Sermon or Lesson:  How Jesus Interacted With His Disciples, Part 8 (NIV based)
[Lesson Questions included]

TITLE:  Training Through The Assigning Of Outreach Preaching

PASSAGES:  Matthew 10:1,5-16; with Mark 6:7,8,12,13; Luke 9:1,6,10
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INTRO:  Have you ever been involved in making preparations for a public event being planned to occur out-of-town?  Did you arrive at the location a few minutes before the event was to start and just do whatever you thought needed to be done?  Or instead, as part of a pre-event strategy, were you sent there in advance to accomplish numerous preparation tasks specifically designed to maximize preparation and turnout?
     For good event planning, advance preparation is crucial.  This is what Jesus did with His disciples, and He included tasks for them to do within the pre-event preparations that intentionally enhanced their training as well.  Let’s take a look at what Jesus had them do.
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READ: Matthew 10:1,5-16

[Lesson Question:  What are the characteristics of Jesus’ teaching and training of the disciples in this passage?  Read one verse at a time and list the characteristics.]

SECTION POINT:  As an aspect of His teaching of His disciples, Jesus sent them out to do preparatory outreach ministry in towns, giving them specific instructions and guidelines to follow.

v.1 - READ
- - Jesus gave the twelve disciples (listed by name in vv.2-4) authority.
- - The authority was specific and thereby limited.
- - The authority specified “to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness”.

v.5 - READ
- - Jesus sent them out.
- - Jesus gave specific instructions for them to follow.
- - The disciples were not to go to Gentile or Samaritan towns.

v.6 - READ
- - Instead, the disciples were to go only to towns in Israel.
- - The intention was to reach the lost of Israel.

v.7 - READ
- - The disciples were assigned to preach a specific message: “The kingdom of heaven is near.” (see Matthew 3:1-3 how this message was identical to John the Baptist’s message and mission)

v.8 - READ
- - Additional authority was given to raise the dead and cleanse leprosy.

v.9 - READ
- - A restriction was to not take any money.

v.10 - READ
- - Another restriction was to not take extra clothes.

v.11 - READ
Other assignment details were:
- - The disciples were to go from town to town.
- - Upon entering a town or village, they were to search for and stay with a worthy person.
- - The disciples were to continue to stay with the “worthy” person until they leave the town.
“worthy” = Strong’s #0514 “worthy”; “deserving, comparable or suitable (as if drawing praise)”

v.12 - READ
- - Upon entering the home of a selected worthy person, they were to extend greeting to the home.

v.13 - READ
- - The disciples were to let their peace rest on a deserving home, but withhold peace blessing from an undeserving home.

v.14 - READ
- - For homes or towns that do not welcome or listen to the disciples’ words, the disciples are to shake the dust off their feet when they leave, as a testimony against those unwelcoming homes and towns.  (Mark 6:11)

v.15 - READ
- - The disciples should be assured God will one day appropriately judge those towns where they were not welcomed and their words were not listened to.  (vv.14-15)

v.16 - READ
- - In their vulnerability, the disciples are to be both “shrewd” and “innocent”.
“shrewd” = Strong’s #5429 “clever”; “thoughtful, i.e. sagacious or discreet (implying a cautious character)”; “sagacious” = (AHD) “having or showing keen discernment, sound judgment, and farsightedness”

“innocent” = Strong’s #0185 “harmless”; “unmixed, i.e. (figuratively) innocent”
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ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

Mark 6:7,8,12,13
v.7 - READ - The disciples were to go in pairs.
v.8 - READ - They were not to take food.
v.12 - READ - They preached repentance.
v.13 - READ - They anointed the sick people with oil when they healed them.

Luke 9:1,6,10
v.1 - READ - The disciples were given power.
v.6 - READ - They preached the gospel, going from village to village.
v.10 - READ - Upon their return, the disciples reported on their activities and Jesus then took them to a post-trip retreat.
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[Lesson Question:  What obvious major characteristics are not stated in these passages that would reasonably be expected for the disciples to do in this assignment?]

SECTION POINT:  This preparatory outreach ministry work had some significant differences to the similar work that Paul did later.

- -There are some obvious major characteristics not stated in these passages that would reasonably be expected for the disciples to do in this assignment.

By omission, it can be assumed that the approach the disciples used did not primarily include:
- - going to the synagogues, and debating there (like Paul did);
- - preaching regularly scheduled sermons;
- - planting churches (like Paul did);
- - meeting with the local priests and clergy (like Paul did);
- - studying writings or books written by well-known contemporary authors.
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[Lesson Question:  What part of God’s overall plan did sending the disciples out like this have?]

- - Sending the disciples out like this had a part in God’s overall plan by preparing the way and generating interest for the subsequent arrival of Jesus to that town or area (see Matthew 10:23b; 11:1; Mark 6:6b); i.e. - pre-arrival and pre-event evangelism and outreach.
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[Lesson Question:  What part did this activity have in the training of the disciples?]

- - Sending the disciples out like this also had a part in the training of the disciples because in effect, it was a hands-on short-term missions trip for them.  Apparently, this missions trip activity was necessary and/or for their disciple training.
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BIG IDEA:  As part of disciple training like Jesus did, even today sending believers out to towns on a short-term missions trip to do pre-event preaching of repentance and the gospel, evangelism, and outreach can be very effective for their training to be a disciple.

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APPLICATIONS:

- - As part of your discipleship training, are you willing to go on a short-term missions trip and participate in the various ministry activities being implemented on the trip?
- - How about to a nearby town or neighborhood from where you live?

- - For those of you who do ministry, do you see the value and importance of taking believers on short-term missions trips?  For having them be intrinsically involved in preparing for upcoming spiritual events in the area?  For engaging in outreach preaching of repentance and the gospel?
- - Are you willing to support and make use of these opportunities in the ministry you are involved in? 

- - When the disciples were accompanying Jesus throughout His ministry, He did not have any of them speak or preach to those crowds.  What does this imply about letting anyone get up and preach a sermon(s) in front of your church, or teach a lesson to your ministry group?
- - Rather than just placing anyone who volunteers in such a teaching position, shouldn’t you and your church leaders instead be pre-interviewing those who are being considered as potential preachers or teachers in a ministry in order to determine their qualifications and level of discipleship training before they are placed in such a teaching position?
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Works Cited:
The American Heritage Dictionary. 3rd ed., ver. 3.6a (CD-ROM). Cambridge, MA: SoftKey International Inc., 1994.

Bible. “The Holy Bible: New International Version.” The Bible Library CD‑ROM. Oklahoma City, OK: Ellis Enterprises, 1988.

“Strong's Greek Dictionary”. The Bible Library CD‑ROM. Oklahoma City, OK: Ellis Enterprises, 1988.
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