WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS We would like to welcome everyone to our worship services today. If you are visiting with us would you please fill out a WELCOME CARD and leave it on the seat beside you. We will collect them following our services. Thank You. Now let’s worship our Lord together.

SCRIPTURE READING MATTHEW 10: 32-42

LET’S PRAY TOGETHER

LORD’S SUPPER 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 – Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.

CONTRIBUTION 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 – Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also. On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper…

NOT PEACE BUT A SWORD 1 John 2:15-17 (NASB) 15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

James 4:4 (NASB) 4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Matthew 12:30 - 30 "Anyone who isn't with me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me. Holy Bible, New Living Translation Matthew 12:30 - 30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. KJV

Matthew 10:34-39 - "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's enemies will be the members of his household. 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. And he who does not take up his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it."

Hebrews 4:12 -"The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart".

“…the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God”– Ephesians 6:17

Romans 1:16- For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

The Gospel Divides Universally "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth."

Matthew 10:17-22 - 17 But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; 18 and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. 20 For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. 21 "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 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. NASU

"Nevertheless, do not fear any man "Nevertheless, do not fear any man. Men only have the power to kill your body. Instead, fear God because He alone has the power to destroy not only your physical body, but also your soul in hell." Matthew 10:28

Luke 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men."

The New American Standard Bible: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom God is pleased.” Luke 2:14 - 14"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" ESV

Romans 5:1 – "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

The Gospel Divides Intentionally Matthew 7:13-14 (NASB) "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. John 9:16 -  "Some of the Pharisees were saying, 'This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.' Others were saying, 'How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?' So there was a division among them."

The Gospel Divides Domestically "For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's enemies will be the members of his own household. He who loves his father or his mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me."

"Behold, we've left everything, and we followed You.“ "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms for My sake and for the gospel's sake, but that he will not receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life."

"Blessed is the woman who bore You and nursed you.“ "No, blessed are those who hear the Word of God and do it.“ Luke 14:26 - "If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple."

Jesus said, "Your love for Me should be so sincere, so genuine and so deep in commitment that compared to every other relationship, even a domestic relationship, the contrast will look like the difference between love and hate."

The Gospel Divides Demandingly Jesus said, "He who does not take up his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.“ "I die every day" (1 Corinthians 15:23) "For through the Law I died to the Law so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:19-20)."

Galatians 6:14 - "May it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."

The Gospel Divides Permanently “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.” Daniel 12:2 – “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.”

Matthew 25:46 – "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life"

Luke 16:22 -31, "Now the poor man was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom (heaven/paradise); the rich man also died and was buried. In Hades (hell) he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom".

"Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear God's voice and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to the resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment" (John 5:28-29).

"God will render to each person according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance and doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath, and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God" (Romans 2:6-11)

Hebrews 9:27- 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, ESV

2 Corinthians 6:2-3 - Behold, now is "THE ACCEPTABLE TIME," behold, now is "THE DAY OF SALVATION”—

Luke 12:16-21- “And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man was very productive. 17 And he began reasoning to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?' 18 Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."' 20 But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?' 21 So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." NASU

"To each one of you I say with deepest earnestness, let a division be made by your conscience. Let your understanding separate between him that feareth God and him that feareth Him not. Let each man question himself this morning: 'Am I on the Lord's side? Am I for Christ or for His enemies? Do I gather with Him, or do I scatter abroad?' 'Divide! Divide!' they say in the House of Commons. Let us say the same in this great congregation this day. Political divisions are but trifles compared with the all-important distinction or division which I would have you consider.

"Divide as you will be divided, to the right or to the left, in the great day when Christ shall judge the world in righteousness. Divide as you will be divided when the bliss of heaven or the woes of hell shall be your everlasting portion. ‘Choose you this day whom you will serve; as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.' Joshua 24:15 says. ‘Who is on the Lord's side?' says Moses. ‘Come and follow Me.' Elijah said, ‘How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God,' ‘follow Him and serve Him; but if not, if Baal is God, follow him. But choose you this day.'"

"Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword!"

CLOSING PRAYER All are invited to the Potluck following services this morning. We invite you back for our Bible Study this evening. Richard will be leading us in the study tonight. May God Richly Bless You.