The Commission to Twelve Ordinary Men Matthew 10:1-15

The Example of Discipling Ordinary Men

Ten years ago I Sat across from my pastor at Mount Free Church, and he read an excerpt from a conversation that Billy Graham Had with an interviewer. Graham was asked if you were to start a church. What would you do in?

Summary. He responded by saying I would find 12 men pour most of my time into them and then in turn these men would influence the others in the church and From this a healthy church would grow. If you look at Graham's wise response this should sound familiar.

This is what Jesus did. The second person of the Trinity the man who is fully God and fully man used this strategy to change the world. He chose 12 men and from these 12 the world would be taken by storm unlike anything the world has ever seen.

Now I find it interesting that as we look at the men that Jesus chose We might be surprised by the ones he selected he chose fishermen a tax collector. He chose common men. The ones the elite in society step all over and think offer nothing of value to society.

It's remarkable that God did this. And we might ask why did God do this? God did not choose the most sophisticated the most talented the most treasured by society. There's only one writer in the New Testament that would be would be described as more sophisticated and that is the Apostle Paul.

But every other writer of the New Testament and every other disciple is a commoner. Not the most sophisticated not the most talented. Not the most treasured by society. So why did God do this as we think about this and I think the answer is obvious.

He did it to show his power. He did it because these people are less likely to trust their own talent to do great things. The disciples that Jesus chose knew their limitations. They wore it on their sleeves people could see it.

They had limitations. But when they preached and when they wrote the world listened. Listened carefully to what they were saying. Because they spoke and wrote with power that the sophisticated of society did not have.

They spoke with conviction. That others did not have. They spoke with persuasion that others did not have even though they didn't have the talent at least the perceived talent that the world thought one should have.

God is more glorified through using the unglamorous of society. And this is how he usually operates and this is why Jesus chose who he did so that once he was gone Through God's power the disciples would change the world these commoners fishermen tax collectors.

Today we are going to see these ordinary men that Jesus called and the extraordinary commission that Jesus gave them. So this time I encourage you to turn in a Bible with me to Matthew chapter 10. We'll be looking at verses 1 through 15.

And if you're using a red Bible in the pews is on page 968. This sermon is titled the commission to 12 ordinary men. And here's our big idea what this sermon is calling you to do. Live knowing that Jesus calls you on the greatest mission.

Live knowing that Jesus calls you on the greatest mission. And we will see four realities why. But before we jump in let me give you a little recap of where we were one week ago. We looked at verses 35 through 38 of chapter 9 in that sermon.

We saw the compassion that Jesus had for the crowds. The crowds had been so poorly led by the false teachers of Society the false Jewish leaders and Jesus the chief Shepherd had great compassion on these people.

What that sermon called us to do is to understand that Jesus has great compassion for this lost world. We saw three examples how the first is by displaying That he proclaimed himself as the good news to the world.

Second example is that he showed sympathy toward wandering people and the third example is that he called his disciples to pray for soul winners. Jesus has great compassion for this world and we are also to have this compassion as he sends us out to call people to leave the path of destruction and Enter down the path of life That is found in Christ.

The Twelve Apostles and Judas’s Betrayal

Now this leads us to our text. Now, I'm gonna begin by reading verses 1 through 4 of Matthew 10 and he Jesus called to him his 12 disciples and he gave them authority Over unclean spirits to cast them out and to heal every disease and every affliction.

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 Philip and Bartholomew Thomas and Matt the tax collector James the son of Alpheus and Thaddeus Simon the zealot and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him to this point.

We have only seen Jesus call some of his disciples in Matthew 4 18. He called Simon Peter and his brother Andrew. They were fishing and he told them come follow me and I will make you fishers of men. Then Jesus called two brothers John and James the son of Zebedee, so we see the second set of brothers here.

These were also fishermen and Just like Simon Peter and Andrew they left their fishing trade to follow Jesus. We also already saw Jesus call one other disciple the author of this gospel Matthew in chapter 9 verse 9 Matthew was sitting at the tax booth when Jesus called him and just like the four called before him He immediately left what he was doing.

He left his position as a tax collector and followed Jesus now in these verses We see seven others that were called Again they were Philip Bartholomew Thomas James the son of Alpheus Thaddeus Simon the zealot and Judas Iscariot.

When their story is completely written 11 of these will have a story of triumph and One will be a tragedy. Arguably the greatest tragedy in world history. 11 of these men God used to change the world.

11 of these men advanced the greatest news of the crucified and risen King and these 11 men shared in the honor of Suffering for Christ. They followed the path of Jesus they suffered and they Died for his sake.

The early Christian historian Eusebius documented that Ten of the twelve disciples were martyred for their faith in Christ they suffered at the hands of The state and were executed for their Christian faith.

Anyway, I think well what happened to the other two? Well, of course, we know Judas betrayed Judas betrayed Jesus but John didn't have it much better. John was sent into exile on The island of Patmos this is where he wrote the book of Revelation and He lived in exile the rest of his life these men Was will receive a great reward in the new world when Christ rewards his people for their faithfulness.

But one man will be notably missing the man who is listed last in verse 4. What we read next to his name is that he would be the one who betrayed him in The Gospels of Mark and John when his name is mentioned.

It also reads that this man betrayed Jesus. Judas lived a few decades on earth, but he is only remembered for one thing. He sold the most precious person whoever lived for 30 pieces of Silver and he is paying the price right now in forever for this greatest of all betrayals.

He spent three years with the God-man. He would have touched him. He would have spoken with him. He would have eaten with him. He would have done everything. With him he sat under his teaching. But what we learned from Judas's life is the great power of sin.

Judas was a lover of money. Money was his God. So when it came time to betray Jesus He willingly did it because he followed his God. His God was money. He sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. And we need to know how sin lies and how it leads to destruction.

The one whom he was created for the author of life. The only one who could satisfy him forever. He gave up for money. And by doing this he lost everything. This would be the story written for these men a story of triumph for 11 and a story of tragedy for one but before their story would be written we read the beginning of their great story here as Jesus calls them as verse 1 tells us he gives them authority over unclean spirits and the ability to heal every disease.

To this point in Matthew we have seen Jesus do this and now we see that he is giving this authority to his disciples. Jesus performed these miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit and his disciples would do the same.

It's important for us to note this important office. That the disciples held. Luke 6 13 says that they are not only disciples, but they are also apostles. Everyone in this room who knows Christ is a disciple.

But there were only a small number of apostles. There were the twelve apostles. Matthias replaced Judas and there's a few others mentioned including Barnabas and Paul. They had a unique calling different from other believers.

Their calling was similar to the prophets in the Old Testament. They were able to cast out demons and heal people on the spot. This is not something that other believers are able to do. Including them in the present day.

But these apostles had this unique calling and they were able to do these visible miracles for all to see. They did these things to help Jesus heal the oppressed and the suffering. But they were also given this ability to show that a special work of God was happening at this point in history.

We have to understand when you when you read the Bible. We might ask why aren't these things happening right now? Because God only does these things at specific times in history these visible miracles where on a spot a Man's hand suddenly appears when the hand wasn't there anymore, for example, or a dead person is suddenly just raised.

From the dead after being dead for four days. These things don't happen today. They they've only happened at certain times in history in the first century when Jesus walked the earth was one of Those times they did these things to help Jesus heal the oppressed and suffering.

But they showed this special work in Hebrews 2 3 and 4 says it was declared at first by the Lord. The message of Christ and it was attested to us by those who heard. Well, God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

But while their calling was glorious. So is yours? We took we sometimes look at their calling and we could put them up on a pedestal. But your calling is glorious as well. You serve the king just as they serve the king.

Jesus has called each one of you to give up every other endeavor for the greatest endeavor the mission of being and making disciples of Jesus Christ. You are called to surrender your life. To risk it all knowing that final glory is your is your destination the glory that the eleven disciples Have entered so we are to live knowing.

That Jesus calls you on the greatest mission and the first reality why is that you follow in the footsteps of the triumphant? Here's the second reality that we are to live knowing that Jesus calls you on the greatest mission and that is that you minister in God's power.

Proclaiming the Kingdom in God’s Power

We'll see this in verses 5 through 7. These 12 Jesus sent out instructing them go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and Proclaim as you go saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

It's interesting that Jesus tells the disciples not to go to the Gentiles nor to the Samaritans. But to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Now we have seen many times who the Gentiles are. The Gentiles are non-jews.

My guess is this room is full of Gentiles. The nation's that's another way to say the Gentiles. But the Samaritans are part Jew and part from the nations of the world. They're a hybrid. When northern Israel was taken into captivity in 722 BC by the Assyrians the Jews Intermarried and this was considered taboo.

So the Samaritans located Where the northern kingdom was were looked down upon by the southern kingdom of Israel that did not intermarry with the nations. So there's a keep away from these Samaritans.

They have polluted themselves.

In.

The southern kingdom they were saying we are the pure ones. Now we know that the gospel would eventually make its way to these peoples the Gentiles and even the Samaritans after Jesus resurrection. In Matthew 28 19 Jesus commanded his disciples to proclaim the gospel to all nations.

What they are to proclaim. First though was to the lost sheep of Israel the people of Israel and Jesus says to them here that the kingdom of heaven is at hand as The end of verse 7 tells us and some Bible versions say the kingdom of heaven has come near.

This is what they are to proclaim to Israel. What Jesus is saying is not that the kingdom is fully here. We know this is not the case. This is Jesus first coming and at his second then his kingdom will be fully here.

Rather what Jesus is saying is that he is here. He he is the king. Every kingdom has a king and he is the king of this kingdom and the king is in your midst. In Luke 7 21 Jesus said the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.

Last week we looked at Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God to people. And what we saw is that the only ones who will populate this future kingdom are those who have put their trust in this King the Savior King and These are the ones who will populate this place in the future.

The same message that Jesus proclaimed during his ministry is the same message that his disciples were to proclaim. That message is repent of your sins put your trust in King Jesus so that you will abide forever in This this kingdom with him.

This is the message that is proclaimed from this church to this community. Acts 6 31 says believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. This world is temporary it's passing away and the king is coming.

Are you with him? That's the question to the world. Are you with him? This is this is also the call To anyone who hears my voice right now. Are you with him? It's one of those things like the clock starts on your life and you don't know when the clock's gonna end.

But in that time the most important thing you can do is put your trust in Christ. And we think of people all over the world who've accomplished these great feats and yet they missed the whole point of life.

Don't let that be you. Put your trust in Christ. If you align yourself with Christ your story will not be a tragedy like Judas. But a triumph like the eleven disciples. Jesus also gave them this commission as verse 8 tells us.

Heal the sick raise the dead. Cleanse lepers cast out demons. You receive without pain give without pay. Once again, these are things that Jesus has already done and he's calling his disciples to take part in these miracles also.

And he says something interesting at the end of verse 8. He tells them freely you have received freely give. What he's telling them is that your ability to do this is not from you. It's not in your own strength, but it's from God in his strength and You receive this.

It's a gift that you need to use. You need to live out. The Bible says don't quench the Spirit of God the Spirit's in you use the Spirit. He tells them freely you have received freely give. Perform this task in God's power.

This is what I explained in the introduction. The disciples were given this ability through the power of the Holy Spirit. These were ordinary men who were able to do extraordinary things through the Holy Spirit.

Now we do not cast out demons on a dime heal people instantly raise the dead. But we can do extraordinary things through God's power and everything we have is a gift from God. First Corinthians 4 7 says what do you have that you do not receive.

The most important thing? We have is that the Holy Spirit is in our presence. You can do things that the world can't do. You have a power with you that the world doesn't have. We are not saved without God's power.

We are not able to please God without his power. We are not able to make a difference for his sake without his power. We need to be givers. Because we have been receivers. Freely you have received so freely you give.

We are not called to live our lives for ourselves. If you are saved you have been given God's power to make a difference in this world. And as you make a difference God is glorified through your life.

God desires to use you to save people. To use you to encourage one who is very discouraged. To use you to challenge someone. To use you to help someone who is in need to use you to correct someone who needs correction.

To use you to shine as light in this dark world. You'll do all this through God's power and people will be helped and God the giver of the gift will be the one who is glorified.

I.

Heard a story in fact just yesterday. There was a preacher by the name of Leonard Ravenhill. You've ever looked him up. He preached. Unlike anything you've ever seen. I mean when you're in there You just feel like the presence of God is just in the room.

I mean he preached with so much power. And he told the story of a guy Who came to his church? He was saved and he said I want a pastor at church. This this young person who was just saved and and of course the pastor's thinking well.

You got to be you got to be a Christian for a while. And that's true. The Bible does say that. Right. We you can't be a novice and and be a pastor. But this guy took an unconventional path to be a pastor.

He he said I want the spirits anointing in my life. I just want to preach the Bible. So he studied the Bible. He took 21 days and just went and just studied the Bible and asked for God's power over his life and.

And his time went on. They thought that you know he had been after he had been a believer for a while. They kind of thought this guy was kind of crazy. And so what they did is they said okay this guy wants the pastor of church.

We're gonna give him this church of five people. That's just down the road. And you know what the church will probably fold and this guy will see that he's really not called to preach. You know. And and he really you know he needs to go through seminary education and and all this training and.

So this guy goes to this church and the church explodes. They go from five people to 1 ,200.

And.

Because when this guy preached he preached with God's power and people noticed it was unconventional. But it just makes me think like you don't need an academic lecture right. We need the power of God.

And not just when someone preaches, but in your life. You don't want to be someone who has a bunch of head knowledge. And never lives it. We want people with people who live with God's power. Where. When someone sees your life they say I've never seen anything like this.

Or if I have it's a rare sight because people in the world aren't like this.

So.

We are to live knowing that Jesus calls you on the greatest mission. The second reality why is that you minister in God's power. Here's the third reality that we are to live knowing that Jesus calls you on the greatest mission.

And that is you are not to value abundance in this life verses 9 and 10. Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts. No bag for your journey or two tunics or sandals or a staff. For the laborer deserves his food.

At the end of verse 10 he says the laborer deserves his wages. That's another way of saying it as these disciples work for the Lord the Lord will provide their needs as we already saw they left their professions to follow him and now they have gone into full-time ministry and The Lord will provide their needs as they go on this ministry.

Now I and my family can attest to this, you know, we were in full-time ministry. I've been doing this for eight and a half years four and a half that in mound and four years. Here and the Lord has always provided for our needs.

It's amazing. And people looked at I mean people looked at our finances at times. Especially when we first came here. They're like, how are you gonna do that? And when the answer is what the Lord's gonna provide our needs and he does and I think it'd be a curse if you were just if you were just given like a million dollars.

And you trusted in that you trusted in your security in that and not in the Lord to provide. If you've ever gone through financial difficulty. It's a blessing because it's an opportunity to say Lord. You are gonna take care of me during this time.

You take care of the birds. You take care of the lilies of the field. Of course, you're gonna take care of me. And so the Lord does provide and as he provides Provision for his disciples as he promises to provide provision for them.

He also tells them to travel light as he explains in verses 9 and 10 here as we as we read. When I when I read this it reminds me of the scene from Lord of the Rings at the end of the first book and Movie, I know there's a few nerds here, right now the Fellowship of the Ring Aragorn Who would be the king and he's one of the Christ figures in the book and movie.

He tells his two companions Gimli and Legolas. We will not abandon Mary and Pippin is the two hobbits for those of you who know. We will not abandon them to torment and death not while we have strength left leave all that can be spared behind.

We travel light. Let's hunt some work. That's one of my favorite lines from the movie. This really is a good lesson for us Christians. We're to travel light in this world. We're to live like temporary citizens who are on a mission.

This doesn't mean don't have a home or a car or furniture. We should enjoy what we had and be good stewards of the gifts that God has given us. But what it does mean is that we should not live for stuff.

We should not live for the philosophy that says he who dies with the most toys wins. No, it should be evident that we are temporary citizens and it should be evident that we are people who are on a mission.

It should show in our life Christ is the one who has sent you on this mission and it will show Bran and I we love going to Duluth and Seeing all the sights there and seeing all the beauty. One of the sites we have gone to a couple times is the Glensheen mansion.

The mansion is very very neat. It's a great place. But the question that arises in my head is what did the patriarch of the household do? His name was Chester Congdon. He was a successful businessman, but he was most known for his mansion, which I find interesting.

I think everyone would agree with that. Now Brianna has done some research and found that they were good to their maids. They were generous in the community. But my point is that you don't want to be known for your possessions.

If they are remembered it should be an afterthought compared to the life that you have lived for Christ. If you are living for God's mission if you are living to serve others to make a difference in this world.

Then you won't be known for your stuff. You won't be known for what you have accumulated. At the most that'll be a footnote in your life. It's interesting that when When Jim Elliot died He died at 28 years old in Ecuador from a remote tribe who who speared him to death.

His wife Elizabeth Elliot. She wrote that of the very few possessions that he left behind. To show that his treasure Was in heaven. Inspiring story. So what will be known in your life? It must be Christ's fingerprints need to be all over our life where people say this person was a sold-out Christian.

In everything you have ever owned will be lost in memory. But as you travel light for Christ with your mission as the focus God will use you. He will make a difference through you. So we are to live knowing that Christ calls you on the greatest mission and the third reality.

Why is that you are not to value abundance in this life? Here's our fourth and final reality. You are to prioritize the message to receptive verses 11 through 15. This is what Jesus says in in what in whatever town or a village you enter.

Find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart as you enter the house. Greet it and if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it's not worthy, let your peace return to you.

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 truly I say to you. It will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah then for that town.

So as we have already seen the disciples are to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom wherever they go in Israel as They go to these towns there to find out who is worthy and who is not. Now our correct understanding of Christian doctrine tells us that no one is worthy.

Everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God as Romans 3 23 says. However in this context we need to understand what Jesus means when he says those who are worthy and those who are not he's not.

Saying those who have who are inherently good He's saying something else. In these towns there were hurt there were homes the disciples were to stay in. They were to stay in homes of those who were known to be believers.

As verse 11 says they were to stay in this home until their ministry in that town or village concluded. If the disciples were to stay in a place that did not have a godly reputation. This would hurt their witness in that community.

Communities work this way over time. People in a community build a reputation. Some have a reputation and some don't. Jesus is telling them to stay with one who has a good reputation. And there's a lesson in this.

We already saw Jesus spend time With those in society who wore sin on their sleeves the drunkards the prostitutes the tax collectors. But what Jesus is telling his disciples here is different. Believers shouldn't be known for your association with unbelievers.

There's a difference between spending time with them and staying with them. There's a difference between spending time strategically with them in a smaller way. Then be known as one who spends all of their time most of their time with unbelievers.

To stay with one conveys the idea that these are the people Who you spend most of your time with while the case of Jesus he spent most of his time with his disciples.

And.

A smaller amount of time with those who wore sin on their sleeves, but he still did which is important. Which we so we need to have that balance in our lives. Now as they lodged in one place, they would go door-to-door sharing the gospel.

This is what Jesus means in verse 12 as you enter the house greet it. They were door-to-door evangelists. Door-to-door evangelism is something that used to be very popular. In fact my dad used to do this in the late 70s.

Early 80s was really popular back then. He and his good friend they used to be partiers and you know rabid unbelievers. They became Christians and In the same community where they were known as unbelievers.

They'd be they were knocking on doors and people like what happened to you. You were the people used to do all these stuff with and now you're telling us about Jesus what happened? But the disciples were doing door-to-door evangelism here and it's still something that's very appropriate.

Jehovah's Witnesses.

Outdo.

Christians in this Even though we despise the false teaching of the Jehovah Witness religion. We should admire their courage and going door-to-door. It takes guts to do that. We should have no fear in our lives to share the gospel with those we come into contact with.

Now as the disciples came to these homes they were to give the greeting of Shalom to the home. Now Shalom, this is this big word in the Old Testament. It means peace. And what it means in its full meaning is total well-being in mind body and soul.

Jews would greet other Jews by saying Shalom and what they meant to the person is they hope that that person Experienced the total well-being in his or her life. When the disciples would go home to home they would give the Shalom greeting and If people receive them because people would have known about them these people would have known that they were on their behalf of this risen this crucified Messiah and If they greeted them when they gave the Shalom this greeting.

These were the people who were ripe To be saved. These were the people who were going to listen. The people you come across in life are in different places. Some are ready to receive the gospel and some are not.

People are in in really three different categories. Now the Apostle Paul experienced this in Acts chapter 17 verses 32 to 34 when he was in Athens. He preached about the resurrection of the dead. Calling people to repentance and what that verse says is some mocked.

Others said we will hear you again about this. But some men joined him and believed so here's the three responses. Rejection maybe. Yes. Those are the three responses you will get. The first two groups are the ones who would have peace upon them.

The Spirit is working on these people's hearts saving some and the others. He may be pleased to save in the future. For those who receive the message it can be rightly said that the Lord's Shalom blessing is upon them as they are Saved and enjoy God's blessing of joyful fellowship with him forever.

And those who will receive them, but are not ready Also have the Shalom blessing because it may very well be that salvation comes to this home. Their heart is softer than other people. However, we also see the negative in this section at the second half of verse 13 and 14 says if it is not worthy.

Let your peace return to you. Okay, so no peace upon them. Let it return to you. And if anyone will not receive you listen to your words shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.

Many are in that third category. I just mentioned above they are not receptive. So you move on. We are not to spend time with those who are not right for the gospel. It may be that some in that category are not too far gone.

But in the immediate their heart is too hard to receive the gospel and some of them never will it's just so hard. It's hopeless and they never will receive it. We already saw Jesus tell us earlier in Matthew not to waste our time with people like this.

He said in Matthew 7 6 do not give dogs. What is holy and do not throw your pearls before pigs. That's what the Bible thinks of these people they're pigs. When you come across these people who are not receptive you are to shake off the dust of your feet and move on.

In ancient Israel when Israelis went to a Gentile town. They would brush off the dust of their feet when they returned back to Israel. Because they considered that land dirty because it was populated by these heathen Gentiles.

They didn't want to pollute the Holy Land in the same way. The Jews were to dust from their feet to treat these Jews like Gentiles whom some Jews considered unable to be saved so. This is a good time for us to think about the people in our lives and figure out who is ripe and who isn't.

Let me tell you that There are many unbelievers in our country right now. Who share lots of our values who are angry bitter? Discouraged with the state of our country. They feel like the country's has been ripped away from them.

These are people who would say that they believe in God and country, but they don't have a personal relationship with Christ. They are forgotten. They are laughed at by the elites of society. They are being silenced.

They are being called all kinds of false names and hardly anybody sticks up for them because if you stick up for them They'll come after you too. They have seen the evil of our country which has been accelerated over the past year but these traditional Americans while they share many of our values are not saved and They need the gospel.

They don't know Christ. But they know evil when they see it because they have a similar worldview. They believe in a creator God they believe in one truth for all. But they're not saved. You may know them in your life share the gospel with them.

I Have a family member in Florida who described who this describes very well. And I would love the opportunity to have a conversation. But this is what I want to say. Don't put your hope in a political party.

Don't put your hope in a political candidate. But put your hope in the coming King Jesus Christ. Because if that's the case then you might you might be mildly depressed by what's going on. But there's this joy that goes with you.

It's not based on circumstances. It's not based on what's happening in our country. It's based on your relationship with Christ. These people don't have that. They need Christ and they're on their way to hell and what an opportunity to share the good news with them.

There are also other people who have been disillusioned with the mainstream secular agenda of America that promises happiness outside of God. And they have run their course. Finding it unfulfilling and they are these people are also right for the gospel.

We just need this people over the place in America where it's time for them to hear The gospel where maybe before they weren't ready for it. So we need to be ready. We need to focus on and pray Lord give me wisdom.