Prime Ministry - M&Ms
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15 Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.
In Athens
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.
24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[b] As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
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12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
Imagine the responsibility the disciples felt - the pressure. Like penalty takers in the England v Switzerland game. Weight of the nation on 5 shoulders. Palmer. Bellingham. Saka. Toney. Alexander-Arnold. What a responsibility for those named to take a spot kick. Have you ever felt pressure like that? Have you known that responsibility?
In our bible reading today the 12 disciples were called (Matthew 10:2-4) ‘named’ by Jesus for the ministry ahead.
The context of Matthew 10:1-7 is Matthew 9:37 ‘Jesus said to the disciples the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.’
Matthew 10:1 Jesus called his disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
Matthew 10:7 Proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near’
Likewise we are called, appointed to minister for Jesus, quite a responsibility.
I want to look at these verses in three parts: 1.Ministry 2. Ministers 3.Message (M & M’s)
1 Ministry
2 Ministers
3 Message
Ministry
First of all it is the MINISTRY OF JESUS…..Look back to Matthew 9:35 and we read that ‘Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
What was his ministry? Preach, teach and reach out. Then he instructed the disciples in the ministry he authorised them to "drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness" (10:1) and (10:7) Proclaim the kingdom is near.
Read the synoptic gospels and you will see Jesus spent far more time reaching out - healing the sick, feeding the hungry, comforting the sorrowing than preaching and teaching. See Matthew 9:36 Jesus had compassion…. See Matt 11:36 – come unto me all you who are weary. Compassion.
That was the ministry of Jesus….and those who were called to continue that ministry were in the business of introducing others to Jesus… v7 that he is near…. v1 that he still has compassion for the lost, the sick, the hungry, the bereaved
That was the ministry… who were the ministers?
Ministers
Matt 9:37-38: Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." It is an Agricultural metaphor - harvest.
There is much talk today about the harvest being lost because of bad weather. But there is another way a harvest can be lost, if there are no people to bring it in. Jesus needs people. Jesus appointed disciples. Disciple means learner and follower - Jesus needs willing learners. Jesus appoints them (Mark 3:14) – like our Prime Minister appointing his ministers in the cabinet. Minister simply means ‘tending the needs of others.’ The PM’s ministers need to be dedicated to the King, to the cause, to the PM.
These disciples would carry on Jesus' ministry when he ascends back to heaven. These are ordinary men. Not flush with money, no social status, no special education. Ordinary men called to do ordinary things with extraordinary devotion to Jesus. Jesus chose them NOT for who they were but for who they would be in him and he in them. Jesus takes the ordinary (you and I) and transforms us, uses us, we just need to remain devoted to Him.
When those five English Football Team penalty takers were named, I am sure there were a few butterflies in the stomach. Mark 3:14 says Jesus chose them to be with Him. (Mark 3:14) ‘that they might be with him,’ Presence is very important here. To be a Cabinet Minister for the Prime Minister you would have to spend time in the presence of the PM. We can be in our Lord’s presence in prayer in worship and in his word. I wondert you feel the responsibility of being hiss minister - perhaps a few the butterflies? That would be natural. That is why we are called to be in his presence: daily devotionals and prayers, pray for our family, friends and neighbours. That is the harvest.
After naming the ministers 10:5 says ‘they were sent out’ 10:7 says ‘as you go proclaim….’ (Herald)
Message
The Message they were to take is in Matthew 10:7 - ‘say the kingdom has come near to you.’
Matthew 9:35 says, Jesus went about, "preaching the good news of the kingdom." Greek ‘kerussein’ (preach) is better translated as ‘herald.’ A Herald brings a message of the king. Good news and certainties about the king’s reign. Jesus proclaimed certainties ‘I am the Way,’ ‘Come to me and I will give you rest.’ I am the Light, the vine, good shepherd, resurrection….. Today people need certainties, we live in an age of uncertainty… we now understand the world will not last forever (Global warming etc..). Wars and famines, poverty, pandemics and incurable diseases - great uncertainty.
What certainty do we have? We can do no better than point to Jesus. We can say we know and love the Lord Jesus, that he is ever-near, if we say we know that Jesus is the way to eternal life… that he gives us the reason for living and ask would they like to know more?’ That positivity would be effective in our world today. Let us share this message, be these ministers in the prime ministry of our Lord Jesus.
Cover Photo Jason Swain Photography https://jasonswain.co.uk/
