Matthew 10:1-15 Connecting People with God Jesus Reaching people / impacting lives

Talked about connecting with God

More than just bringing people to Jesus. It merely begins there.

Come to Christ. Follow Christ.

It is about reaching People / Impacting lives

This is discipleship.

Today we want to see an example from Jesus as He calls and invests in His disciples.

I. Reaching people / Impacting lives: Invested in others

A. Connected with people

(ESV) Matthew 10 1 And he called to him his twelve disciplesand gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.

1. It’s called discipleship

2. Not exclusive – multitudes – 500 after ressurrection

B. Gave them time

(ESV) Mark 3 14 And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach

1. To be with them

2. Time – if you aren’t willing to spend time with people outside of the gathering of the church, then you will never have much impact on people

3. How can we say that we care about discipling if we never spend time with others

4. Spent time with them – outside the gathering time

C. Invested especially with some

(ESV) Mark 3 14 And he appointed twelve(whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach

1. To select someone

a. Raw Available

2. Poured into them

3. Modeling

a. Modeled a lifestyle Act like me

b. What if everyone was like me?

4. Teaching

a. Taught a lifestyle Informal conversations

b. Intentional conversations – seldom accidently talk about Christ

5. Launched them

D. Dealt with them as individuals

(ESV) Matthew 10 2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

1. Not just individual names - Note the details of each

2. Brothers, sons, tax collector, betrayer

3. Blue collar fishermen – Peter / Andrew

4. Well-to-do business owners – James / John – connections / hired workers

5. White collar tax men – Matthew – entrepreneur – Buy the business from Rome

a. A collaborator / thief

6. Rebellious fringe folks – Simon zealot – Rebels against Rome/establishment

7. Religious betrayers – Judas – perhaps the most ‘normal’– but a betrayer

a. ‘Follow me’ – the gave up their previous life and followed

II. Reaching people / Impacting lives: Launched them as partners

A. Empowered them

(ESV) Matthew 10 1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.

1. Enabled them – directly by the Spirit

2. Taught / instructed / trained / modeled

B. Gave them a mission

(ESV) Matthew 10 2 The names of the twelve apostles …

(ESV) Mark 3 14 And he appointed twelve(whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach

1. Focus

C. Sent them out

(ESV) Matthew 10 5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Note: this is a special mission limited to only Israel. Not a world wide mission He will give them later.

But many of the principles are the same.

1. TEACHING: Tell. Model. Let them try it out in a safe environment with feedback. Release on their own.

2. Goal is to reproduce Himself after teaching / modeling

3. Sending others going out on their own

4. Gave instructions – allowed them to be in charge – the future leaders of the new church

III. Reaching people / Impacting lives: Principles for reaching people

A. Make the Word preeminent

(ESV) Matthew 10 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

B. Give of the blessing received

(ESV) Matthew 10 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. (freely you have received, freely give. NKJV)

C. Go by faith

(ESV) Matthew 10 9 Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food.

D. Use wisdom

(ESV) Matthew 10 16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

E. Expect opposition everywhere

(ESV) Matthew 10 17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. …

(ESV) Matthew 10 21 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parentsand have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by allfor my name’s sake. …

F. Trust to be empowered to speak

(ESV) Matthew 10 19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

G. Persevere

(ESV) Matthew 10 22 … But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through allthe towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

H. Fear only God

(ESV) Matthew 10 26 “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. … 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

I. Rest in the Father’s care and reward

(ESV) Matthew 10 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

(ESV) Matthew 10 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

1. His reward

(ESV) Matthew 10 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

J. Make God priority

(ESV) Matthew 10 34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.

37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter morethan me is not worthy of me.

K. Die to self and follow

(ESV) Matthew 10 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow meis not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sakewill find it.