Sent!

Matthew 10: The First Sending (7)

Pray Psalm 145.1-3.
I will extol You, my God, O King;
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
And His greatness is unsearchable.

Sing Psalm 145.1-3.
Brother James’ Air: The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want
I will extol You, God, my King, and ever praise Your Name!
I bless You, LORD, for everything each day, and e’er the same!
Great are You, Lord, my praise I bring; unsearchable Your fame!

Read and meditate on Matthew 10.1-42.
Meditate on verse 7. What is our message to the world?

Prepare.
1. What did Jesus send His disciples to do?

2. How did He assure them of His Presence and provision? 

Meditate.
Jesus sent His disciples out to do something they had never done before. These were common men, not trained missionaries. But Jesus had come to bring near the Kingdom of God, and those who followed Him into it needed to understand that their lives would never be the same. As He had been sent to the world, so He sent them, and so He sends us (Jn. 20.21).

Jesus told them to expect difficulty and opposition. They would be rejected by some, challenged by others, confronted with daunting situations, and dependent on the kindness of others. They were to proclaim the Kingdom and demonstrate its reality by all manner of good works. The same is true for us.

The disciples accepted this mission because they had left all to follow Jesus. Each of us has a mission, a calling, a cross to bear. We need to take up that calling daily and live for the Kingdom of God. Following Jesus is not some niche or sideline to life. It is life. If we want the full, abundant, righteous, mercy-filled, and joyous life that Jesus provides in His Kingdom, then we must die to this life and our selfish interests, and go like Jesus, as salt, light, and leaven to the world.

The Kingdom of God comes by prayer and doing. We can’t wish it into being, and we mustn’t wait for someone else to bring it near for us. We must “endure to the end” (v. 22) in our calling, looking to Jesus and following the example of His words and works. The world won’t always like us; but the Lord is with us to provide, protect, and bless. Every day offers many next step opportunities for taking up our cross and following Jesus. 

What next steps are before you today?

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
If “we want the full, abundant, righteous, mercy-filled, and joyous life that Jesus provides in His Kingdom” and we know that to experience it we “must die to this life and our selfish interest, and go like Jesus, as salt, light, and leaven to the world” then what keeps us from doing this?

There was a ruler in Israel who approached Jesus with a similar question:
“Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? 
No one is good but One, that is, God. 
You know the commandments: 
‘Do not commit adultery, 
Do not murder, 
Do not steal, 
Do not bear false witness, 
Honor your father and your mother.’”
And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.”
So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, 
“You still lack one thing. 
Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and 
you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, 
for he was very rich” (Lk. 18.18-23).

For some it is wealth. But for those whose god is not money, it can be anything that we love more than Jesus.
Jesus knew that for this one who approached Him, money was his love. But just as Jesus knew what was in that man’s heart, He also knows what is in ours. He knows those things, and people, we hold so tightly to. That is why He also said, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matt. 10.37). 

We have been warned from the very beginning: 
“For I, the LORD your God, AM a jealous God” (Ex. 20.4).
“Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you, 
and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the LORD your God has forbidden
you. For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God” (Deut. 4.23, 24).

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 
for they shall be filled” (Matt. 5.6).
“But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, 
and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt. 6.33).

We are sent to follow Jesus.
We are also sent to love others and tend to God’s creation.
We are sent to be good stewards of all we have been given.
We are sent to be Kingdom citizens, living within God’s economy and Law.
Only, Jesus must be preeminent. God must be first. Never second-best. Ever.
That is the way all of this works.

Reflect.
1. How do you prepare each day for being “sent”?

2. What can we do to make sure our heart is what Jesus intends it to be?

3. Whom will you encourage today in their mission to serve the Lord?

Why should you be willing to give up your life? Only because you love it inordinately. So for the very reason of loving it ordinately, you will scorn loving it inordinately, and so it will be to your advantage to the highest degree. You will then in the truest sense love your life. John Chrysostom (344-407), The Gospel of Matthew, Homily 35.2

Pray Psalm 145.10-21.
We have been sent by the Lord as agents of His redeeming grace. Commit this day to following Jesus, taking up your calling, living out His love, and declaring His works to the people you meet.

Sing Psalm 145.10-21.
Brother James’ Air: The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want
Your works shall thank You; all Your saints shall bless and praise You, LORD.
Your reign we bless without restraint; Your power fills our words.
Our children we shall educate in all Your splendor, LORD.

Your Kingdom evermore shall be; You reign forever, LORD!
Your works You do so faithfully, according to Your Word.
The falling You uphold and the oppressed You rescue, LORD!

The eyes of all look up to You to meet our needs each day.
Open Your hand, provide the food we need, O LORD, we pray!
Kindness and righteousness You do, O LORD, in every way!

Be near to all who call on You; all those who fear You, bless.
Preserve all those whose love is true; save us in our distress.
Our mouths will speak with praise of You; Your holy Name we’ll bless!

T. M. and Susie Moore

If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).

We invite you to join us in ReThinking Church. We explain further at our ReThinking Church page, here.

Other columns of interest: This week: The Read Moore podcast continues readings from our book, The Kingdom Turn. Our Crosfigell teaching letter presses ahead in a series on the state of the Church in Europe at the time of the Celtic Revival. The ReVision column addresses the question, “How to Church?” Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.