1 00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:06,680 And with me as we read our Scripture today, and as always, 2 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:09,560 once we finish reading, recite with me. 3 00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:11,320 This is the word of the Lord. Amen. 4 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:14,840 We're going to begin in Matthew chapter 10, going through verses 5 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:17,200 one through 15. This is the word of the Lord 6 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:19,080 beginning in verse one. It says. 7 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:22,760 And he called to him his 12 disciples, and gave them 8 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:26,520 authority over unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal 9 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:28,240 every disease and every affliction. 10 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:30,800 The names of the 12 apostles are these. 11 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:35,080 First, Simon who was called Peter, Andrew his brother James 12 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:38,320 the son of Zebedee, John his brother Philip and Bartholomew, 13 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:40,600 Thomas and Matthew the tax collector. 14 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:45,000 James the son of Alphaeus and Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot and 15 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:49,120 Judas Iscariot who betrayed him. These 12 Jesus sent out 16 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:53,120 instructing them Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no 17 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:56,800 town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the 18 00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:00,400 House of Israel, and proclaim as you go, saying, the Kingdom of 19 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:03,600 heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, raise the dead, 20 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:07,920 cleanse lepers, cast out demons you received without paying, 21 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:12,000 give without pay. Acquire no gold or silver or 22 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:15,440 copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics 23 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:19,840 or sandals, or a staff, for the labourer deserves his food. 24 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:23,640 In whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in 25 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:26,160 it and stay there until you depart. 26 00:01:26,960 --> 00:01:29,840 As you enter the house, greet it, and if the house is worthy, 27 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:32,880 let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let 28 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:36,160 your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive 29 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:39,400 you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your 30 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:42,080 feet when you leave that house or town. 31 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:45,920 Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of 32 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:50,240 judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. 33 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:53,120 This is the word of the Lord, Amen. 34 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:54,720 All right, you guys can have a seat. 35 00:01:56,120 --> 00:02:01,080 And if you have not already, go ahead and turn in your Bibles to 36 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:05,560 Matthew chapter 10. And we're going to be continuing 37 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:08,880 on in our sermon series, the King and His Kingdom. 38 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:14,680 And the title of our sermon today is sent into the harvest 39 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:18,960 equipped for the Workman. What a fitting title for today 40 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:21,640 as we again celebrate the sending out of redemption Bear 41 00:02:21,640 --> 00:02:24,640 River. And this passage, I think, is 42 00:02:24,640 --> 00:02:28,320 very encouraging for us as we look at what that means. 43 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:34,320 And so this passage is kind of a continuation of what we studied 44 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:37,960 last week in Matthew Chapter 9, where we see that Jesus was 45 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:44,840 encouraging his 12 disciples to pray for laborers to enter into 46 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:46,840 the harvest or the field of ministry. 47 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:51,680 And so our passage today reveals the answer to that prayer where 48 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:56,360 Jesus has subsequently now called and commissioned these 49 00:02:56,360 --> 00:03:00,480 same men as the laborers that he is going to send out for that 50 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:03,520 work. And you might be familiar with 51 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:07,360 the saying, be careful what you pray for, right? 52 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:11,200 But I like what Charles Spurgeon said about prayer. 53 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:17,080 He said where the Lord leads us to pray, He means to provide, 54 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:20,560 and that is exactly what Jesus does. 55 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:24,320 As we begin looking through this passage today, we see that Jesus 56 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:29,760 is granting his divine power and authority to these men so that 57 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:32,960 they can minister, so that they can take the gospel to an 58 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:36,720 unbelieving Israel. Jesus gives them strict 59 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:40,440 instructions regarding where they are to go, what they're to 60 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:44,880 do, and even how they are to prepare for this journey. 61 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:49,640 And finally, he encourages them in the face of certain 62 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:53,880 opposition as they shine the light of Christ into a sinful 63 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:56,520 world. And so as we unpack this text 64 00:03:56,920 --> 00:04:00,720 today, a central theme kind of begins to emerge. 65 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:02,400 And that's our main point this morning. 66 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:08,000 It's that when Jesus calls us to serve him, he always equips us 67 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:12,280 for that work. So let's begin our study here. 68 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:16,160 In verse one it says he called to him his 12 disciples and gave 69 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:19,880 them authority over unclean spirits to cast them out to heal 70 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:25,800 every disease and affliction. Now, historically, whenever 71 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:29,560 ancient kings would issue a decree throughout their Kingdom, 72 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:34,360 they would entrust emissaries to proclaim that decree to the 73 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:38,040 people who fell under the rule of this king. 74 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:43,800 And the words and the actions of those emissaries were to be 75 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:48,360 received just as though the king himself were speaking. 76 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:54,400 And so anyone who rejected the order that was taken out by 77 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:57,880 these emissaries, these ambassadors for the king, anyone 78 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:02,640 who rejected that, would face judicial consequences from the 79 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:06,320 king himself. And so in the same way, today in 80 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:11,720 this passage, we see that Jesus has issued a proclamation in 81 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:16,160 verse 7 that says the Kingdom of heaven has come near. 82 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:20,440 That's the proclamation, OK. And so these emissaries, these 83 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:26,040 apostles, the sent out ones, they have been given this decree 84 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:29,760 along with the warning for those who reject God's holy 85 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:33,280 proclamation. So let's look first here at 86 00:05:33,280 --> 00:05:37,720 exactly how Jesus equipped these men for ministry. 87 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:43,440 What we see here is after summoning his 12 disciples 88 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:48,360 together, the text tells us that straight away Jesus gives them 89 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:53,840 authority and power over unclean spirits and over all, all manner 90 00:05:53,840 --> 00:05:57,160 of physical affliction and ailment. 91 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:02,560 And this in itself, this action in itself is something that we 92 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:07,320 see throughout the Bible that is reserved specifically for God 93 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:12,680 because he alone is the source of all power and is the ultimate 94 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:16,960 authority. Like when Moses LED his God's 95 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:20,360 people out of Egypt. God demonstrated his power 96 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:25,160 through Moses by parting the sea, by bringing forth water 97 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:29,760 from a desert rock. We look at prophets like Elijah 98 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:32,240 and Elijah. We see again that God has 99 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:37,280 administered his power so that deaf ears and blind eyes might 100 00:06:37,280 --> 00:06:42,320 be open to believe the prophetic words that come from the mouth 101 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:46,280 of the servants of the Lord and John the Baptist in the New 102 00:06:46,280 --> 00:06:49,360 Testament, we see Jesus called him a burning lamp. 103 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:55,000 He was sent by God for this specific purpose, pointing 104 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,600 people to the true light of men and Jesus. 105 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:01,880 And so these are just a few examples for us in Scripture 106 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:06,720 where we see that the authority, this power and authority did not 107 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:11,360 originate from within these men themselves, but instead was 108 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:15,920 given by God so that they could accomplish God's redemptive 109 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:18,200 purpose that he had set them apart for. 110 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:21,800 And that's exactly what we see today in this passage. 111 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:25,880 Now, the Greek word that's used here when we look at authority 112 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:30,400 is the word exusia. And it does not simply mean that 113 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:34,560 Jesus is just giving them the right to do these things. 114 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:40,240 This is an authority that kind of implies a legal rule, as well 115 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:42,760 as the power and might that's required to carry it out. 116 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:47,000 Because without this divine power and this divine authority, 117 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:51,960 the ability to perform such works like healing the sick, 118 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:56,240 like raising the dead, those things fall short of being 119 00:07:56,240 --> 00:08:00,720 miraculous, apart from the divine power that's given to 120 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:03,440 these apostles here. And so, as we've seen all 121 00:08:03,440 --> 00:08:07,960 throughout our study of Matthew, whenever we see Jesus himself 122 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:13,120 exercising this kind of power, what was it to do when he cast 123 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:16,240 out demons, when he was healing the sick, when he was raising 124 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:20,680 the dead? It was to demonstrate his divine 125 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:26,360 authority and establish him as Lord and King for all those who 126 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:28,240 witnessed these miraculous events. 127 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:33,400 And so at this pivotal milestone we see here in Jesus earthly 128 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:36,559 ministry, he knows that his time is almost at hand. 129 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:40,600 He knows that, and he knows that others must be raised up to 130 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:44,680 continue on, to carry on the work of the ministry that he 131 00:08:44,680 --> 00:08:47,360 began. And so this calling that we see 132 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:51,280 today, this commissioning that we see today of these 12 men 133 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:57,160 paired with this power, this authority from Jesus to carry it 134 00:08:57,160 --> 00:09:01,400 out, it is essential. It's essential that they go in 135 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:03,480 this power. Why is that? 136 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:10,280 Because it overcomes human weakness and incapability while 137 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:14,680 glorifying the one to whom true power and authority belong. 138 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:20,760 Now, I would argue that God has never ceased in performing 139 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:22,320 miracles. Will we all agree with that? 140 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:24,040 I think God still does that today. 141 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:28,840 I think we can agree with that, but I think also the Bible 142 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:33,040 teaches us that these miraculous signed gifts that were 143 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:37,400 distributed almost exclusively among the early apostles, the 144 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:42,640 foundation of Christ Church to prove that they were operating 145 00:09:42,680 --> 00:09:46,880 as direct emissaries of Christ for the gospel. 146 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:51,560 And so as as we look through the text, the text is describing 147 00:09:51,560 --> 00:09:57,360 this authority as covering both the physical and the spiritual 148 00:09:57,400 --> 00:09:59,760 realms. These men operating in the power 149 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:03,040 of Christ, they were given the ability to meet the physical 150 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:06,560 needs of those to whom they were to go and minister by healing 151 00:10:06,560 --> 00:10:11,280 the sick and the afflicted, but also to tend to their spiritual 152 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:15,960 well-being by acting against any unclean or demonic spirits. 153 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:21,960 And so this highlights for us 2 corresponding themes that we see 154 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:27,160 throughout this passage, but that also echo Jesus himself, 155 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:29,360 right? Who was both fully God and fully 156 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:34,560 man, existing in both the human and the spiritual nature within 157 00:10:34,560 --> 00:10:40,240 the person of Jesus. Because we think about mankind's 158 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:42,920 greatest need. What is the greatest need that 159 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:47,200 we as humanity have? It's our spiritual condition 160 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:51,240 before holy God that takes precedence over any physical 161 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:53,320 ailment that we might have, right? 162 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:57,840 Because while our bodies here are to be destroyed, we have an 163 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:00,760 eternal soul and eternal spirit that will live on, that will 164 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:03,840 exist far beyond our physical bodies. 165 00:11:04,680 --> 00:11:06,640 And, and yes, Jesus healed the blind. 166 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:10,080 Yes, he raised the dead, he cleansed lepers. 167 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:17,080 But it was always to point to the greater need for spiritual 168 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:22,000 healing, because while man looks on outward appearances, God 169 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:26,960 judges the heart. And so by giving these men the 170 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:30,920 ability, the power, the authority to heal sickness and 171 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:35,240 disease and to cast out these demons, those who experienced 172 00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:40,160 these physical healings, they were receptive when they were 173 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:45,880 confronted with the reality that spiritual renewal was what they 174 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:49,000 needed the most. And this is a renewal that's 175 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:53,800 made possible only through faith in Jesus, whose Kingdom and 176 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:56,680 authority these men were sent out to proclaim. 177 00:11:56,960 --> 00:11:59,840 And that's going to bring us to our first take home point for 178 00:11:59,840 --> 00:12:05,040 today is that only God's divine power carried out in Christ 179 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:10,720 Jesus can fulfill our greatest need of spiritual renewal. 180 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:17,400 Only God's divine power carried out in Christ Jesus can fulfill 181 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:20,680 our greatest need of spiritual renewal. 182 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:24,680 And I think this is vitally important to remember as we 183 00:12:24,680 --> 00:12:27,680 study this passage. One of the core values of 184 00:12:27,680 --> 00:12:29,880 Redemption Church, you'll see it right over here on one of these 185 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:34,160 banners, is that every member is a missionary. 186 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:39,920 We are mobilizers for the gospel wherever we live, wherever we 187 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:44,040 work, where we shop, where we play, we spend time with our 188 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:49,040 friends and our family. And we all know that when we 189 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:53,280 walk with other believers or that when we're seeking to lead 190 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:58,280 others to Jesus, we often times can rely too heavily on 191 00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:02,360 ourselves to do that, which can quickly lead us to 192 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:05,400 discouragement and ultimately to fruitless ministry. 193 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:09,800 If we're depending on ourselves for that work, we have to 194 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:13,880 remember that the power of the Holy Spirit of God that He has 195 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:19,600 given to all who are in Christ, it is fully sufficient to 196 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:22,880 overcome our spiritual weaknesses and our inabilities. 197 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:28,120 And because of that, we can live boldly as emissaries, as 198 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:33,000 ambassadors for Christ, because we're trusting the work to the 199 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:36,960 one who actually holds the power, the true power and 200 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:41,760 authority, and who alone can affect real change within the 201 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:45,720 hearts of men. And so as we look into our next 202 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:49,440 section here in verses 2 to 4, we might ask the question, well, 203 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:51,920 who were these men? Who were these 12 guys that 204 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:56,360 Jesus has called apart here? And I think as we look briefly 205 00:13:56,600 --> 00:14:03,560 at who these men are or were, we begin to see a snapshot of 206 00:14:03,560 --> 00:14:09,480 ourselves and how Jesus really uses ordinary, unremarkable men 207 00:14:09,720 --> 00:14:13,360 as laborers in this harvest. So let's read verses 2 to 4 as 208 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:17,200 we continue on. It says the names of the 12 209 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:20,400 apostles are these. First, Simon, who is called 210 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:23,800 Peter and Andrew, his brother, James, the son of Zebedee, John, 211 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:27,040 his brother Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew 212 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:30,080 the tax collector. James, the son of Alpheus and 213 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:33,720 Thaddeus. Simon the Zealot and Judas 214 00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:38,440 Iscariot who betrayed him. Here's a fun fact for you. 215 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:43,960 Did you know that one of the one of the reasons, one of the 216 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:47,680 catalysts for John Wickliffe when he translated the Bible 217 00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:51,880 from Latin to English, was that he took a survey of English 218 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:56,880 clergy at that time and he discovered that less than 1/3 219 00:14:57,440 --> 00:14:59,800 were able to name these 12 apostles? 220 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:02,760 Can you believe that? Now, I don't know if that 221 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:06,360 number's gone up anymore today. I certainly hope so, Hope that 222 00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:08,920 we all here could name the 12 if we were quiz. 223 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:14,280 But when we look in the Bible, really, other than Peter and 224 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:18,560 James and John, you know, there's very little that's given 225 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:21,640 in Scripture about the lives of these men. 226 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:24,600 I mean, we see, you know, bits and pieces here and there. 227 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:28,000 We see maybe their first encounter with Jesus described 228 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:32,040 in Scripture, maybe some brief details of when they were 229 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:34,680 following him along. But I think for the most part, 230 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:38,320 these men are just kind of seemingly anonymous throughout 231 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:40,760 Scripture. And I think we often look at 232 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:46,280 these 12 men more as a collective, as the 12, rather 233 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:49,760 than as individuals. But here's what we do know. 234 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:51,600 Here's what we do know about these men. 235 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:57,160 We know that some of them were fishermen, just common guys down 236 00:15:57,160 --> 00:16:00,080 by the banks making a living catching fish. 237 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:03,840 We know that one was a tax collector, the most hated man 238 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:08,280 probably in all the village. We know that one was a political 239 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:11,920 rebel, a zealot. We know that two were called the 240 00:16:11,920 --> 00:16:15,240 Sons of Thunder for their volatile personalities. 241 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:19,320 And we know that one would become the betrayer. 242 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:25,000 And though these men were were outcast, they were downtrodden, 243 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:29,440 they were despised. Their encounter with the living 244 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:35,640 God made person in the flesh, in the person of Jesus, that took 245 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:41,840 them from ordinary men who God used for an extraordinary 246 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:44,320 purpose. Now does that mean that they 247 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:47,360 always did everything right? Of course not. 248 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:51,680 But Jesus summoned them here as disciples. 249 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:54,720 Notice this change. He summons them as disciples, 250 00:16:54,920 --> 00:16:58,200 those who have been following Him, those who've been learning 251 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:02,680 from Him, and now in his power, in his authority, in his 252 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:08,440 commissioning, He sent them out as apostles, the sent out ones 253 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:14,480 acting in the authority of the king to proclaim his Kingdom. 254 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:19,680 But before Jesus sets them on their way here, he gives them 255 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:22,800 strict instructions on where and how they are to go. 256 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:28,079 Let's look here in verses 5 through 8 it says these 12 Jesus 257 00:17:28,079 --> 00:17:31,160 sent out instructing them go nowhere among the Gentiles and 258 00:17:31,160 --> 00:17:34,880 enter no town of the Samaritans to go rather to the lost sheep 259 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:37,920 of the House of Israel and proclaim as you go, saying the 260 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:41,400 Kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, raise the dead, 261 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:45,400 cleanse lepers, cast out demons you received without paying, 262 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:50,720 give without pay. Now think as we study this 263 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:55,400 section here, it's important for us to note that this directive 264 00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:59,640 here that that Jesus has given them to to go out exclusively 265 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:01,960 first to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. 266 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:08,160 This is only for this specific time in the ministry of these 267 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:11,240 apostles, because later we look in Scripture, what do we see 268 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:13,480 especially we look at the Great Commission. 269 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:17,320 We look in Acts, we see Jesus using language like make 270 00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:21,840 disciples of all nations and you will be my witnesses to the ends 271 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:27,360 of the earth, indicating to us that the gospel was always meant 272 00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:32,760 to reach, to go out and reach those far beyond Israel. 273 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:37,440 But for this specific moment, for this specific mission, it's 274 00:18:37,440 --> 00:18:40,800 their instruction to go to the lost sheep of the House of 275 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:43,240 Israel first. Why is that? 276 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:48,080 Well, like a blue tick hound that's chasing a raccoon. 277 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:52,080 You might have already struck this trail of biblical symbolism 278 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:55,760 here. Jesus sent 12 apostles. 279 00:18:56,520 --> 00:18:59,720 There's 12 tribes of Israel. There's got to be something 280 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:01,600 there, right? So let's let's bark up this tree 281 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:04,480 for just a minute. We look at Romans chapter one, 282 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:06,400 verse 16. It says I'm not ashamed of the 283 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:08,720 gospel. For the gospel is the power of 284 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:13,920 God unto salvation for all who believe what first to the Jew 285 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:19,000 and then also to the Greek, giving us this clear 286 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:23,440 chronological precedent here, that the gospel was meant to go 287 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:27,120 first to the people of Israel, to the nation of Israel, to 288 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:31,440 ethnic Israel. But Paul goes on in Romans 96 to 289 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:36,600 say this, that not all who are descended from Israel are 290 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:41,000 Israel, meaning that there's some different Israel. 291 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:45,120 Is there some true Israel and some untrue, indicating that the 292 00:19:45,120 --> 00:19:50,240 true Israel here is made-up of a people outside of this ethnic 293 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:53,160 birthright that's promised through Abraham, through the 294 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:57,040 seed of Abraham and Jacob in the Abrahamic covenant. 295 00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:00,160 We look back in the Old Testament in this Abrahamic 296 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:03,440 covenant that God made with Abraham and later with Jacob, 297 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:07,560 which was kind of the first stage in this yet to be fully 298 00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:12,360 realized covenant of grace that we see proceeding down through 299 00:20:12,360 --> 00:20:14,840 the Mosaic and through the Davidic covenants. 300 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:17,960 And we're not going to get super deep in the weeds there, but. 301 00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:22,640 Just understand that that all these are only formally 302 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:28,280 completed and carried out in the new covenant through the 303 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:30,680 finished work of Christ. And so as we look back in the 304 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:34,360 Old Testament prophets, we're going to see exactly who this 305 00:20:34,360 --> 00:20:38,720 true Israel is here. If we look in Isaiah chapter 49 306 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:43,000 verses 3 through 6, it says the word of the Lord says, and he 307 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,400 said to me, you are my servant Israel and whom I will be 308 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:47,920 glorified. But I said, I have labored in 309 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:49,320 vain. I've spent my strength for 310 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:52,640 nothing and vanity, yet surely my right is with the Lord, and 311 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:55,520 my recompense with God. And now the Lord says he who 312 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:58,800 formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring back Jacob 313 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:01,600 to him, that Israel might be gathered to him. 314 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:06,080 For I am honored in the eyes of the Lord, and my God has become 315 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:10,160 my strength. He says, And it's too light a 316 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:13,200 thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes 317 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:15,440 of Jacob, to bring back the preserved of Israel. 318 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:20,440 I will make you as a light for the nations that my salvation 319 00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:21,560 may reach to the end of the earth. 320 00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:25,280 So there again we see again just exactly again what Jesus was 321 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:27,680 telling us in the Great Commission in Acts. 322 00:21:28,120 --> 00:21:32,120 This was always for a greater people than just Israel. 323 00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:36,800 And in verse 3 here God calls the servant Israel. 324 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:44,760 But by verse 5, we see that that servant, not this ethnic nation 325 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:49,360 of Israel, but rather the promised mediator who fulfills 326 00:21:49,360 --> 00:21:52,840 the broken works of the Mosaic covenant and actively 327 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:57,000 establishes this new covenant for the elect that God has set 328 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:59,040 apart. So who is that servant? 329 00:21:59,880 --> 00:22:04,920 Who is that mediator? I thought we fixed that gas leak 330 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:06,240 in here. Who is it? 331 00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:08,680 Jesus. It's Jesus, right? 332 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:11,920 Yes. And so at the exact same time 333 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:17,000 here, what we see is we see that Christ Jesus is identified as 334 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:22,280 the true Israel here, but we see that this servant, this true 335 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:27,280 Israel has a specific mission to the people of the ethnic people 336 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:30,720 of Israel. So we're the ethnic nation of 337 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:32,960 people. That's those who were born in 338 00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:37,920 this birthright of Jacob, descended from that lineage. 339 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:42,600 We see where that nation has failed under the covenant of 340 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:45,280 works. We see that Christ succeeds. 341 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:51,080 He renders the perfect obedience that the nation of Israel could 342 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:54,480 not, securing righteousness for his people. 343 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:58,880 Now looking at verse 5, it says formed me in the womb to be his 344 00:22:58,880 --> 00:23:00,480 servant. This is Speaking of the 345 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:03,760 incarnation where Jesus took on flesh. 346 00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:10,640 In this eternal decree, Christ was appointed that mediator of 347 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:14,200 the covenant of grace from eternity past, right? 348 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:17,240 This is something that God established within himself, 349 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:23,320 within the triune being of who he is from eternity past. 350 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:27,280 And so this physical incarnation where Jesus was born and took on 351 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:32,800 flesh and lived as a man, that was specifically designed for 352 00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:37,440 this mediatorial role here that we see to bring back Jacob in 353 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:40,600 verse 6, to bring him back and gather Israel. 354 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:45,720 This is Christ's initial earthly ministry that was strictly to 355 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:49,600 the lost sheep of Israel that when we continue on in Matthew, 356 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:54,520 you'll see in verse or starting chapter 15 and verse 24, Jesus 357 00:23:54,520 --> 00:23:57,920 says that very thing that his ministry is first to Israel. 358 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:01,960 But this gathering together that it talks about here, it's not 359 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:05,920 merely just an ethnic restoration of this ethnic 360 00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:10,480 people, Christ is gathering within this group the the true 361 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:14,800 Israel, the elect, the true Israelites, the elect within 362 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:19,040 Israel, the true spiritual seed of Adam. 363 00:24:19,040 --> 00:24:21,640 So you see the difference here again, back to that those 364 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:24,440 corresponding themes of the physical and the spiritual 365 00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:27,000 operating here within this passage. 366 00:24:28,120 --> 00:24:31,960 And as we mentioned in Romans 96, not all who are descended, 367 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:36,240 meaning physical descendants in this lineal bloodline, not all 368 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:39,440 who are descended from Israel are Israel. 369 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:43,960 And so while Jesus's work, his ministry, his death, his 370 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:50,120 resurrection have retroactively now secured salvation of the Old 371 00:24:50,120 --> 00:24:55,080 Testament elect and this 1st century Jewish remnant, the 372 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:58,800 Bible calls it this small portion that would be saved. 373 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:03,520 The covenant promised to bring into this new covenant a 374 00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:09,160 spiritual Israel had to take place before the Gentiles were 375 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:12,280 brought into that fold, right? Do we understand that is that is 376 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:13,920 that crystal clear? Maybe? 377 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:18,240 OK, that's again, covenant study is something you can you can 378 00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:20,520 take into your own hands. And I encourage you to do that 379 00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:25,680 because the more you study this, you see that God never fails to 380 00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:28,600 uphold his promises in establishing these covenants. 381 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:35,920 Because Jesus, who is the true Israel, commands these 12, 11 of 382 00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:39,680 whom, with the exception of of course, Judas, were true 383 00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:44,440 spiritual Israelites by faith to act within his divine power. 384 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:47,880 They're to meet physical needs. They're to meet the, the, the 385 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:51,600 spiritual needs with the gospel. And they're to begin with the 386 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:55,320 lost sheep of Israel. Because here's the why. 387 00:25:55,800 --> 00:26:00,320 Because it is in direct fulfilment with the law and the 388 00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:02,400 prophets. And that's our take home point 389 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:10,280 #2 for today is that gospel ministry is firmly founded on 390 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:12,520 the eternal truth of who Jesus is. 391 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:18,880 Gospel ministry is firmly founded on the eternal truth of 392 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:22,360 who Jesus is found in the Word of God. 393 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:28,440 And like these apostles, when we take part in gospel ministry, 394 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:33,000 and when I say we, I don't just mean we as as pastors and 395 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:38,240 elders. I mean all Christians, friend. 396 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:42,680 It's not based on our opinion and it's not based on our 397 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:47,680 feelings because opinions can be swayed and feelings can deceive. 398 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:50,440 It has to be rooted in something else. 399 00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:53,640 It has to be founded. It has to stand on some other 400 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:58,480 truth other than what we say that truth is, because that's 401 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:02,880 not truth. The truth is found in who Jesus 402 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:08,440 is and what he's already done. It's firmly set in the Word of 403 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:14,520 God because Christ Jesus is the fulfilment of that word. 404 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:21,080 And so the more time that we spend studying and treasuring 405 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:25,360 His Word, the more those beauties of Christ are revealed 406 00:27:25,360 --> 00:27:28,000 to us. From Genesis all the way to 407 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:33,520 Revelation, this is the story that God wrote and it has its 408 00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:38,760 glorious fulfilment in Christ as the cornerstone of his gospel. 409 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:41,960 Now that was a lot to take in there. 410 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:43,880 That was a lot of meat. Let me let me let you chew that 411 00:27:43,880 --> 00:27:47,440 up for a minute. And I want you to think about 412 00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:50,320 something here as we take a slow down. 413 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:53,320 You know, as school is kind of winding down this year, the 414 00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:57,920 summer's getting ready to kick in to full swing here. 415 00:27:57,920 --> 00:28:00,360 Memorial Day typically is kind of the ushering in the 416 00:28:00,360 --> 00:28:04,000 inauguration of summer. I'm sure there's a lot of you 417 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:08,920 that are preparing for maybe summer trips, long summer 418 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:12,560 vacations. Now if you're anything like me, 419 00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:15,560 you err on the side of being over prepared. 420 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:20,200 I often will pack multiples of the same item when in reality I 421 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:24,160 probably only need one. Or realistically maybe maybe 422 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:25,760 none. Usually it's none. 423 00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:31,840 But I live by this mantra. 2 is 1 and 1 is none, all right? 424 00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:34,280 Meaning if you got one of something, it's just like you 425 00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:36,680 got nothing. So always bring 2. 426 00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:41,920 Good rule to live by. But because of this, even when 427 00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:47,040 we go on short family hikes or adventures, my pack often looks 428 00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:51,280 like this. Can anybody relate to that? 429 00:28:51,600 --> 00:28:55,560 You over pack, you bring too much, you don't use most of what 430 00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:59,400 you need. And like anybody who's preparing 431 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:03,160 for a long journey, these 12 apostles here, they're likely 432 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:07,600 already mentally preparing, making a mental inventory here 433 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:12,600 of of all the physical provision that they would need for this 434 00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:15,600 journey. But as we look through the next 435 00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:19,400 couple verses in our text here, the next set of instructions 436 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:24,640 that Jesus gives to these 12 is not what they should take, but 437 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:27,840 what they should not take. So let's continue on in verses 9 438 00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:31,800 and 10. Here in verse 9 it says acquire 439 00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:35,320 no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your 440 00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:38,720 journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff for the 441 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:44,320 laborer deserves his food. Now Jesus tells his apostles 442 00:29:44,320 --> 00:29:47,360 here, don't take any gold, don't take silver, don't take don't 443 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:49,400 take copper. In other words, don't worry 444 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:52,640 about money. Don't pack a bag, don't take a 445 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:55,000 bunch of extra clothes, don't worry about what you're going to 446 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:57,480 wear. Don't take a staff. 447 00:29:57,480 --> 00:30:00,920 He says you'll be protected, don't worry about food. 448 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:04,280 He says, I'll make sure that your belly's full. 449 00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:09,760 I'll make sure you're fed. Now, Jesus is not saying these 450 00:30:09,760 --> 00:30:13,760 things because they won't need these things. 451 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:17,120 Of course they're going to need all these things, right? 452 00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:25,800 But his desire for them is to focus entirely on the work at 453 00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:30,640 hand and to rest securely in the provision of their Savior. 454 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:36,120 That's Jesus's desire here. Because remember, when Jesus 455 00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:40,840 calls us to serve him, he always equips us for that work. 456 00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:47,480 And friends, this has been a challenging struggle for me 457 00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:52,400 mentally, spiritually, going all the way back to when we moved to 458 00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:55,760 Utah from South Carolina to help plant Redemption N Davis. 459 00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:59,400 And even now as we look at Redemption Bear River and 460 00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:02,880 planting up there, struggle with that sometimes. 461 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:06,440 And it's not because we haven't seen God's provision and God's 462 00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:09,200 goodness for our church and for our family. 463 00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:14,960 Trust me, we've seen it, we continue to see it, but there is 464 00:31:14,960 --> 00:31:21,200 just a deep seated self dependence, this self-reliance 465 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:26,640 that is just ingrained in all of us and our fleshly nature. 466 00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:30,280 It's there and it can paralyze us. 467 00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:35,040 It can paralyze us. And maybe you felt like this 468 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:37,120 before. Maybe you felt like God is 469 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:41,680 leading you to do something. But we fear taking action 470 00:31:41,680 --> 00:31:44,200 because, oh, what if everything's not just perfectly 471 00:31:44,320 --> 00:31:46,240 in the right place and everything's not just as it 472 00:31:46,240 --> 00:31:48,480 should be? And what if I don't have this? 473 00:31:48,480 --> 00:31:52,040 And what if I don't have that and you're paralyzed and you 474 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:58,120 don't act? That is disobedience to what God 475 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:03,840 has called you to do. And this is precisely why Jesus 476 00:32:04,360 --> 00:32:09,880 tells these men, forgo your fear and trust in the provision of 477 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:15,640 the Lord here. Now, when the Lord called me to 478 00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:20,240 step away from the workforce and commit to full time ministry, I 479 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:23,880 wrestled with that. I wrestled with that a lot. 480 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:27,280 I had a good paying job with good benefits. 481 00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:30,440 I felt like I was doing a a good job. 482 00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:33,520 I was doing well in providing for my family and that's 483 00:32:33,520 --> 00:32:35,880 important. That's important. 484 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:40,080 Hear me now that is important in our role as providers, as 485 00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:45,320 protectors of our family. But if that self reliant need 486 00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:50,760 for provision stands in the way of doing something that God has 487 00:32:50,760 --> 00:32:55,920 called you to do, friend, it's imperative that you set that 488 00:32:55,920 --> 00:33:00,360 aside. As hard as that may be, it is 489 00:33:00,360 --> 00:33:04,480 imperative that you set that aside and step into a faith 490 00:33:04,720 --> 00:33:08,560 filled, fully dependent relationship with Jesus. 491 00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:17,280 That is what He wants for all of us to lay down our fears at His 492 00:33:17,280 --> 00:33:23,480 feet to give Him our burdens. And Jesus previously taught this 493 00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:27,080 to these same men. If we look back in Matthew 494 00:33:27,080 --> 00:33:33,480 chapter 6, remember Matthew 6? That one's not in there. 495 00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:35,320 Turn in your Bibles. You're already in Matthew right 496 00:33:35,320 --> 00:33:36,600 there. Should take you just a couple 497 00:33:36,600 --> 00:33:40,640 pages. Matthew 625 to 33. 498 00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:43,800 What does He say? Therefore, I tell you what, 499 00:33:43,800 --> 00:33:46,880 don't be anxious about your life, what you'll eat, what 500 00:33:46,880 --> 00:33:50,920 you'll drink about your body, what you'll put on is life not 501 00:33:50,920 --> 00:33:54,800 more than food in the body, more than clothing, right? 502 00:33:55,560 --> 00:33:57,680 Then he goes on through the passage and what does he say at 503 00:33:57,680 --> 00:34:01,960 the end? He says seek first the Kingdom 504 00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:06,640 of God, and all these things will be added to you. 505 00:34:07,600 --> 00:34:13,199 Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all of these things that 506 00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:17,560 Jesus has told them to leave behind will be there. 507 00:34:17,560 --> 00:34:21,560 He's simply saying, look, as you go, as my emissaries, as my 508 00:34:21,560 --> 00:34:28,440 ambassadors, as my apostles, seek first the mission that 509 00:34:28,440 --> 00:34:31,840 you've been sent for. Seek first the Kingdom of God, 510 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:36,000 not just taking it to those who are far from God, but in your 511 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:39,639 own relationship with me, in your own walk with me. 512 00:34:39,800 --> 00:34:42,400 Those are the things that you should seek first. 513 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:44,960 Because what is Jesus doing here? 514 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:51,120 He's pointing out the greater spiritual need because listen, 515 00:34:52,880 --> 00:34:58,680 when we enter territory that is hostile to the gospel, we need 516 00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:00,880 far more than physical provision. 517 00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:04,320 We need to be ready for spiritual warfare. 518 00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:08,560 Amen. We have to be clothed in His 519 00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:11,520 righteousness. We have to be protected by the 520 00:35:11,520 --> 00:35:14,680 armor of God. We have to be fed by the bread 521 00:35:14,680 --> 00:35:19,440 of life. And when we are, we can walk in 522 00:35:19,440 --> 00:35:24,160 confidence knowing that whatever we might lack physically, we are 523 00:35:24,160 --> 00:35:29,640 abundantly provided for in spirit as we go about His work. 524 00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:38,480 And sometimes, friend, that spiritual provision, that faith 525 00:35:39,640 --> 00:35:42,000 that has been strengthened by our good provider, that's all 526 00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:43,840 we've got to fall back on sometimes. 527 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:48,720 That's all we've got sometimes because, listen, we're always 528 00:35:48,720 --> 00:35:51,720 going to need more money. We're always going to need more 529 00:35:51,720 --> 00:35:52,840 food. We're always going to need new 530 00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:55,120 clothes. Our health may fail, 531 00:35:55,200 --> 00:35:58,840 relationships may break. But the Kingdom that these men 532 00:35:58,840 --> 00:36:01,640 were sent out to proclaim, it's not an earthly Kingdom. 533 00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:06,080 It's going to be subject to age and to entropy. 534 00:36:06,840 --> 00:36:12,360 This is an everlasting Kingdom where neither moth nor rust 535 00:36:12,640 --> 00:36:16,880 destroys. It's an eternal rule where 536 00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:21,320 Christ reigns supreme and brings the dead hearts to life. 537 00:36:23,280 --> 00:36:28,520 And in our final section of text today, we see this sobering 538 00:36:28,520 --> 00:36:32,440 warning for these who ignore this royal decree. 539 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:36,160 Let's look as we finish up here in verses 11 through 15. 540 00:36:46,440 --> 00:36:48,160 Get us on, get us on. Verse 11 there. 541 00:36:48,160 --> 00:36:50,560 Who's I got the slides? All right, Verse 11 through 15, 542 00:36:50,560 --> 00:36:53,400 it says here. And whatever town or village you 543 00:36:53,400 --> 00:36:55,160 enter, find out who is worthy in it. 544 00:36:55,160 --> 00:36:58,280 Stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet 545 00:36:58,280 --> 00:37:00,080 it. And if the house is worthy, let 546 00:37:00,080 --> 00:37:03,040 your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let 547 00:37:03,040 --> 00:37:06,520 your peace return to you. If anyone will not receive you 548 00:37:06,920 --> 00:37:10,200 or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when 549 00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:14,760 you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it will be 550 00:37:14,760 --> 00:37:18,000 more bearable on the day of judgement for the land of Sodom 551 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:21,880 and Gomorrah than for that town. So finally, Jesus instructs them 552 00:37:21,880 --> 00:37:26,160 here when they arrive in a town, go look for those people who are 553 00:37:26,160 --> 00:37:28,800 going to be hospitable to you, who are going to receive you 554 00:37:28,800 --> 00:37:32,800 well, not just physically, not just meeting your needs, but to 555 00:37:32,800 --> 00:37:34,640 those people, they're going to hear what you have to say. 556 00:37:34,640 --> 00:37:37,560 You're going to listen to this gospel message that you 557 00:37:37,560 --> 00:37:40,240 proclaim. Go find those people. 558 00:37:40,240 --> 00:37:45,200 Go hunker down there, is what he's saying, and certainly while 559 00:37:45,200 --> 00:37:51,680 the comfort of a soft bed and a nice warm meal by the fire that 560 00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:54,400 would've been greatly appreciated after a long journey 561 00:37:54,880 --> 00:37:57,120 like this. But what have we seen throughout 562 00:37:57,120 --> 00:38:01,240 this text? The mission here is far greater 563 00:38:01,240 --> 00:38:04,640 than the than the ministers. The need of the mission is far 564 00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:07,080 greater than those who are carrying it out. 565 00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:11,400 And hopefully by now you've caught on that Jesus is not 566 00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:16,960 simply talking here about welcoming homes, but willing 567 00:38:17,040 --> 00:38:20,000 hearts. Willing hearts. 568 00:38:21,200 --> 00:38:26,560 This demonstrates the vital importance of the Gospel. 569 00:38:28,240 --> 00:38:33,480 It is the invitation. It is the invitation to enter by 570 00:38:33,480 --> 00:38:38,160 faith the very Kingdom that these apostles were sent to 571 00:38:38,160 --> 00:38:41,840 proclaim. And a worthy person. 572 00:38:42,480 --> 00:38:45,800 In this context, it's not just someone who is offering 573 00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:49,680 hospitality to the King's emissaries. 574 00:38:50,520 --> 00:38:56,600 It's the person whose heart God has prepared to receive the 575 00:38:56,600 --> 00:39:00,360 gospel. And this points us to God's 576 00:39:00,360 --> 00:39:04,240 effectual calling where we see the power of the Holy Spirit 577 00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:09,400 drawing people to himself, leading to regeneration, to 578 00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:13,200 conversion, to fruitful gospel ministry. 579 00:39:15,160 --> 00:39:17,320 The worthy house is, is the receptive house. 580 00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:22,560 They're the ones that God has given ears to hear and believe 581 00:39:22,560 --> 00:39:26,720 the gospel. And just as these apostles 582 00:39:27,760 --> 00:39:33,680 pronounce their Shalom, their blessing of peace on those who 583 00:39:33,680 --> 00:39:40,800 care for them, when the Spirit brings sinful men to Christ, he 584 00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:45,560 bestows his eternal Shalom upon their hearts. 585 00:39:47,720 --> 00:39:50,040 Now, as we conclude our text today, we see that there's 586 00:39:50,040 --> 00:39:54,280 another kind of house that's mentioned here, one that's 587 00:39:54,320 --> 00:39:57,480 inhospitable, one that's unreceptive. 588 00:39:59,480 --> 00:40:01,520 This points to those who hear the gospel. 589 00:40:01,520 --> 00:40:06,520 But despite the earnest efforts. Of the laborers here, they just 590 00:40:06,520 --> 00:40:11,200 outright reject, and it's heartbreaking as that is. 591 00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:15,560 We have to understand the mandate that Jesus gives here 592 00:40:16,040 --> 00:40:21,360 when that happens, while we're called to bring the gospel to 593 00:40:21,360 --> 00:40:24,720 those who are far from God, Jesus instructs here that when 594 00:40:24,720 --> 00:40:28,240 that message falls on deaf ears, don't tarry long. 595 00:40:29,400 --> 00:40:34,040 Don't tarry long. We have to continue out into the 596 00:40:34,040 --> 00:40:38,160 harvest praying that the next house will be a receptive house. 597 00:40:39,920 --> 00:40:42,880 And he encourages his 12 year. Don't internalize that 598 00:40:42,880 --> 00:40:47,000 rejection. Don't hold that rejection, but 599 00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:49,480 instead take that peace of Christ with you. 600 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:54,840 Take it with you and move on. To rest in the peace of the Lord 601 00:40:55,240 --> 00:41:01,120 is to rest in Christ, knowing that once that decree has been 602 00:41:01,120 --> 00:41:02,640 proclaimed, remember that decree. 603 00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:07,640 The Kingdom of heaven is near. Once that message has been 604 00:41:07,640 --> 00:41:11,160 proclaimed, the emissary's responsibility is fulfilled. 605 00:41:13,960 --> 00:41:18,040 Meaning the job of the messenger is to deliver the message. 606 00:41:19,360 --> 00:41:21,040 That's our job. That's their job. 607 00:41:21,920 --> 00:41:25,760 The job of the messenger is to deliver the message. 608 00:41:26,000 --> 00:41:33,160 And if it's rejected, justice for those who reject belongs 609 00:41:33,160 --> 00:41:40,120 entirely to the king. And in verse 14, here we look at 610 00:41:40,120 --> 00:41:44,480 verse 14 and we if we look on the surface, it's almost as 611 00:41:44,480 --> 00:41:49,480 though Jesus is merely telling his apostles to just leave these 612 00:41:49,480 --> 00:41:55,480 unreceptive places. Just get out of there so fast 613 00:41:56,280 --> 00:41:57,880 that the dust falls off your feet. 614 00:41:59,200 --> 00:42:05,880 But when we dig deeper, there is a deep cultural significance 615 00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:09,920 here in this command to shake the dust off your feet. 616 00:42:10,920 --> 00:42:16,440 In a 1st century Jewish context, this was a highly symbolic 617 00:42:16,440 --> 00:42:20,240 gesture. Now, devout Jews, whenever they 618 00:42:20,240 --> 00:42:25,280 would go and travel to these Gentile nations, they believed 619 00:42:25,280 --> 00:42:30,960 that the very soil, the very grains of dirt in these Gentile 620 00:42:30,960 --> 00:42:33,360 nations were ceremonially unclean. 621 00:42:33,360 --> 00:42:36,560 So when they would travel, before they would cross back 622 00:42:36,560 --> 00:42:39,920 into the border, they would literally shake off their 623 00:42:39,920 --> 00:42:43,880 clothes and their sandals in a physical demonstration of 624 00:42:43,880 --> 00:42:48,120 separation from that. Basically say, look, I'm leaving 625 00:42:48,120 --> 00:42:53,720 the impurity of this idolatry, this Pagan idolatry, this Pagan 626 00:42:53,720 --> 00:42:55,640 world. I'm leaving it behind. 627 00:42:55,800 --> 00:43:00,480 And I don't even want to bring 1 speck of that uncleanliness back 628 00:43:00,480 --> 00:43:03,400 in with me. That's what that gesture means. 629 00:43:03,760 --> 00:43:07,480 And so by commanding his apostles to shake the dust off 630 00:43:07,480 --> 00:43:12,000 their feet when they're leaving a Jewish Home or town who has 631 00:43:12,000 --> 00:43:16,440 rejected the gospel, Jesus is telling them perform this 632 00:43:16,560 --> 00:43:22,400 symbolic action against the lost sheep of the House of Israel. 633 00:43:22,400 --> 00:43:28,320 It's a it's a severe declaration that any Israelite who rejects 634 00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:34,120 the true Israel is no longer part of this covenant and will 635 00:43:34,120 --> 00:43:39,320 not be welcomed into his Kingdom because to God, their rejection 636 00:43:39,320 --> 00:43:46,160 has rendered them spiritually unclean, no different from the 637 00:43:46,160 --> 00:43:50,640 Pagan Gentiles. And so for a 1st century Jew, 638 00:43:50,960 --> 00:43:55,480 this would have been a shocking and severe indictment of their 639 00:43:55,480 --> 00:43:58,880 spiritual condition, and they would have understood it to be 640 00:43:58,880 --> 00:44:06,160 that as well. And so Jesus concludes here by 641 00:44:06,160 --> 00:44:11,600 giving us the royal judgement for those who have rejected his 642 00:44:11,600 --> 00:44:14,400 decree. He says their punishment will be 643 00:44:14,560 --> 00:44:20,200 far worse than that of Sodom and Gomorrah, those ancient cities 644 00:44:21,200 --> 00:44:24,960 that were destroyed in a fiery rain of sulfur for their 645 00:44:24,960 --> 00:44:30,280 debauchery. That was a terrible fate for 646 00:44:30,280 --> 00:44:36,560 those cities, but it was a singular earthly judgement. 647 00:44:39,640 --> 00:44:43,800 Rejecting Jesus negates those covenant promises. 648 00:44:44,000 --> 00:44:48,120 It leaves the person outside of the Kingdom, resulting in 649 00:44:48,120 --> 00:44:51,960 spiritual death and eternal suffering. 650 00:44:53,560 --> 00:44:58,280 Eternal suffering. That's why it's so much worse. 651 00:45:00,040 --> 00:45:05,720 But that's the righteous and just judgement of the true King. 652 00:45:05,760 --> 00:45:11,160 For those who scoff at his decree, at his gospel. 653 00:45:14,120 --> 00:45:17,200 Now, this was undoubtedly difficult reality for these 654 00:45:17,200 --> 00:45:20,440 apostles here, all of whom were Jews. 655 00:45:20,440 --> 00:45:27,000 All 12 were Jews themselves. I think for us it has to be a 656 00:45:27,240 --> 00:45:32,280 heavy and a sobering reminder for us to sit with today, to 657 00:45:32,280 --> 00:45:38,000 hear that rejecting the gospel brings the judgement more severe 658 00:45:38,000 --> 00:45:40,320 than the fire and brimstone of Sodom. 659 00:45:41,600 --> 00:45:44,240 That's terrifying. It should be. 660 00:45:45,200 --> 00:45:49,320 It should be terrifying. But church, this is exactly why 661 00:45:50,160 --> 00:45:52,920 this mission is so intensely urgent. 662 00:45:54,320 --> 00:45:59,520 And that is exactly why Jesus does not send his laborers out 663 00:45:59,680 --> 00:46:03,760 to do it on their own. Because when Jesus calls us to 664 00:46:03,760 --> 00:46:08,680 serve him, he always equips us for that work. 665 00:46:11,960 --> 00:46:16,000 I like these apostles. Jesus doesn't just give us the 666 00:46:16,000 --> 00:46:18,800 command to go. He gives us the authority, the 667 00:46:18,800 --> 00:46:23,000 provision, the truth of the gospel that can bring dead 668 00:46:23,000 --> 00:46:26,520 hearts to life. The very picture of which we 669 00:46:26,520 --> 00:46:30,680 celebrated through the ordinance of baptism this morning. 670 00:46:32,560 --> 00:46:35,200 Because we don't go into our neighborhoods and into our 671 00:46:35,200 --> 00:46:38,600 workplaces and into our communities with a message that 672 00:46:38,600 --> 00:46:41,440 says if you're good enough, you can make it. 673 00:46:43,080 --> 00:46:44,640 That's not the message that we take. 674 00:46:44,800 --> 00:46:48,680 We go bearing the royal decree of the king. 675 00:46:49,760 --> 00:46:56,000 We carry the gospel that says the Kingdom of God is near and 676 00:46:56,000 --> 00:46:59,760 to enter it you must be born again. 677 00:47:01,640 --> 00:47:04,280 That's what God's Word says in John chapter 3. 678 00:47:06,200 --> 00:47:12,960 And that's the hard truth of Scripture, that every single one 679 00:47:12,960 --> 00:47:17,600 of us is born into that unworthy house. 680 00:47:19,000 --> 00:47:21,240 By nature, we are enemies of God. 681 00:47:21,680 --> 00:47:27,080 We are children of wrath. Sin has separated us from God. 682 00:47:27,080 --> 00:47:31,680 It's it's made us spiritually unclean, and it has made us 683 00:47:31,680 --> 00:47:36,520 entirely deserving of God's righteous and eternal judgement. 684 00:47:36,520 --> 00:47:39,760 That's the bad news. That's the bad news. 685 00:47:40,840 --> 00:47:47,520 But the good news is this, that just as Jesus prepared these 686 00:47:47,520 --> 00:47:52,040 apostles for their calling, for their commissioning to serve 687 00:47:52,040 --> 00:47:59,360 him, in today's text, Jesus prepares the hearts for his 688 00:47:59,360 --> 00:48:03,480 redeeming work of those that he calls unto salvation. 689 00:48:04,800 --> 00:48:10,400 God, being rich in mercy, sent the true Israel, the eternal 690 00:48:10,400 --> 00:48:19,080 Son, the true King of kings, Jesus God, who took on the 691 00:48:19,080 --> 00:48:23,800 weakness of flesh and stepped into our messy and broken world. 692 00:48:25,560 --> 00:48:28,960 And He lived the perfect and sinless life that we could never 693 00:48:28,960 --> 00:48:34,760 live any of us. Then He willingly went to the 694 00:48:34,760 --> 00:48:39,720 cross to die in our place. He absorbed the fiery and 695 00:48:39,720 --> 00:48:43,760 righteous wrath of God that you and I deserved. 696 00:48:43,920 --> 00:48:51,600 He took on the judgement of the unreceptive house upon Himself 697 00:48:51,680 --> 00:48:57,200 unto death. But three days later, He rose 698 00:48:57,400 --> 00:49:01,320 victorious over the grave, proving that that debt was paid 699 00:49:01,320 --> 00:49:07,520 in full so that our hearts could be transformed into a worthy 700 00:49:07,640 --> 00:49:10,480 house where the Spirit can dwell. 701 00:49:13,640 --> 00:49:15,400 The Kingdom of heaven has come near. 702 00:49:17,440 --> 00:49:21,600 The invitation is open to all who will believe by faith that 703 00:49:21,600 --> 00:49:26,920 Jesus is that fulfilment of the law and the prophets and all 704 00:49:26,920 --> 00:49:30,840 those covenants, the true Israel, King of King and Lord of 705 00:49:30,840 --> 00:49:35,400 Lords. And if you're sitting here this 706 00:49:35,400 --> 00:49:39,840 morning and the Lord has stirred your heart to respond in faith, 707 00:49:41,000 --> 00:49:44,040 I or one of the other pastors would love to talk with you to 708 00:49:44,040 --> 00:49:47,360 answer any questions you might have about that, to pray with 709 00:49:47,360 --> 00:49:55,680 you after our service. Because this Shalom, this 710 00:49:55,720 --> 00:50:01,960 blessing of the peace of Christ, that's what the gospel preached 711 00:50:01,960 --> 00:50:05,760 today, offers you peace with God. 712 00:50:07,120 --> 00:50:12,040 He's calling you to believe his gospel, to repent of your sin, 713 00:50:12,120 --> 00:50:17,000 trusting not in what you think you can do, but trusting in what 714 00:50:17,000 --> 00:50:26,280 Jesus has already done. And to you, Christian, to those 715 00:50:26,280 --> 00:50:31,480 that are being sent out with redemption, Bear River, just 716 00:50:31,480 --> 00:50:35,200 look. Just look at the harvest around 717 00:50:35,200 --> 00:50:42,200 us. The Lord has placed us here for 718 00:50:42,200 --> 00:50:46,520 a reason. He has called us to step into 719 00:50:46,520 --> 00:50:51,760 the harvest together. We are His appointed laborers. 720 00:50:52,840 --> 00:50:55,440 Yes, there are going to be times where we feel inadequate. 721 00:50:55,440 --> 00:50:58,880 Yes, there's going to be times where we face rejection. 722 00:50:59,880 --> 00:51:06,600 But remember who is sending us and let us lay down our fears. 723 00:51:07,680 --> 00:51:12,680 Trust in His divine provision and step boldly into the harvest 724 00:51:12,680 --> 00:51:17,680 together. He's called us and He will equip 725 00:51:17,680 --> 00:51:19,960 us for this work. Let's pray together. 726 00:51:22,360 --> 00:51:25,520 Lord Jesus, we thank you for this passage today, as we have 727 00:51:25,520 --> 00:51:29,920 seen that there is a a terrifying reality for those who 728 00:51:29,920 --> 00:51:33,080 reject your gospel Lord. And I pray that if today you 729 00:51:33,080 --> 00:51:36,200 have already begun a work in the heart of someone that's here as 730 00:51:36,200 --> 00:51:38,800 they have heard this gospel, Lord Jesus, that you would 731 00:51:38,800 --> 00:51:42,360 deliver unto them salvation and righteousness. 732 00:51:42,360 --> 00:51:44,640 Lord Jesus, that you would do that today. 733 00:51:44,640 --> 00:51:48,040 I thank you for this opportunity to stand together with my 734 00:51:48,040 --> 00:51:52,760 brothers and my sisters with Redemption Bear River and be 735 00:51:52,760 --> 00:51:55,920 sent out in this missional sending much in the way that you 736 00:51:55,920 --> 00:51:58,680 sent out these 12. Lord Jesus, help us to be 737 00:51:58,680 --> 00:52:02,760 faithful in this work. But most of all, help us to rely 738 00:52:02,760 --> 00:52:06,760 entirely on you. It is in the name of our Savior 739 00:52:06,760 --> 00:52:08,760 Jesus that I pray. Amen.