“A Winter Missions Trip”
Matthew 10:1-16
Rev. Min J. Chung
(Sunday Lord’s Day Service, December 14, 2003)
1 He called His twelve disciples to Him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9 Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; 10 take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
11 “Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:1-16, NIV
Introduction
As most of you know, CFC started primarily as a campus ministry in 1990. Most of our members were students. But it’s not just a campus ministry anymore. We’re stretching the boundaries of the age gap. There are older (I mean, more mature) adults and working people present at our church. Campus ministry is still an integral part of our church but we are in the process of incorporating other age groups. In the midst of all this, the more mature people might complain: “CFC is too much like a campus ministry.” On the other hand, students might complain: “There are too many changes. Everything used to be so comfortable for us.” Should we see this as a problem or as an opportunity? Of course, we must see it as an opportunity. More people are coming to the kingdom! We can learn from all the different people we have. The older people can disciple the younger; the working people can show others what the working place is like; mothers can train younger women; younger people can inject vibrant energy into the church. All this can happen as your lives are intermingled and entangled with each another. It provides so many opportunities to minister and to be ministered to. Some churches create different services for the different age groups to make people feel comfortable. I don’t criticize them for doing that, but I think we ought to be together as much as we can. We can have smaller groups that separate older and younger people but we dare not be selfish, seeking only our comfort. We are to be the body of Christ, adjusting to one another, ministering to one another, learning from one another. We will not separate so easily. We’ll see it as an opportunity.
So as time goes by, we must maintain a balance by keeping the things that are good and making changes that are appropriate. One thing we will keep is taking a break from many of our normal church activities during university breaks and intersession periods. That way, we can all have a break. This winter, many students will go home while many older people will stay in town. It’s good for older people because you have more time and opportunities to reach out. It’s good for students because you can spend a lot of time with your family and friends from back home. It’s a good time to witness and pray for and build relationships with them. Let’s not consider it a winter vacation; let’s consider it a winter mission trip. Some people say, “I’m going to watch five DVDs a day!” No! Others say, “I’m just going to survive and hope to still be a Christian after this Break.” We gotta aim higher. We’re gonna do missions this winter.
That’s exactly what Jesus is doing in this passage. He is training the disciples who will go out into the world, preach the gospel, and give their lives to Him. The gospel must be preached to the ends of the earth, but they are not ready. So Jesus sends them out, two-by-two, for short-term missions training. They learn to minister through bumps and bruises as He empowers and prays for them. They go out and pray for the sick: “Woah! They’re healed!” They say to the demon-possessed, “Demon, get out!” and “Hey, the demons listen to us!” They are so amazed as they see the power of Jesus at work. That’s how it is for our church. We will learn as we grow larger and get older. We’ll use these short-term breaks as mission trips. Let’s have that mentality. Let’s not be in a see-5-DVDs-a-day mode. Let’s be in a share-Jesus-with-5-people mode. Amen? Not many people are saying Amen. But it’s OK. Those who have ears, let them hear what the Spirit has to say to the church.
Who Should We Go to First? (5-6)
Verses 5-6 say, “These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: ‘Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.’” There are two reasons the disciples were supposed to go only to the Jews first. Later on in chapter 28, they would be sent to the Gentiles and all nations, but here in chapter 10, their focus was the Jews. The first reason is historical and the second is practical.
The historical reason. Redemptive history started with the Jews, initially with Abraham, Moses, and the Israelites. They were God’s chosen means by which Gentiles and the world would be reached. The historical reason is chronological.
The practical reason. The disciples weren’t ready. They didn’t know people. They weren’t wise. They didn’t know Scripture. They didn’t have love in their hearts. In Luke 9, after Jesus had preached to some Samaritans and they didn’t respond, James and John asked, “Should we send fire down from heaven to destroy them?” That’s not really showing the love of Jesus Christ. So the reason the disciples had to go to the Israelites first was that they weren’t ready to reach out to the Gentiles.
So here’s the principle for us. We should first go to the ones we know. We should first reach out to those we have a relationship with and are familiar with. Paul went to the synagogue first. In Acts 1:8, Jesus tells the disciples to go to Jerusalem first—close. Then go to Samaria—a little farther. Then go to the ends of earth. There’s a slow progression from close to far. Christ always gives instructions as such—close ones first. In the process of being trained as witnesses for the kingdom, if you can’t minister to your family and close friends, you won’t be able to do that with people cross-culturally, in different parts of the world.
It’s both easier and harder to minister to people who are closer. It’s easier because we know them. We are more familiar with them and understand them better. It’s harder because they know us. The worst side of our hearts come out with them. They know how to push those buttons to cause our evil nature to be manifested.
Notice I didn’t say, “You must be able to convert your family and close friends.” I said, “You must be able to minister to them.” Their conversion depends on the Lord. They may not become Christian, but you should be able to love them and have the skills to minister to them with the Gospel. If you can’t do that with people you are close to, you can’t do that with others. If you can’t witness in Jerusalem, you won’t be able to witness in Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
Map out your existing relationships for this winter. Think of all the people you’ll meet. Categorize them: Friends or family. Who will I encounter? Who will I face daily and consistently? They might be from work, recreation, or some old friends. Pray for them everyday. Start now. As you map out your relationships, strategize. “What kind of impact can I have on them? I’ll have a little time here or there. I can share my testimony with this person. I can present the gospel with this person.” But be realistic. If you say, “I’m going to convert every single person I encounter,” that might happen. But probably not. Some people are closer to being saved while others aren’t as ready. Be realistic and strategize. Even during the school year, there are two or three events to which you can invite people. Remember that the goal is not to be successful but to be loving. Every strategy is merely a means to share the love of Christ. Even if you fail in them becoming a Christian, you can succeed in becoming a bit more loving. As you spend time with them, look for opportunities. Have fun with them. Do exciting things with them. Eat and drink with them (juice). But while you’re doing this, watch for openness. Look for opportunities to share your testimony, to talk about God, to discuss theology. And when your winter mission trip is over, evaluate. “What could have I done better?” You can learn for the next time. I’m usually not successful with all my goals, but this is helpful to me.
What
Is the Message? (7-8)
Verse 7 says, “As you go, preach
this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’” I
think I can say that. That sounds easy. But look at verse 8! “Heal
the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out
demons.” Jesus, I don’t know about that! So first I’ll
talk about the message and then why we can’t heal the sick and
raise the dead.
What is the message?
The kingdom of heaven
That’s the message they were to preach. It is the gospel. The kingdom of heaven means that Jesus is King.
It is near
At the moment, the kingdom was near but not here. Jesus hadn’t died yet. However, for us, the kingdom of heaven is here. Jesus is the king who died on our behalf. He bought us with His own blood. We are His.
Repent
We must submit, repent, and turn our hearts to the Lord. We are rebels to the king, so we must submit.
Why can’t we usually do miracles? First we must talk about miracles.
Meaning
What is the meaning of miracles? When Jesus did miracles in the physical realm, it pointed to the spiritual realm. When Jesus raised the dead, it meant that He could raise dead hearts. He healed a paralytic, then in the next passage, He talked to Matthew about needing a doctor for sins to be cleansed. When He healed lepers, the point is that we are spiritual lepers. When Jesus drove out demons, it meant that He has the spiritual power to cleanse people’s hearts. That’s the message Jesus is giving throughout the book of Matthew. I can’t talk about it fully now, but Matthew 8-9 are about how Christ’s miracles showed that He was the Messiah. And He gave the same authority to His disciples. All this points to the same message: Jesus is the King.
Old Testament
When the prophets did miracles in the Old Testament, they did so using their words. So miracles authenticated their words. Those words were: “Repent, for the King is coming.” The prophets and their miracles pointed people to their need for a covenant relationship with God. Also, all the Old Testament ceremonies pointed to Christ’s coming, the coming of the King.
First Century
Why were the apostles able to do so many miracles? They lived during pre-New Testament days. In other words, the New Testament hadn’t been written. Because people couldn’t meditate on the Word of God (only the Old Testament), miracles were the visible Word of God for them to see and meditate on. Doing miracles was like preaching the gospel. That’s why it was primarily the apostles who did them. Miracles authenticated them as apostles, as well as what they wrote, which eventually became the New Testament. All this to say: Jesus is the King.
Mission Field
Why are there so many more healings on the mission field than America? On the mission field, the literacy rate is usually not very high. When I preach in different countries, most of the people who listen can’t read. So all they know about the Bible is from the words of preachers. Also, there are not as many hospitals and modern medicine. Thus, miracles (such as prophecy and healings) happen so that their hearts would be open to hear the message—Jesus is the King.
Why not here?
Why not here at CFC and in America? I believe miracles can happen here now. People can be healed and occasionally are. Some believe that miracles have ceased after New Testament times. But there is no biblical evidence whatsoever. However, even though miracles can still be done, there is not as much necessity here in America. Healings are not necessary because we have advanced medicine. The medical advances were not available to them in the first century and on the mission field. Also, we have the entire Word of God, the Old and New Testaments. Miracles are no longer as necessary. In fact, if we healed people every Sunday, it could take the focus away from the Word of God (which is supposed to be the point of miracles).
I don’t think there’s much of a difference between miracles and the Word of God, in terms of people coming to Jesus Christ. Let’s suppose I was healing someone up here. What is the process involved? You see the miracle with your eyes. You perceive that God is great in your mind. Finally, you must believe in Christ in your heart. Otherwise that miracle is no use. It’s the exact same thing with the Word of God. You hear it with your ears. Your mind has to perceive it. Then that message must go into your heart and the Holy Spirit must help you believe. In both cases, it is the work of the Holy Spirit. It is not mere intellectual knowledge. Demons believe in God, too, as James tells us. If you see a miracle but you don’t repent in your heart, you’re still the king. Jesus is not your king. There’s not much difference between the miracles and the Word of God. The Spirit must work in both cases to change our minds and hearts and say that Jesus is King.
Other spiritual gifts that are more visible
Many people at CFC speak in tongues. You don’t have to speak in tongues to grow, but many do at our church. Why do more people have the gift of tongues than the gifts of prophecy or healing? The gift of tongues helps you to pray (1 Cor 14). It gives authentication for yourself that the Spirit is with you. By helping us to pray, it also helps you to receive empowerment to proclaim the message that Jesus is King. There aren’t as many people who have the gifts of prophecy or healing because we already have the Word of God and medicine. Yes, we can pray for those things and they happen at times, but Jesus-loving doctors of 20th century can easily replace healing apostles of the first century.
All this to give the message that Jesus is King. If you didn’t understand anything I just talked about, it’s OK. Just remember that Jesus is the King.
What Should We Take? (8b-10)
Verses 8b-10 say, “Freely you have received, freely give. Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts;” (is it because you’re going to go through a metal detector at the airport? No.) “take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.” This passage is saying you don’t need to worry about financial need or food. Rather trust and rely on those you are ministering to and God will provide. There are two kinds of people: givers and receivers. Givers can apply the verse “Freely you have received, freely give.” Receivers can apply the verse “for the worker is worth his keep.” Receivers are those who minister full-time and receive finances from others. They might not have a job, so they receive financial support from givers. Those they minister to are thankful, and in turn they give financially to them.
Receivers don’t demand money, but they need not refuse money, either. When people give, receivers should receive wisely. For me, I have been supported by people who give. I haven’t always been wise in receiving. Sometimes when people give to me, I think, “I have enough, so I won’t take their money.” So occasionally people would send me a check and I would rip it up. But when they found out, they were very hurt. I realize that they were sacrificing themselves and giving their heart through that money, so I gotta be wise. Now, if I want to return someone’s money, I write a check and send it to their church as an offering.
Just because somebody gives me money, I don’t always receive it. I try to look at the giver. If they’re rich and might misuse the money otherwise, I take it all. If they’re poor, like different campus ministries I visit, my heart aches for them. I give them money after I speak. So I end up poorer than when I went there. Sometimes if I don’t need it, I give what they offer to others. At those times, I’m just a mailman, a delivery person to others who need it. So be wise in receiving.
We also need wisdom in giving. Don’t spoil people. Give according to their needs, not for luxuries.
If you’re not a receiver, remember that you have a responsibility to give. If you are a congregation member who has a job and financial luxury (which means that you have anything more than clothes to wear, food to eat and a place to live), you should be generous. Once I spoke to several local missions organizations in Champaign-Urbana (with groups such as King’s Club and Crisis Pregnancy Center). The first thing I said to them was, “I apologize to you. I am sorry that you have to raise funds, and that sometimes you have to beg local churches for money. We should be doing all that for you so you don’t waste time. Then you can be freed up to minister.” They applauded. But I really meant it. We should have that attitude when we give.
What is the point? If you’re a receiver, trust in God that He will provide what you need. If you’re a giver, trust in God also, that when you give He’ll give even more so you can live for His kingdom. You must say, “God has provided everything for me. He will provide even more to give to others. Even if I give it all, He’ll give me more. I’ll trust in the Lord.” God cares for our needs. He gives us this day our daily bread, teaching us to minister to each other in the body of Christ. Never say, “I’m giving money to you.” Always be thankful. Say, “Thank you for allowing me to serve the Lord through this small means.” Be thankful that you can participate in kingdom work.
Whether you’re a giver or a receiver, there is a sense of interdependence. We must depend on each other. We need each other. We are to show the love of Christ to one another. We minister and we are ministered to.
What is the point of our winter mission trip? Trust in the Lord for everything. Financially, spiritually, emotionally—trust Him for empowerment. What do you lack? Is it money, wisdom, power? Close your eyes. He is able to provide anything and everything you need; ask and you shall receive. Trust in the Lord. What should you take? Jesus. Nothing but Jesus in your heart.
What Response Should We Expect? (11-15)
There are two responses in this passage. Some will receive, some will reject. Jesus was saying, “I’m here to preach the good news, to cast out demons, to heal the sick.” What is there not to like? But they didn’t like the King. They wanted to do what they wanted to do. That’s human nature. These two responses show what is in the depths of men’s hearts. Preaching the gospel is a deep, spiritual work. The Good News is not mere intellectual knowledge or superficial things. It says that Jesus is King and you are His subject. People don’t like that message because they would rather be king, even if it’s being a king in hell. Some will receive; some will reject.
So when we try to love people, whether it’s saying hello or spending time with them, it’s a deep, spiritual work. It is human nature to want to be king of our own lives. It takes a deep, spiritual work for that heart to change and desire Jesus as its King. In fact, it’s impossible with man. Jesus said that it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a heart to change and receive Him as King. Only the Spirit can change the heart of a man.
Jesus told His disciples if people receive their message, bless them; if they reject it, shake the dust off their feet. See, when Jews would pass through Gentile towns, they believed that they could even be defiled by the dust in those towns. Jesus told the disciples to shake the dust off their feet when they left a Jewish town. What is the point? No matter what kind of Jews they are, kosher or not, they aren’t true Jews if they reject the message. They are spiritual Gentiles. Think about John the Baptist. Baptism in the Old Testament was for Gentiles who wanted to become Jewish. But John the Baptist baptized Jews! His point was that to be a true Israelite, you must repent and be baptized. It’s the same principle. Jesus was saying, “If they don’t accept Me as Messiah, treat them as a spiritual Gentile.”
What principle can we learn? Go to those who are receptive. Go to those who are open. Go to those who are worthy—meaning, those who receive you and invite you into their homes and want to spend time with you. They are attracted to the message you are preaching because the Spirit is working. Look for open doors. Don’t bang your head on locked doors. That hurts. I’m not saying you can use this as an excuse to be selfish. I’m talking about wisdom. Look for open doors. It might be that time, that period of their life. If you push on the door, it might open and you can go in. It might be your mom or dad or sibling or friend, but as you pray and ask for wisdom, the door will strangely open. It might not have been open in the past, but this winter might be the time. That doesn’t mean you should curse those who are not receptive. Still love them and treat them with respect. But go to the receptive ones. There will be different responses in different time periods.
Some of you might want to measure the success of your winter mission trip afterwards. But remember that success in the Bible is different than what we often think. Sometimes success is reception. But sometimes success is rejection. A prophet’s job is to preach. If you pray and preach the gospel, you did your job. Some will receive, some will reject. You still did your job. Sometimes success comes later. Remember that God is still at work in their hearts, even if it might not seem like it. The message of gospel is a bomb. You don’t have to win every argument. If the gospel goes in, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock. The Spirit works and one day, Boom! They see; they’re changed. Plant a bomb in them through your heart, life, and words. Plant a love bomb. Sometimes the explosion of love comes later. What can I say? The gospel is da bomb! So use it!
What is success in your winter mission trip? Success is faithfulness. Don’t worry about the results. Jesus says that some will reject, some will receive. “Don’t worry. If they reject you, they reject Me.” Sometimes success comes later. Success is faithfulness.
What
Should We Be Like? (16)
There are three pictures here: a
sheep, a snake, and a dove. We are like sheep among wolves; we are
to be as shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves, but sometimes we
are the opposite: we are as shrewd as doves, as innocent as snakes,
and as wicked as wolves.
We are to be like sheep among wolves
One aspect of our identity as sheep is that God is our shepherd and we must depend on Him. But sheep are different than wolves. Sheep don’t eat wolves; wolves eat sheep. Does that mean Christians are weaker beings? No. It just means we have different methods than wolves. Because of the restrictions Christ gives us, we can’t hit people or use force. We can’t capture them, put them in a prison and make them listen to a recording of the gospel over and over. We are sheep. Some people say, “If we use this method, we’ll be killed!” That’s exactly the point. Our method is to be slaughtered, just like our Master on the cross. We are to be voluntary weaklings, living sacrifices. We are to picture the cross by being slaughtered as silent lambs in love.
We are to be as shrewd as snakes
We are to be slaughtered, but wisely. Shrewd is the same word as in Genesis 3:1, used to describe Satan. He was shrewd and cunning. We are to be shrewd, but obviously without the same intent as Satan. Wisdom always has a goal. Some have wisdom in making money, playing sports, and doing business. The goal of our wisdom is in loving people and showing Christ. It’s sanctified shrewdness and holy common sense. Being pure and humble doesn’t mean you shouldn’t think. You should think about the best way of showing the love of Christ. You need wisdom to know the right place, time, and manner. Make a serious attempt to discover the best means to achieve the highest goal of showing Jesus as King.
We are to be as innocent as doves
Innocent means “unmixed with evil.” Evil is referring to the world and sin. You aren’t to be mixed with evil. You are to be involved with people but unmixed with sin. Romans 16:19 tells us to be innocent about what is evil. Philippians 2:15 says to be separate from this crooked and depraved generation. We need to be pure in our hearts but wise in our minds. Our method is to be slaughtered, but wisely and with a pure motive. Learn to love like that. We are to be like Jesus, with the attitude of a sheep, the mind of a serpent, and the heart of a dove. That’s what Christ was like, unmixed with the sinful world. He was so wise as He saw the whole history of redemption. He knew all but died like nothing. Like a sheep He died in silence.
How can we get that? In the previous passage, Jesus saw the crowd and had compassion on them. Then He tells them to pray (“Ask the Lord of the harvest”). If you pray, you will have the compassion of Jesus. Then Matthew 10:1 says that if you pray, you will have authority to drive out demons, heal the sick, and raise the dead. When you pray, you will have compassion in your heart and power in your life to reach out to others.
I’ll give four practical suggestions for your winter break.
Schedule everything
You don’t have to schedule every minute, but at least schedule general blocks of time. If you don’t, you’ll just go with the flow. And if you go with the flow, you’ll drown. Swim upstream. Schedule redemptively. Read some good books. Schedule times to pray ahead of time. Schedule time with Christians, family, and friends.
Go to a good retreat
Whether it’s to be blessed or to help out, go to a good retreat. There are two great retreats coming up: Urbana 2003 and OIL. Some of you might be going to a youth group retreat. Pray and get your heart renewed.
Minister to your family
Schedule and spend time with them. Especially in the evenings, if that’s the only time they are at home. Help out at their store. Cook for them. They might come home and fall down if they see that, but minister to your family. Surprise them with a holy surprise. It’s better than a Christmas card.
Look back, evaluate, repent, look ahead, plan
After the winter break, evaluate. Renew some of your commitments. Start again and grow to serve the Lord.
Conclusion
People rarely have a so-so winter break. Most people either have a terrible break and come back so defeated that they want to quit, or have a fantastic break and come back so fired up that they have such a good semester. Come on! Let’s have a different perspective on this winter. It’s not a vacation. It’s not a time to test out survival tactics. We’re going to grow. We’re going to minister. We’re going to be proactive, not reactive. We’re not going to meander through this time as mediocre, powerless people. Let’s go forward. Let’s strategize to grow and attack. You can never win just playing defense. Let’s strategize and plan to love.
You can really utilize this time. I read. I spend time with my family. I meet people. I play a little ball. I’m renewed. Who needs a vacation? I have such a good time during winter break. I’m almost always pumped up. I’m strategizing to have a good winter break, a winter mission trip. It’s so good for my soul. We’ll pray for one another. We’ll pray for you to finish well this week. Strategize and have a fantastic winter mission trip. Ask God for wisdom so you’ll be great ministers this winter. The Lord has given us every spiritual blessing in Christ to go forward. If we’re going to fall, we’re going to fall forward. We’re going to fall and roll. We’re gonna grow. I pray you’ll have a fantastic winter.
Suggested Closing Songs
Unshakeable
Oh Lord, My Heart Longs to Be