2013-05-19 The Gospel Received or Rejected | Matthew 10:11-14

Preparing for the Mission, Part 5: Christ’s Guidance in a Divided Response

• Series on evangelism not meant to make you feel guilty so every one of you will preach to your neighbor, co-worker, fellow Starbucks customer
• Most manuals for evangelism written by those gifted to preach and teach, assume all should preach and teach
• There is benefit from taking courses like Evangelism Explosion, Contagious Christian, because learn the content of the gospel, but few follow thru because not gifted to do so
• The Church is called to proclaim the gospel to every tribe, tongue and people.
• The Church is called to make disciples of all nations, by going, baptizing and teaching.
• The Great Commission was given to the gathered apostles, the gathered people of God
• together, they were to proclaim the gospel to the nations
• Each of them had specific gifts to utilize in doing so
• Each of you has specific gifts to utilize in doing so
• Some are preachers and evangelists who should preach to your neighbor and co-worker, Starbucks customer.
• But not all are preachers, not all are evangelists, on the front lines of evangelism
• some are support personnel, as Korea memorial wall, 7 behind the scenes for every one on front lines
• but all are called to participate together in the process of making disciples using the gifts you have been given
• for example, you may have the gift of hospitality as some in our passage today
• you may have gift of prayer, gift of giving, gift of encouragement, working with children
• Jesus, Paul needed all these to go with them and help bring the gospel to the crowd, didn’t go alone
• We, the gathered church, the body of Christ, are to be on mission, together, to make disciples.

-Series: Jesus prepares his apostles for their first missionary journey through the towns and villages of Israel.

-Last time, Jesus instructed them regarding the people, the preaching, the power and the provision for the mission.

-Today, he instructs them in the Procedures or the series of actions that were to take place in each town as they went.

-where to stay while preaching the gospel in a particular area

-how to determine their prospective host’s openness to the gospel

-what to do when a prospective host rejects their message

-The point is that Christ guides us through the maze of a divided response as we seek to do our part in his mission in world

-in some cases the gospel of peace will be received

-in other cases gospel of peace will be rejected

-what was true of Christ, will be true of his disciples, and us

-Christ’s mission, Christ’s message, Christ’s guidance as they/we proceed to proclaim it

(Matt. 10:11-14) ¹¹ And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. ¹²  As you enter the house, greet it. ¹³  And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴  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.

• The Gospel of Peace Received

1. Where they were to stay while preaching the gospel in a particular area

-Find a person who is receptive to the gospel and stay there.

¹¹ And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart.

-Inquire who is worthy in the town:

-has a reputation for good works and/or faith in God

– most likely to be receptive to the gospel

–Positive example – Paul in Antioch goes to the synagogue- Acts13:13-15 “¹³ ¶ Now Paul and his companions came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.  ¹⁵ After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.” preached the word, then ⁴² ¶ As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath.

–A positive example – Paul in Phillipi goes to a place of prayer – Acts 16:12-15 “¹² and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. ¹³ And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.  ¹⁴ One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.  ¹⁵ And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

–Eg. Young people – where to find a prospective “worthy” wife or husband in obedience to command

“do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.” 2 Cor 6.14.

-Too many meet an unbeliever and mistakenly think they will be able to convert them – disaster.

• At local church
• At local prayer meeting
• Not in a bar or club
• Maybe on the internet, but check them out as next

2. How they were to determine a host’s openness to the gospel
3. Introduce yourself and test your message on them, the gospel in short form

¹²  As you enter the house, greet it.

– “peace be to you” a Jewish greeting and blessing

– adapted by Christ as equivalent to “gospel of peace” Isaiah passage earlier

– like Jesus after resurrection to disciples in upper room:

– Lk.24:36 “As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!”

– Or like Paul’s greeting in his letter to the church at Rome

– Rom.1:7 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

1. If you and your message are received/welcomed, remain in that place and it will reap the benefit of your blessing

 ¹³  And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it,

– peace with God results in the blessing of the peace of God, blessing goes with you

– is a blessing to also for disciples to stay in one place, not moving around

1. If you and your message are not received/welcomed, there is no harm done,

¹³…but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.

– if they are rude, and shut their doors on you, it’s their loss, they missed God’s blessing through you

– you will lose nothing, your peace will return to you

– if you offer someone a gift out of the goodness of your heart and they refuse it, you’ve lost nothing, the gift comes back to you, it’s their loss

• The Gospel of Peace Rejected

1. What to do when a prospective host rejects their message

• 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.
• Leave that house or town
  • no longer fellowship with them, they have proven themselves unworthy of hearing more of the message
• Shake the dust off (As you leave)

– to signify that God would shake them off because of the filth of their sin, as brushing off the dirt after working

– to testify against them, the dust left behind will testify that the disciples had preached the gospel there to them,

– Mk. 6:11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.

-Positive and negative example Paul in Corinth

–Positive – seeks out Aquilla – Jew and fellow tentmaker – Acts18:1  After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.  ² And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them,  ³ and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. “⁴ And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.”

–Negative part – when opposed Paul shook out his garments and departed – Acts 18:5-8 “⁵ ¶ When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.  ⁶ And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

–Positive part – he finds another God-fearing man – ⁷ And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue.  ⁸ Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized.”

–Summary: Christ guides us through the maze of a divided response as we seek to do our part in his mission in world

-in some cases the gospel of peace will be received

-in other cases gospel of peace will be rejected

-what was true of Christ, will be true of his disciples, and us

-Christ’s mission, Christ’s message, Christ’s guidance as they/we proceed to proclaim it together.

Categories: 2013, Jesus Prepares His Disciples for the Mission, Matthew, Sermons