Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-09-30

the same time what they did have.
He didn't obliterate their PERSONAL
ties; He didn't reduce them to a dead
level of uniformity; He didn't even
raise them to the same level of spir-
ituality. He took them as they were,
and equipped them as they needed,
and sent them forth. And He is
waiting for you to pray and be ready
if necessary to let Him use you in
answering it.
A Limited Service
This commission for service was
limited. They were told to do GER
tain things and not to do other
things. He expected of them a def
mite piece of work, and didn't hold
them accountable for anything else.
Even cursory reading of this
tenth chapter of Matthew impresses
one with it's dispensational charac.
ter. 1t was intensely Jewish and in
tentionally so. The church was not
in the Masters mind here at all, nor
the work of the worldwide evangel-
lzation which it was to do. He had
come to offer Himself to the Jews
as their long promised Messiah. He
came preaching the gospel of the
Kingdom, the good news that the
tons and fulfill all the promises of
the Davidic covenant G. Samuel 7:13.
10, had come. He came unto His
own but they that were His own re-
celved Him not; therefore He had TO
turn from them to the Gentiles. the
other sheep which were not of the
fold. However. at the time of send.
ing forth the twelve, that had not
yet happened.
Their mission was therefore limit
ed-they were distinctly told not to
go to the Gentle, not to the Samari-
tanS even, but to the lost sheep of
the house of Israel, and say to them
as they went among them THE
Kingdom of the Heavens is at hand"
because their King had come
Their message then was also linn
tied These twelve knew nothing of
the good news of the grace of God
Christ had not died on the cross:
there had been no provision made
for the life of victory over sin
through the Crucified and Risen
Christ; there was no message of hope
and assurance of the life after death
for Jesus had not then been raised
from the death. All they knew and
were told to preach was that Israel's
King had come and was ready to full
fill all the promised blessings to
them, upon their acceptance and ac-
acknowledgement of Him.
While their mission was thus lin.
tied to Israel and their message lin.
tied to an announcement that ISrael'S
hope was ready to be relaxed, theiv
mission and their message was iden
titled with that of the Master. He
had just gone throughout Gallilee
teaching in their synagogues, preach
ing the gospel of the Kingdom, and
healing every sickness and every
disease among the people, cleansing
lepers and casting out devils. Now
as He sends them forth He com
mands them to do these Identical
things-heal the sick, cleanse the
lepers, raise the dead, and cast out
demons. Just as freely as they had
received were they to give.
How thoroughly inadequate they
would have been for any one Of
these tasks had liz not given them
power specifically for this. Just or
binary men like they were could
have performed these tasks-neither
could extraordinary men have done
it; but they did because He had epl.
powered them.
There was one other limitation
He placed upon them as they welH
out Provide neither gold, nor sill
ver nor brass, nor scrip, nor two
coats, nor shoes, nor slaves" Ordt
narily TO provide" these things
which means to pack your bags and
trunks with them-would take too
long a time, and the matter was so
II
wasted. They were not going among
hostile peoples, but were limited in
their mission to the lost sheep Of the
house of Gsrael-in other words, to
their brethren, to those of like mind
and interests; and these were expect
ed to give them what they needed
from day to day.
SO you see their mission and their
message were entirely different from
the mission and message OF the
church today. Certain principles
abide regardless of time and place;
put methods vary with different
times and circumstances. The prin.
clple that need must be realized, that
prayer must be the first step in the
solution of need, that it is not pray
ing unless we are willing to place
ourselves at Gods disposal, to secure
the answer to our prayers if need be
tnat God does not require extraor-
binary men for His service but uses
just everyday men who are willing
ana that He empowers them when
he sends them out-theSe are princi.,
pies that abide. They are true TODAY
ana applicable just as much as they
were then.
BUT the message and the method
I differ. These men were limited to
the lost sheep of the house of Israel:
the church is commanded to so unto
all the World-to every creature.
THESE men were to announce that
the Kingdom of heaven was at hand
because the King had come; the
churcn is to tell the glad tidings that
the Son of God who came to offer
Himself as the King of Israel.
though rejected by them, freely shed
His blood as Il ransom for them and
for all the world that He rose again
from the dead and stitch at the
right hand of the throne of God.
ever living to make intercession for
us; and one day is coming back to
receive us unto Himself, to put down
His enemies and to establish the
Kingdom so long delayed, and sit
upon the throne of His father David
and that all who believe on Him now
ana receive Him as their substitute
may enter now and anjoy forever
His fellowship. These men were to
perform miracles. and to make no
provision because they were going
amongst their brethren only; the
church is to use the miracle of a
supernatural book as evidence
and authority, and the mirac les of
lives that have been crucified with
| Christ and risen with Him to new
ness of life. And going. not among
brethren, but among those who are
now enemies of the truth. the breth-
rem must have all things common.
so that those who so ana that those
who stay may share alike.
The methods and the messages diff
fer. the incinleS ohide Then lnnl-