Sermon for 4th after Pentecost, 21st June 2026

Welcome brothers and sisters and peace be with you. MAY the words on my lips and the meditations in our hearts be acceptable in your sight O Lord, our strength and our Redeemer. <Amen>

At university, Sarah often heard classmates joke about Christians and dismiss faith as old-fashioned. Many believers kept quiet to avoid being singled out, but Sarah chose a different path. When a lecturer asked what had shaped her values, she calmly replied, “My faith in Jesus Christ.” The room fell silent for a moment, and she felt her heart race, but she spoke with kindness and confidence. Later that day, another student approached her privately and said, “I’ve been wanting to learn about Christianity, but I didn’t know who to ask.” Sarah realised that being unashamed of her faith was not about winning arguments; it was about letting the light of Christ shine openly for others to see. <PAUSE>

We humans are social animals. For the most past - we want to belong, we want to avoid conflict, we don’t want to be seen as different. Yet Jesus calls us to a life that sometimes requires courage, conviction, and faithfulness. That is exactly what Matthew’s gospel, in 10:24-39, is about.

Jesus is preparing His disciples for the reality of following Him. He does not offer them an easy road. He does not promise popularity or comfort. Instead, He speaks honestly.

“If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.”

In other words, if people opposed Jesus, then His followers should expect opposition too.

This is not the message we often hear in our culture. We are told that success means being admired, accepted, and approved. Yet Jesus teaches that faithfulness matters more than popularity.

The disciples would soon discover this. They would face rejection, ridicule, imprisonment, persecution, and even death. Yet the Gospel spread across the world because ordinary men and women chose faithfulness over fear.

And fear is a major theme in this gospel passage.

Three times Jesus says, “Do not be afraid.” That repetition is important.

Jesus knows His followers will be tempted to fear. Fear of rejection. Fear of criticism. Fear of failure. Fear of what others might think.

Fear can silence our witness. It can prevent us from speaking words of kindness, offering help, sharing faith, or speaking out and standing up for what is right.

But Jesus reminds that God is greater than our fears by point us to the sparrows.

“Not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.”Sparrows were among the smallest and least valuable birds in the marketplace. Yet God sees them.

Then Jesus says, “You are of more value than many sparrows.”

What a wonderful truth. God knows us completely. He knows our struggles, our worries, our disappointments, and our hopes. He knows even the number of hairs on our heads.

When we understand that, courage becomes possible. <PAUSE>

Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is trusting God more than we trust our fears.

It is that trust that enables us to acknowledge Christ openly.

Jesus says, “Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven.”

These words are not about dramatic public speeches. Most of us will never stand before a crowd and declare our faith.

Instead, acknowledging Christ happens in daily life. It happens when:

We choose honesty instead of deception.
We show compassion to someone who is hurting.
We forgive rather than seek revenge.
We speak about our faith naturally and sincerely.

Every act of Christian discipleship is a testimony that Jesus is Lord. <PAUSE>

Yes following Christ can challenges loyalties. Sometimes family members, friends, or communities do not understand our commitment to Christ. Sometimes the values of the Kingdom clash with the values of the world.

Throughout history, many Christians have experienced this reality.

Think of the early disciples. Think of the martyrs. Think of missionaries who left everything behind. Think of believers today who face rejection because of their faith.

Make no mistake - - - the call of Christ can be costly.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor who resisted the Nazi regime, famously wrote, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”

Bonhoeffer meant that discipleship requires surrender. We must place Christ at the centre of our lives. Jesus is not telling us to love our families less. Rather, He is telling us to love Him first.

Make no mistake - - - the call of Christ can be costly. To take up the cross means to follow Jesus even when it is difficult.

It means:Choosing forgiveness when resentment feels easier.
Serving when we would rather be comfortable.
Remaining faithful when compromise seems attractive.
Trusting God when the path ahead is uncertain.

The paradox of discipleship appears in Jesus’ final words:

“Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”

The world says, “Put yourself first.”

Jesus says, “Give yourself away.”

The world says, “Protect your own interests.”

Jesus says, “Seek first the Kingdom of God.”

The world says, “Life is about getting.”

Jesus says, “Life is about giving.” <PAUSE>

The saints throughout history testify to these truths. The people who have given themselves most completely to Christ have often been the people who have found the deepest joy, the greatest purpose, and the richest peace.

So what does this Gospel mean for us today?

It means we do not need to be ashamed of our faith.
It means we do not need to live in fear.
It means we can trust that God knows us, values us, and walks with us.
It means we can place Christ above every competing loyalty.
It means we can take up our cross daily, knowing that the One who calls us is ever-faithful.

The young woman in that classroom discovered something important. The moment she stopped worrying about what others thought and simply acknowledged Christ, God opened a door she never expected. <PAUSE>

You who hear these words may never know how God will use your faithfulness. A simple act of courage, a kind word, a faithful witness, or a quiet stand for Christ may become the very thing God uses to touch another life.

So, let us choose faithfulness over fear.

So, let us trust the God who knows every sparrow and every hair on your head.

So, let us take up our cross.

So let us rejoice in following Christ … and …

in losing our lives for His sake, may we discover the abundant life that He alone can give.

I runga e te Ingoa o te Atua, te Matua, te Tama me te Wairua Tapu. <AMEN>