A Cup of Cold Water for Christ’s Messengers (Matthew Sermon 42)

I. Marching Orders Completed

From the very beginning, and through 10 chapters of Matthew’s gospel, we’ve seen the theme emerging of the advancing kingdom of heaven. Jesus Christ at the center of it. Just as He was the Lamb that was slain standing at the center of the throne, so also Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, is at the center of Matthew’s Gospel as the king of the advancing kingdom of heaven. When Jesus began to preach, in Matthew Chapter 4, He said, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The kingdom of heaven is here, now. And what is the nature of that kingdom? It is of a king, Jesus Christ, who’s able to look out on a lost and dying world with compassion in His heart, and see that they are harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. It is a to call His disciples around Him, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out laborers into His harvest field.”

He begins with prayer that we who are His disciples, who are already in the kingdom, should pray and ask Him, the King and Lord of the harvest, to send out laborers into the harvest field. Then we go right on into Chapter 10 in which Jesus commissions the apostles, these 12 first representatives, these messengers of the kingdom, to go out on a little practice mission trip. They’re going to go out to proclaim that same message, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Jesus gives them authority, and they’re going to go out. In His instructions to them, He’s going to unfold instructions that are good for two millennia of the advancement of the kingdom. We’re going to see that the advancement is going to meet severe opposition, and that the messengers of the kingdom are going to be persecuted. They’re going to be opposed, they’re going to be hated maliciously. They’re going to suffer. As the Lord of the harvest looks out and sees harassed and helpless sheep, His answer is to send other sheep into the midst of wolves, who are going to lay down their lives and be willing to take the Gospel so that people might be saved.

Jesus here in Matthew 10, gives marching orders, not just to the apostles, that’s the immediate context, but to all believers throughout all history of how we must take this Gospel message even to the ends of the earth. He’s giving them marching orders, I call it.  At the end here of Chapter 10, we’re completing these marching orders.  I see in these verses three great messages. The first is the connection between the messengers and how they’re received and treated, and how the message that they preached is believed.  A connection between the treatment of the messengers and the acceptance of the message, that’s the first great theme. The second great theme is the emerging, the nascent, the seed form of the body of Christ, the fact that there is one body, one mission, one advancement of the kingdom, but not everyone has the same role. There are some that are called to be apostles, and then there are some that are called to just give a cup of cold water to an apostle, and neither one loses their reward. We see in seed form, the beginning of the idea of the complex body of Christ, how not all of us are called to the same function, but all of us are able to be rewarded by faithfulness to that. The third point is this topic of rewards, of Christian rewards. Jesus mentions it twice in the text that we’re looking at today. The rewards given to the righteous, to anyone who receives a righteous man or a prophet, and then even to anyone who gives a cup of cold water.  We’re going to look at how Christ uses rewards as a motivating factor. But through it all, I don’t want you to miss the main message, the main message is that we are called to go to a lost and dying world and proclaim this message, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is here, now, through faith in Christ.”

II. Receiving Christ’s Messengers and Believing Christ’s Message

Let’s look at the first message that’s in Verse 40. It says, “He who receives you, receives Me, and he who receives Me, receives the one who sent Me.” Here we see that receiving Christ’s messengers and believing Christ’s message are joined together. The immediate context of these words, I think, are support way-stations of rest for the tired and beaten apostles.  If you look over Chapter 10, Jesus sends them out, beginning at Verse 5, and then through Verse 10.  He basically sends them out with a clear message and a clear ministry, but He says, “Don’t take along any supplies. Don’t take along any bag, don’t take along any extra money, don’t take along anything, just go, and I’ll see to your support. I’ll take care of you.” He sends them out. But then very soon as you’re reading, you’re going to see that they’re going to be opposed.  There are some people that will not receive them or welcome their words. It’s going to be difficult for them. They might be rejected even by their own family members.  “A man’s enemies be the members of his own house,” Jesus says in this text. “It’s going to be difficult, it’s going to be troublesome for you, you’re going to be arrested, you’re going to be beaten, maybe even put to death. Go ahead and go, off you go. Don’t bring along anything, no food, just go.” How could it be? There must be some way-stations of rest. Jesus knows we have bodies, He knows we have psyches, He knows we have morale. Is there no help given to the advancers of the kingdom of God? Of course there is.

The immediate context is that there need to be some people to come alongside the apostles and help them do their ministry. They need someone to receives them, to take them in.  These apostles went out, and they had no where to spend the night. They could sleep in the town square, or in a ditch somewhere. God would not have it so. He says, “Anyone who receives you, receives Me.” He’s already dealt with this in verses 11-13, look again at it. He says there, “Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave.” How practical is that? Find somebody worthy of the message and stay there, live there, that’s your support. They’ll feed you, and they’ll care for you. They’ll welcome you in. “Search for a worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting, if the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it, but if not, let your peace return.”

He’s saying, “He who receives you, receives Me.” Anyone who takes you in, it’s like they’re taking Me in. It’s like they’re protecting and providing for Me. We see here Jesus’ recognition of the fact that we have bodies. We need to eat, we get tired, we get weary. These are way-stations for us, very much like those in Pilgrim’s Progress, that wonderful allegory of the Christian life. There’s a rhythm to Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, a rhythm of extreme trial and difficulty, and of rest and refreshment. Extreme trial and difficulty, and then rest and refreshment again. In the book, there are way-stations of rest along the way,  such as the interpreter’s house, Manson’s or Gaius’ house. There are places where you can be refreshed. Places where you can be renewed. Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.” Do you think the apostles wouldn’t need their souls restored after a tough day of preaching in this kind of context? Of course they did. They needed a place where they could go at night and be refreshed and restored.

In 3 John: 5-8, John writes this, “Dear friend, you are faithful in what you’re doing for the brothers and sisters,even though they’re strangers to you. They’ve told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God.  It was for the sake of the name that they went out receiving no help from the pagans.” Verse 8, “We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth.” What a great verse that is.  It very much fits into what we’re talking about here. We’re all working together in this mission, and anyone who takes you in, who shows you hospitality, those of you who have gone out for the name, we are working together for the truth, so we ought to show hospitality. In a very simple way, that’s what “He who receives you, receives Me,” means. It means to welcome in these messengers, these apostles, to take care of them, to give them what they need to continue. We see Jesus Christ providing for His own. He cares for us, doesn’t He? He cares for all of our needs. He knows what we need. He created us, He knows that we are weak, we’re just flesh, and so He provides for His own.

These messengers will go out and stand in His name, they will proclaim His name, and He will not abandon them, but He will care for them. If they are treated well, He will reward those who treat the messengers well. If they are rejected and scorned and persecuted, He will take it very personally, and “it’ll be more bearable on the Day of Judgment for Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town,” He said. On the negative side, there’s the threat of punishment and curse on the Day of Judgment.  Here on the positive side,  verses 40-42,  there is the promise of reward, and of blessing for anyone who receives these messengers and takes them in.  Jesus says the exact same thing in that great story of the sheep and the goats: “Judgment Day, when the Son of Man comes, He’ll sit on His  throne, and all the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He’ll put the sheep on His right, and the goats on His left, and then He will say to those on His right, the sheep, Come you who are blessed by my Father, take your inheritance, the kingdom, prepared for you since creation, of the world, for I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, you invited me in, I needed clothes, and you clothed me, I was sick and in prison and you looked after me.”

That really connects here, doesn’t it? He’s sending these apostles out, and anyone who welcomes them in, takes care of them, He takes it very personally. It’s like you did it to Jesus Himself. Why would receiving an apostle in particular be dangerous? It’s called guilt by association. These men went out and turned the world upside down for Christ. They were dangerous people, and they were not well-liked in some places. They were, as a matter of fact, hated. There’s this guilt by association. If you take them in you’re as bad as they are. It’s like harboring a fugitive; it’s like a crime. It took a great deal of courage to take these apostles in and care for them. For example, Jason in Thessalonica, in Acts 17:5-9,  “The Jews were jealous of the apostles, so they rounded up some bad characters in the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city.” A riot? A mob? So that happen when you preach the Gospel? Can you imagine, everywhere you go there’s a riot or mob. That’s a tough life, it really is. Jason it seems took them in and took care of them, welcomed them. The mob went to look for Paul and Silas and didn’t find them, so they went to Jason’s house where they knew they were staying, and dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house.” Stop there.  Okay, you see the guilt by association. It took a great deal of courage therefore, to accept a messenger of Christ, to bring a messenger into your house and say, “Stay with me, I’ll feed you, I’ll care for you. I’ll stand with you in times of trial.” The larger context of this first section is that there’s a connection between how you receive Christ’s messengers and how you believe and accept Christ’s message.  If you treat the messenger well, it’s because you’re receiving the message well; if you reject the messenger, it’s because you’re really rejecting the message. What is the message? “The kingdom of heaven is at hand. There is a King, Jesus Christ, He’s come to rule the world. He is a good and loving King. He died on the cross that we might have eternal life. He’s willing to forgive all of your sins, through simple faith in Christ, all of your sins can be forgiven.” This is the message. If you then begin to beat on the messenger, aren’t you really just rejecting the message. Isn’t that what’s going on? There is a connection between how you receive the messenger and how you believe the message.

Matthew 10:4 says, “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words.”  It’s a matter of welcoming the individual because you’re listening to the words, to the message. There is a direct connection therefore, between you the apostles, and your words, the message of the kingdom. Jesus put it this way when He was going through in His ministry. He comes to a place where there’s a man named Zacchaeus who is up in the tree, because he’s a little guy and he wants to see Jesus. He’s heard all about His ministries, and His message, and he wants to know Jesus. He’s a tax collector, he’s hated and rejected. Jesus stops and looks up at the tree, and says, “Zacchaeus come down, because I’m going to stay at your house.”  Now, I wouldn’t say necessarily that Zacchaeus extended hospitality, Jesus kind of demanded it, but Zacchaeus was elated. He was thrilled, and he took Jesus in his house and he repented from all of his sins. There’s a connection between the hospitality that Zacchaeus extended and the welcoming of the message that Jesus brought. What did Jesus say? “Today, salvation has come to this house.” Here’s the connection between  hospitality and believing of the message. The apostle Paul in Galatians 4:14, speaks of how they received him. He says in Galatians 4:14, “Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn, instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus Himself.” Do you see that? “Because I was here proclaiming the Gospel of Christ, you welcomed me as if I were Jesus Himself.” That’s it, “He who receives you, receives Me,” said Jesus, “And he who receives Me, receives the one who sent me.” There is a very strong connection between a reception of the messenger and an acceptance of the message.

We see the same thing lived out in the life of the Philippian jailer. You remember that Paul and Silas were arrested and thrown in jail. The Philippian jailer was commanded to keep them in there. Paul and Silas were beaten for the crime of preaching the Gospel and placed in a dark, ugly, dank prison.  The Philippian jailer was in bed with his family, and Paul and Silas were singing hymns. This is one of those great moments of church history. They were singing hymns when suddenly, the power of God shook that jail and all their chains fell off. That’s a miracle because earthquakes don’t make chains fall off prisoners, earthquakes kill prisoners. The chains fell off, the doors opened, and in fact, God said, “You’re free but don’t leave, because you’ve got some salvation work to do.” The Philippian jailer calls for lights, runs in trembling, and brings them out saying, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your whole household.”  That very night, the Philippian jailer and his whole family believed in the message and were baptized. Then what did they do? They washed the wounds of Paul and Silas, set a good meal in front of them,  and showed them hospitality. There it is, a connection between the acceptance of the Gospel message and the washing of the wounds, setting of a good meal and maybe a warm blanket, and whatever they needed to get through their difficult time. A connection between an acceptance of the message and how they treated the messengers. Their wounds were festering and dirty, and they were starving before, but the jailer did nothing about it because he didn’t believe the message. Now, he’s believed the message and suddenly he reaches out with hospitality.

We also see, finally, the matter of apostolic authority. Do you see the chain of command?  “He who receives you, receives Me, because I sent you. And he who receives Me receives the Father who sent Me.”  These apostles go out with apostolic authority.  If you reject their message, you’re really rejecting Christ. Jesus has given to the apostles the message of reconciliation. We who came after, we’re not apostles, but we proclaim the apostles’ message, don’t we? We read it in the New Testament, and we proclaim with apostolic authority. So anyone who says, “I never really cared much for Paul. I don’t really like Peter that much or John.” Realize what you’re saying, because Jesus is saying, “He who receives you, receives Me. Conversely, he who rejects you is really rejecting Me.” It’s apostolic authority and the chain of command.

The day that Jesus was raised from the dead, He reiterated this very same point in John Chapter 20. He shows them His hands inside, the evidence of His physical resurrection from the dead. He gives them a commission. He breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Then He says,  “As the Father has sent Me, even so, I am sending you.” You see the connection,the chain of command, and so the apostolic authority. Therefore, to resist the apostles was to resist Christ Himself. This is the very reason why the apostle Paul makes so much of his authority, not because he’s on an authority kick, but because he wants the Galatians for example, to believe his Gospel message, and accept the Gospel message, not as the words of man, but as the actual  Word of God at work among we who believe.  Paul makes much of his authority for that reason, that’s the first point: Receiving Christ messengers, believing Christ message.

III. The Body of Christ

What’s the second point? Well, the nascent seed form version of the body of Christ. The main idea here is that there’s a direct connection between Christ as the head and His messengers as his body, and there is also an interconnection between each Christian and their role in the advancing kingdom of God. We all are part of the same body, we all are on the same mission, we have the same ultimate goal. We will be rewarded not concerning whether we had a big or small role in it, but whether we were faithful to the role that God gave us to do. God may not call you to be an apostle, he may instead put a cup of cold water in your hand and see what you do with it. We have in seed form, I think, the idea of the body of Christ. Why do I say only seed form? Because Paul is the one who really develops this for us, in Romans and in 1 Corinthians and in Ephesians, but Jesus is the head and we are the body.

It says in Ephesians 1:22, “God placed all things under His feet, speaking of Christ, and appointed Him to be head over everything for the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.”  Christ is the head, and we are the body.  So also, we, who are part of the body as it says in Romans 12: 4-5, are members of it.  “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body and each member belongs to all the others.”  “We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him prophesy. If it is serving, let him serve. If it is teaching, let him teach. If it is encouraging, let him encourage. If it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously. If it is leadership, let him govern diligently. If it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”[Romans 12: 6-8]   You see the doctrine of the body of Christ. We do not all have the same function, and so not all of us are going to be apostles going out and proclaiming boldly the message of the Gospel in the way that an apostle would.  But according to this teaching, if you receive a prophet, because he is a prophet, you will receive a prophet’s reward.  If you receive a righteous man, because he is a righteous man, you will receive a righteous man’s reward.  If any of you gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones, I think that’s referring to the Apostles, because he is my disciple, you will certainly not lose your reward.  The basic idea is this— if you assist an apostle, according to God, it’s the same as preaching as an apostle, in terms of eternal rewards.  Isn’t that freeing?  Isn’t that wonderful?  We’re not all called to do the same thing, but we can all take part in each other’s ministries. You can take part in the ministry of a prophet if you help them do that prophetic ministry. You can take part in the ministry of a righteous man, if you assist them in their righteous ministry. You can do all this because you’re part of the body of Christ. God’s ways are not our ways, and He looks instead to faithfulness to what He has given you to do.

Therefore, let no one despise any support ministry in this church. Let no one elevate any other ministry to this high place as though it’s the key thing in the church. There is no one key thing in the church. The key thing is to do what God has called you to do.  If He has given you a cup of cold water, and you throw it to the ground to go be an apostle, you’ve sinned against God.  It’s not what He’s called you to do, give the cup of cold water.  If on the other hand you’re called to be an apostle, and you instead trade it so that you can give out cups of cold water, you’re not following God’s pattern.  It is God who has arranged the body and all the rewards are given according to faithfulness to what He’s called you to do.

IV. The Comprehensive Rewards

The third point is this concept of rewards. Verse 41:  “Anyone who receives a prophet, because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. Anyone who receives a righteous man, because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. And If anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones, because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.” The main idea here is that Jesus Christ motivates us by rewards. Many Christians feel uncomfortable with that.  And rightly so in one sense because we recognize that we can’t boast about anything. The cross of Jesus Christ alone saves us from sin. The blood that Jesus shed on the cross is the only remedy for sin.  We know enough Christian doctrine that we cannot possibly be saved by our good deeds and our good works so we tend to shy away from this idea of rewards. How could it be? Ephesians 2: 8 – 9, “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith,and this not of yourselves, it is a gift of God not by works, so that no one could boast.” But also Verse 10, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which He laid out in advance that we should walk in them.” He intends the good works, he just doesn’t want you to be confused about them.  They’re never to be used to pay for sin.

Let me ask a simple musical question, “what can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus shed on the cross.”  How many good works could wash away my sin?  None, it can’t be. Does that mean that God doesn’t want me to do good works?  May it never be.  Of course, He wants us to do good works.  He is motivating not those that are enslaved to sin here, but He’s motivating his children to behave like children and to do good works to please their Heavenly Father.  Not to pay for sin, but that they should walk in the good works that He’s planned ahead of time. Does Jesus motivate by reward? He wants you to live for rewards. If you understand them properly, you’ll see why it’s not idolatrous. He motivates you in terms of reward.

First, we have to understand the cup of cold water properly. Anyone who is interested in Christian benevolence, has heard about this verse. It’s actually a very famous verse. It’s usually used in this way, that Christians should give benevolence material things to those that are lost and suffering and poverty stricken, so that we can show the love of Christ to them. Is that a true teaching? Absolutely.  Religion that our God and Father accepts as pure and faultless as this. To look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep yourself from being polluted by the world.  Of course He cares about the poor, of course He cares about the needy, but this verse is not teaching that. This is an in-house matter, this is us helping each other to do the ministries that God’s given.   I think this misunderstanding  comes from not understanding who the “he” is in “because he is my disciple.”  It’s not the giver of the water, it’s the receiver of the water, the disciple, and that’s the key.  If you understand that we’re giving the cup because that person is a prophet, we’ll gain a prophet’s reward. We’re giving the cup of water, because that person is a righteous man, and we will gain the righteous man’s reward. If we give the cup of cold water because that person is the disciple, we will never lose our reward. Do you see how the logic works? This is an in-house matter in which God is motivating the church to do its business through rewards. He wants to motivate us to care for each other and take part in each other’s ministries,and does that by saying, “We’ll never lose our reward.”

What are these rewards? Could it be that we’re actually thinking about rewards? Is this kind of a mercenary? Are we going to get paid? Is that what’s going on here? Not at all. We have to understand it properly. First of all, that Christ rewards or motivates by reward cannot be denied. Go back to Matthew 6. In Matthew 6, Jesus makes it very plain how much he cares about your rewards. He says in verse 1, “Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men to be seen by them. If you do,  you will have no reward from your Father in Heaven.” What is Jesus concerned about on your behalf? He doesn’t want you to lose your reward. He’s concerned that you’re going to be like the Pharisees and do it for trumpeting out your righteousness.  He said, “If you do that, you won’t get a reward. And I’m worried about that, concerned about that, so don’t do it, because if you do, you’ll have no reward.”

He does the same thing on prayer and giving in Verse 3 and 4, He says, “When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret then your Father who sees what is done in secret, He will reward you.” Again, the concept of reward. In verse 6, He speaks of prayer:  “When you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your father who’s unseen, and your Father who sees what is done in secret, He will reward you.” He does the same thing in fasting in Verse 17 and 18. And then He sums it all up in Verse 19-21. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasure in heaven.” What does that mean, “store up treasure in Heaven?” How do you do that, how do you go about doing that? We already know it doesn’t mean store up justification, store up forgiveness of sins, we know that. It means store up good works done by faith and by the power of the Spirit. Store them up, and not just a few. Give lots of cups of cold water, millions of them. Be busy doing these kinds of things. Store up lots of treasure in heaven. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Does Jesus motivate by rewards? Yes, He does. But what is this reward?  I zero in on a couple of key verse that helped me understand:  Genesis 15:1, 1 Corinthians 4:5.  In Genesis 15:1, God appears to Abraham and says, “Do not be afraid Abram, I am your shield and your very great reward.” Let’s take the middle clause out. He says in effect, “Do not be afraid Abram, I am your reward. I’m your reward, I’m what you get, okay?”  How does that connect to going into the room, closing the door and praying to your father as unseen, or not letting your left hand know what your right hand is doing?  In 1 Corinthians 4:5,  Paul says, “Therefore, judge nothing before the appointed time. Wait till the Lord comes, He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness, those secret things, and will expose the motives of men’s hearts, at that time, each will receive his praise from God.” That’s the reward. Praise from God.

Is that not worth living for? To have God say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You’ve been faithful with a few things. I’ll put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your Master. And not just once, but over many, many good works. I saw that cup of cold water, well done, good and faithful servant. I saw that you received the righteous man in your house. Well done, good and faithful servant.” I don’t just want 10 times for God to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. I want 10 billion. I want Him to be pleased with me. I want to live every moment to the pleasure of God. And if I please Him, He’s going to include me in that pleasure on Judgment Day, and I’ll be pleased too. That’s the reward. So let’s store up lots of them. Let’s have lots of cups of cold water, let’s have God pleased with us lots. And let’s see the kingdom of heaven advance.

The reward must be done for the motive of the glory of God by faith, it must be done in a loving manner. Can you imagine being an apostle, go out, tough day, tough day preaching, people rejecting, people screaming, people stoning you, people upset, and then you come home and your host says, “Sit down over there. I’ve got food for you, but I want you to realize just how much it cost. Here’s a cup of cold water, but do you realize in Palestine how hard it is to get it cold? So here, drink it.” You want to go crawl into a ditch somewhere. God doesn’t reward that. How do I know God doesn’t reward that? It says, if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I sell all I possess and give to the poor, and surrender my body of the flames, but have not love, it profits me nothing. What does that mean, it profits me nothing? No reward, if you do it in a surly unloving manner. And so by faith in a loving manner, for the advancement of the kingdom these things will be rewarded. Ultimately, He rewards what you have opportunity to do. So then as you have opportunity, let us do good to all men, especially those who belong to the family of believers.

V. Application

What application can we build for this? Well, I would say simply this. First of all, realize that God delights in small things. You realize what Christ has done here for us? What has He done? He’s taken a world-wide Great Commission, which could threaten to crush us with discouragement and breaks it up into a series of cup of cold waters given, bite-sized pieces. Every meal we sit down with our 16-month-old, 17-month-old now, he keeps growing. He’s getting molars now. I’m excited about the molars. And you know why? Because I don’t have to cut the pieces of meat in small pieces, alright? You have to just about puree some of these things, just cut them up in tiny little things. And why, ’cause he can’t handle the whole thing as it is. Can you? Can you handle, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in name of the Father and Son, and Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I’ve commanded? Can you handle that? I like the cup of cold water psychology. What it does, it takes that huge thing, and breaks it into small bite-sized pieces that I can handle. Every day a cup of cold water given in His name, He’s going to honor it, the kingdom of heaven will advance today. That’s brilliant.

And so, we don’t despise small things. Do what you find in your hand to do today. Pray the prayer, give the money, encourage the servant of God, give the cup of cold water, serve God and you will never lose your reward. Be faithful in the things He’s called you to do. God has called us to go. God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply. Go boldly and preach. He will bring children of God alongside you to help you, He will. Proclaim it boldly, and do it expectantly. God will never forget any of the things you’ve done to build His kingdom.

I wanna give a quick word now to any of you who have never trusted in Christ, we’ve been talking about a Kingdom of Heaven, we’ve been talking about Jesus Christ. What it means is that Jesus is the Lord, the center of the kingdom. He died on the cross to give eternal life to any who will trust in Him. Can I urge you not to walk out the door today without having given your life to Christ, come into the Kingdom of Heaven, trust in Him, believe in Him and He’ll give you eternal life.

These are only preliminary, unedited outlines and may differ from Andy’s final message.

I.  Marching Orders Completed

A.  Advancing Kingdom

B.  Harassed and Helpless Sheep

C.  Appointed Messengers

II.   Receiving Christ’s Messengers and Believing Christ’s Message

vs. 40  “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me.”

Main Idea:  There is a direct connection between receiving Christ’s messengers and believing Christ’s message.  These messengers stand in His place to proclaim truth in His name, just as Christ stood in His Father’s place to proclaim truth in His name.  Warm reception of the messengers is the clearest indication of warm acceptance of their message.  Rejection of the messengers is the same as rejection of the message, and of Him and His Father.

A.  Immediate Context:  Waystations of Rest

1.  Scan Christ’s instructions in Matthew 10

2.  Empty-handed, trusting in God

3.  Facing constant persecution, abuse, rejection… they are subject to arrest, imprisonment, trial, and fleeing for their lives

4.  Needing refreshment along the way

5.  “Receive” = takes in and provides hospitality

vs. 11-13  “Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.

A big issue for these tired, weary, dusty, abused messengers of Christ

Illus.  Pilgrim’s Progress:  Interpreters house, Gaius, Mnason… places of sweet refreshment along the toilsome journey of pilgrimage

Human side of ministry very much in view here… people willing to refresh these Apostles

Psalm 23:1-3  A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul.

3 John 5-8  Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. 6 They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. 7 It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. 8 We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth.

2.  Christ provides for His own

a.  these messengers go out and stand in Christ’s place, speaking Christ’s words

b.  however they are treated is taken intensely personally by Christ

Said to Saul, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”… to someone who had been abusing the messengers of the gospel

c.  the persecutors are handled earlier

vs. 14-15  If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

d.  here Christ promises rewards for any who take them in and care for them

BUT to any who will receive them, care for them, even give them a cup of cold water, there is an eternal reward

Exact same idea later in “sheep and goats” story

Matthew 25:34-35 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

3.  Why “Receiving an Apostle” is Reward-worthy

a.  guilt by association

b.  danger of suffering same treatment

Examples:  Jason in Thessalonica

Acts 17:5-9  But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” 8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.

Hebrews 10:32-34  Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34 You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.

Anyone who welcomed an Apostle of Christ risked the same treatment as the apostles got… this is why it was worthy of reward.

B.  Larger Context:  Receiving Christ’s Message

1.  Direct Connection Between Treatment of Messenger and Belief in Message

vs. 14  If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.

“You” + “your words”

Luke 19:5-6  When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

The glad welcome Zacchaeus gave Christ externally paralleled the glad welcome he gave Christ’s word internally in his heart

2.  Consistent issue in Paul’s letters

Galatians 4:14 Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.

1 Thessalonians 1:9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God

1 Thessalonians 1:6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

Note:  1)  what kind of reception you gave US…2) you welcomed the MESSAGE

3.  Clear example with the Philippian jailer

Acts 16:29-34  The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved– you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God– he and his whole family.

The Philippian jailer “received” Paul and Barnabas in every way… 1)  receiving the message with trembling faith; 2)  receiving Paul and Barnabas into his home, washing their wounds, setting a meal before them!!

C.  Apostolic Authority

1.  Apostles sent out with Christ’s authority… the exact same way Christ sent out with Father’s authority

Matthew 10:1 He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority

Notice the “chain of command”

vs. 40 “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me.

John 20:21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

2.  To resist or oppose apostle was to resist or oppose Christ Himself

This is exactly why Paul makes so much of His apostleship…

Galatians 1:1 Paul, an apostle– sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead–

3.  In effect the apostle stands in the place of God and represents him to the people

2 Corinthians 5:20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

4.  The treatment given by the people reflects their view of God Himself

Exodus 16:8 Moses also said, “You will know that it was the LORD when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the LORD.”

III.  The Body of Christ

Main Idea:  There is a direct connection between Christ as the head and His messengers as His body.  There is also an interconnection between one of Christ’s messengers and anyone who helps him even in the smallest way.  Not everyone is called to be an apostle, but assisting an apostle do His ministry is as valuable in God’s sight as doing the apostolic ministry itself.  This is in germ form the doctrine of the complex Body of  Christ, with each having its own function, but all essential to the completion of the final mission.

A.  Christ’s Connection to His People:  Head and Body

vs. 40 “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me.

Ephesians 1:22-23  And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

B.  Diversity of Roles in the Body of Christ

Romans 12:4-8  Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

1 Corinthians 12:12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.

vs. 41  Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward.

C.  Assist an Apostle = Preach as an Apostle

Basic concept:  support ministries are as vital as “up-front” ministries!  These apostles were sent out with no visible means of support.  The Body of Christ is meant to support them.  Imagine the apostles starving, or shivering out in the rain, or stumbling bloody barefoot through rock-strewn wastelands… all from lack of support

Thus, if you support a prophet because he is a prophet, you’ll receive a prophet’s reward… in God’s sight one is not higher than the other!!

IV.  The Comprehensive Rewards

vs. 41-42  Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”

Main Idea:  Christ uses rewards to motivate His people to deeds of service.  These deeds of service are essential to the advance of the Kingdom.  The reward system is based whatever role one is called to by God, and will result in many surprises on Judgment Day.  Even the slightest action of loving faithful service will never be forgotten.  This helps break the potentially overwhelming world-wide Gospel mission into very achievable sub-goals and small actions.  One could be rendered immobile by the prospect of bringing the gospel to a tribe living in darkness at the ends of the earth.  But this “cup of cold water” teaching helps overcome that paralysis by faithfulness in small things.  God is mighty enough to use even small things to accomplish His grand goal.

A.  The “Cup of Cold Water” Properly Understood

1.  Too often:  “cup of cold water” refers to social ministry done for the needy

2.  Concern for the poor an overwhelming Biblical doctrine

3.  BUT here… the issue is helping other Christians do their work; this is strictly “family business”

Movement in Matthew 10 generally goes from Apostles immediate situation to persecuted disciples as a whole.  So also movement in vss. 40-42 goes from Apostles to disciples generally

Cup of cold water is not just offered to apostles but to any disciple who needs it, in order to accomplish his/her ministry

B.  The Doctrine of Christian Rewards

1.  God will reward believers according to their deeds

a.  rewards are certain:  “will receive a reward”

b.  rewards are secure and eternal:  “will never lose his reward”

2.  Consistent theme in New Testament

a.     justification is NOT by good works… but the Christian life is to be saturated with good works

Ephesians 2:8-10  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith– and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

God does not save us BY good works… He saves us FOR good works.  And these good works are the very material He uses to build His Kingdom… whether the bold preaching of the Gospel by an Apostle, or the hot meal given to the Apostle by an anonymous servant afterwards

Romans 2:6-7  God “will give to each person according to what he has done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.

b.  good works are anything done by the prompting of the Holy Spirit by faith

John 15:4-5  Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

c.  yearning for reward a BIG theme in the Bible

Genesis 15:1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

Psalm 19:11 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

Psalm 62:12 … that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.

1 Samuel 26:23 The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness.

3.  Christ uses rewards as a major motivator:  see Matthew 6

Matthew 5:12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 6:1 “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

Matthew 6:3-4 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:6  But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:17-18  But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:19-21  “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Summary:  Christ says be careful to do your acts of righteousness BY FAITH, secretly, so that you will not lose your reward!!  Christ want you to store up as many good deeds as possible in heaven, not to pay for sin… but that they may be rewarded as a father rewards one who is already a son or daughter

3.  Not sinful to yearn for rewards… it is COMMANDED

Matthew 6:19-21  “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Hebrews 11:6  And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

NOTE:  Must believe that He exists… Must believe that He rewards those who seek Him

4.  What is the reward?

1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.

“Praise from God” = great reward… that God would be pleased with your actions, and that He would praise you for them… this is worth living for and dying for!!

Matthew 25:21  “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“Come and share your master’s happiness” = enter into the joy I live in… BUT here it is “Come and experience the joy I felt when you did this or that!!”

Jesus chided the Jews of His day for NOT seeking praise from God:

John 5:44 How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?

I believe that our rewards are God’s case-by-case praise of every good deed done by faith for His glory… each and every one will be praised by God

Matthew 10:42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”

C.  The Principle of Rewards:  Comprehensive, Based on Motive and Faithfulness to Opportunity

1.     Motive:  Faith or Not

Romans 14:23   everything that does not come from faith is sin.

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings.

Hebrews 11:39 These were all commended for their faith

Hebrews 11:6  Without faith it is impossible to please God

“Faith” is an absolute certainty of things you cannot see… of a God who is a King and is building a Kingdom… if you give even a cup of cold water to an apostle to help build Christ’s Kingdom, you will never lose your reward

2.  Manner:  Loving or Not

1 Corinthians 13:2-3   If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

It is possible to do great things, even motivated by great faith, and have no reward because they were done in a surly, unloving manner

Imagine:  being abused and opposed all day as an apostle, preaching the gospel to an unwilling town.  That evening you stay at the home of a believer who feeds you and houses you out of faith that he will be rewarded… but does so in an rude manner

“I hope you realize how much this meal cost… but we are doing it for free because of Christ”

3.  Opportunity:  Faithful or Not

Galatians 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

2 Corinthians 8:12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

4.  Reward is Comprehensive:  Small or Great, Everything is Noticed

Matthew 10:42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”

NAS Luke 16:10 “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.

D.  Comprehensive Motivation:  Smallest Action, Greatest Consequences

1.  Christ:  Marvelous Motivator

a.  a psychology to actions

b.  possibility of overwhelming discouragement

c.  Christ a perfect motivator… “Cup of cold water” approach enables us to get off the mark and start acting for God TODAY!!!  Even slightest actions will be rewarded

2.  The Daunting Apostolic Task

a.  disciples are only human

b.  facing an infinite journey can render us paralyzed with the immensity of the task

Illus.  “Feeding of the 5000”…Jesus turned to His disciples and said “They don’t need to go away, you give them something to eat!!”

This task is even bigger… Jesus is turning to His disciples and saying “They don’t need to go to hell… you give them the gospel!!”  To the very ends of the earth, until every tribe, language, people and nation has heard

Crushed by the immensity of the task, the weak disciples might never have begun

Jesus took the task and broke it into small, bite-sized pieces… “a cup of cold water”

3.  Rejoicing in the “Day of Small Things”

Zechariah 4:10 “Who despises the day of small things?

Matthew 13:31 “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.

Matthew 13:33 “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

God is able to use even the smallest act of service to Him… even as insignificant as the giving of a cup of cold water to sustain a disciple

4.     Step by Step, the Worldwide Kingdom is Built

This is the way God built the entire physical universe

Atom connects to atom, making molecules

Molecules combine with molecules making complex compounds

Compounds combine with other compounds making cells

Cells join with other cells, making organs

All woven together to make all things in the universe… from tiny atoms we get massive stars and complex human brains

God does not despise small things… neither should we

V.  Application

1.  Go Fearlessly:  “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply”

2.  Proclaim Boldly:  We are ambassadors with His authority

3.  Serve One Another Comprehensively:  We are one Body with one common goal… and even the slightest actions have eternal consequences

Do Not Despise Small Things

Illus.  Next week… Pinedale Christian Church in Winston-Salem… Missions handbook;  from 50 cents for an Indian New Testament to $100,000 to build an orphanage

4.  Do All Expectantly:  “God is not unjust”… He will reward

Hebrews 6:10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.