TEXT: Matthew 10:5-10
5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
9 Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,
10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.
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In our last message, we considered the implications of Jesus’ command for His disciples not to take money, a travel bag, two coats, or shoes, or a staff on their first missionary journey. The implication is that He is teaching them to rely on the divine storehouse, which is limitless, and rely on God alone to supply for their day-to-day needs while they are doing the Lord’s work. And one of the ways the Lord supplies for His messengers is through the goodwill of those whom they minister to.
He says in verse 10, “the workman is worthy of his meat.” The ESV translates this as: “the laborer deserves his meat.” And the NASB puts it this way: “the worker is worthy of his support.” Leon Morris writes in his commentary, “The disciples are workmen for God, and they can rely on their employer to supply the things they need. The ‘workman’ is a farm laborer, a worker in the fields, but from this the word came to be used of workmen of various kinds. Such workmen would be paid a wage, but they would also be given the food they needed while they were on the job. As they are doing the work they are deserving of their keep. The workman receives his food as of right; it is not a gift, for he has earned it. The Twelve were going out in the service of God; they, too, would therefore merit their food as they labored for their Master.”
We see the principle of this matter demonstrated in the life of Jesus Himself. We know that Jesus was raised up as a carpenter’s apprentice, but we do not see Him doing this work after He begins His public ministry. Of course, often, He did not have a place to lay His head. But far more often, in the gospels, we find Him being invited to dinner at the homes of those who supported His ministry or the homes of his disciples’ family members and even at the homes of Pharisees who, despite inviting Jesus and His disciples to dine with them, would criticize their ministry while they were at the table. The point is this: we do not see Jesus doing carpentry work in order to make money or worrying about where He is going to get food from for the next day. God provided for the ministry of His dear Son, and He will provide for all those who follow in His footsteps.
Of course, this is not to say that Christians today should not be prudent in the procuring and use of resources. In the culture of Jesus’ day, it was considered rude and inhospitable not to invite travelers into your home and minister to their needs. Wherever the disciples went, they were sure to find an open door. However, later on, in the Book of Acts, we find Paul returning to his occupation as a tentmaker while he was staying in a certain city in order to preach the Gospel. At that time, that was God’s way of supplying for his needs. And God will supply for all of our needs wherever He sends us to deliver His message. Sometimes, that may come through the hospitality of others; sometimes, through our own labor; and, sometimes, through miraculous means. But our trust is in Him, no matter where we are sent.
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Now, if you are with us today and you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, allow me to show you how you can place your faith and trust in Him for Salvation from sin and Hell.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
BCNN1 WP 