Mike Bickle emphasizes the significance of Jesus commissioning the twelve apostles in Matthew 10, outlining essential leadership principles and the importance of a clear mission. He highlights the need for a realistic mindset to prepare the apostles for the challenges they would face, ensuring they understand the nature of their mission and the necessity of relying on God. Bickle stresses that the principles taught by Jesus are timeless and applicable to the church today, encouraging believers to actively participate in ministry and to expect challenges without losing faith. He also underscores the importance of prayer and the sending out of laborers, as well as the need for unity and support among believers in their mission.

Well, we're on session 14 the commissioning of the twelve apostles in Matthew chapter 10 Now the reason this is so important is because there's so many leadership principles that are embodied in this chapter Jesus is looking at this young leadership team and he's giving them the basic vision and mandate of what they're to do and That vision and mandate is transferable throughout our applicable to the entire church So it's a vision statement that we line up with then he gives them principles on how to conduct themselves And then he really braces them with the right mindset So that they're not living in idealism, and then when they run into the difficulty, they're all confused as to why it's difficult and this is a very Necessary teaching Matthew chapter 10. It's very absent today in much of the church a lot of offended believers that are just mystified and confused when it gets difficult and Jesus Told these young men that he was going to anoint in an unusual unprecedented way for that time of history He gave them the mindset in the way forward and again this mindset is applicable today and has been throughout church history And I believe that God is gonna raise up Vessels that are gonna move in greater power in the generation. The Lord returns then they did in the first century in the book of Acts church well paragraph 1 a This session is about Jesus sending out the Apostles Now this happened about just a little over a year before Jesus went to the cross Because sometimes we have this idea that they were functioning in power the whole time, but it was about the last 12 months plus a little bit more possibly 13 14 months Jesus said now it's time. I've trained you now. I want you to go out on your own And so Matthew chapter 10 Want to point this out has far more detail on this passage than the parallel passages in Mark 6 and Luke 9 And again, it provides Principles for Traveling in ministry now, it's in ministry in general, but he really highlights those that travel a lot in ministry and some of these Principles that he lays out we look at them today and go. Hmm, you know, I don't know Nobody talks about these and the Lord says well I do and so he gives these to us and because of a heart of wisdom because he's For the church excelling and walking in safety and a victory First paragraph see this so you don't get confused at first He's giving them he's talking to them about their unique mission for the next 12 months or so While he hasn't gone to the cross yet. They're moving out in tombs around the land only in the nation of Israel So this is pre Crucifixion resurrection mandates but the principles are timeless though some of these specific things he's saying in the first few verses Really have a special application for them in that very moment later Jesus himself As well as the Apostles they broaden the scope of this teaching to include The church through history into reaching all the Gentiles, etc Well, it starts off the context of Matthew chapter 10 Actually begins in Matthew chapter 9 So when Jesus is commissioning the Apostles in chapter 10 the event right before we're gonna just go one a couple verses before To get the flow of the context of the conversation that he was in with them Well, he's coming to at the end. He's come to the end of his final third Galilean tour And that's his last tour that he's going to go on with his disciples so in verse 35 Jesus went about all the cities and villages at this time. The Apostles are traveling with him They might not know this is the last time they're going to be traveling with him in this way It's Jesus's final tour his third tour of Galilee ministry tour He's in all the cities doing the things he always does preaches and heals the sick verse 36 he saw the multitudes and He was moved with compassion for them Because they were like sheep without a shepherd. He's looking at the people of Israel. They don't have any idea who he is and They're aimless and moving in the wrong direction and making wrong decisions wrong mindsets And that's how the Lord looks at the nation's even now with compassion not with anger, but with compassion now He's angry at persistent rebellion Particularly when it's in the face of knowledge of who he is His emotions are more intense when he's given them a witness of himself, and they still resist him That's what his anger comes into play But he looks at the nation of Israel at this time like he looks at the nation's now Like it with compassion like sheep moving around because a sheep without shepherd they just scatter It's like somebody said it's like trying to herd cats, you know, they're all moving in different directions There's no purpose and no unified direction where they're going. They don't know where they're going Jit verse 37 Jesus said the harvest is plentiful the harvest of Israel was plentiful But Jesus the great prophet yay more than a prophet is looking through history And he says the harvest that I'm planning is beyond anything you could imagine Verse 38 so he links prayer With the release of anointed workers. He says pray for the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers so pray to the Father and the Son and say send out laborers and what a what Jesus really means is is sent out laborers Because laborers that go is one thing laborers that are sent by the Lord There's a clarity and a commissioning and a grace that's on them We need more sent out laborers people that are really connecting to God not looking at ministry as an opportunity to kind of establish their brand or to Kind of get their life, you know working well for them, but sent out ones ones that are Gripped by God that have a sense of regardless what it costs that they're going to do the Commission And our prayer is and again night and day prayer links to God. We're raising up more and Predominantly it's young people of this hour all over the earth more sent ones That are gripped not by just the opportunity of again establishing their brand of their name and their their kind of niche But they're really gripped with the kingdom regardless what it costs them personally So paragraph be the next thing that happens Jesus sends out laborers He actually fulfills the very thing that he charged them to pray for he fulfilled it in a down payment And he goes this is the kind of laborers. I'm prepared to send out anointed with power Gripped with my purposes not opportunist But real kingdom people and so Jesus again gives a model a snapshot Of what it looks like when he answers this prayer It's gonna answer it on a glow a grand and a global scale verse 1 When he called the twelve disciples to himself He gave them power Over demons unclean spirits to cast them out And he gave him power to heal all kinds of sicknesses verse 2 Now here's the names of the twelve apostles and you can read it There's four different lists in the New Testament of a twelve apostles and you can study that out on your own But this is only a down payment of more to come If this is where it begins This is not the ceiling. This is the floor for where the end time purpose Begins it's gonna have anointed ministries that are gonna go far beyond this They're gonna be released by the Saints in the earth praying for God to send out I mean to God to raise up sent out laborers. They're gonna do the same thing they're gonna speak the message of the kingdom and They're gonna cast out devils and pray for the sick. Now all the believers are commissioned to do this Now obviously some do it in a greater effectiveness than others, but everybody in the kingdom is has this Commission To share the gospel When opportunity presents and to pray for the sick to lay hands on people and break the power of demonic spirits demonic activity and harassment and A lot will happen if the people of God will do it They'll line up to the Commission so much more happens When the people of God are really lined up with this Commission a lot of folks think well You know later when a great revival happens. I'll jump into that Or you know when I see really big miracles start happening that I'm a really start praying for the sick when I see really dramatic Manifestations then you know of demons coming out then I'll start praying casting out devils I tell you lay hands on people and then the name of Jesus say I take authority over that spirit That is harassing you and I tell you there will be some difference and you may pray that a number of times over them But it will make a difference We don't have to wait for a great revival that mandate is alive and well and functioning right now in the kingdom Well the scripture never before describes The apostles the disciples as moving in power. This is the first time They've been with him for about a year to depending on any different of the twelve some of them longer than the others But one to two years they've been with them, but they've been witnessing his power not moving in power Now this is unprecedented That Jesus could impart his power to other people. No other person has ever done that in history No one has ever Had their disciples cast out devils and raised the dead and healed the sick by impartation from themselves. That's unprecedented Now paragraph two later This is gonna go beyond just Israel because you'll see in a moment. He's focused on Israel Just go to Israel for now and Again, that's where about the next 12 plus months and tell the cross and resurrection and then the scope is broadened to go to the nations But just so we know that the mandate is for all believers and for the nations outside of just that local focus that they had for that first year Jesus made it clear at his resurrection He said in mark 16 he was talking to them after he had raised from the dead returned to them from the father Here he is in his resurrected body. He says I want you to give this message out verse 17 mark chapter 16 these Signs will follow those who believe Not just Apostles Those who believe these signs will follow them Now notice the signs follow the believers not the other way around Now what I mean by that a lot of folks wait for a sign and then they say now I'll start doing something The Lord says no start speaking the word Lay hands on people and the signs will follow they'll be behind you then the Lord will back up his word Many times there won't be dramatic, but it will still have an impact on the person's life He said these signs will follow those that believe in my name they'll cast out devils You don't need a two-year training course to cast out devils Say in the name of Jesus. I take authority over that spirit that's tormenting you in a Jesus name. I break the power of it So I just gave you the whole seminar again No, I believe there's a place for some more training But you can don't wait for some down-the-road time to start doing this start doing it right now They'll speak with new tongues Every believer can receive a devotional prayer language and speak in tongues first Corinthians chapter 14 That's not the same thing as the gift of tongues to the corporate body There's that personal devotional prayer language that every believer can receive Verse 18 they lay hands on the sick and they'll recover Now the word recover trips some people Because the word recover has the element of progressively recover We like instant we like dramatic we like Wow and the Lord says I do Wow an instant But I have reasons why I don't do it as much as some people would want me to but I will I have instituted a Recovering dimension for the body of Christ laying hands on the sick. So miracles are instantaneous Healing is typically recovery now, there's exceptions to that but that's just to give you just a sense of understanding that word because Things aren't always dramatic people give up on the on the reality of it and the underlying principle of being a new covenant believer is that the we host the Holy Spirit's presence Meaning wherever we go the Spirit goes with us And the Spirit is released when we say words if we don't say words The Spirit does far less if we say words Because we host the Holy Spirit. He's in us and he's in partnership with us. He'll do more If you say Lord bless them, he'll bless them more If you say Lord if you look at him and say Jesus loves you Some unbelievers will go really I want to know more or or a believer will say wow I needed that if we say words The Holy Spirit will move we host his presence top of page two Now this is the first time in the gospel of Matthew that there and the only time actually they're actually called Apostles, this is a new term Now apostle was a term used in the Roman world spoke of a Person that was sent with authority to represent a dignitary And there were sent ones apostles that did were ambassadors for governmental officials But Jesus took that tech that term in the culture and used it in a very specific way describing a ministry office in the church and From this day when he used it The word apostle has a whole new dimension and it's now associated with the church And I don't think anybody uses it in the culture like they did in the in the in the ancient world It was just a normal word used in the culture so the Apostles have a new beginning a New mandate they're not gonna be with Jesus. I mean every day they're gonna be going out coming back and reporting He's gonna be with them and and still with them but they're gonna be coming and going and they got this new mandate in his new office that he's gonna watch him for a year and train them knowing that the whole future of the church and how its birth and its right foundations is Being entrusted to these men these young men. This is remarkable paragraph 5 the remarkable is that the Lord Entrusts so much to weaken broken people is the part that I am referring to that's remarkable and it works You know, I've said to the Lord Lord if I was you I don't know if I'd choose me and I don't know if I'd Choose us, but the Lord's more gracious and his power is more sure And though his purposes are fulfilled over over periods of time longer than we want because I'll get it done You just keep doing what I tell you I'll get it done paragraph 5 Well, he chooses 12 Apostles I Think undoubtedly to correspond with the 12 tribes of Israel Because he's emphasizing to Israel. This is a continuity To the covenant purposes that the prophets have spoken over Israel. It's not a new religion It's not a new Gentile thing. This is a Jewish thing. It's the faithful covenant God fulfilling his promises to Israel Paragraph 6 mark mark 6 because mark 6 is a parallel passage to Matthew 10 the passage we're looking at Mark only adds The idea that Jesus sent them out in twos Now the reason he sent him out in twos is obvious for relational support For protection. I mean they were safer together protection just from animals or thieves or people just going out in twos was Safer in that regard in a very practical way He sent him out in twos for accountability There's a whole lot of things That people might do alone. They won't do with a kingdom of God partner, even though they were weak men there were a whole lot of things that people won't do if there was somebody else who loves the Lord and There's a increased synergism One will put a thousand to flight two will put ten thousand two of them operate together. There's greater wisdom There's greater encouragement. And so the Lord's purpose Is to send people out in twos or more? The enemy wants to isolate you and to separate you the enemy knows if he can separate you he can pick you off really easy and His basic way of separating people is getting them full of condemnation So they run and hide in shame and they don't relate to the body of Christ or get them offended at the church So they got somebody didn't treat him right in a church somewhere And so now they completely right off the church for the next 20-30 years because of that one guy that did that one thing And the enemy goes gotcha whether I get you by condemnation and accusation Try get you by offense. I got you isolated. I could destroy your your vibrancy They may not totally backslide, but they won't stay vibrant alone The analogy I've used over the years you can put a log in a fire and it's burning and red-hot You pull that the log with the most fire coming out of it. You pull it out by itself. It will go out in time Jesus understood the human nature involved in this Well, let's look at Roman numeral three let's look at now some of the specific instructions First it's going to give them a real clear mission statement of purpose verse 5 to 8 Then it's going to give them principles. They are to use in traveling verses 9 to 15 Then it's going to prepare them with a realistic expectation about persecution and how Universal persecution is that's in verse 16 to 31 and the reason I said again a lot of people today They're they're not aware of that And when difficulties come they're like God what happened? I thought you loved me and How come this happens beloved if you take a stand for the gospel You will be persecuted by believers and unbelievers alike And once you settle that and that's what he was doing here in Matthew 10 to these young men. He goes settle it He spent much more time on that Shifting their expectation so they were not confused Bewildered Offended that their people were against them even the people of God are sometimes against the people of God it happens all the time and So Jesus spent far more time in this commissioning sermon Talking about I mean shifting their mindset not to be thrown off When people treat them wrong Because if you get confused by it you get offended at people or offended by God and you quit And he knew that's human nature. We're all the same Paragraph B well, he starts off with a very Focused mandate you got to get this. This is for one year only From this commissioning until his death and resurrection He says verse 5 do not go to the Gentiles Now when he appeared to them after the resurrection in Acts chapter 1 verse 8 He goes go to the Gentiles and the Samaritans. I said well a year ago. You told us not to and he goes Well, I had a very specific purpose for that 12 to 14 month period Don't go to the Samaritans Again later in Acts 180 goes go to Samaria. Now, you know, the Samaritans were they were half Jewish But they had pagan ideas. They were not loyal to the word and they had all kinds of Ideas that were not right. And so the Jews didn't like the Samaritans. They saw them as compromising pagan defiling, etc verse 6 But only go to Israel To the lost sheep of the of the house of Israel and again, this is a 12 month mandate tell while he's still with them and There's reasons for that the reason I'm emphasizing this so that when you read this passage you get the context and you're not thrown off by it As people read that and they kind of go. Well, I guess I just won't go nowhere. I don't know, you know The paragraph see why only Israel God is Jesus was highlighting God's faithfulness to fulfill his covenant promises to Israel He was confirming that Christianity is not a different religion It's the fullness of the Jewish religion and through history. What has happened is Christianity It's a Gentile religion and the idea is that Jewish people leave Judaism to join the Gentile religion and Jesus said no When the church was birthed when I trained my Apostles I Made it. I made the priority of Israel very very clear. I Wanted Israel and the nations in history to understand it is the Jewish religion Jesus was first Savior to the Jewish people We joined them as Gentiles. We joined the Jewish covenant. Not the other way around. They didn't join a Gentile religion we join the fullness of The covenant that God made with Israel. We were grafted in Romans chapter 11 says This is very important for that first year. They were moving in power that he wanted this recorded So even 2,000 years later We would see this was a priority because at the end of the age God's mandate is for the Jews in the Gentiles to understand each other's purpose in God in the one new covenant as one new man and the Gentiles Were to have a sense of indebtedness and gratitude to the Jewish heritage in the covenants Today many Gentiles, I mean it's common everywhere. They go. I don't really get that Israel thing Because they were raised in a ministry Atmosphere they didn't get How God was committed to the nation of Israel and so at the very beginning of church history the leaders They were all Jewish Apostles and leaders. They were hesitant anyone to go to the Gentiles They didn't see the importance of the Gentiles Now 2,000 years later. It's the opposite. The Gentiles don't see the value and the importance of the Jews Jesus said go look at my leadership mandate Matthew 10. It's the classic Leadership training see the importance than the priority. I put on Israel the first full full year. I Delimited it so the root system would be established in the church as to the priority of God's heart for Israel and the continuity of the church with the promises God gave Israel That we again were grafted in to the tree of Abraham one pastor said I love that It's that Jewish root system that we've been grafted into top of page three now the Apostles here's their purpose and again we say well, it's so obvious, but it's not that obvious They were to preach the same message The kingdom of God which means the rule and the reign of God God's reign his authority and not just as authority meaning power, but his leadership He's the boss and his reign is God's will being done in the marketplace in the home In the courtroom the classroom the bedroom every room The will of God being done. That's the message the reign of God the will of God done in every sphere and when you proclaim the reign of God Re ig and not I don't mean rain from heaven, but his rule his reign Heal the sick cleanse lepers raise the dead cast out demons Don't be content to prove proclaim his leadership and his authority and his supremacy But back it up by praying for people We don't want to separate the proclamation of the reign of God the supremacy of Jesus from Laying hands on the sick it needs every believer needs to do it You know, I found that and I've found this for 40 years being a pastor So I'm not discouraged by this negative thing. I'm gonna say but as a pastor I have One of the most most more challenging things. I've got a few on the list that a lot of pastors agree with but It's getting people leaders members of the body to pray for people at ministry time They just know I don't know nothing really happens I don't want to go no wrong idea we cannot ever separate By the grace of God, I will never be in a context where we preach the reign of God and don't pray for the sick Regardless what the measure happens it must go to you. I don't mean every single meeting but most every single meeting and My desire is always to get people out of their chairs hands out of their pockets lay them on people arrow all the time not one here one there not twice a year as a lifestyle and One of the reasons I feel so strong about it because right here this is the mandate this information statement we can't separate The message from the laying hands on and the speaking the word over people Which is the demonstration of power? Whether the power is a level one or level ten we lay hands on him. We speak the word we do it over and over and over And that's our privilege then Jesus said Freely you've received this anointing this message this Involvement in this glorious kingdom. I open the door to you wide to this kingdom You received it freely. I gave you the message freely I gave you the authority to lay hands on people freely So don't charge people When you heal them when you lay hand of course, it's God healed him anyway, but Don't put a money dimension when you lay hands on them because you received it free give it away free Roman numeral for that I could go off on that but I'm just gonna not now he's changing subject verse 9 to 15 What to take on their ministry trips now again, they're You know, they're they're going to cities for three four five six seven eight ten days maybe and then going to another city I don't know how many days but But they're going village to village city to city and they do this on and off for the next year And of course, they're gonna do it the rest of their life So he's gonna give them some pre-resurrection commandments But in these commandments because we don't have to obey all these restrictions That they had before the resurrection, but they're post-resurrection principles. The principles are valid and very very helpful He starts off Telling them what provisions they should take verse 9 and 10 Don't take gold Don't take silver Don't take money in your wallets Go with an empty wallet Really well That's interesting verse 10 Don't take a bag on the journey. Don't take a suitcase Don't take two tunics take the one What happens when it gets dirty Don't take two pair of shoes take one don't take two staffs take one and a staff they would walk with it, but a staff was also Use more of more practically for protection. They're wild animals everywhere and Bad people and there was an element of protection with the staff Wow Then verse 11 now, he's gonna tell them how to secure their lodging Whatever city you go Walk into the town Start asking around start talking about the kingdom and see who responds You'll find you'll inquire By you'll search it out is what it means. It doesn't mean go to the City office say hey, who's a really cool person in town. That's not what it means To inquire meant to search for it a worthy person now a worthy person By biblical definition here is someone that responds to the message about Jesus and his leadership That doesn't mean somebody rich somebody real gifted somebody real cool somebody real popular They might be but that's not what worthy means real able. That's not the point Responsive is what worthy means They're responsive. So inquire go to the city Start talking about Jesus and when you find a responsive heart that really wants to Be a part of this Then stay at their house of course, I gotta ask you but the idea is that uh They would So to inquire means to search it out to be on the lookout when you go into the city now here was a unusual Requirement he goes now stay in their house. Don't move house to house stay in their house and there's reasons for that verse 12 Now he tells us What to do when you're in that person's house and they might be in it for a week or two Maybe more maybe less They wasn't in there for a year or two, but typically more than a day or two. They were gonna preach to the whole area verse 12 When you go to the house Greet it They think greet the house go greeting house He's talking about something far more substantial than that He's talking about they're using Their commissioned Position before God they're commissioned by God They host the Holy Spirit's presence. They're ambassadors They can speak a blessing it's more than a greeting like we would think of a high how you doing it's a declaration of God's kingdom rule blessing entering it to that house of that family And the reason they would do that Because the blessing would increase on that family in that house We can do this today most believers don't do that, but we can and More will happen in a house or in a family if more people do it and so Jesus was Speaking out of the premise that this really released something Verse 13 the house is worthy Meaning responsive again, not able not gifted enriched opportunities to open doors for you They're worthy They're responsive To Jesus and the message of his reign his leadership over their life Let your peace the Shalom of God It's not just a tranquil feeling that is part of peace but God's Shalom That wrong things would be made right troubled things would be settled the peace of God is an active real Decisive reality that's released by the words of God's obedient servants into the lives of other people if you're staying there for a while and That house is not worthy Retract the blessing the kingdom blessing Because the blessing they're released is related To their identifying with Jesus's leadership Now Why would they go to a house? They found it worthy a little bit of time passes a few days a week or two whatever now, they're not worthy because The way I understand it the pressure in the community Came around it says you got those New guys with that new religion in your house. The guy goes. Well, I mean, it's pretty powerful. It's really got a hero Are you kidding? We don't want anything to do with those people we heard about that Nazarene preacher that carpenter guy So some of these people under pressure They drew back and they I don't know Jesus said when that happens Move on to another place, but retract the blessing now we pray blessing on our enemies in the general sense, but this is more than Spirit of goodwill towards enemies. This is a substantial Blessing that is released by a commissioned servant of God He said let your peace come back to you verse 14 If they won't hear you, they won't hear your words respond to him is what it means Depart from that house They changed their mind under the pressure of the community coming against and there's a stigma that comes on them because they got you in their house Then he says depart from the house and if the city as a whole the leaders of the city The influential people come and say leave this city and that happened many times Shake off the dust from your feet verse for 15 Surely I say to you this will be more tolerable It will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah Than for that city on the Day of Judgment Because on the final day of the Day of Judgment The judgment for the wicked varies many different degrees of severity of judgment Just like the blessing on the righteous. We're all in the family We all have that we have resurrected bodies and we're in the New Jerusalem we're in the family and that's really good But after that which is substantial and that's the big stuff The blessing the sphere and the measure of the glory of God varies with every single believer You know as Paul said in first Corinthians 15 a star differs from star and glory The resurrection will differ in glory every person for one another the idea That though Sodom was severely judged by the temporal judgments That came and destroyed the city the ideas Here are anointed witnesses of the Messiah in your city Doing signs and wonders and you resisted and that's far more serious and culpable You're far more liable at the Judgment Day to resist a new covenant believer operating in power When the Lord releases power in a ministry or geographic area the accountability on the last day goes up It's not neutral. It's not like well, that was a cool Crusade they have here, you know, I think of guys like Reinhardt Bonnke He would go into these large areas, I mean these I mean all through Africa, but he'd have million member meetings I mean his largest meeting with six million people million people responded and about like that's just Fantastic, but a number of times I've listened to a number of his stories and there's amazing The city officials would say get him out of here Even spiritual leaders believers get him out of here And when a person moves in power That geographic area is more responsible on the last day well paragraph D I Give a little bit of explanation He doesn't want him to bring gold or bring any money in their wallet now, this is a limited restriction for that first year But the principle is still real. Oh, I forgot paragraph B. Let's look at that spaced out paragraph B the principles That are consistent our simplicity The Lord really wants his kingdom leaders to embrace simplicity he really does That's very offensive in some circles in the kingdom of God They don't have to go in this hour in a post-resurrection hostile Gentile global environment Not having money is a different context than in that first year while Jesus was still on the earth with them Because they were in the context of Israel they were Jews in Israel and there was a hospice a hospitality hospitality code That it was common in the culture for a certain amount of hospitality So the danger and even the opportunity for blessing was far more likely even in the natural But After the resurrection the door open they go the Jews going to the Roman world was a real different story But the principle is the same simplicity The next principles urgency Don't pile up so much extra things and You know so much luggage and baggage you can't you're just so preoccupied with it this keep it simple and go urgent Don't get preoccupied with other things When you're in the midst of the mission God wants a sense of dependency on God when people go now again that first year Jews going to Jews in that Environment was again. It was more accommodating Than when they went to the Gentiles later But the God says I'll still meet your needs But he wants a spirit of dependency upon God, but not only that He wants a certain connection that people have with the people that they're ministering to Like when they would stay in their house and do good for them They needed God to bless them to those people there was a mutuality in it that the Lord builds his kingdom with some of these principles well all these principles and more principles besides so paragraph D He said don't put any money in your wallet again, that's for that first 12 months And I have some reasons why not that I have them all Now having said that paragraph 3 here at the bottom of page 3 the scripture does teach That the people that receive ministry are to so financially to the people that give the ministry But at the same time the Lord tells the people who give the ministry to depend on God Not be covetous not be demanding all kinds of there's there's a balance between the two And God's gonna restore This kind of leadership this Apostle New Testament leadership in the church in the generation he returns You can say in your heart I want to be of that spirit You might not know what level of leadership God uses you in but you want to be of that spirit You want to promote that spirit those principles in your life and in your interaction with others? Top of page 4. I'll skip some of the paragraphs here Look at paragraph F. This will be interesting This is at the very end And Jesus is going to the cross right here at the last days before the cross the last hours Paragraph F Luke 22. He goes. Hey We didn't say hey, but you know when I sent you with no wallets no money No extra shoes no extra shirt Did you lack anything and they said actually we didn't you were right God really met us and the people really responded. It was a miracle. It was good verse 36, but now I'm opening the doors wide open Now it's a global mandate You got money Take it. You got a wallet Take it. You have no sword go sell your coat and buy a sword If you look at that and go, what does it mean? I Think it means what it says and part of the protection was not just against evil. I mean traveling in that day Particularly Jewish people in a Gentile hostile towards them in the Roman Empire, which wasn't everywhere, but it's plenty of places Israel was a troublesome nation to the Roman authorities in the whole Roman Empire, but traveling was very Dangerous many thieves and mobs and bandits on the road But there were wild animals when they started traveling around everywhere So he goes he needs an element of protection engage with it You look at you go. Oh, wow, that's interesting I'm gonna skip the rest of page 4 cuz already comment on it. Let's go top of page 5 Now he's gonna shift gears He's talked a little bit about the principles of simplicity and urgency dependence on God connection with others He taught him preach the reign of God Don't just preach a bunch of other subjects his leadership over people's lives and nations the supremacy of who he is People responding to his leadership. That's what the kingdom of God is And lay hands on people when you do it. Don't skip that part Pray for the sick come asked out that I can't I cast out devils break the power of tormenting influences over people Top of page 5 now he says now For the majority of this commissioning sermon that he's giving them But really he's giving it to the whole body of Christ through them He spends more time again on setting their expectation, right So they're not confused or offended by being treated wrong Because he said you're gonna be treated wrong By believers and unbelievers. Is this going to happen? Paul was treated wrong in the churches so many times if I laid it all out and take a whole hour to give all the examples of The way he was mistreated by believers, but he said you know what? I'm moving at a different level I'm understanding. There's a reign of God his leadership his supremacy the deliverance of people It's not about how I feel and how I'm treated. That's not where it's at I'm living in a different level and that's what Jesus is wanting to anchor his leadership team in at the beginning starts off for a paragraph B verse 16 He goes now understand I'm sitting you out as sheep in the midst of wolves Now he just talked about them Being sheep a few moments ago in chapter 9 Verse 36. He said they're like Israel's like sheep but aimless but here he's using the word sheep different. He goes I'm sending you up without adequate physical strength to defend yourself against the onslaught of Enemies that will gather against you. So here he's not using sheep as aimless and kind of wandering off the path, but really as Defenseless against the powers. They will deface defenseless in the natural Governments whole collections of people that will join together against God's cause He goes now If you know that You understand you got to be wise as Serpents but harmless is dove or innocent as doves He says don't be naive Exercise good judgment. It's what he's telling them, but don't compromise the Word of God be harmless Another translation says innocent as a dove another translation is pure. So exercise good good judgment Don't be naive be cautious Be cautious of people Some folks say well, I'm just so trusting Well, it depends on what you mean by that. I mean, I hear that, you know here and there You mean you just trust everything you hear and say as some people say you don't want to do that. That's naive Well, I'm just a real trusting person. Well, you're talking about trusting God. That's good. It's really good It's going to be cautious It's a evil world with people with all kinds of bad motives in the church and outside the church What he's telling them to do Is that through being cautious and wise? They can avoid Falling into the harm of Evil people they use wisdom if they don't use wisdom they will have Unnecessary evils come on them Jesus saying I'm asking you as my leaders to be both wise cautious thinking through open eyes but good motives no compromise Some people are wise but the motives aren't so good. Others got good motives with the brains not so good verse 17 He says beware of men beware of them Don't have some narrative that you just I just you know trust whatever they say don't and don't go there most of you aren't there But every London I run into that I go. No, no, no, that sounds cute, but that's dangerous in a dark hostile world Jesus said don't be that way Because some of them are gonna surprise you Verse 17, they're gonna deliver you up to court to go to prison They're gonna trump up charges against you and Turn you over to courts Whether it's church courts religious courts that ban you blackball you or Legal courts of the government that penalize you economically or prison or death Verse 18 The day will come now this didn't happen in that first year before the resurrection but after it in the book of Acts You'll be brought before the Gentile governors and kings is the idea You'll be able to when you come before these Gentile rulers. It'll be an opportunity for you to speak the word So though it will be a burden to you in the flesh. It will be an opportunity for the advancement of the kingdom So keep the big picture in and focus verse 19 When they deliver you up To the legal system is what it's talking about to the church systems to be blackballed and to be banished From the synagogue or in the church world that happens all the time through history and church were inch in the church systems Don't worry about what you speak For it will be given to you in that hour For it's not you it's the spirit of your father who speaks Now the context of this is when they're brought into a legal Setting where they're being charged Again, whether it's a church court or a legal or a government court The reason I say that some people use this verse for never preparing in the Word of God For speaking the Word to people they go, I'm not gonna bury God will speak I go No, it's talking about if you're delivered up to evil court systems So turn off your Facebook and your TV or whatever and start studying you get prepared And don't use that verse out of context It is about playing around and then when you get to the meeting if God's used you Calling you to minister in a public way that you're gonna claim that verse. That's not what he's doing That's not what he's talking about verse I mean paragraph G He goes the persecution is going to intensify. It's gonna go beyond Legal court systems and Gentile rulers and synagogue leaders. It's gonna touch your families He's telling us to the twelve apostles, but he's speaking through church history The reason you know, he's speaking to church history Because a number of this this part of the sermon that he gave to the the twelve apostles Jesus taught this in Mark 13 and Luke 21 in the end time passage when he's talking to the end time church and he's using the same principles So what he's saying is the conflict That occurred when the church was birthed It's got to come to fullness in the generation I return and the principles are the same Verse 21 Brother will deliver up brother to death. I mean this is just unthinkable We've seen it happen through history a Father will deliver up his child his adult child it's not as like four-year-old, but you know the Child is an adult and the father's older and they're in a huge conflict about Jesus Children against parents First 22 he goes it's gonna go beyond your families You're gonna be hated not by every person but in every sphere of life. There will be people who hate Those that stand for my reign my leadership my kingdom But the person that endures to the end will be saved there's 23 Now here's interesting You didn't want to get this because he told us to the 12 When they persecute you in this city flee to the next some people have They have a I mean, it's it's a balance and it takes the Holy Spirit's wisdom. They have a bravado kind of spirit Some people have foolish courage Other people have real courage and they stand strong in a place of persecution. I don't want to ever minimize that And others have a kind of a bravado Martyr complex I'll show everyone who is most faithful he goes no don't move to the next city Because the idea isn't courage right there. The idea is endurance Keep moving not just because God needs your voice He wants your voice But he wants you to keep moving because there's a whole Chain of events and dynamics that happen when you go this city this city and the persecution is sweeping through the land He goes the issue is gonna be endurance when you're in flight not giving in Giving up and you're gonna find other people in the journey as well. I want you not just to stand there and Just give in to the martyrdom and get it over and get to heaven I Want you to actually to escape it? He says and he gives an encouragement. This is sounds like this is an interesting courage, but He's talking now to Israel at the end of the age He goes go to another city and flee and they'll chase you down to that city go to another city and flee There'll be adversaries chasing you down to that city go to another one. He goes. I got good news for you You'll go through the cities. You won't go through all of them. They'll still be cities that are refuge cities Before I return all the cities won't turn against the people of God the believers So that was actually in a statement of encouragement top of page 6 Now I'm just gonna he's really Breaking down persecution so I'm not gonna go through this and he just kind of point at it Get your expectation right a disciple is not above the teacher. Jesus is I'm the teacher. They treat me this way They will treat you this way Settle it Get the big picture if they call the master of the house the hells above Jesus is the master of the house and Matthew 12 24. They called him bells above they called him demonic They're gonna call you demonic to don't don't be so concerned by it Don't fear Lock into the big picture Don't look at all my career. My ministry is over and they cause I'm a demon and now people are against me Go higher in your perspective The very worst they can do to you is not comparable to what God can do to a person They could kill your body But God can destroy body and soul forever Lock it to the big picture Set it in your heart Before persecution escalates You're gonna go deep in God. You're gonna live in the big picture of His reign his supremacy eternity is what counts Hassles and setbacks and losses in this age are Rewarded and glorious in the age to come get that narrative deep in your heart He's telling the Apostles before the trouble comes on you, you know the goal Talk about the end times The goal isn't to avoid dying talk to people on They go. I hear you talk about preparation for the end times. Oh, yeah, I do some I need to do more They go like What kind I like food and guns I go now I don't talk about physical preparation talk about spiritual preparation what? I talk about a Mindset in a spiritual root system so we don't cave into fear and deception and all those things So we're prepared at our we're in the big picture and our heart is steady. Even if they kill us I go the goal isn't to not die Everyone's gonna die. I want to live in the resurrection billions of billions of years. I don't want speed it up But the goal isn't to make sure you don't die physically. I Years Storing up food to go live in some cave somewhere Then you'll die. I go. I'd rather die in obedience on the front lines. I Believe in this stuff and Jesus is saying walk into this ahead of time. Don't wait till the hour and he goes on and Worship didn't go ahead. Come on up. I'm gonna end with one more passage here verse 32. I love this one He goes it's worth it the big picture. It's really worth it So they beat you so they take your stuff so they call you a demon So brother and sister turns on you. So the church kicks you out. So the government puts you in prison for 32 Because I got something to tell you if you confess me and bear this you endure I Will confess your name before my father in the glory of God. I will say your name in front of all the angels. I Testify of your faithfulness openly in the presence of God. I look at that. Oh my gosh Amen He goes you deny me. It didn't lock in you didn't grasp what I was telling you He got swept away in the current We stand before God. I will deny you. I Don't know this one He left me because I'll say this before God and the angels These are the two Most glorious and terrible statements that could ever be uttered by a man the Son of Man And I'm getting I'm clear where I'm going Verse 32 I'm going there all the way. Amen. Let's stand before the Lord The Lord's calling some of you to really realign yourself You're gonna be about the kingdom message You're gonna pray for the sick and you're gonna stand no matter who treats you bad in the church or outside the church You're gonna stay steady You're gonna live in that larger narrative that big-picture story. I Want to invite some folks and Anybody but I'm thinking of some of the students that are going back home for the Christmas break Beloved it's the time to line up don't go back home and get lost in that story of those other folks Go home and talk about the kingdom his leadership in your life Bible school what's going on? Pray for him Offered a minister to him. Give him your testimony. Don't go the other way. Don't go to the silent witness program Well, I'll just when the Lord gives me opportunity now just start talking about his reign his kingdom his leadership in your life in their life Offer to pray for him. You'll mess up the whole equilibrium of the other day of the past years. They go man. He's no fun anymore Set your heart before you go home set your heart really Say, you know, so they write me off Cuz everybody's got that System of friends back home that you know has that other way The problem is a lot of them are Christians raised in the church, but they're in a whole different spirit right now It's because they were homeschooled Went to Christian school raised in the church doesn't mean they're living out the kingdom narrative in their life So my point is don't yield to them go lovingly but go with clarity to what you're about you preach the kingdom or talk it You offer to pray for me. You don't back down when they write you off I want to pray for any of the students going back. You're saying you know what? I'll get you some prayer on that one invite you to come up there and I want them others of us to pray for you You'll stand strong and clear. You'll come back with a testimony. I Grew in the holidays. I didn't lose ground. I grew I took a step forward. I didn't take a step backward enough Again, the old Christian crowd. Some of them are as bad as the non-christian crowd. They've So familiar with the kingdom stuff. They don't care Can they rate you know homeschooled grew up in the church with the church Christian school? No testimony of the kingdom of vibrant in their life right now. Don't get caught in that guy's got a passion about that Seeing it happen up year after year they get caught in that Takes them a couple months to shake it all off when they get back Holy Spirit anybody else that wants prayer come on up Anybody else of the room not just the students who went prayer for your body your heart Lord here we are When I invite a bunch of you come on pray if you would Lord we love these students. I Love Miracles boldness a new ground take it in their spiritual life To speak to you Spirit of God I ask you to move in power right now. I ask you Move in power right now I'm asking for the spirit of glory to come on me Whether you feel it whether it's real dramatic or just a little whisper I'm asking for the glory of God to come on your mind and heart right now Lord release the glory of God in their life Let's fire Lord release fire on that Lord on their hearts give them prophetic dreams Next week the week after Give them opportunity to lay hands on people give them courage and boldness End of the Holy Spirit we invite you we beckon your release And may you be Lord we lay Blessing over them Until you're really Lord I speak blessing over their traveling over their homes I speak that biblical blessing of over their life We release the blessing on them as they travel and as they go You