Daily Devotional For Sunday, July 27, 2025
It’s Sunday. I remember as a kid singing this hymn. This is the first stanza. “Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer! Sing, O earth– His wonderful love proclaim! Hail Him! Hail Him! highest archangels in glory; strength and honor give to His holy name! Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard His children; in His arms He carries them all day long.” Making disciples is no easy task because there are predators out in this world.
Jesus was making disciples out of His own disciples so they could make disciples as well. Jesus, the Good Shepherd John 10:11), knows of these predators that attack His sheep. To me it is interesting that Jesus, knowing this, said this in Matthew 10:16a, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves” (NASB). In Jesus’ day, no shepherd would let his sheep wander into a pack of wolves or send his sheep into a pack of wolves. Jesus knew this. Jesus is the Good Shepherd is also the Great Shepherd Hebrews 13:20. Sheep are dumb and will panic and go into a frenzy at the slightest sound. They can run, but they are extremely slow. So, why would Jesus the Good Shepherd and the Great Shepherd send His sheep into wolf territory? That would be dangerous. And that is Jesus’ point.
It is dangerous for us, His sheep, to be wandering around in wolf territory. I’ve heard well meaning parents try to stop their children from going on a mission trip or a spouse saying, “It’s dangerous. This is not God’s will because God would never put you in that kind of danger.” The truth is – He has and He does. There is always a risk to be His disciple. All the disciples, except for Judas, were martyred for being His disciple. Following God did not keep Daniel out of the lion’s den (Daniel 6). Following God did not keep Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from being thrown into a fiery furnace (Daniel 3). Yes, in each of these, God protected them and they survived, but others did not. The Roman Emperor Domitian martyred over 3,500 Christians. It is estimated that up to 200,000 Christians were martyred by the Roman Empire. And the more Rome martyred, the more the church multiplied.
There is always great risk in following Christ. Unfortunately, the church in America makes it all about how God is there for you, not about how we are to be there for God. What is true then, is also true today. Discipleship is about becoming more and more like Jesus Christ. And the more you do, the more the world is going to hate you. Jesus said this in Matthew 10:22, “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved” (NASB). Hated? Yes! Jesus didn’t say “honored.” He said “hated.” Let that sink in for a moment. If the world does not hate you, then it means you are mirroring it, not Jesus.
The Apostle Paul reminds us of this in 2 Timothy 3:12, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (NASB). You have to ask yourself if you are willing to go this far with Christ. Jesus said this in Luke 6:40, “A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher” (NASB). Do you want to be fully trained to be a disciple of Jesus so that the world hates you? There is far too much “Barney Theology” in the church today – “I love you. You love me. We’re a happy family. With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you. Won’t you say you love me too?” Instead of biblical theology – Christ’s disciples will be hated, not hugged, not kissed, and not loved. Do you want to be like Christ? Do you? Look at Philippians 1:29, “For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake” (NASB). Is a gift of suffering something you want if you follow Christ? If you study church history, you will learn about the catacombs underneath the old city of Rome. Christians dug these underground tombs where they would meet to worship.
In them, archaeologists have found inscribed in them this one word – Icthus. This was an acrostic for Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior. Originally, this word was found inside a draw out fish on the walls. No two worlds could be so different. Here in catacombs, Christians who would be martyred scratched this into the walls of catacombs, and today we see this symbol on necklaces, T-shirts and bumper stickers living in no fear of their faith at all. Are we belittling this symbol or not taking this symbol as serious as we should? This was a symbol of Christian hiding out in catacombs who were being hunted down and slaughtered by Rome. I am not sure can really understand the magnitude of this symbol. I wonder if we were being hunted down and martyred by our own government, would we be so free with showing this symbol today?
Assignment: Reflect for a moment. When and where has your Christian faith cost you, caused you to be persecuted and even hated? Can your lost friends really see a difference in you or are you singing the Barney song to them? Jesus did not come to cause us all to get along. If you think so, then you need to read Jesus' words in Matthew 10:34-36. There is a cost and there should always be a cost. If there is not, then you’re blending in not as a disciple of Jesus, but as a disciple of Barney.
Scripture To Meditate On: Matthew 10:37-39, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. (38) And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. (39) He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it” (NASB).
Prayer To Pray: “Lord, I do not want to be guilty of blending in to be accepted while at the same time, denying my faith and allegiance to You. I want my discipleship to be visible. I accept that me being Your disciple may cause people to hate me because of You. I am willing to suffer for Your sake. I love You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly