November 2006
SWORD N SPIRIT
www.swordnspirit.com
"AS YOU GO, PREACH THIS MESSAGE..."
STATING THE SCRIPTURES (Matthew 10:5-15)
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: ’The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
"Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
SETTING THE STAGE
An artist, seeking to depict on canvas the meaning of evangelism, painted a storm at sea. Black clouds filled the sky. Illuminated by a flash of lightning, a little boat could be seen disintegrating under the pounding of the ocean. Men were struggling in the swirling waters, their anguished faces crying out for help. The only glimmer of hope appeared in the foreground of the painting, where a large rock protruded out of the water. There, clutching desperately with both hands, was one lone seaman. It was a moving scene.
Looking at the painting, one could see in the tempest a symbol of mankind’s hopeless condition. And, true to the Gospel, the only hope of salvation was "the Rock of Ages", a shelter in the time of storm. But as the artist reflected upon his work, he realized that the painting did not accurately portray his subject. So he discarded the canvas, and painted another. It was very similar to the first: the black clouds, the flashing lightning, the angry waters, the little boat crushed by the pounding waves, and the crew vainly struggling in the water. In the foreground the seaman was clutching the large rock for salvation. But the artist made one change: the survivor was holding on with only one hand, and with the other hand he was reaching down to pull up a drowning friend. That is the New Testament picture of evangelism -- that hand reaching down to rescue the perishing. Until that hand is extended, there is no Gospel -- and there is no hope for the world.
INTRODUCTION
This is the commission of our Lord to His apostles. It was the very first expedition they had been sent out on all alone. Note how carefully Jesus instructed them and the clear implications for His followers in every generation.
OPENING THE TEXT
Jesus sent forth His disciples, commanding them. Note that Jesus did not send forth every disciple who was following Him. Only a few were chosen to serve as special messengers who were to devote all their time to preaching and ministering. Most other disciples were to be witnessing for Christ in their work and in their other daily activities.
A person is sent forth by Jesus; he does not choose to go forth. If he does, he goes forth in his own strength and power. He cannot expect the power of Christ. The ministry is not a profession; it is a commission. Christ calls and commissions.
The man who chooses to be a minister without a true call and commissioning of the Lord experiences several things. He finds himself ministering primarily in his own strength. e often finds his heart void and feels the constant pressure of having to come up with human ideas and human programs. He has difficulty maintaining a sense of meaning and purpose for both himself and his people. He senses a real void and shortcoming in proclaiming the gospel and in doing the work of the ministry. He often wonders what good is really being done. He just lacks the sense of a real call within; therefore, there is no outside godly connection to comfort and assure him that he is in God’s will. He is left to seek comfort and assurance only from himself or from some other human source. There is no supernatural Spirit or power to encourage him.
The offer of salvation was to go to Israel first; now it is to be offered to the whole world. A man is to go to his own house first. He is to demonstrate love for his own family and friends first. If he does not love those of his own household, how can he love those whom he does not know? He is to learn how to bear witness with those who are more likely to respond instead of react. Such knowledge better prepares him to face the world and its negative responses.
We are to preach—preach that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Note the message is a given message, given by the Lord Himself. The disciples were not to proclaim their own ideas nor the ideas of others. They were to preach the message given by the Lord. No matter the generation, the message needs to be repeated and repeated. It is the same yesterday, today and forever. It was the message of Christ. It was the message of John (Matthew 3:2), and it was the message of the apostles and ministers of Christ.
Two things always need to be remembered about the apostle’s unusual power. Their power was a given power. It came from the Lord Himself. God gives His servant the gifts and power to preach and minister as He has called him. The gifts and power are of God, not of the man himself. The gifts and the power of a man come freely from God; therefore, he is freely to give all he has. All the energy and all the toil necessary are to be poured into preaching the gospel and into ministering to people. Also, their power was to confirm that God does love and care for the world and that the message being preached was actually from God.
Ministering to the needs of people shows two things: that God loves and cares for people, and that the minister is a minister of love and care.
SCRIPTURES TO PONDER
"Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28).
"Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you" (John 20:21).
"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him" (Acts 10:38).
"I have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).
"We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves" (Romans 15:1).
"Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2).
In financial matters Christ expected two things from His apostles and His people. First, His apostles and servants were not to spend their own money on the ministry; and second, His people were to adequately support His apostles and servants.
The apostles, God’s servants, were forbidden to accumulate estates through the ministry. But they were not to spend their own money on the ministry.
There were several reasons for this. Their minds and hearts were to be centered on preaching the gospel and ministering to people, not on buying and selling and accumulating. They were to trust God for their needs and by such example to teach dependence upon God. They were to teach and depend upon God’s people to provide for them. They were to allow God’s people the privilege of sharing in the ministry through their giving. God’s people were to learn more and more trust by depending upon God to help them raise whatever funds they needed to support the ministers.
God’s servant or laborer is worthy of being financially supported. In fact, Paul taught that God’s servant was to be "counted worthy of double honor" (salary, compensation, financial support). God’s people were to support the Lord’s apostles. The people were to allow the apostles to give their full time to the ministry and not be forced to labor in a secular job.
The apostles were to seek a worthy host. In every city and place there are some who have good reputations and some who have bad reputations. Several factors determine a worthy host. A worthy host was a person with a good reputation concerning morals. Living with a person of evil and unjust morals would cause the apostles’ own morals to be questioned. They were to reach out to the immoral, even as Christ did, but not to fellowship and live with them. They were to be careful in choosing their close friends. A worthy host was a person with a good reputation concerning God. Some would have a spiritual interest and some would not. A worthy host was a person with a good reputation concerning hospitality. Some would willingly care for strangers; others would not.
God’s messenger was to stay with the same host throughout his stay in a place. He was not to seek more comfort and luxury as he came to know a place. There are several reasons for this. Such action might indicate favoritism and cause jealousy. Such action might indicate a materialistic and selfish and soft mind and lead to the questioning of a person’s commitment. Such action distracts from a person’s purpose and ministry, and such action hurts and often alienates the first host.
Ministry and visits need to be planned. The Lord sent His messengers forth, that is, out visiting in the houses of the city. They did not sit back waiting on the people to come. They went out carrying the gospel to the people. Note the Lord told the apostles how to visit. Precise plans were laid. The apostles were to approach a house cordially.
Saluting, that is, approaching cordially, does several things. It communicates a friendliness and kindness which encourages an open reception. It opens the door to more conversation which the messenger can turn into a presentation of the gospel.
The messenger is to salute and be courteous to people, not forceful, demanding, forward, or ugly.
If the people accepted the apostles, the apostles were to share peace. The greeting of peace was to be given to every home and place they approached. If the people were worthy, the messengers were to continue their message of peace. If the people were unworthy, they were to let the salutation lie alone. They were to say nothing else. They were not to continue the message of peace. They were to take the message of peace and leave without sharing it.
The witnesses of the Lord must discern and make a judgment about the people to whom they are witnessing. Are they kind and gracious or cold and hard? Are they just shy and bashful or really disinterested? Are they truly receptive or just kind and gracious to everyone? Are they spiritually sensitive or just interested in religious questions?
The Lord’s witness must not waste time. He must discern as quickly as possible who is worthy and receptive. The greeting of the day was "Peace be unto you." The apostles were to use the greeting as the basis of their message. They were to expand it. Their message was to be peace—peace with God and the peace of God.
If the people rejected the apostles, the apostles were to leave. The Lord’s messenger and witness could expect to be rejected by some. When rejected, the messenger was to do two things: he was to leave the house or city. He was to shake the dust off his feet. This was to be a symbol that they had lost their opportunity, their wickedness was so detestable that it polluted the very ground upon which their house or city sat, and that God would reject them even as they had rejected Him.
CONCLUSION
We need to observe that some do reject. They reject two things. The messenger himself, and the messenger’s words. Also worthy of note is the fact that whole cities reject the gospel, not just some households. When rejected, the messenger is not to argue or force the gospel upon the person. Christ expects His messenger to leave. Note the words: "When ye depart."
Rejectors were to be judged. Rejection of God’s messenger and of the gospel condemns a person to a terrible fate. The person’s judgment is to be more severe than even the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrha. Why? Because the person rejects God’s very own Son. Sodom and Gomorrha never had the opportunity to hear God’s Son. Our responsibility is much greater because our privilege to hear God’s Son is much greater.
MARANATHA / JD
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