THE SENDING OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES

Matthew Chapter Ten—September 4, 2011

Jesus called unto Him the twelve and gave them authori­ty...He would send them out and He gave them authority. When He sent them out on a wider commission, He also gave them au­thority — the authority to speak for Him. When we read what the Apostles said on any subject, it is just as binding on us as if Jesus Himself had said it. The names of the twelve are given: PETER, ANDREW, JAMES, JOHN, PHILLIP, THOMAS, BAR­THOLEMEW, MATTHEW, JAMES, THADDAEUS, SIMON JUDAS.

The amazing thing about the naming of the twelve is that after they are named, not much is said about most of them from then on. In the book of Acts, Peter plays a somewhat prominent role John is mentioned once as far as activity is concerned and then in a subordinate role with Peter. James the brother of John, is killed off in a half of a verse in the twelfth chapter and the rest are scarcely mentioned. Even Paul is left dangling at the end of the book of Acts, leaving us to wonder what happened to him. For such an important group of men, it seems to be a very obscure list of names. The reason for this is because the New Testament is not the story of the Apostles, it is the story of Jesus. Without Jesus, the Apostles are nothing. This should teach us not to be too puffed up about the praise of men. Perhaps then most out­landish compliment ever given to me, was when a woman one time said as she left services, IT IS MEN LIKE YOU AND GEORGE WASHINGTON THAT HAVE KEPT THIS COUN­TRY FROM FALLING APART. I could not help but think of Mount Rushmore— Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lin­coln. Why wasn't my face chiseled in the rock?

But even though they are obscure, Jesus did not forget them. John the Revelator informs us in the twenty-first chapter of Revelation that, the wails of the New Jerusalem had twelve foundations and on them was written the names of the twelve Apostles of the lamb. You don't get your name written on the foundation stones of Heaven for doing nothing. Heaven is build on the foundation of what the Apostles had to say. It is important to listen to them as we see their message in the New Testament. Remember their names are written on the foundation stones of Heaven. In a similar manner the Lord will not forget your labor in His service. You may not have your name on the foundatoin stones of Heaven, but your names will be written in the Lamb's Book of Life. The Lord knoweth them that are His, let everyone that nameth the name of the Lord Jesus depart from iniquity. Four times in Matthew chapter ten we are told that Jesus sent them.

SENT TO PREACH

THESE TWELVE JESUS SENT FORTH. He gave them a limited commission. He said, Go only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. They were not to go to the blacks, the Chinese, the Japanese, or the Eskimos. They were to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Later on, He would give them a world wide commission that would include all races and nationalities every­where. Any program of evangelism that does not take this into consideration falls short of the program that Jesus had in mind. He did not say that we were to evangelize those who are white and middle class and when others move in to the neighborhood the best thing to do is sell out and go to the suburbs and evangelize your own kind. Many times the old building is sold to a denominational group and they come in and have a ready made building to preach a false doctrine.

He sent them out with credentials. He told them to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, cleanse the lepers, freely ye receive, freely give. These mighty works of faith would give evi­dence that they had been sent by the Lord. One great work that is conspicuously absent, is that He never told them to speak in tongues. Wonder why? Very simple. They would be going to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and they all spoke the same language. No need to speak in tongues. This is the way it was in the New Testament. Tongues were used to speak to people in their own tongue. That is the way it was in the second chapter of the book of Acts. Today tongues falls short of this norm. Do you know anyone who can speak any known language today without ever studying it? I have heard of these people speak of sending their missionaries to language school. If you can speak in tongues you don't need to go to language school. You have it made. You can speak in tongues. If you can't speak in any language needed at the time without ever having studied it, then you must not have what they had in the New Testament. And if what you have and what you can do, is not found in the New Testament, what good is it? Anything less than what they had and anything more than what they had is gibberish.

He told them also when to preach, He said, "as ye go preach." As ye go, as ye go, as ye go. We need to do the same. As ye go, preach.

I was on a plane coming back from Florida. The airplane had scarcely gotten to cruising altitude when the intercom was acti­vited. A voice came through saying, "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the Captain speaking, the Rams are leading seven to nothing. Thought you would like to know."

I could not have cared less. Think of it, all that electronic equipment and they used it to announce the score of a ball game. Would it have been better if he had said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the Captain speaking, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." If he had said this, some gut mouthed athiest would have complained and he would have been fired. As ye go, preach. As ye go, preach. We cannot afford to wait for the Sunday morning service to tell the story. Tell it now. Tell it now. Tell it now. As ye go, preach.

SENT LIKE SHEEP

The next sending is when Jesus told them that He was send­ing them like sheep into a pack of wolves. They would have to play it cool. That is the only way for a sheep to play it, in a pack of wolves. Cool man, cool. Wise as serpents and harmless as doves. I think that our initial reaction would be, Lord, if you are going to send me into a pack of wolves, send me like a tiger. I'll show those wovles a thing or two. A pack of wovies is the worst place to send a sheep. Lord send me as a hippopotamus if you will. That way if a wolf attacks me, I'll roll over on him and squash him. No, the Lord sent them out as sheep among wolves. We no doubt could say, well Lord, if you send me out as a sheep among wolves you will see to it the wolves don't bite. Well no, not exactly. Jesus never said that the wolves would not bite. He never said that they would never bite and slash. In that case Lord, what right do you have in sending me out like that? He has every right to send us out as sheep among wolves because, He was the one who came in­to the world as the Lamb of God that would take away the sins of the world. Remember, He said, that a disciple is not above his teacher and a servant is not above his Lord. If they called the Master of the House of Beelzebub, how much more they of the household? So much for that. He sends us as sheep and we have no choice but to go.

He then said, don't be afraid. If you want to be afraid, be afraid not of the wolves, but be afraid of Him who is able to destroy both body and soul in Hell. Our commission is to preach the gospel fearlessly in a pack of wolves. His word at that point was that we were to preach it from the housetops and what was heard in the dark was to be proclaimed in the light. That is what we are trying to do on this radio broadcast. Proclaim it from the housetops. Jesus doesn't want His message to be kept secret. Shout it from the housetops. He wants everyone to know the terms of pardon. There are many religious people in this au­dience. You have heard about the cross over and over again. You have heard about the resurrection over and over again. You be­lieve the Bible is inspired of God. You believe in Heaven and hell. You want to be saved and many of you think you are, and many of you are mistaken. Many of you are headed for hell fire. Because you have not obeyed the Lord. The reason you don't know is be­cause no one had told you. That is why on every broadcast we con­tinually say, Repent and be immersed for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the- Holy Spirit. I shall continue to shout it. Of course, there are adversaries, but what matters it. Jesus said, fear Him who is able to destroy body and soul in Hell. What you may think of this message I bring is no concern of mine, I am concerned about what the Lord thinks. He sends us with this message. You wolves can snarl and bite, but the message goes on. We have been sent by the one who came as the Lamb of God.

HE SENDS PEACE

Think not that I came to send peace on the earth, I came not to send peace but a sword. He sent the Apostles and He also sends a sword. The word for send here is not the same word for send in the rest of the chapter. In a parallel chapter in Mark, He said, I came to cast fire on the earth and am straightened until it is accomplished. This send has the thought that He came to cast the sword. Jesus is the divine sword thrower. The circus per­former throws his knives and manages to miss the body of his assistant. Jesus throws the big knive, the sword of the Spirit. He said He came to set at variance a man from his father and the daughter from the mother and the daughter-in-law from the mother-in-law. The big gospel knife will seperate the closest rela­tionships. Sometimes it seperates the closest relationships of all.

Many a person would obey the plan of salvation if only they did not want to go against the religious convictions of their par­ents. Jesus said, He that loveth Father or Mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. On the Day of Pentecost when Peter preach­ed the first gospel message we are told that the people were pricked in their hearts and they were told to repent and be im­mersed in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Three thousand obey­ed that day. No doubt, when you consider their background there was many a family that was divided that day. Many a family rela­tionship was ruptured never to be mended again. What reason is there for us to think that it will be any different today. It is the same and it always will be. That big knife will divide. Your rela­tionship with the Heavenly Father and with Jesus the elder brother is far more important than any family relationship today. It is wonderful when a family is one in the Lord. But if this cannot be, tell your earthly family, "If you won't got to heaven with me, I won't go to hell with you." No other attitude is worthy of the One who gave His life and shed His blood for you.

RECEIVETH HIM THAT SENT ME

The fourth sending of Matthew chapter ten is when Jesus said, "He that receiveth you, receiveth Me, and He that receiveth Me, receiveth Him that sent Me." To receive a message of a faith­ful gospel messenger is the same as receiving the Lord Himself. He said, "He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. He that receiveth a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward." What is a reward of a prophet and what is the reward of a righteous man? If the reward is something the prophet or the righteous man gives, it could be a prayer. It is great for a person to have a righteous man praying for them. James said the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. It is no telling what I might be able to do if I had about fifty of the most righteous people in this au­dience praying for me. That would be reward enough. For any good deed done for them He said further, that even if you gave a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple you would not lose the reward. One wonders what good is a cup of cold water. I would rather have a cold bottle of pop. Get it out of the dispenser. How­ever, at the time a cold bottle of pop was not available. A cup of cold water on a hot day was a greater blessing than what it might seem to us at first glance. Even if it wasn't much to give, the lesson here is that the Lord expects not only the rich to be generous in their giving, he expects the poor to be generous also. Even if it means the giving of a cold cup of water. Not much to give, but it will not go un­noticed by the Lord. You shall receive your reward.

CONCLUSION

These twelve Jesus sent forth. Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. I came not to send peace but a sword. He that receiveth you receiveth Me and he that receiveth Me, receiveth Him that sent me. He sent them and He still sends today.

The Son of God goes forth to war, A Kingly crown to gain.

His blood red banner streams afar, Who follows in His train.

Who blest can drink His cup of woe? Triumphant over pain,

Who best can bear His cross below? He follows in His train.