Our paragraph topic is: (Instructions to the Twelve) Part 2.
The disciples are ready to go forth and preach the gospel of the kingdom of heaven. Christ has given them instructions as to where to go and where not to go. He wants his disciples to preach to the lost sheep of the house of Israel first. He does not want them to go in the direction of the Gentiles or to the Samaritans. The lost sheep are to be gathered first, those that will listen and follow. Many have fallen by the wayside. Many have taken up with the pagans. And many are blinded by the evil one.
Christ tells his disciples what to preach. He tells them, "And as you go, preach the message, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand!' " So he wants his disciples to walk through the towns and villages preaching to the people, "The Kingdom of heaven is at hand." He wants his disciples to tell how the kingdom has arrived. He wants his disciples to awaken the people and spread the good news. He wants them to let the people know the arrival of the kingdom to their towns and their villages. Christ wants the lost sheep of the house of Israel to know that the opportunity has come for them to return to the fold. The opportunity has come for them to turn back to the God of their for fathers, the one true God, Jehovah.
Christ tells them further to demonstrate to the lost sheep the presence of the kingdom. He wants them to not just talk about it but to show the people that what they preach is true. He tells them to,Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. So the disciples are to perform the miracles that Christ has instructed them to do. They are to battle with the demons that possess the village people. They are to battle with the sickness that cripples families. They are to cure diseases that rob the life from the ill and the injured. They are to cleanse the lepers and raise the dead so that the people will know without a doubt that something is happening that is bringing about the miracles that they are witness to by the disciples.
Christ now gives his disciples the most important requirement of all. He tells them that they have received freely. He tells them that, "Freely you have received, freely give." Christ wants his disciples to know that they are not to force the teachings upon anyone. It has been their free decision to follow him. It has been their free choice to become his disciples. Without the threat of punishment or damnation, they freely followed his teachings. They, in turn, are to preach to the people to freely accept the teachings, so that through their belief they may know that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Christ wants to send us forth today to be his disciples. He wants us to proclaim the kingdom to the lost sheep. He gives us instructions as to what we are to do when we accept his discipleship. He instructs us in specific tasks that we are to perform and he provides the Holy Spirit to guide us daily in our walk with him. Beware, if you are convicted of the Holy Spirit in the love of Christ, your life will not be the same. Beware, you will no longer want the things of this world. Beware, you will no longer do the same things that you did before. You will no longer live the same way. You will be a new creature in Christ, convicted of his love. You will have a new life, a new spirit, a new inner being, alive with the life that Christ has given you. You will be different.
Come, all who would know the true God. Come, all who would be different. Come, all who would become a new person. Come, receive your gift, for freely it is given. It is up to you to freely receive it. Will you freely receive the gift that Christ wants to give to you?
The disciples are ready to go forth and preach the gospel of the kingdom of heaven. Christ has given them instructions as to where to go and where not to go. He wants his disciples to preach to the lost sheep of the house of Israel first. He does not want them to go in the direction of the Gentiles or to the Samaritans. The lost sheep are to be gathered first, those that will listen and follow. Many have fallen by the wayside. Many have taken up with the pagans. And many are blinded by the evil one.
Christ tells his disciples what to preach. He tells them, "And as you go, preach the message, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand!' " So he wants his disciples to walk through the towns and villages preaching to the people, "The Kingdom of heaven is at hand." He wants his disciples to tell how the kingdom has arrived. He wants his disciples to awaken the people and spread the good news. He wants them to let the people know the arrival of the kingdom to their towns and their villages. Christ wants the lost sheep of the house of Israel to know that the opportunity has come for them to return to the fold. The opportunity has come for them to turn back to the God of their for fathers, the one true God, Jehovah.
Christ tells them further to demonstrate to the lost sheep the presence of the kingdom. He wants them to not just talk about it but to show the people that what they preach is true. He tells them to,Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. So the disciples are to perform the miracles that Christ has instructed them to do. They are to battle with the demons that possess the village people. They are to battle with the sickness that cripples families. They are to cure diseases that rob the life from the ill and the injured. They are to cleanse the lepers and raise the dead so that the people will know without a doubt that something is happening that is bringing about the miracles that they are witness to by the disciples.
Christ now gives his disciples the most important requirement of all. He tells them that they have received freely. He tells them that, "Freely you have received, freely give." Christ wants his disciples to know that they are not to force the teachings upon anyone. It has been their free decision to follow him. It has been their free choice to become his disciples. Without the threat of punishment or damnation, they freely followed his teachings. They, in turn, are to preach to the people to freely accept the teachings, so that through their belief they may know that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Christ wants to send us forth today to be his disciples. He wants us to proclaim the kingdom to the lost sheep. He gives us instructions as to what we are to do when we accept his discipleship. He instructs us in specific tasks that we are to perform and he provides the Holy Spirit to guide us daily in our walk with him. Beware, if you are convicted of the Holy Spirit in the love of Christ, your life will not be the same. Beware, you will no longer want the things of this world. Beware, you will no longer do the same things that you did before. You will no longer live the same way. You will be a new creature in Christ, convicted of his love. You will have a new life, a new spirit, a new inner being, alive with the life that Christ has given you. You will be different.
Come, all who would know the true God. Come, all who would be different. Come, all who would become a new person. Come, receive your gift, for freely it is given. It is up to you to freely receive it. Will you freely receive the gift that Christ wants to give to you?
