Weekly Sermons

Ambassadors for Christ Part 1

What is the ingredient that adds fruitfulness to faithfulness? Courage to speak when others remain silent. When a faithful believer by faith presses through their fear, meets needs and proclaims Jesus, fruitfulness to some degree will follow!

Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. - 2 Cor. 5:20

Matthew 10:1-15

Three Basic Bible Study Principles (O-I-A):
Observation – What the text says – what was God saying to the first audience in their context.
Interpretation – What the text means – what is the timeless theological teaching here.
Application – How the text applies today – what God is calling us to do in our context.

Those who are called go forth to represent Christ, not themselves - V. 1-4, 7-8

We are called first to grow in our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and our ministry for Him is to be the overflow from the time we have spent with Jesus, ministering to people like He would if He was physically present. 

Imitate me as I imitate Christ.    - Paul in 1 Cor. 11:1

There is a word that ties together the Sermon on the Mount message and this commissioning of King Jesus’ Ambassadors message. It is the Greek word exousia, which can be translated as right, authority, and power. Chapters 7-9 established that Jesus is the Lord of all realms – the authority over the Doctrinal/ Moral realm, the Physical realm, and the Spiritual realm.

They had seen Jesus meet needs and proclaim the Kingdom – Now He sent them out to do the things that He had modeled for them. Most of us can’t work healings in this church age, but we are also called to meet needs together and proclaim Jesus!

These basic men being called reminds me that God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.

Jesus doesn’t wait until you are fully ready to give you your first ministry experiences (you will never be fully ready); Your first ministry experiences make a difference now and are part of getting you more ready for later ministry experiences to come.

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. - 2 Timothy 2:1-2

This particular trip was to get Israel ready for decision day - V. 5-7

The entire gospel of Matthew is building toward Matthew 28 – Jesus’ Great Commission for His disciples to go to all the people groups of the world.

Now we can surmise a practical point here – in training disciples it is probably best for them to first minister to people more familiar to them before they go outside their comfort zone to people very different than they are.

Before we get to Matthew 28 Matthew’s gospel is building toward His triumphal entry to Jerusalem in Matthew 21, and Jesus’ formal offer of Himself to be Israel’s King.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see Me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’” - Matthew 23:27-29

Nineveh repented when Jonah the Prophet preached; but Israel as a whole did not repent, they did not vote “Yes” to King Jesus when He came, so one coming of their Messiah turned into two with the church age we are in now between the first and second coming of Jesus.

So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority (exousia). But you will receive power (dunamis) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” - Acts 1:6-8

Disciples are to trust God to meet your needs; they are not in it for the money    - V. 8b-10

They were not to charge for their ministry, but they could accept basic hospitality and support and watch God meet their needs – basic reliance and trust. And the people they ministered to who appreciated their ministry would learn to support the ministry (verses 40-42). Paul later called for church saints to support their pastors financially (1 Tim. 5:17-18;1 Cor. 9:9-14).

“Gentlemen, don’t touch the gold; don’t touch the girls; And don’t touch the glory!” - Scottish Preacher sending rural evangelists out!

The Disciples’ job is to meet needs and proclaim Jesus, and leave the results to God - V. 11-15

Practically speaking, missionaries speak of praying to find a person of peace to work with – a person that God has sovereignly prepared to help their community receive Jesus.

There is no doubt that God is calling you to step out in faith and boldly speak to people you come across about Jesus. Some will like it, and some won’t!

It’s not our job to convert people – it’s our job to meet needs and proclaim Jesus and leave the results to God. If you by faith step out in courage and do that, you will become a faithful and fruitful follower of Jesus Christ.

Lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” - Isaiah 6:10b

Practically speaking, Jesus is telling you not to take rejection personally – they are rejecting Jesus more than they are rejecting you. And to the first audience that these words applied to, there is something else going on – the rejection of Jesus their Messiah King when He came to earth in fulfilment of the words of the prophets.

Our passage for today ends with the sobering reality that among those who reject Jesus, judgment will be even worse for those who have had more revelation given to them.

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after this comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him. - Hebrews 9:27-28