Timely Encouragement for Modern Reformation Heirs

1st Sunday of End Time, Reformation, 11/5/17
Matthew 10:16-23


Timely Encouragement for Modern Reformation Heirs
I. Watch carefully
II. Witness boldly
III. Work tirelessly


As children, I’m sure all of us looked forward to days of special observance. National holidays meant that school was not in session, that our parents would have the day off and would spend it at home with us. They were days of celebration that included presents and good things to eat and drink. We often spent those days with grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins. At the very least, they were days that provided a break from routine. We spent weeks looking forward to them, we enjoyed them, and then we looked forward to the next day of celebration on the calendar.

But in adulthood, we realized that each day of special observance was attached to something meaningful, or at least what should be meaningful. Obviously, Christmas is not about a guy in a red suit who has a knack for descending chimneys; it’s about the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Easter isn’t about hopping bunnies and colored eggs; it’s about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Secular holidays such as Memorial Day and Independence Day and Veterans Day help us remember the sacrifice of some so that we can enjoy the freedoms of our great country. These observances have deep meaning.

So, was that also the case for you this past Tuesday, Oct. 31? While cute, costumed beggars appeared at your door expecting a treat, were you cognizant of the much deeper meaning of Oct. 31 for you as a Lutheran Christian? I hope so. As we’ve been remarking for more than a year now, this year’s Oct. 31 marked the 500th anniversary of Luther’s Reformation of the Church. So, how did you celebrate it? Or wasn’t it even on your radar screen?

You see, the Reformation isn’t simply a date in history for us to recall. It has deep, spiritual significance for us. Luther rediscovered the truths by which we are certain of our salvation: by grace alone, through faith alone, through scripture alone. And that’s not simply some triple “sola” Reformation byline; it’s the truth implanted in us by the Holy Spirit so that now we can defend it and share it.

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, speaks about that very thing in these Reformation words before us this morning in Matthew 10. The Reformation was not a one-time event. Its impact continues, and so Jesus imparts to us this morning timeless encouragement for modern Reformation heirs. Without mistake, we are those heirs. Let’s receive his encouragement and live by it!

Part I.

About 1.5 years ago we watched news reports from the Cincinnati Zoo in horror. A young boy climbed over the barricade to the gorilla exhibit and fell into the habitat of a 700 lb. gorilla. At one point the silverback gorilla tossed the child about like a rag doll. Eventually the child was rescued when zoo personnel shot the gorilla. Lesson learned. Parents, keep your child safe while at the zoo.

Wolves are beautiful creatures in the wild, but they’re also ferocious hunters. They kill for food on instinct. Sheep, on the other hand, are about as docile an animal as you can find. So, if you care for sheep, keep them safe from wolves, right?

But listen to Jesus. “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.” Is he threatening us? Is he kidding us? Perhaps he doesn’t care what happens to us? None of the above. Here’s serious, dead serious. He spoke these words to his disciples as he sent them out into the various parts of the Holy Land on a short mission trip. He wanted them to know what to expect. It wasn’t going to be a Sunday School picnic. They would face viscous enemies.

Notice his advice. “Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” First, he called on them to use their God-given brains as they faced opposition. The fact that they had the power of the almighty Lord Jesus protecting them didn’t mean they could recklessly throw themselves into harm’s way. Use your sanctified human reasoning! Watch carefully!

But also be as innocent as doves. When we’re under attack from those who hate our Lord Jesus, we don’t have the right to resort to their evil ways. Lies, deception, threats to do harm are not in our arsenal against those who subvert and oppose the doctrines of the Christian faith. The Lord has sent us out into the world with the truth of his word. We stand on that truth alone.

That’s what Martin Luther did when the most powerful people in the world at that time demanded that he recant everything he had written. He stood before the Holy Roman Emperor at the city of Worms in Germany and was told he must recant everything that opposed the Church at that time. Luther asked that he be allowed to think about it overnight and give his answer in the morning. He knew that his life was on the line. To refuse was punishable by death. He spent the night in prayer and then, in the morning, he stood before the emperor and spoke his famous response refusing to recant, “Here I stand, I can do no other. So help me, God!”

Imagine if Luther had caved in. We probably wouldn’t be Lutherans today.

How’s your stance on the word of God? Solid, like Luther’s? Or do you tend to shift when the pressure’s on? Our world demands that we make concessions to what God says. Will you make them? Remember, Jesus told us it wouldn’t be easy. We’re sheep among wolves. How often have you caved in? But does the world’s opposition to you fill you with righteous sorrow or sinful vengeance? Two sinful extremes. How blessed we are to know the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ! Our Father threw him to the wolves of this world in our place, sacrificing him for our sins, even the sins of compromising the truth of God’s word. And having made us his children by the death of Christ, he now calls on us to hold to the truth of his word and proclaim that truth. His timeless encouragement for you as his modern Reformation heir is to watch out. Watch carefully!

Part II.

Jesus continues his Reformation encouragement to us with these words, “But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”

Let’s be honest. Witnessing for Jesus is a little on the fringe for most Christians. We can think of countless other things we’d rather do for him. Having told us that we are like sheep among wolves, we’re rightly concerned about our own welfare, our reputation among others, negative fallout, unintended consequences, rejection.

What’s more, we don’t know what to say. What if we say the wrong thing? What if they challenge what we believe and we don’t know how to reply?

Jesus declared, “Don’t worry. I have planted the Holy Spirit in your hearts. He will give you what to say at that time. And remember, it’s not up to you to convince someone that what you are saying is true; that’s the work of the Holy Spirit through you.”

So here’s some timeless encouragement for modern Reformation heirs. Throw aside your fears and witness boldly.

Remember, Reformation heir! Jesus hasn’t called you to be a creative story-teller; he’s called you to be a witness. He doesn’t expect you to know everything about him and to be ready to declare it; just to tell what you know. That’s what a witness does. By God’s grace you know Jesus as your Savior and Lord, and you know the truth of God’s word. And now he calls on all of us to share it. What a travesty if we celebrate 500 years of our Lutheran heritage today, but take it home with us and sit on it! Our world today needs the truth of God’s word more than ever. The Savior who died for you and rose again for you lives within you. What’s more, he has sent you his Holy Spirit. What an eternal difference he has made in your life! He empowers you as his witness. So here’s some timeless encouragement for modern Reformation heirs: witness boldly!

Part III.

Jesus closes our text with a sobering reality. “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.” Our God intends us to unite under his truth, but where that truth is opposed, it will divide us. The harsh reality is that it may even divide family members. How will we ever be able to stand on the truth of God’s word if it’s going to harm and perhaps even destroy our relationship with family members?

The Lord Jesus promises to empower us when we’re tempted to give up the fight. The Apostle Paul, suffering imprisonment for his faith, declared, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Php. 4:13). Remember, Reformation heir! Jesus doesn’t hold us accountable for the results of doing his work. The results are always and only up to him. He simply calls us to keep working. He told his disciples here in our text to keep sharing his word until he comes. There will always be more souls to reach for Jesus. Our celebration of the 500th anniversary of Luther’s Reformation of the Church is not simply to recall past blessings; it’s also a call to action. There’s work to do in God’s kingdom! Countless souls still live in the darkness of sin and unbelief. We have God’s saving truth to embrace! We have God’s saving truth to share! By God’s grace you are an heir of the Reformation!

And here’s timeless encouragement for modern Reformation heirs: work tirelessly until Jesus returns! Amen.