Sharing Christ with Our Community, Part 2 (Matthew 10:9-16)
Text:
“Acquire no gold nor silver nor copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, nor two tunics nor sandals nor a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Mat 10:9-16 ESV)
Jesus listed several things that His disciples were not to take with them on their journeys (v. 9-10). They were not to be concerned as much about all the things they thought they needed. They thought they needed money to buy things food or a place to stay. They thought they needed a bag to carry scrolls or water. They thought they needed an extra clothes in case of bad weather. They thought they needed a staff for walking and protection. The reason given that they did not need these things was that the worker is worth his keep. Who were they to be working for? They were to trust that God would provide for them, and protect them.
This is true for us today as well, both in terms of sharing the gospel, and also as we go about our lives. We can become so consumed by our own stability that we fail to trust God to provide. It’s all too easy to lean on our own wisdom and tools in evangelism. And in our daily lives, we strive for financial stability as if that will solve our problems. Instead, trust God to provide!
How does God provide? He doesn’t just magically make money appear before us. God provides through the people around us (v. 11-13). But don’t confuse these people with who your Master is. We have a responsibility to the people around us to bless them. But we do that in order to be faithful to God above all.
The sad truth about evangelism is that not everyone will accept our message. Many will be hostile to the gospel and will lash out against us. Do we let such a response hinder our spiritual life (v. 14)? It may be difficult to do, but we must not let such criticism cause us to renounce our mission. Instead, shake the dust off your feet as you leave that place. Remember that they are not persecuting you, but the One you represent.
But even while we are attempting to guard our hearts from giving up, we ought to have compassion on those who persecute us (v. 15). This should not be a comforting idea for us, but one of grief. We don’t wish judgment upon anyone, but wish that all would come to repentance. If this idea were meant to comfort us, the following command wouldn’t make any sense (v. 16). We are to be as shrewd as snakes. We must not be threatened by those who oppose us, and we should never give up. We are also to be as innocent as doves. We are to be pure in our love, intentions, and hope that the lost would be found.
Pastor Chris Huff has been with us since July 2009. He and his wife, Abby, have four children. Chris is originally from St. Louis, MO and even though he was raised as a city boy, he has a small town heart. Chris is all over the internet, so you can find him on Facebook, Twitter,… (read more)
