Teaching Before Going Out – Practicing Matthew 10 and Luke 10
This is my teaching before going out to practice evangelism the way Jesus trained His disciples in Matthew 10 and Luke 10 – finding the person of peace and bringing peace and healing.
(Acts 17:11: Please learn to do your own Bible studies like this one – here.)
The Scriptural Bible Foundation
See this as going to something between weekly and daily football or other normal sports practice – and taking a lifelong education that is both theoretical and practical. Scriptures for execution: Matthew 28:18-20 (for all who are – and will then also choose to be – disciples), Matthew 7:24-27, Matthew 9:35-38, Matthew 10:1-42, Luke 9:1-6, Mark 3:13-15, Mark 6:7-13, Luke 10:1-24, John 14:15, James 1:22.
In Acts, they continued to live out this lifestyle they had been effectively trained in: Acts 3:1-8, Acts 11:19-21, Acts 13:1-52, Acts 16:13-15, Acts 16:25-32. This was done both in Israel and in other cultures. And even though they did not say, “Stop watching, now go out two by two” – is it not enough of an example that Jesus, God, our Master (whose direct disciples we are) did it?
But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Hebrews 5:14
It sounds like we need to train ourselves in doing something along the lines of Matthew 10 and Luke 10. John 14:15 says love is obedience, and James 2:17-18 says faith is action.
This is literally to be done everywhere – as Jesus and His followers did: streets, squares, supermarkets, restaurants, family parties, workplaces, schools, homes, foyers, meetings, from home to home, door to door, at gatherings of believers, etc. When you do it regularly – going for the practice of it – you get better at it for all occasions. It’s not rocket science. Your skill then naturally spills over from specific practice and games to times and opportunities outside them.
Is this part of the general will of God for you? Yes.
This is part of what basic, foundational discipleship is. Hebrews 13:8 – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He still trains, commands, enables, and equips us all to be able to do this. If you are in doubt whether you can do this by the power of the Holy Spirit too, please read Are All Supernatural Power Gifts of the Holy Spirit for Everyone? and listen to this – it’s about how all the gifts of the Holy Spirit are for everyone who is born again by the Holy Spirit.
Not only can you, and not only are you allowed to – you are fully enabled, and therefore need to let yourself be trained by Jesus today. On that fair and strong background, you are then also commanded to by Jesus – starting now, from where you are. You do not have to wait for church leaders to see, call, recognize, install, and train you to do this. Many do not do this – so they cannot train others to do it. We cannot afford to wait for them to first learn how to do it and then train others. Yes – it is right, good, and healthy for you to be under friendly, local, mutual accountability with others.
You also, therefore, do not have to wait for an angel or the audible voice of God from Heaven to do this. This is always the general will, call, and command of God for all who will obey – now – to grow in this from where you are (as a smaller or bigger part of our lives, yes). Yes – to grow in it. Find people who will train you. You can get trained by people like Todd White online, or via ActionChristianity.com, and many others. You grow by doing this as well – not just by studying.
Generally
- At all times: let all things be under the Spirit – as you feel led.
- Before meeting: spend time with the Father one-on-one in the secret place, letting Him speak to you – seeking God for guidance.
Teaching During the Meeting
- Share stories of healings, salvations, and God encounters: faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the Word of God (Romans 10:17) – including healings, prophecies, and deliverances.
- As you go, practice this on top of the points above.
- Go together – one, two, three, four – whatever.
- If it is from house to house, simply say you are ordinary Christians – not Jehovah’s Witnesses – and that you want to talk about faith and offer to pray for peace and healing for anyone in the house who needs it.
- Men primarily talk with men, and vice versa – even though the leading of the Spirit is above that.
- Try to hear and sense from the Holy Spirit what to do.
- First try to do it prophetically – on the streets and also from home to home – as to where to go. Look for people who look peaceful and seem to have time. Also go for people with an obvious sickness – and ask what happened.
- Start with a normal conversation – like the woman at the well in John 4:1-43, where it starts with talking about the physical water in the well. So talk about who they are – let it be a normal conversation. Then shift it to what you do: that you bless people in Jesus’ name and heal the sick – or whether they just want to know the peace, joy, and presence of God (many feel the peace of God when receiving prayer).
When you are allowed to pray for something
- Say that it is voluntary to agree, but that you are a YouTuber and would like to ask permission to record.
- First share a short healing testimony – as faith comes from hearing how good the Word is, and we overcome the enemy by telling our stories.
Style of prayer = command + action + repeat
- Do not close your eyes – keep them open to observe what happens as you pray, prophesy, and do deliverance (nowhere in the Bible does anyone close their eyes when praying – but they “looked up to Heaven” while looking at earth).
- Do not only pray – command also.
- Do not do it long – do it short. Command.
- Be bold and authoritative. Let no one take away your boldness. It is from Jesus. Look only to the command of Jesus for it! Be bold and courageous.
- Action: ask them to test how they are doing now. This is often when they actually get healed – for faith is shown in action! Ask them how they feel compared to before, on a scale of 1 to 10.
- Repeat: if they are not touched or better at all yet – or only a bit better or touched – ask to pray or command again. Keep going until they don’t want to go on any more – or are healed or touched. Some have been healed only after the 11th time (someone completely blind).
- If Jesus once had to command healing twice and had to command demons to go more than once, I might have to do it 100 times. I have to be fine with that.
Follow-up
- When they are touched or healed – be ready for that.
- Then find a way to connect with them in the future. This is like having a baby and then helping that baby find its way.
- Also ask immediately if they have time and a desire to talk more – maybe in a café nearby – either now or later.
- Ask if they want to come for a meal at your place, or if you can come to their place for a meal.
- Ask if they would come to church with you – and meet up for coffee 20 minutes before.
- Include them in your home fellowship and life. Disciple them to become disciples.
Deeper follow-up
Do the whole DMM and discipleship course with them:
- DMM – Basic Discipleship, 4-course series (also as an article: 4-Session Basic Obedient Discipleship Course)
- Fullness of Discipleship – deeper series
Send
Pray together and challenge people to hear from Heaven what they will encounter and do. Go!
What Not to Do
- Scream or shout at people (no angry bullhorn sermons). Matthew 12:19 – “He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets.”
- Quarrel with people – that is, discuss and argue negatively. Matthew 12:19 – “He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets.”
- Preach at people or break them down – rather, lift broken, hungry, humble people up. Matthew 12:20 – “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory.”
- Seek to be weird or off – or seek to be extreme or wild. Be normal – while bold, humble, wise, courageous, faith-filled, simple, knowledgeable, and Spirit-filled – with explanation for outsiders (1 Corinthians 14:23). Follow the pattern of normalcy in a conversation with prophecy in John 4:4-42.
What to Do Proactively
- Find the “person of peace” – people who are open and willing to receive us and from us, who will be peaceful (Luke 10:6) and talk with us in a friendly, respectful way (Matthew 10:11 – a worthy person: they are a good person and worthy of us and our message; Matthew 10:13 – deserving: they do good to others and to you; Matthew 10:14 – they welcome you and listen to your words). They open up and receive us, and are peaceful people who give peace to us.
- Be a SLAVE to all – right after being a SLAVE to Christ. Be like a Greek to the Greeks and a Jew to the Jews (1 Corinthians 9:20-23). Be understood by those listening. Make a loving, wholehearted effort to accurately communicate the love of God, seen clearly from their perspective – in their language, clothing, methods, and culture – in a way they can understand and receive.
- Paul practiced this to the extreme: getting Timothy circumcised so as not to offend the Jews (Acts 16:3), yet rebuking Peter for following Jewish laws outside Israel (Galatians 2:11-14); speaking to the Athenians about their altar to the “unknown god” (Acts 17:23) and quoting their own poets (Acts 17:28).
- Know that there will be rejection, persecution, and sacrifice involved (Matthew 10:16-39, Luke 21:12-17). But move on. Shake off the dust.
- Follow the good, loving, life-giving, truth-filled, justice-filled, freedom-of-decision-honoring, holy laws and commands of God first. Then also be wise and clever and follow the laws of the land – unless there is a 100% contradiction; then the love of God comes first.
- Use envy! (Romans 11:11, Romans 11:14) Live such a real, healthy, strong, wise, loving, intimate fellowship life with God – walking with excellence and integrity in character, with joy, freedom, and genuine love for God, others, and yourself, and in the supernatural power of God so boldly and clearly – that people will want what you have. They will envy you – and thereby they will come to faith.
Going Even Deeper on What Not to Do – and Why
There are many reasons I do not agree 100% with the approach of “preaching to people – or down at people – on the street.” We should love to share our faith lovingly, boldly, and with the wisdom and leading of the Holy Spirit – by finding the people who are open to Him, and who will open to Him through seeing the power of God, as Jesus did here. I like going out to find people to share it with, but I am very guided by a Scripture like this one:
Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. He warned them not to tell others about him. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope.” Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”
Matthew 12:9-24
Overall understanding of the ministry of Jesus
Jesus constantly did power ministry. He healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead, prophesied, stopped storms, walked on water, gave miraculous catches of fish, etc. He commanded us as disciples to do the same. We have lost how Jesus did it if we do not do the same! So let us repent if we are not bringing the power of God to heal, deliver, prophesy, forgive, and raise the dead!
His problems were first of all with the religious Pharisees of His day. They couldn’t take His power, His popularity, and His theology (that He was the Messiah – and not an earthly king as they expected – and that He broke the Sabbath). But Jesus ate with sinners and tax collectors – and they were transformed through His love, forgiveness, and power, and they willingly received His life-changing friendship and truths!
Verse by verse
- Verse 9 – In the synagogue He preached and healed – for it was the normal thing to do there.
- Verses 10–12 – Jesus explains, using their own hypocrisy, how you can of course heal and do good on a Sabbath. Verse 13 – Jesus displays the power of God to prove His point.
- Verse 14 – The Pharisees decide to kill Jesus for healing on a Sabbath.
- Verse 15 – Jesus heals ALL the sick among a large crowd!
- Verse 16 – He wants not to be killed too quickly – but according to God’s timetable.
- Verse 17 – Prophecy fulfilled by Jesus.
- Verse 18 – Which justice will He proclaim? In the context here: that it is OK to heal on a Sabbath.
- Verse 19 – How will He bring this justice? He will not quarrel with people – as many Christian street evangelists and street preachers do. He will not cry out – as many Christian street evangelists and street preachers do. No one will hear His voice in the streets – as many Christian street evangelists and street preachers do.
- Verse 20 – A bruised reed – what is that? It is a stalk of grain that is broken (crushed) at such an angle that it will never produce grain. He will not break people who are already broken. A smoldering wick – what is that? A candle that is almost dying – so someone who is already weak and dying. He will not blow out their flame.
What was Jesus’ report to John the Baptist?
So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.”
Luke 7:22
“Preach” here does not mean shouting at someone or preaching at someone. In the Greek it literally means “to bring,” “to share,” “to give” good news – and contains nothing about loud proclamation. Please look it up in the Greek: Strong’s G2097 on Blue Letter Bible and on Bible Hub. We must match this up against, into, and under Jesus’ own job description here in Matthew 12:9-24.
Moving on in the context
- Verse 22 – We are back to doing deliverance – which brings physical healing.
- Verse 23 – People believe because of the signs and wonders they see.
- Verse 24 – And the Pharisees attack Him, accusing Him of being a demon.
So, what principles do I believe we see Jesus practicing? Style and procedure matter
- It is our responsibility first to personally walk in, demonstrate, and bring the leading of God, the fullness of the power of God, and the peace of God – and through that to find people who will open their hearts to our message. If people see us as truly loving and from God, they will open their hearts to our message.
- According to Mark 1:14-15, our message is to help people change their minds and believe in the good message of the love and forgiveness of God – and to share, bring, and give that good message of the love, restoration, and goodness of God in the midst of our human evil. While we were still rebelling against the good heart of God, He loved us (see the cross) – and as we do that, we first clear the log of sin from our own eyes.
- Following Jesus’ example, we do not shout at people and preach at people in the streets – people who are broken, down, and poor. We do not share the most precious thing we have with people who will not and do not appreciate it.
Practical Guidelines We Follow (Denmark)
I have looked into the laws of the land in Denmark regarding all things Matthew 10 and Luke 10 – recording on the streets, praying for healing, and sharing faith publicly. Sources I have used: Datatilsynet’s guidelines on recordings, Datatilsynet on using pictures, Samvirke on photographing people in public, AbsentWall, Telefakta, the Danish Criminal Code (Straffeloven, §§ 232, 264 a and 264 d), and the Danish quackery law (§§ 23–24). In short: you may generally photograph people in freely accessible places, but you must not share images that obviously ought to be withheld from the public – so ask permission if you want to share. As far as I can see, sharing your faith in public places, by phone, and from door to door falls under freedom of religion and freedom of speech – as long as you are not breaking any laws or bothering people, but kindly approaching people who are willing to talk.
Conclusions
- God first. Heaven rules. Jesus is the boss – and Creator God. We are ambassadors of another kingdom: a kingdom of love, honor, freedom, wisdom, forgiveness, and power from God. We are willing to suffer for sharing our faith and seeing true miracles from God happen through us. Persecution, suffering, and injustice came to Jesus and His followers – nothing new there. It is an honor to be treated like Him for loving people as He did.
- The quack law. Always send people to official doctors and psychologists, and let the professionals take away the medicine. Jesus also practiced having miracles confirmed – He sent the healed man to show himself to the priest (Matthew 8:1-4).
- Ages. Only pray for those under 18 with the parents’ permission and presence. To consider: a prayer of blessing and healing for kids doesn’t hurt anyone – but be super wise about it. No men praying for girls under 18. As a general rule, no deliverance on kids under 18 without the parents’ written consent.
- Places. Not private spaces.
- Recording and pictures. Say you are a YouTuber. Ask for permission before recording – and again while recording.
Signing off in agreement
Have the people who go out officially representing our group be informed of and agree to the conclusions and the dos and don’ts – under the leading of the Holy Spirit, who is God and will confront religion, tradition, fear, and the laws of the land in the name of love, grace, honor, truth, freedom, justice, and peace – and first of all under being best friends with Daddyo – Papa! – for we are in rebellion to Heaven on earth.
To read positive life changing and selfish life breaking teaching – see All Bible Studies of Peter Skov of Action Christianity. Let God lead you to what to engage with first.
And here is my YouTube course on the very minimum foundations of normal discipleship.
