Luke 9:1-10 - Sent Out

Luke  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  37:20
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Introduction:
An ambassador is a diplomatic official who is sent out to be a representative of their sender. Many countries of our world have ambassadors that are sent out to represent them. Everything that they do or say should align with their nation’s values and ideals. They are not sent as individuals representing their own ideals and values, but instead they are sent to represent their country’s ideals and values.
Today we are going to be introduced the to the disciples again as they are sent out into the world to be ambassadors for Christ. And this account today reminds us that God is sending us out even today. We are not given the exact same missionary strategy as these men were - namely the ability to cure diseases and perform miracles - but we are given the same message! We are sent out to proclaim the message of the Gospel.
Join me today as we read Luke 9:1-10:
Read Full Scripture:
Luke 9:1–10 ESV
And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he sought to see him. On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida.
Prayer
Today we will see three things that followers of Christ are sent out to do. The first is…

I. Followers of Christ Are Sent Out to Charge the World (1-6)

Luke 9:1 ESV
And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases,
Here is where we see the 12 being transformed from disciples into Apostles. Big ‘A’ Apostles. Meaning that they have amazing powers given to them by God to start the early church. We are all little ‘a’ apostles today - we are ‘sent out ones’ which is the meaning of the word apostle. But these men are the only big ‘A Apostles - of course minus Judas who was replaced by Matthias and with Paul being added later as the Apostle to the Gentiles.
These men of the early church were sent out in an official way as the founders of the early church, and they were given special powers and authorities.
Power is the ability to do something while authority is the right to do it.
They are given the capacity to do miracles and they are given the authority to do them as well. Both of these are necessary in order to be effective.
Can you imagine the weight they must have felt with being given the ability and authority to do what they just saw Jesus do?
Luke 9:1 (ESV)
And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases,
Something else that is important for us to see here is that Luke distinguishes demons and disease.
Not all disease is directly demonic per se. Some diseases are a result of sin and a fallen world. We must not give satan and his demons more credit than they deserve. Although evil has originated with them, the sin of mankind has also had terrible effects on our bodies and the world as well.
Luke 9:2 ESV
and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.
Matthew clarifies for us that these disciples are sent only to Israel at this point (Matthew 10:5-6) and Mark lets us know that they go out in groups two by two (Mark 6:7). I would have loved to hear how He paired them up. If you recall, Matthew, although a Jew, was a tax collector hired by Rome, and there was another disciple named Simon the Zealot who was from a group of anti-Roman conspirators who functioned as assassins of those who were Roman sympathizers and leaders. I just think that would have been an interesting grouping in my opinion!
After equipping them with power and authority, He sends them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.
It is important for us to understand that the real work was not to heal and cast out demons. These things were used to confirm their message and show the power of their message. The actual reason that they were sent out was to charge people to repent and believe the Gospel. They were to preach the kingdom of God which is a way of saying they were to preach the Gospel. They were to tell the world that the Messiah had come and that the kingdom of God was at hand.
We see the word Gospel and proclaiming the kingdom of God used interchangeably here if we skip ahead to verse 6:
Luke 9:6 (ESV)
And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
These men were told to go and preach the Gospel to a lost and sinful world.
In the parallel account in Matthew, we see Jesus state the following:
Matthew 10:16 ESV
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
Preaching the Gospel to a world full of evil is not an easy task. We are sheep but there are wolves all around us. Jesus gives an interesting command to His disciples here which still applies to us today.
Wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
What does it mean to be as wise as serpents?
Serpents are viewed as crafty or shrewd as we see in Genesis 3:1. This does not mean that Jesus is charging His followers to do anything sinful or wrong. But you must know your enemy well. He sets traps for the followers of Christ.
1 Peter 5:8 ESV
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
We must realize and understand that the enemy of our souls seeks to destroy us. And we must also understand that he is not always going to appear like we might imagine…
2 Corinthians 11:14 ESV
And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
Sometimes he works through people like Andy Stanley and other modern day peddlers of a false gospel who preach relative morality without repentance. I usually do not call out names from the pulpit, but this man has become a widespread peddler of a false Gospel and needs to be called out.
In Galatians 1:6-9 Paul states:
Galatians 1:6–7 ESV
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
Galatians 1:8–9 ESV
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
Stanley does not call people to repentance. He does not preach the need for sanctification and holiness. And thus he does not preach the true Gospel. Paul has harsh words for those who preach a false gospel in the book of Galatians.
Be shrewd in who you learn from and listen to my friends. There are plenty of preachers who preach what itching ears want to hear and are leading many astray. Be as shrewd as a serpent and hold fast to the truth of God’s Word.
What does it mean to be as innocent as a dove?
Doves characterize purity and innocence. They are listed as clean animals in Leviticus 14:22.
As we work unto the Lord, we need to be focused on His glory alone and not our own. We need to avoid being stained by this world and living like this world.
Moving on to verse 3...
Luke 9:3 ESV
And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics.
We see a huge contrast in this first sending out and the later sending out (Luke 22:35-38). At this point, they are told to take nothing extra. They are to travel light. We are not told exactly why Jesus has them do this. However, it appears that Jesus wants them to be fully relying on the providence of God. God will provide them everything that they need. These men will be called to even greater callings in the future. 10 of them will die a martyrs death. This is their training ground - their boot camp. It is important for us to know that…
Jesus does not call His followers to a life of comfort and excess.
Although He does provide us with good gifts at times, He promises that this life is going to be difficult at times as well. If you aren’t occasionally uncomfortable, inconvenienced, or persecuted - then I fear you may not truly be following Christ after all.
Luke 9:4 ESV
And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart.
They were not to be looking for the best of accommodations by jumping from home to home. They were not to be looking for the greener grass on the other side. They were to go through the door that the Holy Spirit opened for them both figuratively and literally and stay there until He moved them on.
This brings up some important church applications as well today.
Sadly, some pastors view the church as a corporate ladder in which they can climb. They minister at one church just to get to another. They are never fully present where they are. They continue to want more. More money, more power, more influence, more people under them.
Ministers of the Gospel are not to be like this. Christ may move a pastor - absolutely. But pastors should serve the Lord and not themselves.
We should not be self-seeking and about our own kingdom but instead be about the Gospel and the kingdom of God.
Church attenders are not immune to this issue either though. They can be this way as well. Many today see the church with a consumeristic mindset. It is there to serve them. They hop from church to church seeking a church that meets their wants.
We absolutely should look for a church that meets our needs. But sometimes we get needs and wants mixed up in today’s church. The needs that we have regarding a church are having the Word of God Biblically exposited and preached, a fellowship of believers dedicated to discipleship and evangelism, and a Biblical community and fellowship united both in grace and truth. Anything beyond this is not a need but instead a want.
This also speaks to the importance of church membership. We need to be all in where God has us. We need to covenant with one another as long as the Lord has us in a place. We don’t attend a church waiting to see if a better thing comes along. We need to serve the church and get involved where God places us. Commitment and service to the local body of Christ - namely the church - is expected by Christ (Acts 2:42).
Moving on we get to a difficult verse…
Luke 9:5 ESV
And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”
In Biblical times, this was a sign of great contempt and judgment. Jews would actually shake the dust from their feet after coming back from Gentile lands because they felt that even the dust of the land was considered unclean.
Matthew expounds upon this judgment even further...
Matthew 10:15 ESV
Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.
Jesus says that the towns that refuse to welcome His disciples that He is sending out will be judged even more harshly than Sodom and Gomorrah. That is a difficult statement. If you recall from Genesis 19:23-29, God rained down sulfur and fire on those two towns and destroyed everyone in them. Jesus speaks of a future judgment on those who reject the Gospel.
This judgment continues even unto today. Hell is a literal place and those who reject Jesus will have their part there.
But praise be to God there is the Gospel. As we saw in verse 6…
Luke 9:6 ESV
And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
The good news of the Gospel is that if you repent, or turn away from your sins, and put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ you may be saved.
We who are followers of Jesus are charged to tell the world the good news of the Gospel. The Gospel is what sets people free from the chains of sin and death. There is nothing more hate-filled than knowing salvation exists and not sharing it with someone else.
We are charged to tell others. Go forth and preach the Gospel friends.
Next we see that…
Scripture References: Matthew 10:5-6, Mark 6:7, Matthew 10:16, Genesis 3:1, 1 Peter 5:8, 2 Corinthians 11:14, Galatians 1:6-9, Leviticus 14:12, Luke 22:35-38, Acts 2:42, Matthew 10:15

II. Followers of Christ Are Sent Out to Confound the World (7-9)

Luke 9:7–9 ESV
Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he sought to see him.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ has a way of confounding the world. The word confound means to confuse or perplex. The amazing works and deity of Jesus Christ have a way of confusing the lost. The free gift of eternal life also has a way of confounding the lost.
Herod is completely confused at this point. Herod, like many leaders of his time, was incredibly paranoid about maintaining his power as a ruler. He had imprisoned John the Baptist because John had challenged his actions of marrying his brother’s wife. He wanted to have his finger on the pulse of his kingdom. He didn’t want to miss anything that was going on. And Jesus was really confusing him.
He had no idea who this Jesus was. Was He John the Baptist raised from the dead? Was He Elijah or a prophet of old who had come back?
We are told that he sought to see Jesus. Now we must understand that he sought Jesus not because he wanted to follow or believe in Jesus. He sought Him to research and possibly neutralize the threat.
We see this played out later in Luke’s Gospel:
Luke 13:31 ESV
At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.”
Yet Herod would not actually see Jesus in person until the Lord was arrested (Luke 23:7).
His first and final encounter with Christ is a negative one as seen in Luke 23:8-11. He ends up disappointed because Jesus won’t do any tricks for Him and he and his soldiers mock Jesus and send Him back to Pilate.
His wanting to see Jesus was nothing more than wanting to see a show and to understand a possible threat to his kingdom. He wasn’t truly seeking the Lord. He was just confused about who Jesus was and sought to understand more about Him.
My friends, the true Person of Jesus Christ confounds our world today as well. Our world struggles to understand and believe in a God who would humble Himself and take on flesh and bones, live a sinless life, die on the cross and raise from the dead three days later. Our world has a hard time believing in a God who has created everything that we see with the Word of His mouth. Our world has a hard time believing in a God with the power to grant eternal life and the power to cast His enemies into eternal fire.
Brothers and sisters, are you confounded by Jesus Christ? Are you perplexed or confused by His Gospel?
Those who seek God do not truly seek after God to know Him. They might be seeking something selfishly that can benefit them, but the Bible is clear that we are not truly seeking after God.
Romans 3:10–11 ESV
as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.
We do not seek God, God seeks us. This is extremely important for us as believers who are called to preach the Gospel to a lost world. It is extremely important in order to understand our own salvation as well.
You see, the Bible is clear that there are not seekers of God in our world. Instead, God is a seeker of man.
John 6:44 ESV
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
God draws people to Himself. And He has chosen to use us as instruments of sharing the truth of the Gospel. We are to go out and preach the Gospel all the while the Holy Spirit is working by drawing people to Himself. We do not save anyone but God does. This is the beauty of evangelism. It is all about God working in us, through us, and around us. And when we obey Jesus Christ in being sent out to share the Gospel, it will confound or confuse many. But despite those who might not respond in repentance and faith, there will be many that will be changed. That is why we, as followers of Christ, are sent out to…
Scripture References: Luke 13:31, Luke 23:8-11, Romans 3:10-11, John 6:44

III. Followers of Christ Are Sent Out to Change the World (10)

Luke 9:10 ESV
On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida.
Can you imagine the stories told in verse 10. We just read over this and it is one verse and two sentences and then it is over. But we can imagine how excited these men were to tell Jesus what all had happened. I know how exciting it is for me to see someone saved. But to see all of these miracles, demonic deliverances, salvations, and healings would have made them ecstatic.
These disciples went out two by two went and changed the world. The Gospel has that kind of power my friends. Those who encounter Jesus Christ and are saved are saved forever.
And with each successive person changed by Christ, the world is changed for Christ.
If we want to see our world changed for the better, it is not political reform that is going to do it, it is not education that is going to do it, it is not law reform that is going to do it. Yes, God can certainly use these things to help restrain evil by His common grace. But if we really want to see the world changed, it starts with one heart at a time. It starts with one life at a time.
We are sent out as followers of Jesus Christ to change the world by preaching the Gospel.
Verse 10 ends with a move from Jesus to withdrawal and decompress a bit. Mark 6:30-32 lets us know that they went to a desolate place in this area of Bethsaida. Both He and His disciples needed to rest.
Jesus understand the rhythms needed in life. He did really well with these rhythms by regularly seeking a desolate place to pray and be with the Lord.
This is something that we don’t do well in our culture today. We are a go-go-go society. There seems to always be the flashing lights of electronics - cell phones, televisions, video games and more all scream for our attention. Sports, activities, and entertainment captivate us and drag us all over the place.
When was the last time that you were still before the Lord?
Psalm 37:7 ESV
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
For my anti-electronic friends in the congregation today, the word devices here is not literally interpreted as electronics. That would be a poor hermeneutic or interpretative approach to this word despite how much you might want it to be that!
But those who are still before the Lord are given peace even in the midst of an evil world. When we spend time with the Lord in prayer we are able to obey what Peter urged us to do in 1 Peter 5:7:
1 Peter 5:7 ESV
casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Those who rest in the Lord are able to live an abundant life and change the world for the Gospel. We must intentionally plan healthy rhythms of our lives. When we don’t, we suffer for it. We are not able to work without any rest. I have learned this myself the hard way time and time again. Isaiah 26:3 says:
Isaiah 26:3 ESV
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
If we want to be able to minister unto the Lord over the long haul, we must keep our mind stayed on Christ. We must trust Him and cast our cares upon Him. We must have quiet times of prayer and meditation over God’s Word and quiet times away from the crowds and busyness of this life.
This life can be terribly busy and it can be difficult to set aside alone time with the Lord. But we need to continue making alone time with the Lord a priority. If we want to change the world, we must be sure that God is constantly changing our own hearts as well and molding us into what He wants us to be.
Scripture References: Mark 6:30-32, Psalm 37:7, 1 Peter 5:7, Isaiah 26:3
Conclusion:
My friends, as we preach the Gospel to a lost world, I pray that you charge the world to repent and turn to Jesus. I pray that as you encounter people who are confused or confounded by the Gospel, that you lovingly seek to pray for them to be persuaded with the truth of the Gospel. And I pray that as you preach the Gospel to person after person, the world is changed one soul at a time.
My friends, we have been sent out. Go and watch the Gospel change the world.
Prayer
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