Until now, the disciples had been primarily observers with very little involvement in the miracles or teachings of Jesus. It is unfortunate, that in over 2000 years, not much has changed. There are people, who regularly attend church, who participate in Bible study and church programs who never participate in sharing the Gospel message with others. How great the message of salvation, and we keep it all to ourselves.
In Matthew 28, in the Great Commission, Jesus said "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Church, I believe that our time is now, Jesus and His disciples prayed that we would be called and sent. Are we waiting on Jesus to deliver people right into our laps, for desperate, depraved souls to walk through the doors of our churches and beg to be told about Christ? I have an old saying I'd like to share with you, "If it is to be, it's up to me!" It's time we get to work, fulfilling the Great Commission we've been given. Don't just be a disciple, go out and make one.
Let us pray
Today's Message: Discipleship: Be One. Make One.
Here in chapter 10, we see a transition in Jesus' training of the twelve, He beginning to prepare His disciples to bring in His abundant harvest. After asking His disciples to pray for more workers, at the end of chapter 9, He "summons twelve of them and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness." In other words, He calls the very ones He just asked to pray to go out and do the ministry themselves. The ones praying become the ones preaching.
I believe what Jesus is saying is, we cannot be content with just praying, we must willing to get up and go out to warn the lost and the deceived that judgement is coming. I imagine, like many of us today, there was a dumbfounded look in their eyes and their hearts sank; thinking to themselves "But I don't have any experience at this! You're the teacher.." If there's one thing I've learned in ministry, it's that He often calls us out of our comfort zones! I share their agony of insufficiency and inadequacy.
Until now, Jesus has moved through the field alone, now He calls the twelve to engage in the heat of the battle in the field that is inevitability to be harvested. These are the twelve whom Jesus chose to follow Him, the ones whom He has taught and equipped are being sent for the work He's calling them to do. I believe this same calling is upon each of us who follow Him, to multiply His ministry which is motivated by His heart and compassion for the lost. This is a harvest of judgement!
Let's look at verse 1, "Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness."
This is the initiation of the apostles. The word summoned is the verb "proskaleó," which means I call to myself. Today, through the preaching of the gospel, Christ ordains His ministers to represent Him and to invite us to follow and fellowship with Him. The word disciple is the word "mathētḗs," a learner or student from whom mental effort needed to learn the Scriptures and the lifestyle applications they require. The word Apostle is the word "apóstolos," meaning one who is commissioned, to dispatched or sent to represent another.
There were basically four phases in Christ's training of the twelve; a conversion, a calling and training, and a sending. First was their conversion. They needed to be converted to believe the faith of our Lord. Then came the second phase, after they had come to believe in Christ. Matthew records it in chapter 4, when Jesus said "Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men." He called them to leave their homes, their secular jobs and follow Him exclusively for three years to be trained. In other words, their calling into the ministry. Now, here in chapter 10, we come to the third phase, their being sent out on short missions.
Next, He gave them authority, or the word "eksousía," in the original texts. It means to operate with the power to act. This delegated authority have them the power to perform miraculous ministry. They were given authority to clearly show He and His kingdom were the sovereign authority over the physical and spiritual realms; Satan and sin. Their miracle-working ministry was to attest to the legitimate claim of Jesus to be the Messiah. In Mark's parallel account in chapter 3, he tells us "And He *went up on the mountain and *summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach." In the next verse, Mark adds "And He *came home, and the crowd *gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal."
As a footnote, Jesus never said I'm sorry, I know that you have a need, but it's My day off or I just don't have the time to help you. Instead, He literally wore Himself out, consumed with doing the will of His Father. I believe this speaks to all of us today! How many feel they're too important, too busy, or too tired to come alongside someone who is in need? I often hear people say "Well, I'm not Jesus!" While that is true, no one will ever be the perfect, sinless, tireless, humble servant that He is on this side of eternity. However, we are called to serve Him and be transformed into His image. No matter our individual personalities, abilities or resources, we all have one thing in common: we are called and equipped by Jesus for a certain work. It should be the heart, the passion of every believer to become more and more like Christ. That's how discipleship works.
In Closing..
By the way, the same call He would bestow upon His disciples in the Great Commission, to "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you," to advance the kingdom of God, applies to all of us today. We cannot accomplish that by sitting comfortably in church or in our homes. We must faithful and tirelessly do all that we can to reach the lost and make disciples. Discipleship is more than just being called, and serving others in prayer, we must be willing to be sent! The kingdom of God must come first.
Oh what an affect we could have on the world in which we live, if we would all just do our part.
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen