Sent To Serve

Sent to serve Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

To begin with brothers and sisters, Christian Friends,Well Wishers and Saints of God it’s a plum pleasing privilege to proclaim a potent powerful prevalent word from God for the People of God. Right out the gate Jesus Sent His Disciples to serve. And the first question is Who exactly were the Disciples that have now been elevated to Apsotleship and the service of the Lord.1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. 2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The 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 publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. There they are! That’s Jesus’ Gang! That’s Jesus’ Leadership Team! Don’t set sail and Don’t leave the landing until you know whose on the ship with you. Everybody had a role to play. Everybody has a job to do. Everybody must know their assignment ans stay in their lane. it can’t be all chiefs and no Indians. And nobody ought not be a carbon copy of somebody else. I was talking to an older preacher at the N B Convention in Baltimore and He told me young man be the best preacher of yourself. For after all why try to be a cheap copy when God made you an expensive original. I laughed and laughed because it’s true and I thought he was going to tell me something profoundly different from what I already knew. I discovered too many things to cover all of them in one sermon

But examine extract and exegete as much as we can from the text.

1. Jesus sets the stage to introduce some great spiritual directives.In verse 1 in the b clause the text states “he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease”.

Look at verse 5 Apart from the goals Jesus gave some specific orders to reach our objectives.

1. Be centralized and specialized in the missionary work that’s before you.

2. Jesus said in verse 6. Go to the lost house of Israel. That’s your mission field. It’s got folk right here in this city in this community and in this parish that need saving. And there’s no need to be jealous because there is enough lost folk to fill up every church in our community.

3. Jesus said in verse 7 Preach. Preach in the Greek vernacular is the word Keyrusso. Keyrusso means to publish to proclaim and it means to project with a loud voice. Jesus said Preach don’t play. This is serious business. It isn’t a time to give pea pie patty cake sermons that doesn’t have the proper substance that Jesus intended for it to be. Don’t just preach what they want to hear but preach what they need to know.

4. The church need to know that the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand. 3x. This has to be significant because Jesus said mentions the Kingdom of Heaven. Let me prove it Jesus was in the beginning with God before the beginning ever began and Just from a NT prospective John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. Preach Boy.

5. The whole of Human Life is supposed to be to make it to Heaven. To make it to Paradise to make it to eternal bliss, and to have Everlasting Life. So preaching about the Kingdom of Heaven being at hand ought to be the first order of business.

#6. Jesus said in verse 8. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have recieved, freely give. This literally means to provide Pastorial Care. Pastorial Care according to my seminary professor is serious business. If you call me I’ll be there like a jet in the vet. If you invite me to be on your program I’ll show up. Because Pastorial Care involves handling stuff besides preaching and teaching. It involves reaching folk where they are.

7. The word of God says in Matthew 10: 9 Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, 10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat. Jesus is saying that the Lord God Jehovah Jireh will be your provider. The Lord ain’t going to send you nowhere without providing for your journey. And here’s the deal If the Lord gives me the vision He’ll make provisions. God takes care of His Preacher Pastor teacher leader clergy bishop minister and Ekklesian.

Jesus said in verses 11, 12,&13

11 And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. 12 And when ye come into an house, salute it. 13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.

I see several thing here

1. The text is saying that “You’ve been led by the Spirt of the true and living God ti go into whatever city or town or community or parish or district that you go in because in verse 5 Jesus gave the apostles specific orders not to go into Gentile territory or the region of the Samaritans. And God tells us where we ought to be doing ministry at.

2. In verse 11 Jesus says Preacher whatever city or town you go in, find out where the decent folk are, find out where the righteous folk are, find out where willing workers are because the bible says “who in that city are worthy.

3. The in verse 11 the last thing Jesus said was Abide till ye go thence.” Jesus said to the disciples Don’t move! If you have favor there don’t leave there, because God put you there.

Brothers and sisters look at the text in verse 12 Jesus says And when ye come into an house, salute it. “ Every Sunday Morning I walk in here and say Hello everybody or Good morning Everybody. I don’t just say that because I was raised with good manners, I don’t just say that because I was raised by godly parents and grandparents, But I Greet you and Salute you because Jesus said When you walk in Bless the House. And if they respond right that will tell you the temperature in the room.”

Then Jesus says something frank and direct and to the point. Listen church “frank conversation goes a long ways”. In verse 13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.

If the House be worthy. Listen to me Church you make your church worthy. It’s how you act when people come here. It’s how you are with each other. Ain’t nobody gon come here and Love your church or it’s members more than you do. Being worthy is a continual process. Counting your yester year achievement is fine. But you’ve got to be worthy in 2024. And then you’ve got to look forward to years and years beyond your present state or status… And the church said Amen. That was your shouting moment!!!

Then Jesus said let your peace come upon it: God send the Pastor to have Peace .. If I’ve got to be at war with you I’d rather be somewhere else. I love peace. And Peace in the Greek vernacular is the word eirēnē Everybody say Eirene .

Turn to your neighbor: I want peace in my life. Brothers and sisters Life is hard enough by itself . Nobody in their right mind want to have to come to church and be at war. The politics of the day is already hard. Inflation is already hard raising school aged children is already hard not being a ble to manage your grown A children is already hard. having fall outs with your own family members is already hard, so people want to come to church to release and escape from the chaos crazy and koo koo world. The church ought to always be a place of refuge, a place of peace.

But if it ain’t! Jesus said "but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you”. God knows what’s best for His church. We all ought to love one another and get along like family. And the church said Amen. 14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. 15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.