Learning from the Apostles Call pt 1

If you have a bible open it up to Matthew chapter 10. Matthew chapter 10 this morning. I have titled the message this morning.. Learning from the Apostles pt 1. Let us pray

You might have noticed from the title the fact that i used pt 1. and I actually thought studying this week that I could possibly preach from verse 5 all the way through verse 42 because Jesus is telling something to the apostles, that fits there specific time they are in, but it also applies to us, and as I carefully looked at the text I think its going to take several sermons to really grasp what the Lord is teaching us. So today I want us to look at verses 5-15.

Now if you remember at the end of the sermon last week we for the first time in this gospel got a list of the twelve disciples and Jesus in this text is calling them out and teaching them what to expect, and how to carry out their mission. With that in mind let me read to you verses 5-15..

Matthew 10:5–15(ESV)

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. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. 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. 11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. 12 As you enter the house, greet it. 13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. 15 Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

SO Main idea for you today is this.

God calls all believers to the mission field, so be confident that he will take care of you.

As we look at this passage I have several points for you.

God calls all of us to a specific task.

This is the thing I say all the time only you can live the life that God has called you to. And its important for us to understand as we read chapter 10 that these instructions are for the 12 disciples, now that does not mean that we cannot learn a great deal from them, but we have to understand that Jesus is calling out these 12 men to go to the lost sheep of the house of Isreal. He wanted them to spread the gospel not to the gentiles at this moment, but strictly in this situation to the lost sheep of the house of Isreal.

Now we know at the end of this book that Jesus says to go into the world and make disciples of all nations so why does he here say this.. After studying this week I think this call happened for a few reasons if not more than I give you.

One I think should be obvious to us. The Jews were God’s chosen people. This message that Jesus and his disciples were bringing were the fulfillment of all Gods promises throughout all the previous generations. There was a clear message all the way back in Genesis 3:15 that they would have a messiah who would save them. The message came to the Jewish people first and its makes sense that God would call these disciples to go there first. To witness to the people of God.

In Fact Paul says in Romans 1:16

Romans 1:16 ESV

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.

Paul when he preached even focused on the Jews first even though his mission was to the world. He never forgot about Gods people in fact in the book of Romans he himself said he would give his own life in order that the Jews would be saved.

One of my favorite bible people is John MacArthur another good point he said about this text were they were sent to only the Jews because of the special point of attack. Any commander knows that you just can’t do everything. You can’t be like the man who jumped on his horse and rode of madly in all directions. You have to have specifics. The possibilities were varied, and He gives them a specific target. “Just do this. Go to Galilee, and go to the Jews, who are the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” By the way, the phrase ‘the lost sheep of the house of Israel’ simply refers to the Jews. If you compare it back with chapter 9 verse 36, you see that. He saw the multitude and they were sheep without a shepherd. They are the lost sheep. They have been disconnected from the Shepherd. They are out of the fold. They are wandering, hopeless, and helpless. He says, “Go to them. Go to My people, Israel. They are the ones to whom the promises were originally given. They are the ones with whom you can communicate and have an audience and reception, so go to them.” So our Lord Himself reflects to them what was His own specific ministry.

You probably have not thought about this, but do you realize that the Lord Himself never went to the Gentiles? His ministry was almost exclusively to the Jews. In Matthew 15:24, He says, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” That was His focus. The Gentile world would come after that. Jesus had a tremendous economy of effort, tremendous clarity of objective. Now I think that one of the things that frustrates people in ministry is that they don’t have a clear objective. They just don’t have that, and you can get so diverted. You know, I’ve gone to mission fields and I’ve talked with missionaries. And they’ve been on the mission field a long time, and you ask them what they’re doing. And well, let’s see. We do a little of this and a little of that and a little of this and little of that, and they’re all over everywhere and you just really wonder if they’re doing anything. They don’t have a clear objective. I think part of an effective ministry is to have a clear objective. Know your gifts, what God has equipped you to do; know the needs and the callings and the opportunities and the desires of your heart and find a track and run in that track.

Those are wise words.. Those are wise words for the church. And truthfully that is an issue for myself is I try so many different things as a pastor to reach people, 2 hours here 2 hours there 5 hours this idea here and this idea here and nothing sometimes seems to work when I am not focused on what the Lord has for me. I want to reach those who do not know Christ and I hope you do as well, but we have to be specific in our mission.

In fact in the book of Acts we see Acts 16 that Paul wanted to do ministry in other areas, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.

Now what we need to know is call calls us to a specific ministry with specific gifts so that we can use them to reach the lost sheep of the world. That is why there are 50000 plus southern baptist churches in the world to reach the world.

I talked about each of us having a gift the Lord has given us and to use that gift for the kingdom.. I even had a church member reach out this week and ask about it and it clarified for her her calling I hope. And the reality is God has indeed called you to a mission and at the end of the day that mission is where he has placed you so fulfill that mission by living out that mission preaching about the gospel that saves.

I said all those things about living in your calling because of part of verse 8. Jesus gave the apostles the authority to heal the sick, raise the dead, and cleanse the lepers.

God gave them unique powers to show others they were doing the work of Christ, were fulfilling their callings.

Now if you remember last weeks message I hammered home the importance of Christian compassion, and if we are going take this message where we live and work, and to the people we are around we have to find out what there needs are. Now Number 1 the greatest need is the gospel, the world needs to hear that Jesus Christ died for sinners, but man this is the challenge we have to figure out how to be around those who are not like us and minister to them and show them Jesus Christ, and see their real needs so we can introduce them to Jesus Christ. Thats why I talk about praying for people and listening to the Holy Spirit. Because we want to use the gifting’s God has gave us to see people come to Christ, but build up his church so together we can do that better. Each of you has a calling that cannot be ignored and each of you must use that calling to carry out the mission God has given you.

I read in one of the studies this week. Jesus told his disciples to go to the people that the world ignored or oppressed. Who do you know that fits that statement or better yet how are you going to those people. Ouch huh speaking from experience.

Use your gifts where God has placed you to carry out the tasks he has for you. Second take note of this…

God calls all believers to trust in his provision.

Now again I can’t fail to mention that this call was for the disciples, but it extends to us as well. Now for the disciples this was just one of many opportunities for them to depend on God’s provision. He was doing this so they would in fact grow in faith. Jesus tells them. Matthew 10:8b-10

Matthew 10:8–10 (ESV)

You received without paying; give without pay. 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.

He wants them to take nothing extra because he is going to take care of them.

He wants these men to grow in dependance of him. In fact he wants all Christians no matter what their calling to depend on him for everything including our money.

And Jesus wants the disciples to accept the gifts of others. I gather from this text that it is the responsibility of whose whom get ministered to to make sure to take care of those who are ministers. Its the responsibility of others to take care of the pastors just like it was the responsibility of others to take care of the levite priests.

As a pastor one my least favorite things to talk about is money.. I have always believed that born again Christians should understand that all of what they have belongs to God. No matter how hard they work God gave them what they have. I dont get up here every week and say My OEC bill is due this week who is going to cover it, but I like these disciples in this text trust in the Lord provision to take care of me, I rely on givers to do ministry, now I don’t do it for the money, but the scriptures tell us to take care of our ministers. I believe God takes care of me through the people of God. Which is how the Lord intended it to be based on verse 10, and other scriptures show us this.. Let me give you just a few examples.

1 Timothy 5:17–18 ESV

17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”

and the scripture also says 1 Cor 9:14

1 Corinthians 9:14 ESV

14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

God calls us to take care of those who do gospel ministry, outside of myself part of what you give also helps take care of the people in the mission field. I love and I mean love the cooperate program, and the fact that part of what you give even if its a dollar church goes to missionaries who are proclaiming the same mission that I am proclaiming to you to lost peoples of the earth.

and he calls all of us to depend on his provision to do so, and he gives you the opportunity to give.

Moving on I have a few more points the third is this…

God calls all Christians to be worthy of the mission.

I use this language for this point because of what Jesus says here. He says find out who is worthy in the town and village you are staying and stay until you depart. And Jesus is saying the worthy person is the one who accepts the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is saying stay somewhere that believes in me and he says this as well because he does not want his disciples to go minister to the man down the street that had the big house the nice pool, and the lavish lifestyle and tell this person who let me stay with him he is more worthy.

Someone’s worth is not in what they have but who they know and specifically if they know Jesus.

One man highlighted this He says at the end of verse 13, “If the house is not worthy, if they’re not receptive, they’re not interested, then let your piece return to you. Now, that’s a sort of an oriental expression. They would give their peace, and if the house wasn’t worthy, they’d take it back. In other words, they would un-bless. They would come to a home, and they would say, “Peace be unto you in the name of Christ.” And the home would be vile and rejecting. And so, they would say, “We take our peace back. This house is unblessed.” They actually would do that. They would confront the situation in that way by removing the blessing that they had verbally given.

And so, He says, “If you find a place where they are not worthy, then let your peace return to you; don’t waste it on them; take it back. Don’t give them God’s benediction if they’re not worthy of God’s benediction. Don’t tell them God’s going to bless them.”

In fact in 2 John 1:10-11

2 John 10–11 ESV

10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.

We are to receive those who are worthy of the gospel..

In verse 14. He uses a powerful illustration the people would know well.

Matthew 10:14 ESV

14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.

Jesus takes very seriously those who deny the gospel message. Know that this morning.. Its obvious that there will be people who do not receive the good news of Jesus Christ and they will not welcome those who preach the truth. And when that happens those who preach should just shake it off.

Jesus is using this terminology because the Jews would be quite familiar with it. they believed that even the gentile land was unclean and when they returned from their lands they would shake off their feet so that all the land they stepped on would be removed from there possession.

And Jesus is telling his followers to treat the unwelcoming unworthy Jews as they would treat the Gentiles. to be worthy of the gospel you must believe in the gospel, and if you don’t there is great judgement and I mean great judgement.

Final point today is this.

God calls Christians to tell others that judgement is coming to those who do not believe. .

Listen to verse 15 again. Matthew 10:15

Matthew 10:15 ESV

15 Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

Jesus uses this terminology twice in this gospel. You go over just a chapter and you see in Chapter 11 verses 20-24 this.

Matthew 11:20–24 ESV

20 Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”

What is the point Jesus is trying to make here. He is telling them the gospel message came right in front of your very eyes, and all of you people should have repented. And its going to be worse for those people in the cities that denied him and his messengers than in Sodom and Gomorrah.

The Jews knew clearly the judgement of Sodom and Gomorrah. That place was a horrific place of sin a place where all kinds of distasteful passions of the flesh occured, and you know what God did to that place he rained down sulfur and fire from heaven and wiped out those cities totally, and you say how can it get any worse than that. Well eternal separation from God is the worse it can get friends. God gives this common grace to all people, and there will not be that in the next life for those who reject Jesus in this life.

And these people who saw Jesus who walked with Jesus and seen his miracles and heard his teachings should have been the first people to run to Jesus, these Jews knew the scriptures the fulfillment was right in front of them and many refused him, and for those who did reject the gospel who were unworthy divine punishment worse that fire from heaven.

Friends have ears to hear this morning that Jesus Christ has come, and he has not only come for the lost sheep of Isreal he has come for people from ever tribe tongue and nation. He has come for you, see Jesus Christ is still sending people all over the world to spread his good news. The difference today than what we see from the disciples here is we are on the other side of the cross, and friends that changes everything today. Paul who was called to bring the gospel message all over the world said this in 1 Cor 15:1-4

1 Corinthians 15:1–4 ESV

1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

Jesus died for our sins something many Jews miss they missed the messiah who was doing incredible works and teachings the world has ever seen showing he was the messiah.. and many gentiles today miss and the fact that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried three days and but he rose again and showed he had the power over life and death and church that should cause us to repent of our sins, and lay down everything at the foot of the cross, and if we do that friends know this you can have eternal life.

And if you have eternal life if you have Jesus in your heart will you not take seriously the tasks he has in front of you because you better believe he has something specific for you to do in this life you just have to listen to him and do it just like the disciples did. These men yes went to the house of Isreal and some believed but they with the exception of 1 continued ministry until the Lord called them home. You have a job to do until the Lord calls you home.

and I believe with all my heart if you are faithful God will take care of you, and provide for you whether you are a preacher of the gospel like myself or a minster of the gospel like all believers are called to be so walk worthy of the mission and respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ. And tell the world that Jesus Christ came to save sinners and judgement is real.

Friends lets learn some things from the apostles over the next few weeks so that we to will do what God asks us to do. Let us pray.