Participants: Glenn Russell & Ranko Stefanovic (Host)
Series Code: MTBOTB
Program Code: MTBOTB00008B
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00:01 Hi, welcome back. We've been exploring
00:03 Matthew Chapters 8, 9, 00:06 and we are gonna be moving to 10 in just a moment. 00:09 Just a reminder, we've been looking at Jesus' 00:11 teaching discourses and then His healing miracles. 00:14 And they both serve to identify Him as a Lord and Savior. 00:18 We've looked at these miracles, where Jesus 00:21 repeatedly shows His compassion 00:23 by meeting people's holistic needs. 00:26 That their spiritual needs, their physical needs, 00:28 He deals with a whole person. 00:29 And so, Ranko, as we shift now, now we're gonna go back 00:33 to looking at discourse. 00:35 What should we keep in mind as we make that transition? 00:37 Yes. We know who wrote the-- first gospel, it was Matthew. 00:44 And probably in Chapter 9 verses 9 to 13, 00:48 Matthew puts his signature into the gospel. 00:52 And explains to us, this explains to us, why Matthew 00:57 put such a strong emphasis on Jesus' physical healing, 01:02 what He did and also His spiritual healings. 01:08 We have paralytic physical healing, 01:10 but still the spiritual healing is applied there. 01:14 Matthew did not have problem with physical healing, 01:17 he need a spiritual healing. 01:19 But his spiritual healing also impacted 01:22 his physical well-being. 01:25 When Jesus heals people, He provides the full restoration, 01:30 okay with the reference to those people. 01:34 And that's why, Matthew, when he under 01:37 the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, 01:39 give us these portrait of Jesus. 01:41 It comes as a result of his personal experience 01:44 what Jesus did personally for him in his own life. 01:49 He is a recipient of God's and Jesus' compassion. Yes. 01:52 Now, Jesus' compassion for the people also leads 01:56 him to say "Others need to be involved in His ministry also". 01:59 He wants others to extend that ministry. 02:01 Actually, Jesus knew that His ministry 02:04 would last for some short time, He'll have to leave. 02:07 But He wanted His ministry 02:09 to continue after His departure. 02:12 So, let's go back to that concluding 02:14 text that we saw, Glenn. 02:16 I am asking you, could you read 02:18 one more time from verse 36 to 38. 02:22 Matthew 9:36. Yes. 02:24 "When he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion 02:27 for them, because they're weary 02:29 and scattered like sheep having no shepherd. 02:31 Then he said to his disciples, 02:33 the harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 02:37 Therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest 02:39 to send out laborers in his harvest." 02:43 See, Jesus was moved with the compassion. 02:45 Then, he told to His disciples. 02:47 We've verse 38. 02:49 He says "Pray to the Lord". 02:50 Really in Greek, it's a little bit 02:54 the word is more, more deeper. 02:57 It's not just to pray, beseech how's God struggled, 03:01 fight with God that he sense to be moved 03:04 with the same compassion as Jesus 03:08 was moved and now Jesus, not only that He request 03:14 His disciples to pray, but, He sends His own disciples 03:17 to go, to continue His activities. 03:19 You sense his longing for labors. Yes. 03:21 So, let's go to Chapter 10 now. Yes. 03:24 And what do we find in Chapter 10. 03:25 We find another presentation of teaching discourse. 03:28 Glenn, the key text that really we have to read 03:31 is verse 1 and verses 5 to 8. 03:36 Please would you do it, 1 and 5 to 8? 03:38 Matthew Chapter 10 verse 1 03:40 "And when he had called his 12 disciples to him, 03:43 he gave them power over unclean spirits, 03:46 to cast them out, and to heal 03:47 all kinds of sickness and all kinds of diseases. 03:52 Down to verse 5 "These 12 Jesus sent out, 03:55 and commanded them, saying, 03:56 Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, 03:58 and do not enter city of the Samaritans. 04:01 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 04:05 And as you go preach, saying, 04:07 The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. 04:10 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, 04:13 cast out demons, freely you have received, freely give." 04:17 So, what we learn here from this text? 04:20 Now, Jesus is sending His own disciples 04:23 to do the same work that He was doing. 04:25 What was Jesus work? 04:27 To teach and to preach to the people and then to provide 04:31 help to the people to heal them. 04:33 We noticed here, is the same, verse 1, verses 6 to 7. 04:37 This is exactly what the disciples, 04:39 disciples were supposed to do the same things, 04:42 that Jesus was doing. 04:44 Jesus instructed them "You go now to preach 04:46 the message of the kingdom. 04:48 And you also go and provide that healing 04:52 and other help to the people. 04:54 What a great educational principle 04:55 of demonstration example and then put into practice. 04:59 It must have been a little fearful for them though. 05:03 And so, Jesus now is gonna present to them 05:05 what they need to know before they go? 05:07 Actually, Chapter 10 really consists of three parts. 05:12 Verses 5 to 15 are mission instructions 05:18 that Jesus provide to His disciples, 05:20 telling them how they really 05:22 should go and preach the gospel. 05:23 We saw preach and then also the practical side 05:27 of their preaching, Jesus tried to tell them 05:29 what to take with themselves in the first century context. 05:32 What to do? How to relate to the people 05:35 who rejected their message? 05:36 How to relate to the people who accepted 05:39 their message is very practical instruction 05:42 that Jesus give them. 05:43 Then, we have the second part which are verses 16 to 23. 05:48 And Jesus tried to tell them about the persecution 05:51 and the position that they will face 05:54 as they preach the gospel. 05:57 Let me tell you, the preaching of the gospel 05:59 according to the Bible, it's never popular. 06:03 As Jesus made very clear to His disciples 06:07 as they go to preach the-- gospel to proclaim the message 06:10 of the kingdom, the majority will reject it. 06:14 They will face a strong opposition to that. 06:17 But, Ranko, that should surprise us, 06:20 because He's sending them to the lost sheep of Israel. 06:22 He's not sending them out to the pagan nations 06:24 yet, that will come later. 06:26 But, shouldn't the people of God, 06:30 welcome and appreciate this message. 06:34 Why is there such resistance? 06:36 The preaching of the gospel is never popular. 06:38 You know, today, we're living in the world 06:40 with many Christians who preach the gospel, 06:42 they want to be popular. 06:44 And they try to adjust their message 06:46 to avoid the position, etc. 06:48 And, of course, we have to be very tactful 06:50 when we preach the gospel. 06:51 But we have to know, if we preached the pure gospel, 06:55 gospel that Jesus initiated 06:57 with His coming down to the earth. Okay. 07:00 That gospel will never be popular. 07:03 You will never be accepted by the majority of people. 07:06 But, you know, then, we can ask many questions. 07:08 What is wrong with me? 07:12 But then goes the third part, verses 24 to 42, 07:16 where actually Jesus explains 07:18 "Don't worry if you meet opposition. 07:22 Don't worry if people reject 07:24 your preaching and your message." 07:26 Jesus says "Keep in mind whatever happens to you." 07:29 This is what actually happened to me as well. 07:33 You are simply following in footsteps of the Master. 07:36 Of the Master, all right. 07:39 Now, it's interesting to notice that He gives 07:41 the instructions to them. 07:42 And there is a mission's dimension here because-- 07:46 when He sends them to the Israelites, 07:48 they are not to take things with them. 07:49 They are to trust in God and to receive 07:52 the hospitality of the people. 07:53 It's a little different when they're sent out to the pagans 07:55 and so there is an interesting dynamic 07:57 here of the aspect of missions. 08:00 They're sent to go forth trusting in God, 08:02 depending on His leadership, 08:04 and also interacting with the people. 08:09 It must have taken a lot of faiths to respond to this. 08:12 You know, Glenn. 08:13 There are two things that we can mention 08:16 within the few minutes that are left to us. 08:20 Number one is we are commissioned to go to preach 08:26 the gospel, but not to think about the results. 08:31 The result belongs to God. Okay. 08:33 We are not the ones who can change the minds of people. 08:36 We can go to this third part. 08:38 And Jesus said "Whoever confesses me before men, 08:42 I will also confess him before my father, who is in heaven. 08:46 Whoever denies me before man, 08:48 I will also deny him before my father who is in heaven. 08:51 Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. 08:56 I did not come to bring peace, but a sword". 08:58 The gospel always brings division 09:01 and then the key text is verse 38. 09:04 "And he who does not take his cross 09:07 and follow after me is not worthy of me." 09:11 Now, there is also an element of warning 09:13 and judgment in these passages. 09:15 He says "When you go, if they don't receive you, 09:18 there are some consequences to not accepting Christ, 09:21 they're not accepting the followers of Christ. Yes. 09:25 The gospel always-- rejection of the gospel 09:28 always has the consequences. 09:30 But our is to go and to preach the gospel. 09:33 We have to be moved with that-- 09:36 you know compassion that Jesus had. 09:38 We have to go to preach the gospel to turn in the eyes 09:42 of the people to the forgiving father who is there in heaven, 09:46 to Jesus Christ, who loves them, loves them so much. 09:49 If people reject that message-- that's the business with God. 09:55 Our is to go and to proclaim the gospel. 09:58 You know, we might be sitting here, thinking, 10:00 oh, it's easy for those disciples 10:02 to go back to the Israelites. 10:04 I have got to go to work on Monday morning. 10:06 I have got to go to the factory. 10:07 I have got to deal with my neighbor. 10:09 I have got to deal with. It's a lot harder witnessing today. 10:11 But notice the assurance, Ranko, in Chapter 10 verse 18 10:17 "You will be brought before governors and kings 10:19 and so forth there's a testimony. 10:20 They all deliver you up, do not worry 10:22 about how or what you should speak". 10:23 Now, this is the specific context. 10:26 But the principle applies that as we accept 10:30 that call to go, God is there. 10:34 He is in charge. He is with us. 10:35 You see, the preach of the gospel is not about us. 10:39 It's about God. By the way, 10:41 if you read the Chapter 10 constantly. 10:44 You just read this text "What is that, do not worry." 10:47 If you go to verse 26 "Do not fear them." 10:51 Verse 28 "Do not fear those." 10:54 Verse 31 "Do not fear". Very reassuring. 10:58 You see, we are instructed with the gospel, 11:01 with the preaching of the gospel. 11:02 We are not in charge. 11:05 It's not about us neither 11:06 success or failure, it's not about us. 11:10 Everything is about God. We are instructed. 11:13 We are sent out. The word that-- 11:16 he said "Jesus sent them out to preach the gospel". 11:22 We have to go out. 11:23 He sends us. Once the moment I go out, 11:27 it's not anymore about me, it's about Him. 11:30 I have to preach the gospel in tactful way. 11:32 I have to follow into the footsteps 11:35 of the Master, but He is in charge. 11:37 Let's remember that, preaching is not always 11:39 just about words, its the way we live. Yes, yes. 11:42 By the way, who are those disciples that Jesus sent. 11:47 They were ordinary people. 11:49 They have personal problems. 11:51 They have issues among themselves. 11:54 Each one had personal problems. 11:56 They were so much occupied 11:57 and interested in earthly things. 11:59 They joined some of them, 12:00 they joined Jesus for wrong reasons, etc. 12:04 But, Jesus uses ordinary people who are people 12:10 with their own struggles. 12:12 People who have with their own problems. 12:15 And it is the transforming power of Jesus 12:19 and His presence with them that change those people 12:23 that they became a powerful force, 12:25 the foundation of the Christian Church. 12:27 The same can happen with us today. 12:29 We have our problems. 12:31 We may be feeling inadequate. 12:33 It's about Jesus Christ, who call us and He send us out. |
Revised 2014-12-17