Chapter # 9 Paragraph # 1 Study # 2
August 23, 2009
Lincolnton, NC
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• I. The Overall Issue is the Proclamation of the Message.
  • A. The proclamation of the Kingdom of God requires a legitimate foundation in demonstrated reality.
    • 1. The "kingdom" is about the legitimate exercise of power.
    • 2. The issue of "legitimacy" is rooted in the character of the Ultimate King.
    • 3. The demonstrated reality is unveiled by Jesus' absolute authority over demons and diseases.
    • 4. The apostles were given the ability to extend the demonstration.
  • B. The proclamation of the Kingdom of God consisted of the declaration of the immediacy of God's rule and the necessity of a human embrace of its implications.
    • 1. The foremost human "issue" is the total absence of human qualification for participation and the imperative of "repentance" in the face of it.
    • 2. The foremost divine "issue" is His immediate presence and its implications of "Love" and "Faith".
      • a. Those who preach these issues of the immediacy of God's rule cannot compromise them with their words and retain their integrity.
      • b. Those who preach these issues of the immediacy of God's rule are supposed to actually practice them also.
• II. The Issue of Focus in Our Text is Jesus' Deliberate Intention to Develop the "Faith" of His Apostles.
  • A. It is the height of hypocrisy for men to loudly proclaim the Kingdom of God while actively denying the immediacy of the Love of God in His day-by-day rule of their lives by their own self-protective behavior.
  • B. For this cause, Jesus issued some challenging, abnormal, temporary, and deliberate demands.
    • 1. The demands were challenging.
      • a. The demands consisted of two main particulars.
        • 1) Make no provision for any anticipated need.
          • a) The basic demand: take nothing to meet the need that the view of "the road" sponsors in terms of "anticipated future needs".
            • i. This, obviously, does not include the things actually required to set out.
            • ii. But, just as obviously, this does include all of the things that all men typically figure will develop as needs along the way.
          • b) The particulars of the demand are given.
            • i. Do not anticipate the need for personal protection: no "staff".
            • ii. Do not anticipate any need: no "bag".
            • iii. Do not anticipate hunger: no "bread".
            • iv. Do not anticipate a failure to overlook an anticipated need: no "silver".
            • v. Do not anticipate the possibility of spending the nights out of doors: no "two tunic" provision.
        • 2) Take no action to alter the provision God makes for every need.
          • a) The provision of the need for hospitality is a "given".
          • b) When the provision is made, do not "slight" it afterwards.
      • b. The demands fundamentally required "Faith" in the reality of the immediately present Ruler of the Universe and His "Love".
    • 2. The demands were abnormal.
      • a. Luke 8:3 says that Jesus, Himself, did not do this in the form of His demands.
      • b. John 12:6 and 13:29 also say that it was not Jesus' own "norm" to do this.
      • c. Abnormal demands are required when abnormal attitudes exist.
        • 1) Jesus had no lack of "Love" or "Faith".
        • 2) The disciples had only begun their "Kingdom" lives and had very little of either "Love" or "Faith".
    • 3. The demands were temporary.
      • a. Luke records that Jesus rescinded these demands at a later time (Luke 22:35-36).
      • b. The underlying requirements ("Love" and "Faith") cannot be rescinded, but the methodological requirements can be shifted and altered according to the need of the present.
        • 1) There is a basic necessity that one learn that Jesus' provision will be "according to need".
        • 2) Once the "learning" has occurred, the restraints can be lifted.
        • 3) It is not "wrong" to make provision for "anticipated" realities as long as the provision is simple wisdom (Proverbs 6:6-8) and not obsessive compulsion (fear is forbidden in all cases).
      • 4) There are certain occasions of life's experience that are intended to establish certain truths and, once established, need not be repeated in every case.
      • 5) The bottom line will always be the same: Is it "faith" or "fear" that is driving the decision?
    • 4. The demands were deliberate.
      • a. The issue in every case of Jesus' "instruction" is "edification". Something needs to be poured into the soul/spirit of the hearer in a life-changing way so that one's way of looking at life is not the same afterward.
      • b. Disobedient refusal results in one of two things:
        • 1) God may forsake His intention of teaching the truth so that everything attached to it is abandoned (both temporally and eternally).
        • 2) God may return to the same issue over and over until His child "gets it".