Mission Thoughts from Jesus

Several years ago as I was reading in Matthew 10 where Jesus sends out the disciples on their first short-term mission trip.  Here are his instructions to them and they are interesting:

1.  Preach that the kingdom of heaven is near (vs.7).

2.  Freely you receive, freely give (vs.8).

3.  Take only what you need (vs.9-10).

4.  Find a man of peace (vs.11-13).

5.  Not everyone will embrace their coming (vs.14-16).

6.  Be both shrewd and innocent (vs.16).

7.  What happens on his account to us...(vs.17-20).

a.  Attacked and bring charges against you by governers and kings

b.  Don't worry what to say because the Holy Spirit will speak through you.

c.  Families will be divided.

8.  Take the role of a servant (vs.24-25)

9.  Disclose all with no fear (vs. 26-30)

a.  Don't be afraid of what happens to body or soul, 'cause we are his

10.  God deeply knows who we are

a.  His eye is on the sparrow

b.  He knows the number of heads on our head

**Our life is known by him, every little part.**

11.  Don't be ashamed to acknowledge him (vs. 32-33)

12.  Gospel makes a real distinction and can divide relationships (vs.34-36)

13.  Love God more anything and crucify yourself so you can follow him (vs.37-39).

14.  Living as an extension of who he is (vs.40-42).

In other words, this is not an easy thing to take the gospel to our home country or a foreign one.  What is amazing, is that people for the last 2000 years have thought it worth their very lives to live in this way.  

It is worth it - no matter what we face, experience because he knows us and is with us.