Sent On Mission
Read the Text: Matthew 10
Memorize the Text: Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into the harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38)
Consider the Text: Matthew 10:1-15
We find Jesus commanding his disciples to pray for the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into the field as Matthew 9 closed. Matthew 10 opened with Jesus commissioning his disciples as the laborers and sending them on mission for the Kingdom of God. The same calling extends to believers today. We received the expectation to pray for the harvest but received the commission and command to engage the harvest through the mission work. The opening section of Matthew 10 reveals three truths for believers today that extend from the calling given to the disciples by Jesus.
First, we are SENT on mission. Matthew informed his readers that “Jesus sent out these twelve.” (5). The received calling from Jesus did not exist as an option to choose, but instead detailed the expectation of the Lord. The sending of the disciples modeled the approach of the Lord for carrying out his mission to the world. He uses his followers to be His messengers to the lost sheep in need of a shepherd. The simple mission includes two primary objectives: go and proclaim. Go to the lost sheep and proclaim the kingdom of heaven.
Today, as believers, we receive the same calling from the Lord. Jesus calls us to go into a world of lostness and proclaim the good news. The calling means that we are to be the instrument by which the Lord sounds the proclamation of the gospel so that those who are lost will be found and those without a shepherd will gain the Great Shepherd. Just like the disciples were sent, so are we sent to the nations to reach the world for Christ.
Second, we are EQUIPPED for the mission. Jesus did not commission the disciples without equipping them for the task before them. Matthew 10:1 presented the authority the disciples had in ministry to carry out great work because of the authority given to them by Jesus. Jesus knew what they needed to carry out the task and gave them the needed ability. He did not call the disciple because of their ability but their availability. Thus, Jesus did not call the equipped, but he equipped the called.
The same occurs when we receive the calling of the Lord today. No one has the ability in their strength to fulfill the mission of the Lord. God is not searching for a few strong and able people but instead is searching for those who trust in the strength of the Lord and are available for His work. The disciple had watched Jesus perform the work of ministry, but now they had the ability because of Christ, who gave them the authority. So likewise, we are equipped by the Lord to carry out the task, and the equipping comes through the authority of the Lord at work in us.
Third, we are INSTRUCTED about carrying out the mission. Jesus detailed the mission work by instructing the disciple how to carry out the task. The rules of the mission journey gave the disciples the parameters by which Jesus expected them to minister to others. The instructions may have sounded strange, but they pointed the disciple to trusting in the provision of the Lord through the work. Furthermore, giving instructions allowed the work to demonstrate the disciples’ faithfulness to their Master and worship him obediently.
Today, Jesus instructs our paths. We have received His Word that provides for us truthful instructions for living. We gain guidance through spending time in prayer and seeking the Lord faithfully. The instructions of the Lord challenge the flesh nature within us and offer us the opportunity to serve in faithfulness, impact the world, and bring honor t the Lord. Thus, Jesus instructs us throughout the mission work.
Matthew 10 challenges us to not pray for the mission alone but to engage the work personally. Each believer has received the calling to represent the Kingdom of God in the evangelistic work. Far too often, believers and churches support the mission work through prayer and financial giving but refuse to own their responsibility for participating in the work. As Jesus declared to his disciples, we pray for the harvest and the laborers. At the same time, we should not neglect the reality that he called us to the mission that he will equip us for and instruct us through. How are you responding to the call to be sent on mission?
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
