2004-12-19 Communion Dedication - Baldwin Christian Church

Matthew 10:1-8

1. And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
2. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
3. Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
4. Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
5. These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
8. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Just as these twelve, you that have chosen Jesus to be Lord of your life, you have been sent to the lost sheep as a witness, as an example, as a comforter, but when we get to the instructions down in verse fourteen, we learn that sometimes we have to move on. Sometimes you won't be received at all. Sometimes they won't listen. When you leave, shake the dust off of your feet. Jesus later told them (after the Resurrection), "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature," but you know, you just can't do everything.

What God is calling you to do can sometimes seem very frightening, and the enemy preys upon your fears. We anticipate failure and rejection. We think, "So-and-so can do this better than me," or "I'm not ready" - "I'm not prepared for this." The enemy seeks to devour you. He seeks to rob the blessings by convincing you that whatever God has called you to do, you just can't do it. Untrue! What God calls you to do, He enables you to do, and your faith is proven because He often waits until the last minute to give you the strength, the words, and the wisdom to complete His task. What God calls you to do is often something you're not confident about, something you're not prepared for, because the enabling is part of the process of faith. Do I trust and obey when I'm scared, when I lack confidence? Or, do I lean on my own understanding and flee from what He's calling me to do?

You can't do everything, but... One person at a time, one encounter at a time, even one sentence at a time - freely give as you're been given. Receive with a thankful, purified heart so you contaminate less the reflection of God's glory you give.