Matthew 10 - January 10th, 2024

Hey good morning.

Welcome back to day 10 of our bread uh devotionals.

Uh congratulations, look at you.

You've made it to day 10.

A way to go.

Um, and if you're new with us, man, welcome.

Uh, this morning, we are spending the first part of this year really uh doing our best to position ourselves to encounter uh the Lord as we read his word, and so uh we're doing that through really this uh this framework uh of bread, um, and that simply stands for uh the bee breathe and then read, encounter, apply, and devote.

And so that's the framework that we're moving through as we uh approach the scripture this morning, and we're reading through the gospel of Matthew together, and just believing that as we do that as a church family, that God is uh both gonna encounter us individually because He is a relational God and He wants to do that, but He's also gonna grow us together as a church family as we as we kind of take this journey.

And so um so this morning we're gonna dive back in to Matthew chapter 10.

Matthew 10 · chapter mention

Uh, but as we do that, we're just gonna center ourselves and position ourselves to be able to hear from the Lord uh by starting with that first letter to the B.

And we're gonna simply breathe this morning.

So maybe just find a quiet space.

Just plant your feet firmly on the floor if you're sitting down.

You might even want to just open up your palms as a sign of surrender, just a posture of surrender this morning, of opening uh all that you are to our Heavenly Father, and just simply begin to take a deep breath in, and then out, just focus on your breathing and focus on turning all that you are towards uh God this morning, giving him your full self, your full attention, breathe in and out, in and out, and just invite the Holy Spirit to come and to begin to speak to you this morning.

Maybe one more big deep breath in, breathe out, and let's begin to turn our attention now to our assigned passage for this morning.

Again, we'll be in Matthew chapter 10, and we'll enter into the read portion of our time together.

Matthew 10 · chapter mention

And just invite you to uh if you have a journal or a notepad handy, uh, get that together, maybe a pen or a pencil, and be ready to take notes or highlight uh any verses that God might be uh bringing to the forefront, uh, that he might be uh highlighting for you, or verses that maybe confront you even and challenge you.

Just be ready to mark those down as we we read together, starting in Matthew chapter 10.

Matthew 10 · chapter mention

And Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness.

Here are the names of the twelve apostles, first Simon, also called Peter, then Andrew, Peter's brother, James, son of Zebedee, John James's brother, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, the tax collector, James, son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, Simon the zealot, and Judah Iscariot, who would later betray him.

And Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions don't go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel, God's lost sheep.

Go and announce to them that the kingdom of heaven is near.

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons.

Give as freely as you have received.

Don't take any money in your money belts, no gold, silver, or even copper coins.

Don't carry a traveler's bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick.

Don't hesitate to accept hospitality because those who work deserve to be fed.

Whenever you enter a city or a village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town.

When you enter the home, give it your blessing.

If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand.

If it is not, take back the blessing.

If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave.

I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day.

Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves, so be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves, but beware, for you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues.

You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers, but this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me.

When you are arrested, don't worry about how to respond or what to say.

God will give you the right words at the right time, for it is not you who will be speaking, it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed, and all nations will hate you because you are my followers, but everyone who endures to the end will be saved.

When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next.

I tell you the truth: the Son of Man will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel.

Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master.

Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master, and since I, the master of the household, have been called the Prince of Dons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names.

But don't be afraid of those who threaten you, for the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all.

What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes.

When I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear.

Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body.

They cannot touch your soul.

Fear only God who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

What is the price of two sparrows?

One copper coin?

But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your father knowing it.

And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.

So don't be afraid.

You are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

Everyone who acknowledges me in public here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my father in heaven.

But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.

Don't imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth.

I came not to bring peace but a sword.

I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

Your enemies will be right in your own household.

If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine.

Or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.

If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.

If you cling to your life, you will lose it, but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me.

If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God, you will be given the same reward as a prophet, and if you receive righteous people because of their righteousness, you will be given a reward like theirs.

And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.

This is the word of the Lord.

Now we'll move into the encounter portion of our morning.

And this is where we just take what you feel like God has been highlighting to you, maybe a chosen verse or something that you've highlighted as we've read through the passage, and uh and meditate on it.

Begin to consider what might what might God be trying to say to you.

Just begin to ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and how you can practically begin to live out this truth that He is speaking to you today.

And lastly, we'll move to devote.

And this is where we just simply will close this morning by writing out maybe a simple prayer of devotion in response to God.

So out of all that he has uh said to you this morning and how he has encountered you, maybe just respond this morning with an act of devotion as you write out a prayer and pray that to him.