Title Matthew 10:1-4 The Twelve Disciples
Contents
Matthew 10:1-4 The twelve disciples
Last Sunday, I took a break from preaching the Gospel of Matthew because of Easter Sunday. Let's continue to look at the words. Last week's sermon is about the Lord's heart toward those who are weary and suffering like sheep without a shepherd, and in the reality that the harvest is plentiful and workers are few, ask the disciples to ask the harvesting master to send workers to the harvest. You did. Today, let's look at the lesson contained in the scene where Jesus chose the twelve disciples.
1. Verse 1: Jesus called the twelve disciples and gave them power to cast out unclean spirits and to heal all diseases and infirmities.
- If the Lord had been obsessed with public ministry without raising disciples, both His teaching and His ministry on the cross would have ended in a storm in a teacup that briefly flashed in Israel 2,000 years ago. As the Lord called His disciples and shared life with them, the Lord’s spirit and life were naturally transmitted to the disciples, so the Lord’s work was able to be continued without interruption through these disciples even after the Lord was resurrected and ascended into heaven. The apostle Paul was also chosen to be his disciple and succeeded in Paul's ministry, and he exhorted Timothy, who was working diligently in the Ephesian church, to choose a faithful worker to succeed his ministry and make disciples (2 Timothy 2:2 As I have heard before, entrust to faithful men, that they may teach others).
- Today's text records what the Lord expected of His disciples after He chose them. He is called to cast out unclean spirits and to heal all diseases and all infirmities. These are all spiritual realms. The Lord said that he had “given power” to the disciples to carry out this ministry. This power is poured out by the Lord through the Holy Spirit. It's not something you learn. After all, if we look at the entire process of discipleship recorded in the Bible, there are two stages in the discipleship of the Lord.
① The first step is to learn the heart and ministry of the Lord by walking with the Lord after being called as a disciple. It is the process of patiently following the Lord, observing and learning the Lord's work. We need the saints who will give them time to train themselves.
② The second stage is the pouring out of the power of the Holy Spirit on those who have gone through this process.
If you lean toward either of these two stages, you cannot complete discipleship training. You must go through these two steps. Some believers receive the power of the Holy Spirit to work without going through the first step. It's too dangerous. They do not know the heart of the Lord. It is highly likely that they will work with people as tools. A certain believer may have received the first step well, but cannot bear the fruit of ministry because he has not received the gift of the Holy Spirit. All those who were called to be disciples of the Lord, with the exception of Judas Iscariot, persevered until the end. And according to the Lord's program and timing, he was poured out with the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit. They have become those who bear amazing fruits. Judas Iscariot could not endure the last few days and gave up, so he lost his opportunity and went on his own path, that is, the road of destruction (John 3:16). Keep in mind that discipleship of the Lord is not an option, but a necessity, and I hope that you will receive discipleship training well and become disciples who are used by the Lord.
2. Verses 2-4/ The twelve apostles chosen by Jesus
- The names of the twelve chosen by the Lord are listed. These twelve disciples were originally people who had no reason to gather together. If there is only one reason, it is to stay in the same group because of the Lord's call. Because they were called to be disciples, whether they liked it or not, they had to spend time with them. If you look at each of them individually, you can never become one with each other. Their origins, occupations, temperaments and ambitions were all mine. They were like grains of sand. However, the Lord called those who were like grains of sand to become one disciple and eventually became one.
- The church is like this. People who are completely different from each other are called to become one within the fence of the Church. So, the key to church life is to have a big wrong heart that can embrace others that are different from you. Stubborn, cunning, lazy, stingy, hot-tempered, suspicious, various occupations, rich and poor, and the difference in education... It is a call to a person who can embrace all these things. It may be the most difficult day. The church is called to cross-cultural missions that embrace the world. African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Western, South American... You must be able to embrace all races and different cultures in your heart.
- For this purpose, it is natural that I should participate in embracing, serving, and serving other members of the church to which I belong. We must not forget that the Lord endured, embraced, and poured out His love for stubborn people like us, and made them who they are today. When you insist on your own thoughts and think only you are right, you cannot embrace others. 12 Whenever we think of the disciples, we must remember our mission to be tolerant of ourselves and others and to serve with a broad heart. It is recommended that you take a short-term mission trip to experience this cross-cultural experience. I am thinking of visiting a nearby mission field with all the members next year. We are called to embrace the nations. If you don't train from now on, you'll miss the opportunity. Let's train the members of the church by approaching them first. Instead of becoming a cactus-like person and chasing people, you should become a person who embraces and embraces you with a warm heart.