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Dive into the profound encouragement Jesus offers His disciples in Matthew 10:40-42. After warning about persecution and rejection, Jesus reveals a stunning truth: "Whoever receives you receives me." This simple statement unveils the unbreakable communion between Christ and His followers—a bond so complete that our reception by others directly reflects how they would receive Jesus Himself.
This sermon explores the remarkable parallel Jesus draws between our relationship with Him and His relationship with the Father. Just as Jesus declared "I and the Father are one," believers are so united with Christ that Paul could write, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." This communion cannot be broken once established through genuine faith, contradicting teachings that suggest believers fall in and out of salvation.
While much of Matthew 10 focuses on coming persecution, Jesus' use of "whoever" offers hope that some will gladly receive both the messenger and message. This counterbalances our natural pessimism about evangelism with the profound question: How valuable is the salvation of just one soul to you? Would you endure rejection from ninety-nine others to reach that one?
The sermon examines Jesus' descending order of disciples—from prophets to righteous people to "little ones"—and explains how even small acts of kindness toward immature believers will be rewarded. When Christians live authentically righteous lives, they bring God's truth to bear on society. Conversely, when believers hide their light "under a bucket," the world loses its salt and light.
Take heart knowing that we never walk alone in our faith journey. The American notion of individualistic Christianity contradicts Scripture's teaching about communion with God and community with believers. As Jesus promised, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." This unchanging presence empowers us to endure any rejection or persecution for the joy of seeing even one person pass from death to life through the gospel.