SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/12/2021 12:43 PM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-1 “A Divine Commission”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matthew
10:5a
Message of the
verse: “5 These
twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them, saying,”
These twelve that we have been
writing about for a couple of months had not volunteered to become disciples
and apostles, nor did they volunteer to minister in Christ’s behalf. I know that this may sound strange, but I
believe that it is true. These twelve
were sovereignly called, commissioned, and sent out by Jesus Christ as He
certainly was the One who chose them for this work. The Twelve were under divine orders, and what
the Lord said of Jeremiah could also be said of each of the Twelve: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you: (Jer. 1:15).”
As we look at this time period that
is described in Mark’s gospel we find out that the Lord had sent them out two
by two: “And He summoned the twelve and
began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean
spirits;” (Mark 6:7). By going out in
pairs it would mean that they would have companionship while beginning a type
of work that was new and completely foreign to them. We have mentioned before that this was an
early teaching ministry for these men, very early. John MacArthur writes “Loneliness is fertile
ground for temptation and weakness, and by going out with companions, they
would be less prone to discouragement, depression, and self-pity. They could encourage one another, hold each
other accountable, and take turns =ministering, thereby helping to reduce
pressure and fatigue. In addition to
that, the Old Testament principle of a testimony being confirmed by two or
three witnesses (Deut. 19:15) would give added authority to the apostles’
preaching.” All of this makes perfect
sense.
We can’t be sure how long that short
missions trip lasted, but probably for a few weeks, however it was very
significant, because it was the first time kingdom truth was proclaimed by
anyone other than Christ Himself. Now in
fulfillment of the purpose for which Christ had said to each of them, “Follow
Me!” He now sent out each of them on their first assignment in His behalf. I have to believe that this could have been a
difficult time for the Twelve at first, but as they depended upon their Lord
things probably got much easier as time went on.
John MacArthur writes: “God’s calling and sending of His people
today is not as direct as that, but it can nevertheless be known. Three criteria can help a believer decide
whether or not he is called into the Lord’s service. The first criterion is strong desire. God’s Word reveals that when we delight in
Him, He will give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4). The Christian who loves the Lord and wants
above all else to please Him is sensitive to His will in ways that an unfaithful
believer cannot be. When one’s life is
centered on joyous obedience and one’s motive is God-honoring, it is perfectly
appropriate to seek a place of ministry in the Lord’s service. Paul says that if a godly man aspires to the
office of bishop, or overseer, ‘it is a fine work he desires to do’ (1 Tim.
3:1). The closer we walk with the Lord,
the more certain we can be that our desires are His desires.”
There are more criterion to be looked
at and Lord willing we will do that in our next SD. I have to say that I listened to the sermon
on this subject yesterday and really found it worthwhile.
9/12/2021 1:07
PM
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