Jesus Sends His Members

ME (A hook):

I remember taking a class on history of missions in seminary.

During that class,

I first learned of a lesser-known missionary who became my favorite missionary,

Adoniram Judson.

Over 200 years ago,

Adoniram and his wife, Ann,

Boarded a ship,

And set sail for India.

Eventually settling in at Burma,

Which is called Myanmar today.

We learned about the Judsons because they are considered pioneers of the modern missions movement.

They were ordinary people used by God in extraordinary ways,

All for the cause of global missions.

But from an outside perspective,

Their journey did not appear successful.

They endured some intense suffering.

But before they ever went,

Before they even got married,

They considered the cost,

And they went because they had been sent.

Listen to how Adoniram expresses this,

In a letter he wrote to Ann’s father,

When he was asking for permission to marry her:

“I have now to ask, whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world; whether you can consent to her departure, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of missionary life; whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean, to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death. Can you consent to all this, for the sake of him who left his heavenly home, and died for her and for you; for the sake of perishing, immortal souls; for the sake of Zion, and the glory of God? Can you consent to all this, in hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory, with the crown of righteousness, brightened with the acclamations of praise which shall redound to her Savior from heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair?”

Woof,

Dad’s, imagine some guy asking to marry your daughter this way.

What would you say?

Well, Ann’s father didn’t have to imagine.

It was real for him.

And he too considered the cost when he told Adoniram yes.

One year after that letter,

The Judson’s set sail for Burma.

And as Adoniram suggested,

They never saw Ann’s father in this world again.

Ann lost her life in Burma,

Sharing the Gospel with people who have never heard of Jesus Christ.

But the seeds the Judson’s planted all those years ago,

Have produced nearly 4,000 churches,

And over half a million followers of Christ in modern day Myanmar,

A deeply Buddhist nation.

Their testimony is miraculous.

But miracles are the norm for God.

We have been seeing this the past few weeks in Matthew,

As Jesus has taught and healed and cast out demons.

Proclaiming the good news of the Gospel.

Good news that we have received today.

Good news that we can’t keep to ourselves.

Because we live in a world filled with suffering and sin and trials of various kinds,

A world that needs this good news!

A world that needs to know that Jesus has power over sin, sickness, cancer, disease, disasters, and even death itself!

Therefore, Jesus sends His members to spread this good news!

This good news is for everyone around us.

The people we work with,

The people we live around,

Our family members and friends.

It is for the unreached people around the world,

And the unreached people in your world.

We can’t just celebrate this good news,

We must also share this good news!

But when we do,

We must consider the cost.

Because the world will oppose this good news.

This is what Matt. 9:35-10:42 is all about.

Jesus teaches us what to expect as He Sends His Members.

This passage should grip up,

Compelling us to be willing to risk our reputations;

At school,

Work,

Or even in our own families.

So, that as a body here in Afton,

We can throw aside fear of man,

And give our lives to share the good news of the Gospel.

But this will not become a reality,

Slide

Until we see the world as Jesus does.

Which is the first part of our outline:

Seeing with Compassion

Sent by Christ

Supplication of the Church

WE Seeing with Compassion (Why does this matter to us?) - 9:35-38:

Slide

The end of ch. 9 gives us a glimpse at the heart of Christ.

After preaching the sermon on the mount in chs. 5-7.

Jesus healed several people in chs. 8-9,

And as He goes around all the towns and villages doing these same things,

Matthew reveals how Jesus was compelled by compassion.

He sees the crowds,

Not just a handful of people,

But all the people,

And He feels agony for them.

It is not just that He was emotionally moved.

He felt a pit in His stomach,

He was physically affected by His compassion for them.

Think of it this way,

The Bible says,

Jesus loves the world.

So, He perfectly loves the people He is seeing here.

Now, picture someone you love in your mind.

And think about how you feel when they are hurting or suffering.

Its painful, right?

That is how Jesus feels.

He sees the crowds.

He loves them.

He sees that they are harassed and helpless,

Like sheep without a shepherd.

Because they’re running after things of this world that won’t ever satisfy.

But they can’t find satisfaction apart from God.

We can’t find satisfaction apart from God!

Every road in this world that promises satisfaction is a dead end.

Whether it is worldly success, money, relationships, or pleasures of this world.

They all are ultimately empty.

Jesus knows this!

He knows,

These crowds are sheep without a shepherd.

They are scattered and separated.

Slide

As God said in Ezek. 34:5-6,

Ezekiel 34:5–6 ESV

So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.

You see,

This wasn’t just a problem during Jesus’ time.

It is a human problem.

So, today,

As humans, we too are scattered,

Spiritually separated from God,

In need of a shepherd.

By seeing with compassion,

Jesus identifies Himself as the true Shepherd.

Slide

Therefore, compelled by compassion,

Jesus uses the metaphor of a harvest,

To teach about sending His members to proclaim His message.

This alludes to what Joel 3:13-14 says,

Joel 3:13–14 ESV

Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their evil is great. Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

The Bible teaches that harvest time is judgment time.

At the end of this age,

Jesus will bring the righteous to eternal blessing,

And the unrighteous into a blazing furnace.

So, here in Matthew,

Jesus has this judgment in mind as He sees the crowds.

So, He knows humanity’s desperate condition,

Our desperate condition.

We are scattered,

We are separated from God,

We are unrighteous.

So, if Jesus leaves us unchanged,

We would all be found guilty of sin on judgment day,

And would be cast into eternal darkness.

This is why Jesus looks at the crowds,

Looks at us,

And has compassion!

Since that day,

The crowds have not gotten any smaller.

Today, there are billions of people around the world,

Who are scattered and separated from God.

Billions of people who are on a dead end road in this world.

Do we realize the gravity of this?

Do we realize the gravity of eternity?

I confess that I don’t.

Seeing our human condition is more important than money, success, and pleasures in this world.

There are people all around us who are on the road to eternal separation.

Do we see them the way Jesus does?

The message of Christ is of the utmost importance.

When we see the world the way Jesus does,

We will be compelled by compassion,

To proclaim His message,

To the plentiful harvest of unbelievers.

GOD Sent by Christ (Teach the text):

Slide

That is why we are sent by Christ.

And the first step of being sent is to pray.

Before sending His members into the harvest,

Jesus says to pray.

Jesus does get to the “go” part.

But first,

He says,

His members must get down on our knees,

And plead with God to send out workers.

We can only imagine how much God loves to answer prayers like this.

Christ’s body is the workers.

So, being a member of Christ’s body is not a spectator sport.

If you are a member,

You are called to proclaim the Gospel.

Jim Elliot,

Is a missionary who was killed on the mission field.

In a journal he kept,

He lamented over how many believers claimed that they did not feel called to proclaim the gospel.

In this journal entry,

He wrote,

“We don’t need a call; we need a kick in the pants!”

As members of Christ’s body,

We must be all in,

Willing to go wherever He says to go.

We are not called to simply coast through life until we get to heaven.

So, Jesus says, start...by praying.

Pray God will send us in different ways to different places.

This may simply mean being a missionary in your workplace,

Or it may mean going to an entirely different culture to reach them with the gospel.

Either way,

Jesus commands us to pray!

Slide

After this command,

Jesus summons His first group of soldiers to receive their marching orders.

This group is the twelve disciples.

In vs. 2,

They are also called apostles,

A word used to designate an authorized representative,

An ambassador whose message has the authority of their sender.

To be an apostle is to be one who is sent,

Authorized to act on behalf of the sender.

And that is what we see Jesus doing with the 12 here.

Jesus entrusted the organization of His church,

And the spread of the Gospel to these 12.

Later, the apostle Paul is added as an apostle,

But then there are no successors after him.

We are members of Christ’s body,

We are His disciples,

His children,

His followers.

But you and I are not apostles.

Nor is anyone else who claims to be an apostle.

Slide

Acts 1:22 explains that an apostle must be an eyewitness...

Acts 1:22 ESV

beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.”

And vs. 24 shows how an apostle was personally appointed by Christ.

Acts 1:24 ESV

And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen

The apostles were taught directly by Jesus,

They were invested with the authority to speak on His behalf.

And they received supernatural gifts to do the work He called them to.

And that is what we see Jesus doing with the 12 here in Matthew.

He is giving them the authority to do all the things that He had been doing.

Slide

Once Jesus has His apostles summoned,

From vs. 5 forward,

Jesus gives them their orders.

Now, one quick note regarding these orders.

This is a narrative.

It is giving us an account of something.

So, the orders Jesus gives here,

Are given to these particular disciples on this particular occasion.

On a big picture scale,

All disciples receive the Great Commission in ch. 28,

To go and make disciples of all nations,

Baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

Teaching them to obey everything Jesus has commanded.

But before going to the nations,

Jesus prohibits these disciples on this occasion from going to the Gentiles.

Instead, sending them to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Which goes back to Jer. 50:6,

Where God said,

Jeremiah 50:6 (ESV)

“My people have been lost sheep.”

But this command does not mean Jesus does not want the gospel to reach Gentiles.

As we said,

The Great Commission is to all nations.

And in ch. 8,

A Roman centurion,

A Gentile,

Responded to Jesus with faith.

And later in Matthew,

Jesus personally ministers to Gentiles.

So, Jesus is not making a general prohibition from the Gospel being preached to Gentiles.

But on this occasion,

He is not yet sending these disciples to the Gentiles.

Slide

But Jesus is sending these disciples to unlikely and needy people.

In the previous chapters,

Jesus proclaimed that the kingdom of heaven is at hand,

He healed the sick,

Raised the dead,

Cleansed lepers,

And cast out demons.

So, He has already been calling unlikely and needy people to be His disciples.

Now, He sends these disciples to do the same things to the same people.

Regardless what nation a person is from,

Jesus sends His members to the needy;

To the diseased, dying, despised, and dirty.

So, these are our marching orders.

We are not sent to the healthy,

But the sick.

We are not sent to the clean,

But the despised and dirty.

We are sent to those who are tainted by sin,

To those who are ignored and oppressed.

And in doing so,

We learn to trust His provision.

Jesus freely gives His members the Gospel.

So, He commands His members to also freely give the Gospel to others.

Peddling the gospel is an insult to God,

It obscures the nature of it being a free gift.

So, here in Matthew,

Jesus sends out these disciples,

Prohibiting them from bringing extra travel money,

And extra provisions.

As they are sent to the needy,

They will personally find Jesus to be sufficient for all their needs.

This is true for all members of Christ’s body.

To trust that God will provide for our needs,

As He sends us to the needy.

Slide

Ironically, the needy end up being the worthy.

Jesus says,

The worthy will welcome the disciples and their message.

So, He says to greet them.

The common Jewish greeting is Shalom,

Or, peace to you.

It is a blessing.

So, Jesus commands these disciples to bless those who receive them with peace.

Slide

But for those who reject the Gospel,

They are not worthy of Shalom.

They do not get peace.

So, instead,

Jesus tells these disciples to shake off the dust from their feet.

This is a sign of contempt.

Jews would do it after leaving a Gentile region.

So, Jesus is taking a familiar cultural symbol,

And telling these disciples to do it as a sign of judgment.

Because anyone who does not receive Christ’s members does not receive Christ.

As a result,

They receive a fate that is worse than Sodom and Gomorrah.

Two cities that were destroyed by God because of their wickedness in Gen. 19.

Slide

Since there will be people who won’t receive Christ’s members,

Jesus warns His members about the danger of being sent.

He says,

He is sending us out as sheep among wolves.

Being a sheep among wolves is…terrifying.

Wolves stalk sheep to destroy them.

And, not to mention,

It is the shepherds job to protect the sheep from the wolves.

But in vs. 16,

The Good Shepherd tells His sheep to go and hang with some wolves.

I mean, think about this.

Sheep are helpless and foolish animals.

A simple noise can startle sheep,

And send them into a frenzy.

They are defenseless in the face of danger.

All they can do is run,

Aaaand they aren’t all that fast.

So, it seems like a terrible idea for a sheep to wander into a pack of wolves,

And just be like,

“What’s up, guys?!”

And yet,

That is exactly what Jesus tells His members to do.

To go into dangerous places,

Around evil people.

But as we do,

We can be assured that whatever danger we find ourselves in,

We are there by His design.

Just because something might be unsafe,

Does not mean it is not from God.

Dangerous, risky, potentially harmful things can be a part of God’s will.

So, as we go like sheep among wolves,

People will likely think we are foolish,

Or maybe even clueless.

When in reality,

We are being obedient to Christ.

But because of this,

Jesus also tells His members to be wise as serpents.

It is an interesting paradox.

How can members be both foolish sheep and wise serpents?

Because like a sheep,

Members obey Jesus and go into danger without hesitation.

But amid that danger,

Members are to be wise like a snake.

Jesus modeled this.

He boldly went into the hands of His accusers like a lamb being led to the slaughter.

Yet as He is beaten and crucified,

He speaks with wisdom,

Never inciting unnecessary anger in His abusers.

And even though Jesus was falsely accused.

Pilate could find no fault in Him,

Because Jesus also modeled the third instruction here,

By being as innocent as a dove.

So, this is how His members are to go.

When you are with the wolves,

Don’t let them have anything against you.

Don’t be abrasive, inconsiderate, belligerent, or violent.

Be innocent in difficult and dangerous situations.

Jesus gives this warning to these disciples now,

As He sends them out.

Later, they find themselves persecuted by both Jewish and Gentile authorities.

All because of Christ.

Just as Jesus warns them.

Slide

And when they are,

The Holy Spirit gives them the words to say.

Likewise, when you are persecuted because of Christ,

You must be dependent on the presence of Christ.

Jesus does not send you into danger alone.

He is with you.

Giving you everything you need to stand and speak and proclaim the gospel.

But you and I rarely endure this type of persecution.

Because we live with this false sense of security in this world.

We surround ourselves with worldly comforts.

Fooling ourselves into thinking that Christ’s presence, power, and protection is not needed.

But if we are truly going into danger as He sends us,

We need His presence, power, and protection more than anything else.

Because it is in those moments,

We become keenly aware of our utter dependence on Him.

Slide

Which is huge!

Not just because of the danger,

But also because of how deep the potential betrayal might be.

Jesus says in vs. 21 that brothers will betray brothers to death,

And fathers will do the same to their children,

And children will rise up against parents,

Having them put to death.

This is...shocking!

Jesus unites His members,

But He also teaches here and later in this chapter,

That He divides in one fundamental way;

He divides unbelievers from believers.

This division runs deep,

Even deeper than family lines.

So, Christ’s members must be prepared,

That even family members may turn against you for trusting Christ.

Jesus plainly states,

His members will be hated.

Not by every single person on earth.

But by all kinds of people.

The sad reality is that some people will simply not like you,

Just because you trust in Jesus.

You can do good deeds,

You can help people,

And the world will be fine.

But you can do the exact same things,

And proclaim the message of Christ,

And you will be hated,

You will be betrayed,

And you will be persecuted.

Slide

Notice Jesus does not say in vs. 23,

“If” you are persecuted,

He says “when” you are persecuted.

Paul reinforces this in 2 Tim. 3:12, bluntly saying,

2 Timothy 3:12 ESV

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

This does not mean you intentionally seek out persecution,

Or foolishly pursue after danger like you are some type of hero,

Or go out of your way to get people to hate you.

It means you obey Christ,

Follow Christ,

And proclaim Christ.

Knowing that as you do,

Opposition will come.

Slide

It happened to Him,

It will happen to you.

This is what Jesus teaches in vs. 24-25.

Do you really think that you are above Him and won’t have to endure what He endured?

Absolutely not!

Peter says in 1 Pet. 2:21,

1 Peter 2:21 ESV

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

If you proclaim Christ,

You will be betrayed, hated, and persecuted.

Why?

Because Jesus was betrayed, hated, and persecuted.

For example,

At the end of last week’s passage,

The Pharisees said Jesus cast out demons by the power of Satan.

They have called Him Beelzebul,

Which means the prince of demons.

So, if you are a member of Christ,

You will be called similar things.

Slide

David Platt offers a helpful way to think of this.

He says,

The danger of your life will increase in proportion to the depth of your relationship with Christ.

That is what Matthew is telling us here.

If you want a safe, carefree life,

Completely free from danger.

Then stay away from Jesus.

Because the world is hostile toward Him.

And the more you conform to Christ,

The more the world will respond to you the way they respond to Christ.

But if you want to avoid being betrayed, hated, or persecuted,

It is simple,

Don’t be like Christ.

You see,

We have this proclivity to just sit back and settle for our religious routines,

And our comfortable Christianity.

Why?

Because it feels safe.

And that is the way the world wants it.

Sure,

Go to church on Sundays,

Read your Bibles,

Pray,

Just keep your Jesus to yourself.

But the problem is,

When we connect with Christ,

And are growing in Christlikeness,

And are going and proclaiming Christ,

Things become much less easy for us.

Because the more Christ is manifest in your life,

The harder your life will be in this world.

It is frightening.

You will become like the One who was mocked, beaten, whipped, spit on, and nailed to a cross.

So, do you really want to be like Christ?

Because if you really want to be like Christ,

Then your life won’t stay the same.

Your life won’t be easy.

Your life will be dangerous.

This is what Jesus is calling His members to.

So, do you really want to be like Him?

Slide

It is frightening,

And fear will tempt you.

Fear is a real temptation.

Particularly when it comes to sharing the Gospel.

Despite living in an area where it is perfectly legal and free to speak about Jesus and the Gospel,

Fear becomes perhaps the biggest obstacle to obeying Christ’s commission.

So, what Jesus says in vs. 26-31 is vital!

When you are tempted to fear,

Jesus says to think eternally.

Don’t be afraid of the world,

Because one day,

All evil things that are done in the dark will be revealed,

And God’s justice will prevail.

So, you don’t need to vindicate yourself,

God will vindicate you.

You don’t need to worry about what the world says,

Worry about what God will say in eternity.

Because God will reveal all that is true and right on the last day.

Therefore, Jesus says to speak with a holy boldness.

Whatever God whispers to us,

We are to proclaim on the housetops.

Speak the truth of God everywhere,

Speak it often, clearly, and boldly.

And when you are tempted by fear.

Jesus says take courage,

Because although people can kill the physical body,

Only God can punish both soul and body.

D.A. Carson wisely wrote,

“The worst that persecutors can do does not match the worst that God can do.”

{PAUSE}

Jesus knows you will be tempted to fear people,

He knows you will be intimidated by what people can do.

But He also wants you to know,

You do not need to fear people.

Because God is the ultimate judge.

He holds eternity in His hand.

No person can say that.

So, although it may not sound encouraging,

Jesus does encourage you by saying,

“Don’t be afraid of people,

The worst they can do is kill you!”

Yea, going and telling someone about Jesus might get you killed.

But if you are a member of Christ’s body,

You have already died with Christ.

This goes back to Christ’s first encouragement,

To focus on eternal things.

Because no matter what any human does,

It does not matter.

When you and I fear God,

We can be sent boldly to people who we would normally be afraid to share the gospel with.

Even those who might try to take our lives.

Because in the end,

Death for Christ’s members is actually a gain.

So, this is a great comfort to us.

And a great encouragement to us.

But it does not necessarily make life easy for us.

Thankfully,

Jesus does not leave us to fend for ourselves in this world.

Yes, fear will tempt us,

But God will take care of us.

Slide

Jesus gives us this wonderful picture of God’s care in vs. 29-31.

He says,

God orders everything,

Even down to tiny little sparrows falling to the ground.

Therefore, no member will suffer without His consent.

He is more than able to sovereignly direct our steps amid any danger.

But even better,

He knows us completely.

He has numbered all the hairs on your head.

He knows every detail of your life,

More than you even know about yourself.

So, His plan cannot be cut short by persecution.

Slide

Therefore, Jesus tells us to identify with Him,

To confess Him publicly,

To affirm,

Agree,

And identify with Him.

Members of Christ’s body don’t just sit back silently,

We make it known that we are His!

Can that be said of you?

Do people who at work or school know that you are a member of Christ’s body?

Do you publicly identify with Him?

This is important,

Because Jesus says that one day,

All who do this,

Will stand before the Father in heaven,

And Jesus will publicly identify with us!

Slide

This demands that we love Him supremely.

Jesus already warned about family members being set against each other back in vs. 21-22.

He brings it up even more emphatically now in vs. 35-37.

Christ’s coming brings peace to your heart,

But it will also make life difficult in many other respects.

Because Jesus demands an allegiance that takes priority over the strongest ties of natural life.

We must love Jesus more than our own family members.

Love for Jesus should be superior to love for a parent, a child, and a spouse.

Because all these familial loves are temporary.

But a loving relationship with Christ is eternal.

Slide

So, take the ultimate risk with Christ,

And pick up your cross.

Obey,

And identify with Jesus,

Even to the point of death.

The cross represents Christ’s march to His death.

So, His members must be prepared to take the same march.

It will be worth it in the end.

Our worldly idea of life and what true life is are not the same.

So, we must lose our life in this world in order to find true life!

We do this,

By taking up our cross,

And following Christ.

Slide

Jesus ends this passage with the promise that awaits all His members.

Jesus is not just sending His members to gloom and misery in this world.

He is ultimately sending us to joy and satisfaction.

When we take the ultimate risk,

We find the ultimate reward.

Contrary to what the world promotes,

We don’t find our lives by indulging worldly pleasures,

Accumulating stuff,

Or even seeking safety and security in this world.

All these things are dead end roads.

Instead,

Jesus says,

We find our lives by sacrificing these things for the sake of true pleasure, safety, and security found only in Christ.

When we live this way,

We truly find joy and peace and life.

And when we go and share His Gospel,

We invite others to share the same joy, peace, and life.

Brothers and sisters,

We are Christ’s little ones.

We are His children.

What a beautiful reminder this Father’s Day.

God is our Heavenly Father,

Thank you God for being our Father!

YOU Supplication of the Church (Response):

Slide

Let us close with a quick application,

To move us from being comfy members to sent members.

The application is supplication.

Two prayers to pray in light of this passage.

First, pray that God would compel us with Christ’s compassion.

We need His help to see the world the way He does,

And to feel how He feels.

But we need His compassion!

We need to see and feel for the people around us,

The people we work with and live around,

All of them.

Every person around us and around the world.

Will spend eternity in either heaven or hell.

So, God give us your compassion to see and feel for the world the way you do.

Second, pray that God would give us sacrificial obedience to His commission.

When Jesus sends His members,

Going is the only proper response.

Yes, it requires great risk.

But it guarantees the ultimate reward.

Not only for us,

But also for the countless others who come to know Christ.

Jesus has sent us,

So, pray these prayers,

And go!

Pray.

WE (Paint a picture of the future):