Go to the Lost Sheep

Children’s Message

Matthew 9:35–10:20 “35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” 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. 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. 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. 16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 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. 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.”

Intro

The Good Shepherd

Matthew 9:35–36 “35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

teaching and proclaiming the Gospel

healing

Pursuing the lost and helping the hurting.

I AM the Good Shepherd. the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Pray to the Lord of the Harvest

Matthew 9:37–38 “37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.””

We must pray because only the Lord of the Harvest can do it!

The church plant

He is also the one who made the harvest plentiful

The fruit we are seeing here. Beautiful babies being born and baptized, Mariah, Brian, & Spencer being baptized recently, I’m seeing people hungering for God, for truth, for righteousness, for God’s Word, and the fellowship with God’s people. I’m seeing people truly coming to repentance and putting their trust in Christ alone! This is the work of God’s Word and Spirit amongst us!

The Laborers are few

We were reminded of former President Lyndon Korhonen’s prayer for God to provide 40 pastors for our congregations.

6 more were ordained this week at conference and are going out and 8/9 more will be ordained in the next year! God is providing! He has even called five men out of our congregation to go to seminary and there are even some more from here that are sensing that the Lord is or may be calling them too!

Praying in faith and not hypocrisy

Having Jesus heart for the lost we are moved with love and compassion for the lost and are willing to go to them

If we pray without the love of Jesus in our heart and we are not willing to go to them, then we are hypocrites.

Testimony: God turning my prayer from “Why me?” to “Why not me?” when I heard of the great pastor shortage. God moved my heart from selfishness and insecurity to compassion and willingness.

The Lord’s Answer is You

Matthew 10:1–4 “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. 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.”

“He called… and gave them authority…”

This is His work being done through His disciples

The Ragamuffin Band

Marching Orders, a Warning, and an Encouragement

To whom? This one was for that time with the disciples and not for us.

Matthew 10:5–6 “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.”

The message to proclaim: (just like Jesus went out teaching and preaching the Gospel)

Matthew 10:7 “7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

The gracious works of mercy: (just like Jesus did)

Matthew 10:8 “8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.”

You received mercy. You get to show mercy!

You were given the riches of heaven that are limitless! There is plenty to share!

God loved you! Love your neighbor!

They did miracles like Jesus as signs to verify their message. Their signs still verify the message today. When we do works of mercy they are usually seen in things like… [examples]

We are called to give the riches of heaven not receive the prosperity of this world.

Matthew 10:9–10 “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.”

Only false teachers are pressuring people for money and living in extravagant luxury. Don’t trust them!

Trust in God, not in gold and silver.

Stepping out in faith that God will provide

Let’s do this crazy thing together!

Let others have the chance to show hospitality… or not

House visits “As you enter the house…”

Matthew 10:12–15 “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.”

Greet it: “Shalom”

If the house is worthy (receiving you and the peace you share, and showing hospitality)

Let your peace come upon it. (LOOSING THEIR SINS/FORGIVING THEIR SINS)

If the house is not worthy (NOT receiving you and the peace you share, and NOT showing hospitality)

Let your peace return to you. (BINDING SIN/NOT FORGIVING THEIR SINS)

And if anyone will not receive you (hospitality) or listen to your words (believe the Gospel/Greeting of Peace in Christ)

Shake the dust off your feed when you leave that house or town.

We are called to go and be faithful and to proclaim the Gospel

The outcome is not up to us.

If they repent and believe, then it is a miracle of God’s Word and Spirit

If they do not repent and do not believe, then it is to their own judgment and God will sort it out in the end. (We don’t punish them, we leave vengeance to God)

It will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

Genesis 18:20 “20 Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave,”

Genesis 19:27–29 “27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 28 And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace. 29 So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.”

2 Peter 2:6 “6 if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;”

Warning: you are going as sheep amongst wolves

Matthew 10:16–18 “16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 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.”

Not a prosperity Gospel!

They hated Jesus too. We can expect it. God know it will happen and he is sending us anyway. It is all a part of his good and gracious plan to save souls.

List of how the Apostles died

An encouragement: God is with you and will work through you

Matthew 10:19–20 “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.”

Conclusion