Courageous Discipleship

Matthew 9:35-10:42

This section of scripture is often labeled “the second discourse”— with the first being the Sermon on the Mount. It’s an outline of the mission of Jesus.

The sermon on the mount explained and introduced everyone to the “principles” of the kingdom. This section is filled with statements about the “mission and values” of the kingdom. If you remember WAY back last fall when we started this— we outlined that in Chapters 8-10, Jesus demonstrates the actions of the Kingdom coming— healings, miracles, the display of Jesus’ authority, (like being in the boat and calming the storm)

I want to survey a larger portion of the text today— but we are going to highlight several familiar sayings of Jesus— quotes that will probably resonate with you— but I want to put them all together in a sequence that gives us a more clear understanding of what being a “disciple” of Jesus really looks like.

There are two ways that we should view these passages— they are first and foremost what Jesus said to his 12 closest disciples. We will read about that here shortly— he instructs them to go out and share the news about him— It’s going to sound a bit like our Great Commission from last week — and the very end of Matthew’s gospel. But that’s the second way to read this— it’s also Matthew’s way of maintaining and sustaining Jesus’ mission to all of us— those who read and learn what Jesus said, we can apply this to our own discipleship journey.

Jesus’ disciples receive a “mission assignment” in this section of Matthew: It has 6 key elements:

Six key steps of the “mission assignment”:

See

Care

Pray

Receive

Go

Love

Step 1: See (Mt 9:36)

Matthew 9:36 NIV

36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Disciples must have eyes to observe the world as Jesus does.

He compares the people that he sees as “sheep”, harassed and helpless. Sheep without a shepherd. That’s not a good place for sheep to be.

Brandon Heath wrote a catchy song quite a few years back: (it’s titled “Give me your eyes”)

Chorus:

Give me Your eyes for just one second Give me Your eyes so I can see Everything that I keep missing Give me Your love for humanity Give me Your arms for the broken-hearted The ones that are far beyond my reach Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten Give me Your eyes so I can see

Lord give us your eyes— We all might see brokenness in different places- If you see something broken— if you see someone hurting— that’s your cue— that’s the sight that you need to have.

Step 2: Care (v.36)

Disciples learn compassion from the Great Shepherd.

Ezekiel 34:11–12 NIV

11 “ ‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.

Our heart will go out to those who are hurting and scattered also.

Where do you see discouragement? Have compassion— pray that we would work with Jesus and His mission to gather those broken, helpless and downtrodden back to the flock!

Step 3: Pray (v.37-38)

Matthew 9:37–38 NIV

37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Disciples must pray for teammates and teamwork.

We see the hurt, we have compassion, and we immediately are told to ask. Ask for wisdom, ask for help. What do you want us to do, Jesus?

I want you to know how important it is that we have teamwork among our church— The workers are few!

Step 4: Receive (Mt. 10:8)

Matthew 10:1 NIV

1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

Matthew 10:8 NIV

8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

Disciples must receive training and authority.

Step 5: Go (Mt. 10:6-7)

Matthew 10:6–7 NIV

6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’

Matthew 10:8 NIV

8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

Disciples must go expecting God to work. (v.8)

A short story:

Visit from India—Pastor Joseph--- Missionary visited our church in Michigan.

“Come to our bible study— you are in need, we will pray for you, maybe God will heal you.” Natural, childlike— and effective. He answered by question—

Why don’t we see healings or miracles like this in the West? ‘AH mr. charlie— most in America are far too independent”. You do not trust God like these people do. They have no other choice.”

I know this can be a hard concept for us— We wont have time today to dive into all the details of healing and the miraculous. You must go— trusting that God has a plan, and we will not second guess that. We will not see it as a formula to be executed— but that it is up to us to obey— and go. And that it is up to God to take care of the results.

There are many applications here for us— but Here’s an example:

I heard a short story once of a man who worked in a large banking company— and one day felt the overwhelming sense from the Holy Spirit to go into his bosses office and share an invitation to his church for the weekend service.

The boss was a hard, and closed man— who quickly dismissed the invitation and told the man that he was not a believer— nor would he ever believe in religion, as it was stupid.

Ouch. The man left respectfully, but left a little visitor information card with the boss, it contain the address and phone number— website, etc of the church— the boss immediately threw it in the trash can.

Several weeks later, the worker was at church and a stranger came up to him. He explained and thanked the man for inviting the mean boss to church that day in his office. Astounded the man questioned how this man knew? The man showed him the visitor card— the one that he had taken out of the trash can that day.

He explained that he was a construction worker laying tile in the bosses office that day— unseen, he had felt a tug on his heart to go back to church with his family— who all now had decided to believe in Jesus and grow in their service and love for him.

That seemingly failed attempt to share Jesus with his boss— ended up being the way God was working a miracle to forever change the eternity for this family. Don’t over think it— Go expecting that God will work. Available and obedient.

Disciples must go trusting God for provision (v.10)

Matthew 10:9–10 NIV

9 “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts—10 no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.

Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth. He’s asked us to go. And even the hairs on your head are accounted for.

There are so many wonderful testimonies and stories that we’ve heard of missionary’s or church leaders experiencing the provision of God. Through the generosity of many who are faithful stewards of what they have— others are blown away by the provision from God for their assignments.

That faith is rooted in these verses— when we go— we need to trust that God has already planned it out. That doesn’t mean we don’t plan at all— but we should not worry about all the extras.

Matthew 10:30–31 NIV

30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

We go expecting God to work, and trusting him to provide— but we also will go

Disciples must go prepared for opposition. (v.17-18)

Matthew 10:17–18 NIV

17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.

Even the opposition will work to advance the cause of Christ— Paul experienced this:

Philippians 1:12–13 NIV

12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.

We may not be able to see the whole big picture— we are to go and do what God has instructed us—in spite of the opposition.

Disciples must lose their life to find it in the end. (v.39)

Matthew 10:39 NIV

39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

I love to remind people of the awesome story that is Jim Elliot’s life. A missionary to the trbal people of South America— the

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

Journal excerpt from Shadow of the Almighty (1989) by Elisabeth Elliot, Jim Elliot, 1949

This quote is a paraphrase of Elliot's from the original quote (below) by English Presbyterian clergyman Philip Henry (1631-1696)

Also— the Ausbund is the worlds oldest continuously printed Christian hymnal.

The Ausbund is, among other things, the oldest Christian hymnbook still in use today. First printed in 1564, the original collection consisted of consisted of fifty-one lieds (songs) written by Anabaptists imprisoned in Passau, Germany for radical religious views. Not all writers survived imprisonment, and many who did survive were later martyred for those same radical beliefs.

These songs are still sung today— by our Amish neighbors— some 450 years later.

They represent the work of God born in the midst of deep and frightening opposition to the disciples of that time.

So we

Look and See, we have compassion and Care, we Pray for guidance and for teammates, we Receive His provision and authority— and we GO— But finally— I want to end with the last couple verses of chapter 10

We do all these things— out of love.

Step 6: Love (Mt. 10:42)

Matthew 10:40 NIV

40 “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.

Matthew 10:42 NIV

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.”

Disciples act on behalf of the teacher.

Maybe there were a group of little children running around them— but he expresses his love for all people again. A cup of cold water was a gesture of hospitality in Jesus’ day. It was a simple gift. I think that’s what people should find here at Walnut Creek Mennonite Church. Among other things that we could do— we would give people a cup of cold water for their soul. And we would remember that we are acting on behalf of our teacher, our leader, our master— our Lord— the Great Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.

This is a corporate type of message— this applies to all of us together. Ya’ll.

Let’s go back to the crowds just for a moment to close--

Harassed and Helpless. Whose harassing them? The devil. Why are they helpless— “Father forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing”. Sheep without a shepherd.

Paul described this process also in his letter to the Christians in Rome—

Romans 10:14–15 (NIV)

14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?

Let’s pray.

Holy Spirit— give us wisdom and guidance to accept this great mission assignment in new ways in our life. We are trying— but help us see, care, pray, receive, go and love on your behalf today and everyday—

We want to join you in the work you are doing in the world. I pray that we together would be used even more effectively for your kingdom work.

Freely we have received— and freely we will give. Lead us to the hurting and harassed that you have ordained for us to love.

We’ll give you the glory for it all---

Amen.