Listen Well, Think Right, Talk Straight, Travel Light, Part 3

Today from Chuck Swindoll.

All of us regardless of the year in which we live, or to be real, not phony to be free of hypocrisy suffer without complaining. It is very easy to be a fake in ministry and anything that turns the message all quicker than a fully who was found out in the weight of responsibility that comes with the role these are heavy times and issues facing our churches feel more complicated and more ominous than ever before. Today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll reminds us that God never intended the ministry to become unwieldy and burdensome fact he called his disciples to lead a life of simplicity, authenticity and integrity are studying the book of Matthew continues now in chapters 9 and 10. Chuck titled today's message.

Listen well, think right talk straight travel light. Something happens in this narrative, but I find very interesting. What you think. Clearly now, as we read these next words when he saw the crowds that he is Jesus what he felt he felt compassion on them here.

This deep feeling for the crowds. Why look at what it says because they were confused and helpless. Now keep reading.

He said here they are stepping out of the shadows. He said to the disciples, the harvest is great. The workers are few and then he gives them a command.

Praying, pray to the Lord of the harvest, that he would send more workers into his harvest field, the very ones he asked to pray he wound up sending and metal for the way it is. Jesus called his 12 disciples together. Notice what he did he enable them for that particular era to be one of his workmen.

He gave them authority to cast out evil spirits. He gave them authority to heal every kind of disease is already over the illnesses and hear the names of the 12 now I know I know since recent past.

Since this occurred and we've had enough time to put them all in plaster Paris or stone and give them the name St. originally please. There were none of the above.

They were just ordinary man. Force yourself to believe that Matthew Simon Simons always listed first and then Andrew Peter's brother.

Then James and his brother John, ordinary guys.

These guys are fishermen work for the father is 70 Bart Bartholomew and Thomas and Matthew the tax collector James Thaddeus and then Simon finally Judas what how they felt when he sent them to send you back to give him specific instructions verse five Jesus sent out the 12 differences. A number of centuries of practice between he chose those individuals in today's world, and I think there are many who hold back from being one of the workers in the harvest because so many are overwhelmed with their own unworthiness were all unworthy were all unqualified were all inadequate until the spirit of God empowers us with a calling giftedness and then over time begins to shape us into one who would be a worker in the harvest he still is asking us to pray because the harvest is in the workers are so few so let's look at how we instructed them Jesus sent out the 12 with these instructions because it had to think very clearly. Don't let your mind wander now because some have taken the words that follow literally and have attempted to carry out these things.

While these things were never written to them or to you or me. They are written and spoken to apostles when you notice the change from disciple to apostle was an apostle, among other things, there are those who have seen the risen Christ you haven't and I haven't there those who have been invested with miraculous sign gifts and the miraculous acts that they performed indicated their authority is for them understand what all the Bible is certainly to be read and revered and studied, but not all the verses of the Bible or for you or me. We must read with discernment when we come to an apostolic instruction or description. We need to realize in the context it's for them. Usually what I mean. Verse five. Don't go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans that sound like great commission today.

The great commission.

I read in Matthew 28 just the other day said, going all the world and preach the gospel to the other most part of the earth.

Acts 18 tells us we are to go to Gentiles Samaritans, Europeans, Americans those of the islands of the sea, all over. They weren't. They were to go only to the Jews in this initial thrust into the harvest with the apostolic method message to the apostle's go to God's people. His lost sheep. It was they were not to do verse nine. Don't take any money in your money belts, no gold, silver or even copper coins know there are those who take it literally and believe that your more spiritual if you go out with no money. There are those who don't carry a travelers bag or a change of clothing or sandals or even a walking stick that don't hesitate to accept hospitality because those who work deserve to be fed and on and on. This is for the apostles. This is for that here. In fact, one man makes it clear listen to Douglas Sean O'Donnell as he writes in his work on Matthew. There's a difference between the apostolic age of Christianity and are age difference between the apostles powers and hours, a difference between the signs of a true apostle mighty works of healing signs and wonders and the permanent qualification for the Christian leadership listed in the pastoral epistles for elders and deacons. So the first difference between them and us is that they had apostolic authority powers they preached and healed.

The second difference is perhaps more obvious. The scope and severity of their mission. Meaning what only to the house of Israel only to the Jew to the Jew first. In this case, to the Jew only. So in their initial mission. They were to meet up with and minister to Jews only, and you will observe the details.

Look at this verse seven announce to them the kingdom of heaven is near. Keep reading. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leper cast out demons give as freely as you have received. Be careful when you read the Scripture. Not every line of Scripture is for you by application or I should say by interpretation it all as application but interpreted correctly.

We must read it with discernment. He says certain things in certain eras or dispensations that are meant for a certain period, and they certainly need, but it is not meant for all time as the gospel is revealed. And as it is received or rejected. The Lord broadens the message and then speaks to all of us, especially in the letters of the Bible.

Now, I love the list because it's very clear for them and they could take notes on it and do exactly what he told them to do. You and I cannot heal the sick, you and are not able to raise the dead would not impact been empowered to do that so understand that I'm not taking away a thing from Scripture.

I'm trying to keep you from being confused, very helpful when all of this began to make sense. In my own life.

This is written to the apostles who were given apostolic authority and then sent on an apostolic mission. Now how does it apply. Let's let's go there before I before I finish your some important principles for them and for us. Remember this, we have similar motives and methods we too are moved with compassion, we too are to pray to the Lord of the harvest we are to have compassion for those who are harassed and beaten down our method begins with prayer.

Everything starts there second.

Please remember, the reaping of the harvest is done by the same two groups. There are those who were called to be go worse.

And then there are those who were called to be givers go worse need the givers you are not called to be one of the workmen in the field we would call it vocational Christian service than you are to give that there might be the carrying out of the ministry, but let me On one another. If I may.

What we are to model. That's the character and commitment of Christ follower to boil it down. I could put it in three words. Authenticity, simplicity, integrity, authenticity, all of us regardless of the year in which we live, or to be real, not phony were to be free of hypocrisy suffer without complaining were to serve with a pure motive. All of that is intent is authenticity. Simplicity there is to be a lack of greed we don't do what we do for the money we make out of it. There is to be an absence of pride we don't do what we do to make ourselves known or famous, and there is not to be an agenda. Simplicity is living a life without a gin and third, there is to be integrity, trustworthiness, unselfishness, morally and ethically pure. Let me say this, through the words of another. It is very easy to fake Christianity is very easy to be a fake in ministry and I don't know of anything that turns the message off quicker than a phony who was found out Eugene Peterson in a fine work titled working the angles puts the cookies on the lower shelf three pastoral acts are so basic, so critical that the determine the shape of everything else. They are praying, reading Scripture and giving spiritual direction. Besides being basic these three acts are quiet. They do not call attention to themselves and so are often not intended to in the clamorous world of pastoral work. Nobody yells at us to engage in these it is possible to do pastoral work to the satisfaction of the people who judge our competence and pay our salaries without being either diligent or skilled in them. Since almost never does anyone notice whether we do these things are not, and only occasionally does someone ask that we do them.

These three acts of ministry suffer widespread neglect. None of these acts is public, which means that no one knows for sure whether or not we are doing any of them. People heroes pray and worship. They listen to us preach and teach from the Scriptures, they notice when we are listening to them in a conversation. But they can never know if we are attending to God in any of this. It doesn't take many years in the business to realize that we can conduct a fairly respectable pastoral ministry without giving much more than ceremonial attention to God when he says it straight. I don't know of any other profession in which it is quite as easy to fake it is an hour's the less personal and more public aspects of our lives are just as easy to fake. We can crib our sermons from the Masters learn to lead a liturgy by root. Write the appropriate Scriptures for home and hospital visitation in our cuffs for unobtrusive reference memorize have a dozen prayers to suit the occasions where ask for a little prayer to get things started on the right note for a long time I've been convinced I could take a person with a high school education give him or her a six month trade school training and provide a pastor who would this be satisfactory to any indiscriminate American congregation. More and more I could read, but a lot when I read that there's a cold chill that goes up my back because I am concerned that so much today that is passed off his ministry is phony and might my great hope in life is to help turn the tide. Not all you know better that it's not true that all I just say many, many are due by those fake a caring ministry when in fact what they really want is your money or your following their goal is to be famous, to be known, so they perform all kinds of things to attract an audience. May God hold our feet to the fire in the areas of authenticity and simplicity and integrity may stop me every time I am tempted to do something to gain attention when he rebuked me for caring about what I'm paid or how much I checked for doing what I do, we just read that the worker is worthy of his hire, but I am not a hireling and called the shepherd the flock, and more importantly to model the true message. I think as we pray for the Lord of the harvest and lead workers into his harvest field. We also pray that he will get hold of the hearts of those who have been sent there to guard their lives from giving in to these kind of temptations we learn to work the angles and if you will say to my own embarrassment because it is my realm of work rather than doing what we do to make people think well of us is a calling and this is a sacred calling, and one that he continues to reach out to touch lives with you.

Maybe one of them so no one the front in that when you were called to do this you do it for the right reason, always with the right mood were not true. This is gonna preview the coming attractions.

I'll go to this more next time. But I love it that when he pulls the disciples out of the shadows.

He gives us an opportunity to search our own heart and ask our own selves and pretty searching question. That's what you hear me speak today with such passion about this over Sergio not to travel without money or it doesn't mean that we travel to never take another set of clothes with us were to be wise and how we minister I'm a man of great grace and and I you know that I promoted every chance I get, but it doesn't mean that grace allows us to take unfair advantage of anyone or to hide the fact that we are doing something out of selfishness rather than serving Christ our Lord is the perfect example. Thank you father for your grace and all our lives. Thank you for loving us for understanding us and for giving us and using us by your grace.

Thank you father for the things that are to be learned over the years and the privilege we have of being able to share them. We realize that you have recorded the lives of these apostles and these disciples in a book that has been read and studied and preach for centuries, it seems only right that we, on occasion, acknowledge things we've done and from which we have learned much. Thank you father for loving history of all in the name of Jesus we pray these things. Everyone said amen.

Listen well, think right talk straight travel light. That's the title Chuck Swindoll chose for today's message. It's the central theme of this passage in Matthew chapters 9 and 10 and to learn more about this ministry.

Please visit us online@insightworld.org today we hear Chuck describe the importance of integrity and authenticity at Insight for living.

We take these virtues very seriously, because Jesus did. The world doesn't need a phony representation of the Christian faith nor leaders who say one thing and do another. And so we bear this metal of authenticity, not with a sense of pride but with humility and responsibility. Gratefully, our listening audience.

People like you expected from us.

Our listeners often tell us how much they appreciate hearing the truth of God's word in a manner that's fresh, honest and real in effect, recalling a leaders around the world to go into the same, just as Jesus told us to its omission. Recalling vision 195 vision 195 is an audacious goal to take Insight for living to 195 countries of the world. Most of us will never have the opportunity to travel to the four corners of the earth.

But as Chuck said just moments ago. There are those who are called to be goers and those who are called to be givers. Those who go and those who send reaping of the harvest is done by both groups.

In the spirit we're inviting you to join us in this effort to accomplish vision 195. By working together with our monthly companions and anyone who financially supports Insight for living ministries. We are reaping the harvest, God promised so as God prompts you to join us. We invite you to give a donation by calling us your listening in the US style. 1-800-772-8888 or to become a monthly giver someone we call a monthly companions easily register online@insight.org/monthly companions. Once again, here's our toll-free phone number if your listening in the United States. Call 1-800-772-8888 in March 2022 Insight for living ministries is hosting an unforgettable journey to Israel carefully planned to deepen your understanding of the Bible and draw you closer to God Chuck Swindoll for thousands of years no place has been more mean will to God's children in the land of Israel.

The rugged landscape reminds us to find refuge in God alone. The fertile valleys invite us to follow our ship Jerusalem's position at the very center of the world announces the good news of Christ's every nation and now you can see Israel with Chuck Swindoll, Insight for living ministries March 6-17, 2022. Every time I visited the holy land of returned home with the refreshed heart for God and a renewed vision for the world. Really, I mean it every time. So I want you to have the same life changing experience to learn more, go to insight.org/events call this number 1-888-447-0444 Insight for living ministries tour to Israel is paid for and made possible by only those who choose to attend. I'm Dave Speicher tomorrow. Chuck Swindoll explains a surprising warning from Jesus sure to listen Tuesday two Insight for living.

The preceding message. Listen well, think right talk straight travel line was copyrighted in 2016 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. all rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited