HOCF SERMON 2023

Matthew 10: Be of Assistance to the Lord's Servants

Matthew 10:11-15,40-42 Be of Assistance to the Lord's Servants

11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their 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. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

40 "Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward."

11 "Kon magsulod kamo sa isa ka banwa ukon sa isa ka baryo, magpangita kamo sang tawo nga maalwan nga magbaton sa inyo sa iya balay. Kag didto kamo magdayon hasta maghalin kamo sa sina nga lugar. 12 Sa inyo pagsulod sa sina nga balay, bendisyunan ninyo ang mga nagaestar didto. 13 Kon matuod nga ginabaton nila kamo, bendisyuni ninyo sila, pero kon indi, indi ninyo pagbendisyuni. 14 Kon may mga panimalay ukon banwa nga indi gid magbaton sa inyo ukon indi gid magpamati sa inyo, bayai na lang ninyo sila. Paghalin ninyo, taktaka ninyo ang yab-ok sa inyo tiil bilang paandam kontra sa ila. 15 Sa pagkamatuod, sa adlaw sang paghukom, mas labaw pa nga silot ang mabaton nila sang sa mga taga-Sodom kag mga taga-Gomora."

40 "Ang tawo nga nagabaton sa inyo nagabaton man sa akon. Kag ang nagabaton sa akon nagabaton man sa nagpadala sa akon. 41 Ang tawo nga nagabaton sang propeta tungod sa pagkapropeta sini magabaton sang balos halin sa Dios pareho sang pagabatunon sang propeta. Kag ang nagabaton sang matarong nga tawo tungod sa pagkamatarong sini magabaton sang balos halin sa Dios pareho sang pagabatunon sang matarong nga tawo. 42 Kag ang bisan sin-o nga maghatag sang bisan isa lang ka baso nga tubig sa isa sang akon labing kubos nga sumulunod tungod kay ini siya akon sumulunod, ina nga tawo magabaton gid sang iya balos."

SERMON:

Good evening Church! Tonight we are on Matthew 10 and in general, the whole chapter speaks about Jesus giving his disciples authority and sending them out to go and preach to the lost sheep, to perform signs and wonders, heal, cast out demons and deliver.

And just like the apostles, we, who consider ourselves followers of Christ, in our baptism, have received the same commission. To go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of Jesus and to teach people everything that we have learned from Him.

I believe many of us have it in our hearts to go and spread the gospel, many of us want to preach to the people but we do not know how to do it, we do not know where to do it, and most especially, we do not know to whom we must go and preach.

Many of us hesitate because we have seen so many times how evangelists are being mocked and persecuted by people who are not willing to receive the Gospel. Some also are ashamed of speaking in front of people because for sure, some time before they became Christians,, they also laughed at those who preach the gospel on the streets. Thinking that those who preach the gospel are extreme, out of their minds, or simply asking for donations rather than seeing it as an act of love and service to God and the people.

And now that we know better, now that we have received the same task, we also do not know what to do, and maybe some of us now, do not laugh anymore but instead admire the courage that our brothers and sisters have in preaching the gospel to the people because now we realize that it takes so much courage, faith and obedience to preach to the people publicly.