KINGDOM LIVING
A Disciple’s Strategy
Matthew 10:1-15
Jerry A Collins
SCC
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What were
the twelve apostles commissioned to do?
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Why were
they only to take minimum provisions?
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What was
the message they were to deliver?
Jesus trained the twelve to start
the church. He did not provide any equipping in organizational skills, social
or political reform, governmental or religious administration, not even church
planting. He allowed no spiritual titles, special clothing, nor positions of
honor. He only equipped them to evangelize and disciple, to
love, serve, and care for an equal brotherhood empowered by the Holy
Spirit. They all left their jobs or livelihood to become full-time apostles,
but not until after the resurrection. Most, if not all
of them were married and their wives usually traveled with them (1 Cor 9:5). We can make some observations about
Jesus’ leadership training of the twelve.
1. A few workers thoroughly taught are more effective than many who are
superficially taught. It is not the amount of numbers but the amount of
impact.
2. The most important thing to teach those few
workers is character development. If you lose this you lose your impact.
3. The most effective way to teach character
development is through personal contact—incarnationally.
4. The goal of personal contact is to have
reproducers, and having reproducers narrows the small group to a very few
people. Jesus goes from 5000 to 70 to
An essential component of
leadership is personal impact made personally. Jesus was the greatest leader
that ever lived and His impact has been felt in every generation including this
one.
One tactic Jesus utilized in their
training was sending them out on specific missions. They are undergoing
supervised practical training and as they do so Jesus is sharing His mission
with them. This summoning and practical training begins with giving them the authority
to do so, and instructions about provisions and lodging as they go out. We will
learn what is expected of those who share in the mission of Christ today.
1. WE ARE TO BE ENGAGED IN THE MINISTRY
OF GODS KINGDOM 1-4
Summoning and Authority 1 Jesus now ministers to His inner circle,
the Twelve. When he summons them He
is displaying His personal authority in such a way that He is expecting
obedience. He commissions them with authority. Now Jesus had displayed
significant power especially through His miracles, and now delegates that
miraculous power to these as a clearer indication of His own greatness. This
given authority extends to two areas: (1) authority to overcome demonic forces.
Jesus ministry intensifies as the offer of the kingdom goes out to the Jews and
so does the opposition to Him as well as intensified activity of the demonic
forces. (2) authority to heal all kinds (every kind
mentioned twice) of maladies. Luke
mentions the twofold nature of this commissioning of the disciples 1. they are to preach the kingdom and 2. they
are to heal the sick 9:2. So Jesus is extending his ministry by sharing his
authority. Their subject is the
Apostles 2-5 They are now called apostles and they are called
apostles in connection with their ministry to
A. The Kingdom of God is the Kingdom of heaven
for anybody desiring Godliness (Matt.
D. Proclaiming the
What, then, is our assignment? Do we preach salvation or do we do
good (help the poor, be creative, give to the needy, etc.)? Or do we do some of
both or should we do good in order to get an opportunity to proclaim the
Gospel? It is not sufficient to do
good just to get a hearing for the Gospel. Neither is it right to do good
without proclaiming the Gospel. But goodness (righteousness, holinesss, Godliness, Christ-likeness) is the Gospel
in the sense that when one receives Christ, He is deciding that he wants to be
like that He’s not making a resolution to be like that but in saying he’s a
sinner and needs the cross, he’s recognizing that he falls short of the Kingdom
of God as revealed in Christ.
2. WE ARE ENGAGED IN THE MINISTRY OF GODS KINGDOM USING WHATEVER
ABILITIES WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN BY GOD
The instructions for the journey
are simple—travel light and depend upon God as you go.
The sphere 5-6 Do
not enter a road to the gentile nor a city of the Samaritans. But exclusively go
to the house of
The message and ministry 7-8 It is an urgent message because it is at hand. They
were to preach on the move as they were going from city to city. To authenticate
the message and its urgency, they were given power heal, raise, cleanse, cast.
So we should preach the whole counsel of God not just the gospel but the
The provisions 9-15 In 9-10 they are prohibited gold, silver etc., only
one tunic, sandals and staff—not to burden selves with excessive provisions not
to carry them—the twelve are to travel light and depend upon God. In 11-14 the
lodging is as simple as the provisions. From one village to the next the ones
worthy are those who receive their message and if so stay there the whole time.
So we establish a base of operation with worthy people. You should have an
established home-base ministry. Worthiness is attached to reception. Otherwise
shake off the dust as a testimony of the persons
rejection like ‘good riddance’. Rejection can expect judgment vs 15—the apostles could anticipate rejection and those
would receive greater condemnation for that rejection that the sinners of
S&G! The mission presupposes the
passing of some time as they made their way. The campaign is hitting villages
and cities. So engaging in the ministry of the kingdom involves a simple
lifestyle committed to depend upon God.
1.
We should provide our disciples with teaching, examples, real-life assignments.
2.
We are not responsible for how people respond—let them know they may not get
another opportunity or a limit of them.
3.
Prioritize God’s kingdom not just gospel.