Matthew 10:1-15 Mark 6:7-13 Luke 9:1-6
The mission of Jesus on earth was passed on to His
disciples. Jesus had taught His
disciples many things about the ministry.
He had shown, by example, how to do the ministry. Now it was time for them to go out and do the
work of the ministry for themselves. As
Jesus prepares His disciples to go out and do the work of the ministry, He
gives them several instructions that would help them as they moved
forward. In essence, they were just to
do what they had seen Jesus doing all along.
However, they were not alone on this mission. These men were unique at a unique moment in
history but many things about the mission we are called to continue to be very
similar.
COMMISSION BY GOD: The disciples were commissioned by God to
go out to the villages in pairs and do the work of the ministry. That ministry included preaching the Gospel,
casing out daemons and healing the sick.
When God commissioned them, He gave them the authority to do the things
He was telling them to do. When God
sends laborers into the harvest, He equips them with the spiritual tools they
will need to do the job. The focus of their
ministry was to be on the proclamation of the Gospel. However, Jesus knew they would face opposition
from Satan as they sought to teach the truth to people. They would also encounter people with all
kinds of physical problems. This was the
model Jesus had shown them and now He was sending them off to follow His
example under His authority. The
priority in ministry must always be proclaiming the truth of God’s Word to
people. The Gospel sets people free from
the power of sin and preaching the Gospel is the only means we have of giving
others the hope of eternal life in Christ.
When we go to places where the Gospel in unknown, we find spiritual
oppression and physical desperation.
Satan wants to control the hearts of men and destroy the bodies of
men. In order for ministry to be
successful we must be involved in these three areas of service: preaching the
Gospel, practicing spiritual warfare and providing for physical needs. Neglecting any of these will make us
ineffective in the ministry.
CONDITION OF SELF: Besides telling the disciples what to do
in ministry, Jesus told them where and how to go. At this point, they were to concentrate on
the nation of Israel and not go into Samaria or the Gentile cities. This would change later on but for now this
was the task at hand. As for provisions,
basically, He told them to pack light, or more accurately, don’t pack at
all. They were not to take money, extra
clothes, food or even a staff. This
instruction implies two things. First,
they were to trust God to provide for them as they went forward to do the
ministry. Second, this would not be a comfortable mission. I think that there are three basic qualities
that are essential for those who go into the mission: faith, flexibility and a
willingness to suffer. Most of us like
to know exactly what is going to happen.
We like plans, schedules, reserves and comfort. These things are rarely a part of truly missional
living. Later on Jesus would tell them
to take a change of clothes and a sword if they had one, so we cannot say that
going to the mission field with a couple of suitcases is sinful. However, the principle of trusting God and
being willing to step into the unknown with very few resources and even less guarantees
is key to success in ministry. God has
always been faithful to supply the needs of those who place His kingdom above
their comfort of convenience.
COOPERATION FROM OTHERS: Ministry is never done alone. Partnerships are vital to the success of any
mission. In this case as they came into
a town they were to look for a home of a person with a good reputation that
would be willing to take them in and host them while they ministered in the
town. As they were received into the
home they were to bless the home and the owners of the home for sharing this
kindness with them. It was to be
considered an honor to provide hospitality for the ministers of God’s
Word. The body of Christ is meant to
function in this way. We are blessed
when we meet the needs of those who are serving the Lord. As servants of the Lord we are blessed when
others meet our needs. It is a win – win
proposition. Unfortunately, things don’t
always work that way. Jesus warned His
disciples about towns that would be close to having them come and homes that
would not welcome them. In this case
they were to wipe the dust of the town off of their feet as a testimony against
them. They were to leave the judgment of
these cities to the Lord but there would be serious consequences to rejecting
ministers and their message. We must
readily open our hearts to the Word of God and open our homes to those who
minister it. It is an honor to be able
to partner with those who are take the Gospel to those who have never
heard. We are all called to live
sacrificially so that mission can advance.
APPLICATION: Focus on proclaiming the Gospel to others. Recognize we are fighting a battle that
involves spiritual warfare so we must pray for the strength and protection of
the Lord. Help those who have been
deprived of basic physical needs so they might live to hear and respond to the
Gospel. Be willing to trust God and face
discomfort as we serve God in the nations.
Rejoice and take advantage of every opportunity to serve and partner
with those who give their lives to proclaim the Gospel.
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