What Jesus Said About Evangelism Series

“Jesus Said”

What Jesus to His Followers

“About Evangelism”

Michael Wiley

Matthew 10:16-23

March 15, 2009

Introduction:

We have a message church!

Our message today looking at “What Jesus Said,” is what He said about evangelism. In the literal since of the word, Evangelism is “the proclamation of the good news.”

We have the good news of the gospel of Christ that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…(1 Corinthians 15:3b-4a)

Jesus has drawn His church together with this message and sent it out to proclaim this message.

Transition:

We know the traditional, Matt 28:19-20 – GO into all the world and make disciples, baptizing them in the name…

That is referred to as the “Great Commission.”

Jesus had already explained to them what the world he was sending them into looked like. That is the passage I want to look at today.

Turn to Matthew 10:16-23

READ v.16

NIV leaves out (eidon). The versions that use it, usually translate it “Behold”

Eidon is a word that denoted “seeing” as in understanding. It is a word that brings attention to the next phrase. We might say, “Listen” or “Look man”

We need to point this out, because the word moves what Jesus is saying from normal casual conversation to “Hey this is important – listen to me.”

I love Jesus no-nonsense approach with His disciples.

We’re used to bait and switches right?

-- You get a new job and a few weeks in what you’re doing begins to change.

-- Maybe you were told you were purchasing one thing, and you got another. I love some of those mail-order catalogs that come in the mail. Some of that stuff seems like such a great deal. --- You see these beautiful candelabra which has a ridiculous price. Normally you wouldn’t purchase such a thing, but you just have to have these at such a good price. Then you look at the fine print and see they are two inches tall.

-- I love the infomercials on TV. Billy Mays is the new Ron Popeil. Remember Ron, and his Ronco products.

When we see something new for the first time at our house, we try guess how much it’s going to cost. I always guess $19.95. I’m right about 40% of the time.

Most of those products are pretty good products, but you paying more for them then you think ---- Shipping and HANDLING. What is handling? It’s were they hide the cost of the product, so they can tell you you’re only paying $19.95.

-- I was an aircraft mechanic in the USAF in the late 80s. In those days (in England) we [to blank slide] were constantly preparing for “chemical warfare.” Our enemies loved that stuff, so we constantly prepared for that kind of attack. I remember one day I was in my Tadv removing an engine from my airplane (Tadv is a steal/concrete bunker), We were in war exercise mode, which means I’m wearing my chemical warfare gear, suit, gas mask, it’s 85 outside, but 105 in my suit, and I’m thinking, “This was not in the brochure.”

-- You just have times in your life when you signed up for one thing but feel you’re living something different.

Jesus Lays it out on the Line—No punches, No tricks, No bait and switch, no shipping and handling.

This is how it is!

First he gives and analogy of the opponents and the attitudes we need when facing them.

I am sending you out like “sheep among wolves!”

There is a drastic role reversal here. – Usually you have one singular wolf, sneak in among the sheep.

You could say that happened in a horrific way last Sunday when a man walked into First Baptist Church of Maryville, IL and shot Pastor Fred Winters to death, while he was speaking. You think you’re safe in church. But folks you’re not safe anywhere. And with the rise of terrorism in America it’s going to get nothing but worse.

Jesus point was not safety where you are.

He was saying you’re not going to be safe where I’m sending you.

Jesus’ picture here, is not “one singular wolf sneaking in among the sheep” but a few sheep being sent out among the wolves.

Jesus is giving a graphic illustration of the rejection and persecution they would receive in a God hating world.

NOW, we here in America have been anesthetized toward persecution, because we have lived in a country based on Godly Principles. Beware, this is changing. Our country is changing. The acceptance and tolerance that we have enjoyed in the past will disappear.

IL. As stated by Mary Ann Collins, a former Catholic nun, “We will have to be willing to make sacrifices, be disciplined, persevere in the face of hardship, endure suffering, overcome frustration and inconvenience, and spend more money than we want to.”