We
can go to heaven, or hell, through the confession of our mouths. 

     Matthew 10:34 "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I
came not to send peace, but a sword."  Matthew 10:35 "For I am come to
set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her
mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law."

     Never before in history has there been a time when parents and
children were at more odds. Years ago, parents were treated with
respect by their children, now most young people feel that their
parents are out of tune with the way things really are.

     Matthew 10:36 "And a man's foes [shall be] they of his own
household."

     The strange thing about getting saved, usually, it happens one
family member at a time. Usually, the one who gets saved has a lot of
opposition from the family members. Even more than that, those
baptized in the Holy Spirit have even more opposition from family
members.

     Matthew 10:37 "He that loveth father or mother more than me is
not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is
not worthy of me."

     You see, we cannot side in with our family against God. It is
really not important to be in total agreement with family, but it is
very important to be in total agreement with God. A few months ago, I
heard of an ordained minister who had diligently tried to get his children
in the church and living for God. With all the effort he had put out,
they stayed in the world. This minister mailed his ordination papers
back to the church head quarters and stopped preaching. He joined his
family and gave up the church. This is the very thing that the
Scripture is saying not to do.

     Matthew 10:38 "And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth
after me, is not worthy of me."

     Each of us has a cross to bear. It must be the cross of Jesus, and
not a cross of our making. The stronger you are in the Lord, the
heavier the cross is. If we are not willing  to bear the cross of
Jesus, then truly, we are not worthy. He died for us on the cross: we
just carry it.

     Matthew 10:39 "He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he
that loseth his life for my sake shall find it."

     If we are living for this life and not preparing for eternity,
then we really have no future worth having; if you are storing up
treasures in heaven and forgetting about our selves here, we will have
and eternity of joy in heaven.

     Matthew 10:40  "He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that
receiveth me receiveth him that sent me."

     There is just one message. Salvation through Jesus Christ. If you
are ministering that message, those who receive it, receive Jesus.

     Matthew 10:41 "He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a
prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a
righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous
man's reward."

     If you receive the prophet, you are actually receiving the
message he, or she, brings. If they are true prophets, they are
elevating the name of Jesus. Salvation is the same for listener, as it
is for the prophet.

     Matthew 10:42 "And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of
these little ones a cup of cold [water] only in the name of a
disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward."

     The Bible says, if you have done it for the least of these, you
have done unto to me  (Jesus).

     For the next lesson, study chapter 11 of Matthew.



                      Matthew 22 Questions


1.  If we are not to fear, one who can kill the body, who should we
    fear?
2.  What percent of things we fear never happen?
3.  What was the price of two sparrows?
4.  What has God numbered on us?
5.  Who will Jesus confess before the Father?
6.  What does Romans 10:9 say?
7.  With the heart man believeth to what?
8.  If Jesus did not bring peace, what did He bring?
9.  Who will a man be against?
10. Who will a daughter be against?
11. Who are man's foes?
12. If you love son or daughter more than God, what is your state?
13. Was the minister right in siding with his family?
14. What must we take up daily?
15. What is the difference in Jesus' cross and one of our own making?
16. If we lose our lives for Jesus, what will happen?
17. When people receive the message we bring, what do they receive?
18. If you receive a prophet, what will you get?
19. If you give a cup of water to a child in the name of a disciple,
    what will you get?