On Account of His Name (Matthew 10:22)

Introduction

Young people. I must say to you’re on the hot seat right now. Plus, I got your attention. Young people, wherever you are in the auditorium. This introduction is about you. Now, I don’t know how many people that encompasses. A lot of us would like to be included. Who are not. But if you somehow find yourself in that, which of course, in regard to what I’m about to say, you may not want to be included. It seems like every generation of people picks on the young folks. I want to start, you know, all the young people are going to the dogs, right? That’s sort of an expression now. So apparently every generation has mimicked those words and said those words about all how terrible young people are.

And so I start with a quote entitled from a piece, The Movies, the Greatest Religious Menace. Besides the devil, apparently, this article said nothing was more dangerous to the immortal soul than film. And so I got this quote about movies and what happens in movies, their beauty, their exquisite clothing, their lax habits and low moral standards, are becoming unconsciously appropriated by the plastic minds of American youth. And they’re more plastic than ever. With the invention of credit cards, let me just say.

Divorce scandals, hotel episodes, free love, stuff in the movies. All are passed over and condoned by the young. You know, you just buy into all that stuff as the way to live. The I gate, and that’s an interesting way of putting it, is the widest and most easily accessible of all the avenues of the soul. Whatever is portrayed on the screen is imprinted indelibly upon the nation’s soul. I think there is something to be learned from this quote in regard to the kind of entertainment that we subject ourselves to and how it can affect us. I think there’s some good thoughts there. What do you think these words were uttered? Can you imagine this? 1926. Only a few of you were even here at that time.

Sister Hattie, who I’m not supposed to mention. I think she was around in 26, actually. But probably didn’t get to go to the movies. And did they even have words in the movies in 1926? I’m not even sure about that. But the author of this quote was concerned about the effect movies were going to have. Wow. If only he or she was living, I think it’s a he was living in 2018. This quote. We defy anyone who goes about with his eyes open to deny that there is, as never before, an attitude on the part of young folk, which is best described as grossly thoughtless, rude, and utterly selfish. Did you know, folks, young people? That’s who you are. Grossly thoughtless, rude, and utterly selfish. If that’s not you, or if it is you, hey, it’s something to work on.

Try to do things that wouldn’t characterize you in this way. That was actually said a year earlier, before the movie, quote, in 1925. See, children have always been a problem. The children now have, they love luxury, they have bad manners, contempt for authority, they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in the place of exercise. Socrates, 400 BC. See, young people have always been bad.

They think they know everything and are always quite sure about it. Aristotle. Even earlier than that. You know, that’s what young people think they know everything, and they’re always very sure about it. They are high-minded, Aristotle went on to say, because they have not yet been hustled by life, nor have they experienced the force of circumstances. Well, that’s true. I mean, life’s circumstances certainly changed the way you think and view the world. But again, these complaints about young people. So now I’m going to take a page out of their book.

But please don’t cast me aside by what I’m about to say. Hang with me until I get to the punchline of the sermon. These are things that I have observed in some young people of late, which I don’t think are new, apply seemingly ever more commonly befalling young people among the Lord’s people. I’m disturbed whenever I hear about young people who are leaving this religious heritage or something like it in the place where they are because we are seemingly stuck in a rut, and they seek something different. And they discover some new truth, some better truth than the likes of us have believed or their parents have believed. Some better and new way of looking at this, and it’s almost like no one’s ever seen this before.

I got it, I see it, and a lot of times, like, you know, that’s that’s Calvinism. You know, that precedes you. whether you realize it’s Calvinism or not, that’s Calvinism, and it’s been around a lot longer than you have, and usually it’s not anything new. Rarely do I get hit with a, oh, I’ve never heard that before. As if it is something absolutely brand new. Sometimes we see in young people, once they go off on such a course, that if you’re over the age of 40, you can’t tell them anything. Because they’re not going to listen. They associate you with your parents, who they’re not going to listen to. And so you’re old, though, so you obviously don’t know anything and have no words of wisdom to provide.

They make broad generalizations about those among whom they have formerly fellowship. There was a great article written this week by Doy Moyer that I shared on my Facebook page about false teachers of our time. I recommend that you read it. The leafy article, but it’s been shared by, I don’t know, like 25 different people. I mean, it’s a really a good article. Poor knowledge coupled with poor sources of information. This is what I’ve seen of late. Is they think they’ve made a discovery in the scripture. A discovery that had escaped them heretofore. A new discovery, a new truth. And it’s like who are you listening to? Beware of your sources of information. Talk to another preacher friend of mine about what one young person had been reading that led to some of these poor conclusions.

Less rigid spiritual requirements. That’s where a lot of new truths usually go. You know, something that it’s not so strict and severe. No more living. I was living in constant fear of going to hell. And my question is, am I promoting that? In what I’m teaching? Is what I preached last Sunday morning promoting that? You as a faithful person striving to live faithfully, living in constant fear that you’re going to go to hell. There’s no way you can go to heaven. Is that the gospel you’ve been hearing here? I hope not. And this is a temptation for everybody young and old. I put it in the young people’s list, but. I mean, if what you’re hearing from the Bible might seem to be suggesting that there is a broad way that leads to destruction, and many are going in thereat, that’s a disturbing thought.

Now, that’s a scriptural thought, right out of Matthew chapter 7, but it’s an unpleasant thought. And so sometimes these new ideas that people have and these new directions that are much more lively and entertaining and better ultimately want to get us here. Can I just enlarge the realm of the saved? Who’s going to heaven? I was talking to another preacher friend of mine this week. This is what preachers do. We talk about stuff we’re going to be talking about because we need further insights. And he said some of this is the result of our age of social media. He called it the darker side of community. Where without a lot of perhaps seasoned mature Christians weighing in, there is this exchange of ideas, and there’s people hitting the like button, and because we get a few likes, then it must of necessity be right.

I’ve seen a lot of things on Facebook that get people to like. Some Christians are even hitting like who shouldn’t. And because some sources of authority or people that we respect or like what we say, then it must of necessity be right. You know, if you’re going to go by a majority of those who hit the like button, you might want to look for likes in the 200 to 300 rates, but then even that is not necessarily proof of anything. But the darker side of community, he called it. And so let me offer you this caution. Take your attention off being an authority in the realm of social media. Being trendy, getting a few likes here and there. For the things you say. Don’t put too much or an excess amount of attention on that.

Having said all this, going back to the original quotes, I want to just say, you know what young people are doing, don’t you? They’re being young people. And that’s not a bad thing. They’re trying to figure out how they’re going to go in life. Trying to make sense of their existence. And they want to figure it out on their own. And I can respect that as one who was a young person 45 years ago. You know, you’re trying to figure out what path is my life going to go. What does my life mean? What is truth? What is right? What can I do? There have been mistakes made of people in the past, and perhaps the previous generation hasn’t quite restored New Testament Christianity to what God intended to be.

How am I going to make sense of all that? And if you’re trying to do that, as you’re being young people, being young people, let me just offer you a couple things.

1. Hated by All on Account of My Name

Remind you about what true discipleship to Jesus involves. And what loyalty to Jesus looks like in our lives. I don’t take you to sort of an odd statement considering our introductory thoughts. It’s in Matthew chapter 10 and verse 22, and I’m not sure why this statement came to my mind in regard to all of this. When Jesus tells his disciples in Matthew chapter 10, and you will be hated by all on account of my name. But it is those, it is the one who has endured to the end that will be saved. And I think the reason why my mind went to this passage is because it’s really said in quite severe terms. You will be hated by all, he tells his disciples. And he says in the context, and I wish we had time, and I think I’ll just go 20 more minutes.

I wish we had time to look at Matthew chapter 10 this morning, and actually going back to verse 16, when he says, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. And he goes on later in the context to talk about persecution and do not fear those who are able to kill the body. I mean, you can be put to death for this, but they can’t touch your soul. Always love that in verse 28, but fear him who was able to destroy both soul and body in hell. God knows what’s going on the earth, even if you are put to death, and he says, Look, you confess me before men, right before you’re executed. You confess me before men, and I will confess you before my Father who is in heaven.

That’s the context of this statement that he makes when he says, You are going to be hated by all on account of my name. And look, this salvation business, whatever you want to say about salvation is going to involve that word endure. Now that doesn’t sound like skipping into heaven, does it? Tiptoeing our way to glory while looking at the blue bottles. It sounds like there could be some friction on this path. I love figures of speech, as you know. And so the first thing that strikes me about this passage is there’s some hyperbole here.

But lots of folks, apparently, this message is not going to be viewed favorably by the majority for some reason. And so the second thought that really came to me about the message of the gospel in total is you can’t make it innocuous. Okay, that’s the speaker words that I’m going to use today. And this is for the young people there. Education, innocuous. You know what that means? I’m not sure that I really get it, but it sounded like the right word. The gospel message is not innocuous. It’s not non toxic, harmless or safe. It’s not. There’s something about this message going to rub people the wrong way. And when you start talking about the words that people don’t like very much sin, repentance, righteousness, self-control, persecution, just to name a few.

A lot of people won’t look at that favorably. There’s something about the creator’s expectations which apparently run counter to public opinion and the wisdom of this world. Even faith, when properly defined, is challenging to those who would sign on to the path of true discipleship, grace, mercy, and love, notwithstanding. So as I launch from this verse and get back to my original thoughts, I have a few quick points I want to make. You’re wondering if this sermon is going to go on for an hour, but I promise you it won’t.

2. A Narrow Way: I Am Not the King

The first observation that I want to make briefly is that yes, indeed, this is a narrow way. And preaching the narrow way and preaching the gospel will be unpopular to the masses. And then I need to make this observation in regard to his name, and that is that I am not the king. I don’t get to be king of this kingdom. I don’t get to manufacture religion in my own image or in regard to my own preferences of how I would like it to be. This is called the new golden calf worship of our time. Let’s make it about what’s palatable and suitable for me. Talk of sin, the aforementioned moral restrictions, judgment, and the need to restrain ourselves and exercise self-control and to develop godly attitudes, I want to tell you, has never been really that popular.

And many don’t respond favorably to the fact that there is a delineated path that doesn’t embrace majority opinion and thinking, and that you might have to change the course of your thinking and conduct to successfully walk that path.

That is your system of belief, how you are seeing things. You can’t just ignore passages that don’t fit and sort of sleep them under the rug and say, I’m not going to observe that one. I like this one over here. You’re probably misinterpreting this one over here. If you can’t somehow incorporate what this one is saying. It has to harmonize. And I can’t get around some. Like 1 Corinthians chapter 15 1 and 2. He who endures to the end shall be saved. I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preach to you, which also you receive, in which also you stand. We have to make sure that where we’re standing is indeed the message that Jesus presented and authorized in the New Testament. This gospel in which you stand and by which you are saved if you endure on account of his name.

If you hold fast the word that I have preached to you. You know what we sometimes don’t do when we read those verses is to see them in the context of the entire book of 1 Corinthians. This is a church that is troubled and plagued with false notions and ideas. And he says, look, folks, you all got to start standing in the gospel. You’ve got to stay standing in it and hold fast to the message, or you will not be saved in the end. He who endures to the end shall be saved. And let’s further, let’s further enforce that at the end by saying, look, stay on the alert. Be watchful. There are things out there that will divert you from the path and from the course you need to be on.

They are strong and they are alluring, as we talked about them last week. Stand on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Which you can know, by the way. Stand firm in the faith. Be men. Act like men. Be mature. And be strong. And let all that you do be done in love. Submission to a higher authority has never been that popular. And it isn’t always easy. But it must remain the goal. I am not the king. Jesus.

3. We Need to Be Praying for Our Young Folks

Now, before you think I’ve gone all negative on our young people today. While there are some, and while there will always be some who make shipwreck of the faith, young and old. This is not all a message of negativity where our young people are concerned. There are a good number.

Like I said, in this group.

And then there was Blake and Jamie Harry, who before they were married, many years ago, were hanging out at our house when they were dating. We were a cheap date for them. They could just, Blake, but it was a cheap date. He had a nice car he had to pay for, and so they came over to the house and hung out with us. So I’m offering you some examples of people who through the years have continued to serve the Lord through good times and bad, young people who have not made shipwreck of the faith. So here’s what I’m going to say to you. We need to be praying for our young folks. They’re going through a tough time.

Who am I going to be? And just like Paul prayed for all believers in Ephesians chapter 1, I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened. That’s what I want for our young people. That’s why I preach. I’m not preaching this lesson until I just kick the young people. Well, kick them. Everybody’s always telling us how bad we are told he’s jumping on the bandwagon. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of your calling, of his calling. And what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance and the saints and the surpassing greatness of his power toward us. And he would pray again as he bows his knees before the Father in Ephesians chapter 3.

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power through his spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And that you might know the depth and the breadth and the height and the length and the depth of the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And I may have said depth twice.

4. Show Our Young People We Fervently Love God

And further, I would argue that some who divert from the course will repent and return in time. And so let us continue to pray for young people who are with us. Young people who are learning and growing. And some who have wandered away, maybe only temporarily, from the great gospel of the blessed God. And one more point I want to make. I want to talk to us older folks about what we can show our young people. What they need to see in us. We talked to young people about the kinds of things they need to be thinking about and looking about in regard to the gospel. We say something about you, what you can do for them. And let’s see ourselves as being able to do something for them.

And the first thing that I want to say is we can show our young people that we really fervently love God. That we’re not just going through the motions, that we’re not stuck in a rut. For nine years, nearly. We have been turning the corner onto Harden Store Road and decrying the words on the sign. Sherry’s already laughed. Church’s fried chicken. The sign has said for nine years, livers and gizzards. Nine years. Will somebody get out there and change that sign? Nobody likes livers and gizzards.

Very few. How do we advertise for nine years? Is that all we got? Churches, livers and gizzards. Just get down to another corner. I know you are. As soon as services are over this morning. You’re all, you know, chips and salsa has been working. You’ve been going to Tex Mex places because I’ve been talking about that. Now you’re gonna go through the livers and gizzards. We’re not stuck in a rut. Church’s fried chicken is stuck in a rut. This is not a rut. May there be a fervent sea and genuineness to what we’re doing here. And not just in our love for God, but in our love for people. Our love for these precious souls. And the souls of all that are lost. And when we talk about the errors the people are making as they go to serve their golden calves.

May we also reflect that we care and love their souls. We’re not just saying how good we are and how bad they are. That’s not the point of this. The point of this is that we might somehow rescue them from this erroneous path that they’re on. Let us always be clear that we love people and want them to go to heaven.

5. Let Us Worship Passionately

And in relation to these things, because we love people and because we love God. Let us worship passionately. We can worship truthfully in a way that is even appealing to our young people. And that’s Scott Boy, you chose a good song today. You could have been on the hot seat too. Good song selections. And I would just tell our, let me just an aside here for some of our song leaders. Let’s think about the songs we’re choosing and the impact they will have. Even if it’s just a couple songs on Wednesday night. Well, the young people we engaged with this song. And just because it’s in the book doesn’t mean it’s necessarily a good selection. Some of them should be seeing sung very rarely, if ever at all.

Toiling on. Toiling on. You know, I’m just, there’s some songs that should be retired. And maybe it’s one that we’re familiar with. It’s easy to sing, and I can easily lead, and I have to think about that because I can lead about six or seven. So, you know, there’s it’s right. It’s in my wheelhouse, but toiling on, people. There’s some better hymns than that. That’s back in the ages of Socrates and Aristotle. Don’t be content with doing things the way we’ve always done them. But looking for ways to enliven them. Our expression toward God.

6. We're Not Going to Give Up on the Way

On account of my name. You’ll be hated by all. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. I say what we need to show our young people. That we’re not going to give up on the way. We’re going to be counted on like clockwork as we say. I’m going to be here. I’m going to show them the example of steady faithfulness to God. I know sometimes I’m in pain. Sometimes my relationships aren’t what they should be. I’m not always having behaved in the way that I should. But here’s the thing. I’m going to keep walking this way because they need to see that in me. They need to see commitment and perseverance. That’s why I love going back and preaching at home in New Albany, Indiana, and seeing those saints that have been there week after week after week for 50 years.

I’ve seen them walk that way. Don’t think that example doesn’t say so.

Conclusion

And let me just say this about our verse. His name is incredible. His name is wonderful. His name is deserving of everything we have to give it and every sacrifice we have to make to exalt it. Because his name, my friends, is a name of honor. It is a name of authority. It is a name of perfection. And it is deserving of all that we have. So I admonish you. Submit to his loving rule. It’s tailor-made for you. His yoke is easy. And his burden is light. Embrace the riches of the inheritance of the saints and all the provisions of his glorious gospel. Appeal to him often. In good times and troubled times and painful times.

Because he’s worthy. You need to start this morning at point number one. Submit. Surrender to him who is true. The king. Let’s praise God.