Effective "Apostling"
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Staying focused on the objective of "apostling".
Text: Matt. 10:23
Date: 03/18/2012, the Contemporary service.
Series: "Matthew" Part 92
Description:
Jesus continues to warn His disciples of the persecution they will face when "apostling". In this verse He returns to His "Kingdom battle plan" and tells them what to do when they face fierce opposition. In doing so, He more clearly defines the objectives of "apostling" and how to maximize the effectiveness of their efforts. We will spend an inordinate amount of time discussing the various interpretations of the second half of the verse-- one of the most difficult hermeneutical undertakings of Scripture. But in the end, we will find it to be perfectly consistent with the central message of the verse-- that "apostling" has a clear objective and the Apostles should stay true to that objective and not be sidetracked by persecution or anything else. We will finally discuss how that message impacts the church today and particularly all who continue to seek to engage in truly effective "apostling".
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I. Introduction
II. Exposition of the text, Matt. 10:23.
A. Context
B. Dealing with persecution, vs. 23a.
1. The assurance of persecution.
a. The persistence of persecution.
b. The perpetrators of persecution.
c. The panoply of persecution.
2. Fine-tuning the battle plan.
a. Re-defining courage, Josh 1:6.
i. Keeping the focus of the Kingdom.
ii. Productive fighting.
b. Defining the objective of "apostling", Matt. 10:14-15.
C. The urgency of "apostling", vs. 23b.
1. Understanding the problem.
2. Examining the various interpretations.
a. The view that Jesus was mistaken.
b. The completion of the commission.
c. The Dispensational view.
d. The "Resurrection" view.
e. The Preterist view.
f. The Second Coming view, Matt. 24:30, 25:31, 26:64.
3. Examining the text.
a. Hermeneutical guidelines.
i. Keep the historical context.
ii. Stay consistent with the message of the passage.
iii. Keep an expanded focus.
b. A statement of gravity, Matt. 5:18, 10:15.
c. "Apostling" with a purpose, Matt. 10:22.
d. Grappling with "all the towns of Israel", Gal. 6:16.
e. Attributing significance to the "Son of Man", Num. 23:19, Dan. 7:13.
f. The coming of the Kingdom.
4. Making our own conclusions.
a. What Jesus is not saying.
b. What Jesus is saying.
III. Application
A. A battle plan with a purpose.
1. Search and rescue operations.
2. The flip side of the battle plan, Acts. 28:26-27, Matt. 10:14-15.
B. Lessons from the text.
1. Expect persecution.
2. Stay true to the objective of "apostling".
3. Pursue effective "apostling".
IV. Conclusion
