The Word of the Lord is a threat to evil
The Church of Jesus Christ is large and powerful,
Healing and helping people in every part of the world
Imagine if Jesus never came to preach and demonstrate the Kingdom of Heaven
What would the earth look like today?
If you know the goodness of this message
Than you would have to say even if this life is all there is
There is no other message better for the world than the message Jesus preached
I would be a Christian even if there was no God
Because I have seen this message of love,
Powerfully work in lives like nothing else
It is foolish to ignore the message of the Kingdom of Heaven
It was worth Christ dying for
It was worth His apostles dying for
The Kingdom of Heaven message is worth us dying for
Even when we do good and are called evil
There is nothing I have seen in all the world’s history like this,
the Kingdom of Heaven
Matthew
Kingdom Laborers Matthew 9:35 – 10:40
In the first nine chapters of Matthew,
we see…
Preparation for the Kingdom of Heaven –
Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand
Introduction to the Kingdom of Heaven –
The Sermon on the Mount
The demonstration of the Kingdom of Heaven –
The Kingdom is brought to people with signs and wonders
We end in chapter nine with two points.
The first point is at the ending
of the first nine chapters…
The crowd was amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel."
But the Pharisees said, "It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons." Matthew 9:33-34
We will see this issue of Jesus
being called the prince of demons many times
as we go through the rest of the book.
It is the highest offense you can give to Jesus.
Jesus will say this very clearly in Chapter 12…
Where Jesus says the Kingdom
comes by the Holy Spirit.
Anyone who speaks against
the Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven.
The second point at the end of Chapter 9,
comes from Jesus’ deep compassion for people
and the call for laborers.
Matthew 9:35-38…
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
Many were following Jesus at this time…
But we see the closest to Him
being called and given authority.
These 12 are called apostles.
The Greek word means “sent one”.
They receive authority to…
Drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
Matthew 10:1
The rest of the verses in Matthew 10
are Jesus’ instructions.
The first instruction is…
Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
Matthew 10:6-10
Jesus will teach on the first principle
in Matthew 20 where he says…
"So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
Matthew 20:16
Jesus honors the promise to Abraham…
But the promise was never to excludes
the rest of the world.
Look at the promise, it has two parts…
I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,
and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed,
because you have obeyed me."
Genesis 22:17-18
The labors are to preach this message:
The kingdom of heaven is near
Have compassion on people
and give from Heaven gifts
to the harassed and helpless.
The work of the labor is to be rewarded.
Jesus did not say their provisions would
come from heaven like manna.
People who receive, are to support the labors.
The second point continues on the theme of support.
"Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
Matthew 10:11-16
Don’t stay where you are not welcome
and are not supported.
The third point has to do with character.
I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.
Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
Matthew 10:16
This warning is very important…
Because, like Jesus, the message of the Kingdom
will be received by some and rejected by others.
Jesus says religious people, governments,
and family will reject the message…
"A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household! Matthew 10:24-25
This is not like any other job,
taking the Kingdom of Heaven message
to the world will meet strong resistance.
There will be those who turn your good into bad.
The Kingdom message,
as wonderful and powerful
to set people free is…
There will be those who will try to
make you look like the evil one.
As much as our message is about
righteousness, peace and joy…
There will be those who will violently try to stop you.
Although you may be treated with less respect
and value, then a sparrow…
Your Heavenly Father knows
when a sparrow falls to the ground.
Good will be called evil
and evil will be called good.
Some will even be called enemies
in their own household.
Don’t forget your worth comes from
the message of the Kingdom of Heaven.
It is worth the cross you have
to carry and worth dying for.
Those who receive your message will receive
the same reward your Father in Heaven has for you.
So, when others come to help you and serve you
from the appreciation of your service to God, let them.
None of us who are doing our best to love God
and others as ourselves, like to be called bad or evil.
But that is exactly what happened to Jesus
and also happens to His followers.
Because we share a message of life
and the right of the unborn…
We are hated by those who only think
about their own welfare.
Because we share a message about love
and sexual purity…
We are hated by those who approve of sexual freedom
to have sex with whatever and whoever they desire.
Because we share a message of
creation by an intelligent God…
We are hated by those whose religion
is evolution based on evolving from
unintelligent life forms.
It boils down to this…
Some will not allow anything other than themself
to determine right and wrong.
Jesus said…
"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth.
I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Matthew 10:34-35
The Word of the Lord is a threat to evil.
The Church of Jesus Christ is large and powerful…
Healing and helping people in every part of the world.
Imagine if Jesus never came to preach
and demonstrate the Kingdom of Heaven.
What would the earth look like today?
If you know the goodness of this message…
Than you would have to say
even if this life is all there is,
there is no other message better for the world
than the message Jesus preached.
I would be a Christian even if there was no God
because I have seen this message of love
powerfully work in lives like nothing else.
It is foolish to ignore the message of the Kingdom of Heaven.
It was worth Christ dying for.
It was worth His apostles dying for.
The Kingdom of Heaven message is worth us dying for.
Even when we do good and are called evil.
Scripture Reading
Matthew 9:35-10:42 NIV
35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
10 He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9 Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; 10 take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
11 "Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
17 "Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21 "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 "A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!
26 "So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
32 "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
34 "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
"'a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36 a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'
37 "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
40 "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."
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