“The Absolute Priority of Jesus”

(Matthew 10:32-42)

Series: God’s Fulfilled Promise [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

June 9, 2019

The Passage

Matthew 10:32-42

32 “Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge me before others, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever denies me before others, I will also deny him before my Father in heaven. 34 Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. 37 The one who loves a father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; the one who loves a son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Anyone who finds his life will lose it, and anyone who loses his life because of me will find it. 40 “The one who welcomes you welcomes me, and the one who welcomes me welcomes him who sent me. 41 Anyone who welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. And anyone who welcomes a righteous person because he’s righteous will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”

Introductory Comments

Let’s pray together.

(prayer)

Illustration: I enjoy fishing. I’ve fished for catfish in Turkey Creek Reservoir, I’ve fished for crappie (or speckled perch, as we call them) in Kentucky Lake, I’ve fished for striped bass on Beaver Lake in Northwest Arkansas, I’ve fished farm ponds in Ohio, I’ve fished for rainbow trout in North Carolina, I’ve fished for sharks on the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Pier, I’ve fished for largemouth bass right here in Bartow, I’ve fished for brim in a creek behind my house growing up, and I’ve fished for grouper miles off of the coast of Florida. One fishing trip that I’ve really enjoyed is an inshore fishing trip I went on near the 10,000 islands off the coast of Collier County, Florida. I went on that fishing trip with a friend of mine from a previous church in order to catch some species of fish that I had not caught that were the prized fish for inshore fishing. On that trip, we caught trout, sharks, tarpon, snook, and redfish. It was a great trip. I said to my friend, that I wish I could find and catch fish like he did. He said that it was easy to do so. All you had to do was be a third generation Collier County fisherman, purchase a $60,000 boat, and fish there your whole life, and then you could fish like he did. 

You see, my friend was committed to being a great fisherman. He had put in the work, he was passionate, and he had spent the money. He had really given himself to that work. 

All the greats in this world are committed to whatever it is that makes them great. Great athletes practice thousands of hours in order to achieve a high level in their sport. Great doctors have done hundreds of surgeries and seen thousands of patients. They’ve studied and consulted hours upon hours. To be the best at something, that something has to have priority in your life. 

Today, we’re going to learn that if we want to be great at faithfully following the Father, Jesus must have absolute priority in our lives. 

We’re continuing our series in the book of Matthew and we’ve heard Jesus shift His focus to sending out His apostles for ministry and the spreading of the message of the coming of the kingdom of God.

These principles and commands are not just for the apostles, they are for us also. 

Today, we will learn three ways that Jesus is a priority in our lives based on Matthew 10:32-42. 

First, . . .

I. Jesus is such a priority that we must acknowledge Him above all else (32-37) [on screen]

Jesus is very clear about the priority that He must have in our li