Are You Ready To Go? (AM Sermon Notes)
GIST: The disciples are sent together to proclaim His Gospel and demonstrate His love while being completely dependent upon Him.
SCRIPTURE: Mark 6:7-13
7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.
We’re back to a normal-lengthed passage☺! For the last two weeks, we’ve looked at Jesus changing lives and being rejected as He went throughout Galilee proclaiming His salvation. Today, we see what we were told would happen in Mark 3:14-16--the 12 apostles are being sent out.
Again, I never cease to be blown away by God’s timing. We’re going to be praying over our shoeboxes as we send these gifts out to help share the gospel with children all over the world, and we “just happen” to come to a passage like this. God is good!
While most commentators are quick to point out that this is not an exact model for us to follow as a ministry pattern since we are allowed to bring sack-lunches and do not have the same healing powers that were granted here, there are still some clear applications for how we should be living as Christians that I want to look at this morning (and live forever!). Gist? The disciples are sent together to proclaim His Gospel and demonstrate His love while being completely dependent upon Him.
I. SENT TOGETHER
Sent. The first point to note is that Jesus sent His disciples out. Up until this point, they had always been by Jesus’ side. In fact, He had done all the teaching and healing; they were just there as participants. Nonetheless, when He called them back in chapter 3, he said it was so they’d not only be with Him, but also be sent by Him. Here we see it happen. They become an extension of His ministry throughout Galilee. I don’t want to belabor this point. The call here is clear, but it’s also one many probably dread hearing when they come to church...because we just want to be left alone. Tell me about Jesus, encourage me to behave better, but don’t ask me to do anything. Yet, all Christians are called to go, this is not a spectator sport. I’ve said it many times, but I’ll say it again. Some of you are already where God needs you, let Him use you there. So of you may be called to go somewhere else where He needs you. Either way, be ready to go and be used. God’s plan to spread His Gospel is using messed up people like us.
Together. The second part of this that really struck me is that He sent them out two by two-which, honestly, reminds me a little of Noah’s Ark, and for some reason makes me chuckle a bit. The point here? We’re not intended to minister alone. We’re not intended to live this Christian life alone! Everyone of you needs to be going--and if everyone of you is going...no one should be going alone. We need this. Having fellow Christians with you as you share the Gospel and strive to live your life for Jesus provides support, encouragement, and consolation...and the way life goes, we’ll need all of those. That’s why the local church is so important. Being a Christian is hard. Being an isolated Christian is even harder.
II. TO PROCLAIM HIS GOSPEL AND DEMONSTRATE HIS LOVE
Gospel: Repent for Kingdom of God has Come! Next, we see what they were sent to do. In Mark’s gospel, we’re told that they went about proclaiming repentance. In Matthew and Luke, it adds that they were proclaiming the Kingdom of God has come. They would have done both because they went out to continue what Jesus had begun. What was Jesus’ message? Remember the first time we heard Jesus speak in Mark’s account? “14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel”(Mark 1:14-15). They went out telling people the good news. We need repentance because we’re sinful, but Jesus has come. He is providing forgiveness. Come to Him for Salvation. He is your only hope. Our message should be no different. I say this often, but pretty much every time I preach, I feel like the message really comes back to the same truth. May that always be the case! There is no other truth more worth hearing because there is no other truth that changes your life.
Love Power. Likewise, they were given authority over demons and sickness. We’ve talked about this before. These were signs that they were from Jesus...because this is what Jesus did. Everywhere He went, He cast out demons and healed the sick. Why? He could have demonstrated His power in many different ways. In fact, the Pharisees wanted Him to perform a sign from Heaven (Mark 8:11)--probably meaning some kind of cosmic deed. We know He was more than capable of doing this. Remember the storm? He says be quiet, and it is. The fact that Jesus chose to demonstrate His power by healing the sick and casting out demons from oppressed individuals points to His compassion. He could have demonstrated He was God in a more public way. He could have called down fire from Heaven, or floated into the synagogues while forcing everyone to fall down before Him--and He had every right to do so. But, guys, we serve a loving God who chose to humble Himself, take on human flesh, grow up in a laboring family on the wrong-side of the tracks, choose a bunch of misfits to be His followers, and reach out and touch broken people as a sign of who He is.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see. (Newton)
When the disciples go out, they are ask to demonstrate the same love. In fact, that’s part of what is meant by the command not to jump from house-to-house either. This is where we see a cultural-specific aspect. It was expected that people open their homes to traveling teachers. They weren’t to stay in this villages long enough to become a burden, so if they were accepted immediately by a family, but got a “better offer” to stay in a more comfortable or prestigious location, it would have been rude to leave those who had been gracious without cause. Go and share the Gospel...and be loving! There should be a compassion about the way we live our lives!
III. WHILE BEING COMPLETELY DEPENDENT UPON HIM
Traveling Light: An exercise in trust. Lastly, let’s look at these commands to go empty handed. Now, this is not a specific requirement for everyone who goes out in the name of Jesus today. In fact, Jesus Himself says as much in Luke 22:35- 37, “35 And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” 36 He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.”
So, what can we take from this? This isn’t about bringing or not bring stuff with us. It’s about our dependence on Jesus--instead of on stuff. That’s an application we can take with us every day. When we go out, what are we depending on? Our abilities? Our money? Our connections? Just like we spoke about a few weeks ago, we can and should trust Him. As we go out in service of Him, we go out in His authority. The disciples weren’t able to do “special things” because they were “special people”. The disciples just obeyed Jesus, told people about Him, and trusted Him to work--and He did. We should do the same.
Shaking Feet: A reminder of God’s sovereignty. Tied with these commands to depend are two pieces of advice. First, be gracious to those who show hospitality to you. As we mentioned above, this is a sign of God’s love. Second, when you’re rejected, shake the dust off your feet and keep going. This sign would have had a very familiar ring to it for the disciples and the Jewish people they’d be ministering to. It was customary for Jews to shake their sandals and dust off their bodies when they crossed from Gentile territory back into their own because they didn’t want to bring any of that pagan filth in with them. Here Jesus says, when you’re rejected, make sure they realized who they’re rejecting. This isn’t about calling down curses on these people, but rather leaving them in God’s hands.
“Ultimately, everyone will be judged by how they have responded to Jesus; and those villages and towns which rejected his message will have to pay the price. They will be excluded from his Kingdom, excluded from his presence for ever. Exactly the same warning comes to everyone who rejects Jesus today” (Ransom for Many). And with this command comes that expectation, as well. They will be rejected.
TAKEAWAYS
1. Go. I know I say this often, and please know it is in part because I am in just as much need of being reminded of this truth as you. Do not content yourself with nominal Christianity. Faith without works is dead. Let Him use you. Be ready to go wherever He sends you. AND remember wherever you are now is, at the very least, where He has sent you for this moment.
2. Don’t be a lone wolf. You’re not meant to do this alone. It’s not tough to try; it’s silly. We’re meant to grow and serve together. Likewise, don’t allow others to be either. This ties into the going :D. If you see others serving, join in!
3. Proclaim Jesus’ salvation. Not self-help, not Providence Baptist Church. Jesus. Period.
4. Love people. We’ve been sent with a message of truth and love. We should stand by the truth and show love. If we neglect either one, we’re doing Jesus and our listeners a disservice. Know the truth and speak it. See the sinful around you and love them. People should notice something different about you because you’ve been powerfully transformed by love! Do they?
5. Depend on Jesus...even in the face of rejection. Trust Him even when everything around you seems to be hostile.
We are sent together to proclaim His Gospel and demonstrate His love while being completely dependent upon Him.
Commissioning Service: Laying Hands on the Boxes!
Today, we also have an awesome opportunity to pray over these shoeboxes as we send them off. We’re going to try and gather around the altar as best we can and lay hands on these boxes and pray, not for the boxes, but for the lives they’ll touch. There is nothing magical about “touching” that makes the prayer more effective. Rather, it adds an intentionality to the process. And, for me, at least, physically putting my hands on something like this just makes the reality hit. These aren’t just toys; these are opportunities for little kids and families all over the world to come to know Jesus!
Let’s pray for those little lives, but also for their families, and the churches that will be ministering to them, and even the Samaritan’s Purse volunteers who will be shipping these boxes. Let’s pray that God be glorified as souls are saved!
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