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Meant For Mission (Matthew 10)

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MOTIVATE

All of us have assignments

  • Classwork for students
  • House chores for young and old
  • Career tasks  

Yet there also have been historic assignments or mission endeavors of humanity…

  • Apollo 11 Moon Landing (1969) /// Artemis Moon Circling (2026)
  • WHO Eradication of Smallpox (from 1967-1980) 1st time humanity intentionally wiped out a natural pathogen /// 2020 Operation Warp Speed with covid vaccine
  • Age of Discovery of 15-17th Centuries with Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan paving the way toward globalization
  • Meriwether Lewis & William Clark Expedition (1804-06) commissioned to map the newly acquired western territories unto Pacific Ocean following Louisiana Purchase
  • Abolitionist Movement to end slavery with key voices of Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, Grimke Sisters, John Brown, Harriet Beecher Stowe, William Wilberforce, William Lloyd Garrison… and so many others resulting in the 13th Amendment ratified in the USA Constitution. Civil Rights movement continued with John Lewis, MLK Jr., Thurgood Marshall, and again others.

Life and history are replete with ordinary and extraordinary assignments. And there is one great world-renown mission endeavor that

  • Intersects personal life callings with historic impact
  • Has continued for centuries & will remain until the last moment of earth’s implosion

Jesus’ Great’ Commission (MT 28:18-20/MK 16/LK24/JN 20:21/AC 1:8)

  • Origins in the OT with Gen 1 creation and cultural mandate
  • Gen 12 of God’s promise to Abraham to make him a blessing unto all nations
  • Matthew 9/10…  

EXAMINE                  Meant For Mission (Matthew 10)

9:38-38 And Jesus went [imperfect verb, continuous action] throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion [ἐσπλαγχνίσθη = deeply moved] for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few, therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Jesus’ ministry is motivated by God’s heart for people. Matthew describes the mission with the image of a harvest. Farmers rise early and work late into the evening to maximize the harvest. Farmers endure complex and changing seasons, and innovate with the clarity that the harvest is what matters most. A neglected field produces a saddened farmer, a starving family, and a desolate community. Yet, a faithful farmer produces joy, fullness, and flourishing. Jesus’ life and love modeled faithful harvest work of plowing soil, planting seeds, and nurturing growth with eyes for the harvest – the harvest related to the end times when people from every tribe and tongue of all history being gathered to abundant life or separated into endless darkness and punishment.

>> PRAY that we might have eyes, heart, and hands for the harvest.

>> Which leads to Jesus training and sending disciples…

10:1-8 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 [repeatedly] 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.

JESUS HAS A MISSION FOR EVERY DISCIPLE.

  • Disciples moved from observation to participation in Jesus’ ministry.
  • Disciples were sent to 3 target groups
    • 1) Spiritual lostness: people not in God’s kingdom to make heaven crowded  
      • Started with Israel and not Gentiles or Samaritans.  
        1) Theologically 2) Practically for low-hanging fruit  
      • The mission would lead to all ἔθνη
        (MT 12:21; 21:43; 24:14; 25:32; 28:19; Ac 14:27; 15:17; Ro 11:11; Eph 3:6; Rev 7:9; 21:24).
    • 2) Spiritual oppression: people w/o hope… the poltergeist drama is JV work; whereas Satan’s Varsity primary attacks are on human identity, self-worth, pleasure sources to deceive people away from Christ. Why the armor of God includes “belt of truth” and “shield of faith.”
    • 3) Physical suffering:  Jesus focused on the weak and hurting (Mt 25:40).
  • Disciples were grouped intentionally
    • 12 represents fullness to the nation of Israel = whole congregation
    • 12 creates natural pairs/groups; no one alone (Remember Moses needed Aaron & Hur)
    • Ordinary servants w/o academic degrees, affluent sponsorships, or active audience. God can use crooked sticks to draw straight lines. It just matters that these spent time with Jesus and humble to rely upon God’s Spirit (Mk 3:14; Ac 4:13).

>> If you’re unmoved by spiritual lostness, you might be lost.
>> If uncaring to those oppressed or suffering, you might be deceived and misdirected.

>> Move to prayer (high 5), care (1 daily deed), and share (gospel urgency).

JESUS WILL PROVIDE SUPPORT AND STRENGTH FOR THOSE WHO LABOR

10:9-11 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.

  • Freely give… ministry doesn’t require payment but it does cost; so – a laborer deserves his food (cf 1 Tim 5:17). 2 Excursus: a) selling items in church means any profit should have a missional purpose; b) paying & honoring staff who labor well.
  • Jesus instructed disciples to take extra money or clothing – take only what you need and trust God to provide the rest. Jesus wanted the disciples to not get distracted and stay dedicated to the task at hand; laboring in the harvest will produce needed resources.

Illus: In early 1500’s, Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés sailed from Spain to colonize land in the Americas as trade partners for Spain, and to promote Christianity among the Aztecs. His crew would conquer Cuba, and eventually go onward to Mexico, Honduras, and other parts of South America. They started 11 ships, 16 horses, 110 sailors, and 508 soldiers. What made their expedition so successful and sprawling was that upon arriving on the shore, Cortés gave the order to his crew to burn the ships. The crew realized retreat or failure was never an option. Likewise, believers need to burn their ships of shame from past sins, fear of rejection, or guilt of unfulfilled ambitions.

Christians, God will place challenges and unwanted circumstances in your life.

  • As people of faith, our hardest moments are holy milestones and harvest opportunities.
  • His ways are not our own; they’re higher and better.
  • The Lord’s ways are in the whirlwind; wandering across desserts; traveling into valleys; hiking up mountains; and sometimes drifting through darkness.

>> We will never fill the harvest by sitting back and licking our wounds. There are heartbreaks in your life that God wants to redeem. There are tragedies that God wants to transform into ministry. The same God who comforted us in our afflictions will comfort others through our spoken testimony. Tell your story                   

JESUS WARNS THAT WOLVES WILL BE PRESENT AMONG SHEEP.
10:12-23 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. 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.

  • Not everyone will be receptive to the message of Jesus and God’s kingdom
  • Some will mock, intimidate, torment, and some will murder. Persecution is not just a theoretical threat but a present reality.
    • Personal rejection: not listening, pushing away
    • Government persecution: court trials, unfair attacks
    • Religious oppression: criticism and condemnation from synagogues
    • Familial separation: division, betrayal, and hatred from those once loved
  • Jesus says those who reject the gospel will receive Sodom’s judgment
    • Sodom & Gomorrah were destroyed by fire from the LORD (Gen 19:24) for unnatural lusts (Jude 1:7), pride, greed, and immorality (Ez 16:49-50).
  • Jesus advises disciples to be shrewd as snakes (cautions, clever, evasive), yet harmless as doves (gentle, pure, beauty amid tragedy).
  • Jesus sends disciples as sheep among wolves
    • Usually wolves invade sheep, but Jesus reverses the strategy with his authority/power.

>> Sheep are vulnerable unless a) they flock together in community,
                                                       b) they stay close to the shepherd.

Sheep are vulnerable unless the flock together in community, and stay close to the shepherd.

  • Jesus: v.20 Holy Spirit will give you words
  • Peter: “exercise brotherly love; don’t repay evil for evil – bless not curse; be sober minded & watchful for your adversary the devil prowls like a roaring lion; stand firm in your faith” (1Pet 3:9; 2Pet 5:7-9)
  • Paul: “be ready in every season; preach the word; rebuke & exhort” (2Ti4:2)  
  • Jesus: v.22 The one who endures to the end will be saved.

APPLY/TAKEAWAY

MT 10:32 “everyone who acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”

Being a Christian is risky and dangerous.
But not following Jesus and sharing the gospel is more perilous.

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