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Matthew 10 is one of Jesus’ most demanding discourses — a chapter about mission, rejection, division, and the cost of discipleship.

But Jesus does not end it with warning.
He ends it with encouragement — and with a mystery that demands careful thought.

Jesus did not call His followers to comfort, safety, or self-preservation.
He called them to the cross.

As 2026 begins amid growing global instability, hostility to biblical faith, and mounting pressure to compromise, Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:38 confront us with a question we cannot avoid:
What does it really mean to take up your cross and follow Him?

There is no sitting on the fence with Jesus Christ. Either we will confess Him before men or we will deny Him. With these words, Jesus presents every person with the most vital choice they will ever face.

“Do not fear those who kill the body… but rather fear Him.”
Most Christians read these words and feel confused—or even unsettled. Almost no one today talks about being a “God-fearing man” or “God-fearing woman.”

But when telling His disciples to fear God, Jesus wasn’t trying to frighten them. He was showing them the only path to real courage, confidence, and freedom.

What did Jesus mean when He said, “I send you out as sheep among wolves”? We open Matthew 10:16-20 to reveal how Christ’s words guide us to live wise as serpents and harmless as doves in today’s world.

John the Baptist asks the question out loud that many people quietly think.

In Matthew 11:1–6, Jesus answers in a way that exposes our assumptions, tests our expectations, and steadies real faith. And He adds a beatitude: “Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” (v6)

Jesus threw out a challenge to every human being for all time:
“If you don’t lose your life for My sake, you will never find it.”

In this sermon, Peter challenges our philosophies and preconceptions and presses the most fundamental questions Jesus Himself raises:
How can a person truly find life?
Why does trying to save one’s life lead to loss?
What does it actually mean to lose your life for Christ’s sake?

How can the Prince of Peace speak of division and the sword?
Why does following Christ sometimes fracture families, loyalties, and relationships?
Why would we put Him first — even above those closest to us?

Most people assume the Bible teaches that the dead immediately go to heaven or hell — often imagining eternal conscious torment.

But is that actually what Jesus taught?

In Matthew 10:28, Jesus makes a statement so clear — and so confronting — that it forces us to rethink what happens after death, the nature of judgment, and the meaning and place of the resurrection.

“And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” With these words, Jesus sent His disciples out into a hostile world. It's a world where even family - brothers, sisters, parents and children - can become a Christian's greatest enemies.

Are you worthy? Jesus' words in Matthew 10 teach us that there is an incredible blessing associated with receiving the Gospel and its Ministry into one's home. He calls those people 'worthy'.

(This sermon concludes our series on Matthew 10:5-15)