Listen Well, Think Right, Talk Straight, Travel Light, Part 1

Today Chuck Swindoll recounts the call of Jesus to pray the Lord our God is the Lord our God over this whole world. He made it. He is not wanting anyone to perish, but all to come to repentance recess to his 12 see how great the harvest is you see how few. The workers are praying, pray, there would be more who would work in his harvest field. Jesus was age 30 earthly ministry began in earnest with just three years to launch his global mission. It was essential for Jesus to prepare qualified leaders to finish what he started. Those leaders turned out to be an unlikely group does in the scrappy fissures of man today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll's teaching from Matthew chapters 9 and 10 in this section of Scripture, the 12 disciples emerged as part of the story, Chuck will point out the correlation between the disciples mission and ours today, Chuck titled today's message. Listen well, think right straight travel light there is in today, I live it on.

Give God thanks for his word.

It is, is the banquet feast of my life to feed on study I read it often allowed in my study and in other rooms of our home. I say that not to parade any kind of piety, but to let you know that these are words that I live by in my whole life is spent hoping to encourage others to do the same. I don't always do that very well and yet the word remains here in print for me to return to so much better than relying on my emotions or even my relationships is valuable, as they are when we have his word. We have the very voice of God. You and I do not see need to seek visions or pray for dreams to guide us. We have his word and my hope is that over the passing of time you will you will sense the passion that we in this church have for God's word.

We don't worship the print on the page. We worship the living one with whom the word speaks that's Christ himself. So when we go through the gospel as in the case of the gospel by Matthew. It is Christ who is our model. We worship him as our Lord as our Savior and in his word. He has spoken truth and we have it recorded for us to guide our lives by. I just want you to know that we frequently turn to it but we never take it for granted how grateful we are for a Bible in our language, which becomes for us food for our souls front we gain hold to go on and strength for each day today were looking at Matthew 935 through 10 verse 10 I'll be reading from the new living translation. Your Bible may be another version that's fine.

I use this because often we have people who, who don't even bring a Bible and are not familiar with it. This is more easily grasped than some of the other versions from which I study and read and for which I'm grateful, but were reading today beginning at Matthew nine verse 35 Jesus travel through all the towns and villages of that area. Teaching in the synagogues and announcing the good news about the kingdom and he healed every kind of disease and illness when he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, the harvest is great but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest asked him to send more workers into his fields. Jesus called his 12 disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits to heal every kind of disease and illness. Here are the names of the 12 apostles Simon Andrew James, John, Philip, Bartholomew Thomas Matthew James Thaddeus Simon the zealot, Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed him. Jesus sent out the 12 with these instructions don't go to the Gentiles are the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel, God's lost sheep go and announce to them that the kingdom of heaven is near.

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leper cast out demons give as freely as you have received don't take any money in your money belts, no gold, silver or even copper coins don't carry a travelers bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even the walking stick, don't hesitate to accept hospitality because those who work deserve to be fed. Study the book of Matthew Chuck Swindoll.

Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures. Studies going to Insight world on or/studies. Another message from Chuck titled listen well think right talk straight travel light. Jesus had his work cut out for him. He only had three or so years to convey his message to accomplish his mission and to pay the price for the sins of the world. Three short years and a few months, and it would all be over on top of that he had a group of 12 men to train. Think of it, he would be here for only a short period and then would be gone physically removed from this earth, and his mission would be carried on by very human individuals, people like you and me a lot. I realize in the passing of time. We have immortalize these individuals and I'll say more about that later, but how inappropriate they were mere men selected among the ranks, mainly of Galileans, one Judean and they were to carry on in this place. Given all of their own faults and failures.

They were the ones he wanted to carry out his work out. They are found throughout the Gospels, but they emerge on a few occasions in a very significant way. Usually the behind-the-scenes. I was thinking this week that remind me of the medical interns who are in training at a hospital who work in the shadow of master physician if I may call the person that and when they come to your room. In Europe there was a patient. They are as close as his elbow or her elbow.

They watch what is being done to listen to what is being said, they usually say nothing. They are there to observe and to learn. You really should to know that the word disciple means a learner injustice interns learn in a medical establishment by watching, listening, one occasion questioning being tested. So these men in Jesus day learned by doing the same. They were to listen well.

They were to think right when they ultimately preached and taught. They were to talk straight when the traveler they were to travel light. The words for this message are not just haphazardly chosen.

They are precisely the marching orders of the disciples I always find it interesting when they come out of the shadows and their suddenly in the spotlight of the writer's attention that happens in the passage were looking at the day all of it begins with Jesus engaged in his ministry. He's working with the public. If you will and you read in verse 35 is traveling through all the towns in the villages. This would be up around Capernaum in the Galilean region around the Sea of Galilee.

And he is teaching in the synagogue, they heard him teach.

He is announcing the good news about the kingdom they listen to the announcement healed every kind of disease and illness. They slide all. Often their observations were with mouths wide open. Some of them. It took seeing it again and again to believe it, even to the end when he said I'm going to leave you but I'm going to I'm going to take care of you.

They they were in a quandary. They were confused. Often they were more confused than they were clear in their thinking, just ordinary men. Robert Coleman has written an outstanding book titled the master plan of evangelism. In it he writes about the disciples. Jesus expected the man he was with to obey him. They were not required to be smart, but they had to be loyal.

This became the distinguishing mark by which they were known. The simplicity of this approach is marvelous, if not astounding.

None of the disciples were asked at first to make a statement of faith or accept a well-defined creed, although they doubtless recognize Jesus to be the Messiah for the moment. All they were asked to do was to follow Jesus, so doing that as he traveled. They traveled with him as he rested. They rested beside as he ate the gate with him often as he healed. They stood and stared something happens in this narrative, but I find very interesting. I want you to think clearly. Now, as we read these next words when he saw the crowds that he is Jesus look at what he felt he felt compassion on them before going further, Matthew uses the word that is colorful may be a little indelicate.

The word literally means entrails bowels. I told you was a little delicate. We call it.

Generally, the got. He felt deeply and that's where we have deep feelings when you were a child member saying I hate her with all my God's don't look to be like that you all said things like that. So did I. When we refer to telling everything we say. I'm going to spill my guts, referring to the deepest level of our emotion. Sometime when we discern something that isn't quite right, we say I have this feeling in my gut. My gut feeling is see how we do it so it fits deep within the realm of his body. He felt sympathy pretty sadness concern all of that wraps around the meaning compassion.

The Greek word is clocks not sunlight, guts, does that splotch now spelunking resume. I he had this deep feeling for the crowds. Why look at what it says because they were confused and helpless. The word means harassed distress and the other word means burdened even on occasion, down and out. You know what I think. I think he saw people who had been taught only by Pharisees and religious officials who learn from the Pharisees. They were under the load of shame and guilt.

The constant demands you must do this you must not do that. The judge mentalism of those in authority.

They were beaten down, they were burdened.

They were like sheep without a merciful, loving, gracious ship.

They were lost now. Keep reading. He said here they are stepping out of the shadows.

He said to the disciples.

Isn't that interesting.

He doesn't speak to the general public until those people who have an interest in others what he has on his heart. He looks at the 12 aces men men. The harvest is great.

The workers are few. Stop there.

That's the message of every mission organization that's ever been in existence. That's the statement that every church could give them. These are enormous. Their overwhelming the numbers of people who are harassed and beaten those who were lost far outnumber those who were saved men.

The harvest is great but the workers are you and then he gives them a command. Praying. Look at who was in charge, pray to the Lord of the harvest, that he would send more workers into his harvest fields, the Lord our God is the Lord our God over this whole world he made it. He is not wanting anyone to perish, but all to come to repentance, so he says to his 12 you see how great the harvest is UCF you the workers are pray pray the there would be more who would work in his harvest field. We pause and add a few words here how seldom we pray for there to be more workers in the field of the general public was the last time you prayed for one of your own sons or daughters to be engaged as a worker in God's harvest field.

What vision do you have for your own offspring or your own grandchildren or perhaps a close friend.

You know you know is it is a real heart for spiritual things pause and say Lord I pray that you will send her interesting word.

It means to thrust out or to impel the idea of calling them calling them out. I had a great experience rather recently one of my grandsons and I went to. We do have a meal together one evening and that his favorite places Pompano's so it's hard to get a bad meal there and you certainly a lot.

Usually, he orders a trough of seafood which I'm thinking going to take some home to his family. Are you kidding he said most know if I want all of my shrimp's over there enjoying a great meal together member a wonderful time with so easy to be with him. He talked to me about being concerned regarding those on this campus worries at school the school out of state. All not mention it, but his heart is concern for those without Christ. He's working with inter-varsity Christian Fellowship wonderful organization in he's really taken by the leader of that group and he's giving thought. Perhaps the summer of working at it at a Christian camp and and then he asked me said you have any any books that would help me really get to know God better about I got I got about 10,000 son so, he's it. Would you pick out one or two in ICU bed so went by the house and I got it and notice even go by one he borrowed one that I have memories of college student and as I hugged him and said goodbye. Told the much elected, he drove away and I was walking back into my home and I just paused and said, Lord, creep clinic great messenger. He could be. And I pray that the Lord would send and I did just keep that to myself. I told him that I really wonder if the Lord may have his hand on and when you finish her undergraduate work. You just go right on seminary.

Get your training to serve Christ.

Another but is no seminary and most don't understand that. But those of us who have been privileged to realize what great training there is advanced learning the deeper things of theology the broader sense of vision. The awareness of what God's done down to the history of the church and on and on but I just thought he would just he would be a great worker in this vast harvest. The thought of others began to pray for them. So Lord's moving on my heart to do what he asked those disciples to do to pray to the Lord who was in charge, thrust forth these labelers now unfortunately there's a chapter break at the end of verse 38 in the beginning of verse one chapter 10.

Now don't stone me chapter's are not inspired a chapter could start a little later they been placed there arbitrarily and carefully by scholars of the past. I'm not getting any. That is a very helpful way of finding her way through the Bible chapters in the verses but on occasion a chapter break is unfortunate because I want you to observe the obvious, the very ones he asked to pray he wound up sending and that often 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 he gave them authority over the illnesses and hear the names of the 12.

I know I know since recent past. Since this occurred and we've had enough time to put them all in plaster Paris were stone and given the name St. please. There were none of the above.

They were just ordinary man at Insight for living ministry were asking God to bring more workers to the harvest people from all walks of life that like the disciples are willing to drop their nets and follow Jesus. Chuck Swindoll is teaching from Matthew chapters 9 and 10 and he titled today's message. Listen well, think right talk straight travel light.

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The preceding message. Listen well, think right talk straight travel light was copyrighted in 2016 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R.

Swindoll. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly