Expectations of the Sent (Then & Now) (Matthew 10:16-25)

Review:

Matt 10:1-15 Jesus calls his disciples together, give them the new title of apostle.

What was the difference? Disciple-student, Apostle-one that is sent out.

He tells them where they are to go, what they are to do, and how they are to react if they are no recieved.

where: to the lost people of Jerusalem (Matt 10:6), but don’t go to the Gentiles or any of the cities of Samaritans (Matt 10:5)

WHY at this point only the Jewish people? There are many reasons to answer the question WHY, but for this morning, let’s just hold to the understanding that this was the will of God. It was his will that his chosen people, the Jews, receive the gospel first. And for these 12 apostles, as he prepared then to take the gospel out, their focus was to the Jews.

Paul would later write: Romans 1:16 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 said the gospel is for everyone, but it was God’s will for the Jews to hear it first.

Today:

So in the first 15 verses of Chapter 10, Jesus calls them, he tells them their purpose, where to go, where to stay, and what do do if they are not recieved well. But beginning in verse 16, he warns them of something that they will experience.

BIBLE PLEDGE:

The Bible is the Word of God.

The Truth of the Bible will change my life.

Lord open my heart, and awaken my mind and give me grace to respond

Change me for your glory and my joy. Amen

Open your Bibles to Matthew 10:16-25

Matthew 10:16–25 ESV

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. 21 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. 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 all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. 24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.

Jesus has said at the end of Chapter 9, there is a need. The need was that people needed to go and share at the Kingdom that was at hand: Jesus. He said that there are people waiting to hear about the Christ and then follow him. The souls were ready for harvest, but there must be those who go into the fields. So he gives his disciples this sending out, now as an apostle.

And as he prepares them, give gives them some more direction to prepare them. And this direction is not pleasant. In fact, it could cause some to not go out. What he places before them is the possibility that they will be persecuted.

Not a persecution by words, but a physical persecution. A beating, being flogged, or even death… only because they were doing what Jesus had asked them to do: tell others about him.

Today, we are the harvesters. In your lifetime as a follower of Jesus Christ, you SHOULD me one of those who are going into the field to bring a harvest of souls. It is not just the duty of a pastor, or Sunday school teacher, or an evangelist…if you a Christian, someone who has accepted that free gift of salvation, now we are the ones who are to spread the word about our own changed life and how others can do the same.

But his says, that doing this will not be easy....but… he will prepare you for the task.

1. The follower of Christ will prepare themselves

English Standard Version Chapter 10

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

In this one verse Jesus mentions four different animals: sheep, wolves, serpents, doves.

First look at the sheep and wolves. The word of Jesus from John 10 points to who the shepherd is and who are his sheep.

John 10:11–12 (ESV)

11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.

The sheep are the Lord’s people, the believers, the wolves are the false teachers who want to snatch the sheep and get them off of the purpose in which they are sent…to tell the truth of the gospel.

Christian…for you to be an effective laborer for the gospel, to bring a harvest of souls, you need to be prepared. You need to know what you believe and why you believe it. If you don’t know this, there will be wolves of false teaching that will eat you up.

Christian…for you to be an effective laborer for the gospel, to bring a harvest of souls, you need to be ...prepared. You need to know what you believe.

The apostle Paul told the Christians at Ephesus the same thing. We need to know what we believe is the truth. He said the reason is so that

Ephesians 4:14 (ESV)

14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

When you go out as a laborer into the harvest, you are going to come upon some wolves. You are going to come across beliefs that go against what the Bible says, and you need to know the difference.

The follower of Christ will prepare themselves. The is an ongoing preparation that will never end as you continue to seek God in his word daily.

2. The follower of Christ will endure persecution.

Matthew 10:17 ESV

17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues,

The synagogue was the Jewish temple or church of the day. The first time I read this, I thought, how can they drag them into the church to beat them, to flog them? But remember the people who did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, were the Jewish religious leaders of that day. So Jesus was saying, they hate me, and they will hate you as well.

Have any of you been beaten for preaching at school? No. When I lived in America, I was never flogged for my belief. But, I believe that the world is changing. In my 55 years, I have seen how America’s view on Christianity and only one true God has changed.

When I was in Primary School there was organization of men who would come every year into our class to give our Bibles. We started every day in prayer in our class. But today, you cannot pray in school in America, and you cannot come to a school and give out Bibles.

But you know what…the same will happen in Nigeria, I believe. If Jesus does not come back in the next 50 years, I believe you will see the same in Nigeria.

Jesus is telling his apostles to be ready for persecution, be ready for those who would come against you because of what you believe.

3. The follower of Christ will glorify God through their persecution.

Matthew 10:18 (ESV)

18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.

What if I told you that this afternoon I want some of you to go with me down the road to tell people about Jesus. I asked, how many of you would like to go. Then some of you raise your hand. But then I tell you, while we are doing this, there will be people who come, drag us off, and beat us because of what we are doing. Would you still go?

Why would Jesus ask us to do this if he knows we will be persecuted? Look at what Jesus says....three words… for my sake.

We aren’t doing it so that we feel good, or for our own purpose, we are being a laborer to the harvest for his sake. For his Kingdom. For his glory. For his purpose.

But don’t miss what he says after “for my sake”

he says...

to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.

In this persecution, you will bear witness not just to the Jews, but the Gentiles as well.

When these apostles were beaten in the synagogues, they were then brought before the governors and the kings. These were Roman leaders…gentiles, not jews. Showing, just like Paul stated that the gospel was for everyone.

4. The follower of Christ will depend on God’s words, not their own.

Matthew 10:19–20 (ESV)

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.

As Jesus was speaking these words, he was preparing them for the time he would not be with them. After his resurrection and ascension into heaven they would go out on their own…but they would not be alone.

In John’s gospel Jesus said...

John 16:13 (ESV)

13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

Jesus stated that he was leaving, BUT God would send the HELPER, an ADVOCATE…the Holy Spirit…that would indwell believers and guide them into all truth.

The reason he said, don’t worry about what you will say, is because he will give them the words. He will give you the words.

Should we be ready to tell others about Jesus? Yes. Should we know how to explain the gospel to an unbeliever? Yes. The apostle Peter wrote:

1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)

15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

The first thing we said was that we need to be prepared, but there are time when we don’t know what to say, and that is when the Spirit of God can speak through us.

Matthew 10:20 (ESV)

20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

But you will never have those words, unless your heart is prepared to receive them.

5. The follower of Christ will remain until the end.

Matthew 10:20–22 (ESV)

20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

How can a brother give a brother over to death? Or a father his child? Or children rising up against parents?

This is the idea that not everyone will choose Jesus. Not everyone will make a decision to follow Christ as Lord.

And for those that do follow Jesus, there will be those who will hate them, who don’t understand.., but the one who does follow and endures to the end will be saved…will spend eternity with God.

An athlete doesn’t win the race when is is only half way done. I football team doesn’t win the match in the 35th minute. A winner is crowned when the competition is complete.

Even in persecution, a follower of Jesus Christ must endure.

Matthew 10:23 (ESV)

23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

6. The follower of Christ will share Christ’s persecution.

English Standard Version (Chapter 10)

24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.

Just as the master, who is Jesus, will experience persecution, his servants, these apostles and us, will experience persecution as well. Now we may never be put on a cross, or beat like Jesus was, or even wear a crown of thorns, but if you truly stand up for Jesus…if you truly want to be a laborer that is sent out into the harvest…you will experience some type of persecution for his sake. Just as if they were to call his name Satan, his demons would act out of his character and receive his same treatment.

So what do we make of this? How do we learn from what happened then to help us today.

First, Just like he sent his apostles out to the harvest, God looks to his followers today to do the same thing: tell people about Jesus. When was the last time you spoke to someone about Jesus? When was the last time you invited someone to church? Maybe you are not ready to witness to someone, but until the time comes that you are, invite them to church. I guarantee you they will here about what Jesus did for them when they come here. If you are a beleiver, God has sent you out...

But to be sent out…you need to be prepared. How do we prepare our hearts and our minds? By purposely seeking to understand God through his Word. The Psalmist wrote down how import the Word of God is...

Psalm 119:10–16 (ESV)

10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! 11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. 12 Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes! 13 With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. 14 In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. 16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

3. Just as he expected his apostles to endure to the end, he expects the same from us today. Every day you wake up, its a new day, a new chance for you to labor in the harvest.

But…there is an end coming for everyone. For some people, their end will come when they have lived a long life. And some people, their end may be a short life. And, the end for all of us could be any moment.

There is coming a time when God will end this world. Jesus talked about later here in Matthew...

Matthew 24:36–44 (ESV)

36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

It could happen now! Or it could happen now! No one knows, only God. But he does say that we should be ready. Ready for what?

At that time, those you believe and follow Jesus will be taken to heaven, and those who have chosen their own way and rejected him as their Savior, will be separated from Him in a place called hell. At that moment, your eternity will set, there no changing your eternal location.

But that is not what Jesus wants. He came for you. He died for you. He wants you to live an abundant life here, and an eternal life there when this is all over. He loves you!

And if you have never made Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior, today is the day. Give your heart to him, call out to him and he will save you.

The Bible says that...

Romans 10:13 (ESV)

13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

That can be you today. Jesus can save you if you are serious about giving your life to him.