A Proclamation of Power

Authorized and Empowered

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

Lk 9:1–6. And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 3 And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. 4 And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

Power and Authority over Demons and to cure diseases.… Remember that verse we went over in Luke last week about Jesus’s power to heal? Not only does Jesus have this power, He has the authority to grant His followers the same authority and power.

Authority.… That is true authority and power, when you can pass it down to anyone you designate. Jesus was granting the same authority to preform the will of the Father in Heaven as the Father had granted him. Think of it like a Sheriff and his Deputies. In the Sheriff’s absence he enlists his deputies to do his will. They are granted his powers. The disciples had become an extension of Jesus’s authority and purpose wherever they went. Church I’m here to tell you that model has not changed. Through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit we have access to our Father in Heaven and are empowered to act out His will here on earth.

Proclaiming the Kingdom of God accompanied Gods miracles .… The proclamation of the Kingdom of God accompanied the miraculous. God was and is interested in the whole person! He could have stopped at salvation but chose not too why?

Because of His great loves for us. Jesus Christ was and is the revelation of that love to us all. This was Gods loving plan to deliver fallen mankind from the place mankind had put himself. Sickness and demonic possession where not a thing until we rebelled against God and went our own way. This was God bringing us back from our own way, where we had been wandering in the kingdom of the enemy.

The Kingdom of God come in power.… The Kingdom of God is the power of God to overcome the darkness that has become the human experience through the fall. God the Father is light therefore darkness shall not inhabit anyplace He makes His own. Demonic possession, nope I don't think so, healed. Sick, nope I don’t think so, healed. Dying or dead. Nope Alive in Christ.

Jesus came doing the Fathers will…. Think about it. Jesus Christ came to do the will of the Father. Everything that He did was the Fathers will. It must be the Fathers will to deliver the afflicted from diseases and illnesses. It must be the Fathers will to see the possessed set free into the light. They proclaimed the Kingdom of God as they healed and delivered because in Gods Kingdom there is no sickness. In Gods Kingdom there is no demonic control. In His Kingdom these things don’t exist because they are not His will.

Jesus directed them to go and bring nothing with them.

He begins with no staff… The staff served many different purposes. It could be used to help take some of the strain off of you as you walked. In a time period without motorized vehicles and where travel was done either on foot or by animal this was important. It could help support you as you traveled. It could be used to lean against when you stopped to rest. It could be used to fight off predators, or even protect yourself. The staff would have been a familiar comfort to even to the poorest Israelite.

If you were to reflect on scripture, who’s staff would you say we are supposed to follow? Who’s staff should we find comfort in? Jesus Christs!

Ps 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Every good Shepherd in Jesus day would have carried a staff to tend the sheep. Jesus Christ described Himself as the Good Shepherd. He was leading His flock, His followers. He is still leading His people today. It’s Jesus who draws us in when have strayed. It’s Jesus who leads us to a place to rest. Its Jesus who fights off our enemies. As the Good Shepherd He carries the staff and we follow Him.

Jesus was leading… That was His message to the disciples. You leave that staff at home. You wont need it where your going. Even when you can’t see me I am with you. I am leading the way.

No Bread.… No Money.… No Cloths… And for their trip Jesus said don’t take any money, food or even clothes. Don’t carry any food. And don't carry any money to buy food. And bring any clothes, and since you have no money wont be able to buy clothes either. And since your not carrying money you wont be able to lodge someplace. You will need to find someone to stay with in each village you come too. To top it all off they were not even supposed to carry a bag to put money, food or clothing in if they did some how receive some.

I would be hungry/dirty pretty quick.… The odds are pretty good I will find myself thinking about food before this service in even over, let alone taking taking a trip to a unknown places for an unknown amount of time. And I don't know about you but I have grown pretty accustomed to fresh showers and clean clothes. Days where I might not be able to get either one are not on my to do list. My wife and I talked about doing some rough camping in the mountains and admittedly one of the reasons I wasn’t keen on it was because having no shower for days.

Jesus the Rabbi (teacher)… So what was the point? What was Jesus trying to teach them? Remember Jesus was often called Rabbi. Rabbi means teacher. In true Jewish Rabbi fashion He often taught the disciples in unique ways and situations as they arose. Here is what Jesus wanted to get them to do. To stop relying on themselves and trust in Him. To have faith in God and not in the money they carried in their pockets or the food they had stashed away. To push them even further into the place of faith in Him He sent them into places there were not necessarily familiar with. They were supposed to hit the road and do traveling ministry without any tangible assets to rely on other than their faith in God.

Stepping away from Jesus.… And as they did it they were stepping away from the direct presence of Jesus. These men who had left everything behind just to follow Him. Family, jobs and homes. He had asked them to completely set aside their former lives and follow Him and now He was asking them to leave Him and do ministry without Him even being there.

Personal Doubt… Surely most if not all had serious personal doubts about weather they could even pull off the ministry He had called them to without Him there. At least some had to think the people would outright reject them and mock them...… Does this sound familiar? I wonder if I’m good enough to serve Jesus? What if people laugh at me push me away?

Doubting Jesus… I wonder how many of them wondered if Jesus would even be there when they returned. If He had just decided to dip out on them and quietly fade away ridding Himself of them and all the problems He had with religious leaders over His ministry? Does this sound familiar? Why would Jesus continue to love me I’m just a headache and a mess?

You can’t tell me that didn’t happen. Because that's what still happening. That’s how we have operated since the fall, not in faith in the one who sustains but fear of the unknown. These are the doubts of fear but over and over God tells His people to not to be afraid. In fact the Sprit God grants us empowers us to overcome fear we have been slaves to our whole lives.

2 Timothy 1:7 “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

Opportunity to demonstrate faith.… This was their opportunity to step out in faith and demonstrate faith in Him who had shown so much faith in them. He calls us like He did them out of there messed up broken lives and says He has something more for you. Your not just known, your the apple of his eye. His very own child. You are the place God has chosen for His mercy and love to land.

Leave them just the way they were… The sobering part of His directions to the disciples was what He told them to do if the people of the town wouldn’t receive them. 5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”

Jewish culture of shaking off robes.… In the Jewish culture at the time was a belief that just going into the lands of gentiles could make you unclean. If you went into a place occupied by gentiles you were to shake off your clothes when you left so that none of the unclean gentile land would come back with you to the holy places of God. It was the equivalent to saying I wash my hands of you, I’m no longer responsible for what happens to you, you are beyond my help. I’m leaving you the way I found you.

The Jews would have understood this was a sign of rejecting God.… The disciples were going into Jewish lands. At least to start with they were on the Capernaum side of the Sea of Galilee. The Jewish people would have known what this meant. You didn’t receive my disciples so you won’t receive me. And if you wont receive me, then you won’t receive Him who sent me. Remember Jesus made it very clear He was on a mission from God the Father Himself. He was telling the people of God, the Jewish people, You are as bad as a gentile. No closer to God than someone who never knew Him in the first place.

If they wouldn’t have anything to do with Him, God wouldn’t have anything to do with them. He would leave them in broken mess He had found them. He would leave them just as they were.

This is the sobering truth. What we receive from God is what we accept from Him. It’s our choice from beginning to end.

Kingdoms Collide

In all three gospels before the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 and before the disciples return from Jesus sending them out to minister is a section about John the Baptist like this one in Luke.

Herod Is Perplexed by Jesus

Lk 9:7–9 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, 8 by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. 9 Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he sought to see him.

Not related ?... At first glance it may not seem to to be related to Jesus’s sending the disciples out to preach and teach. We learned earlier in our study of Luke that John had been locked in prison by Herod the tetrarch. We can exam Matthew to get a better idea of why John the Baptist is brought up in this particular section of scripture following the disciples being sent out.

The Death of John the Baptist

Mt 14:1–12 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, 2 and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 3 For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 4 because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. 6 But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, 7 so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” 9 And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given. 10 He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, 11 and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.

John the Baptist had lost His earthly life pursuing the call of God...

Lets go back and review what Jesus said about John the Baptist to the crowds when His followers came to question Jesus.

Mt 11:11–12 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.

The Kingdom of Heaven has suffered violence… Throughout history Gods people had been persecuted for obeying and following God. Being locked up or outright murdered are just two examples.

Luke 17:20–21 “Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.””

The Kingdom of God is in the midst of everyone of us who carries with us the truth and the light of Jesus Christ.

The Kingdom of God advances forcefully every time we share to gospel of Jesus Christ and a lost soul finds freedom in Jesus.

What did John the Baptist preach everywhere he went? Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. John the Baptist was carrying the Kingdom of God with him everywhere he went.

The Demon possessed man… Two week ago we examined the story of Jesus delivering the demon possessed men. How the demons identified themselves to Jesus Christ, the commander of Heavens armies as Legion, a term used by the Roman army to describe a large military unit. That interaction between Jesus and the demon possessed man was the Kingdom of God meeting the kingdom of the enemy.

John the Baptist lost his life in a war between the Kingdom of Light and the kingdom of darkness. While He was doing what ? Proclaiming the Kingdom of God.

Did Jesus know how John would die? As I considered what Jesus Christ told the crowds about John the Baptist and then how He later spoke about the kinds of persecution believers would face I have to wonder, did Jesus Christ know the way and the kind of death John the Baptist would face? Jesus demonstrated over and over He was divinely aware of things that were going to occur before they occurred. Why wouldn’t He be aware of how His cousin would be martyred?

Jesus allowed John to follow his call… Despite all this Jesus never mounted a jailbreak for John. Remember Jesus could have called 12 legions of angles to service. And despite repeatedly demonstrating he was aware of the future before it happened He never warned John, Hey you know that Herod guy, stay away from him. If you don’t he's going to do some pretty bad things to you. Jesus confirmed the will of God to John to see people delivered from Sin. Jesus didn’t try to steer John out of harms way. He didn’t take John out of harms way. He left Him in the will of the Father.

Jesus sent the 12 out to Proclaim the Kingdom of God just like John.… What had Jesus done in our earlier section of Luke today? Equipped and empowered the disciples to do ministry before sending them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God. Ultimately the disciples would face the same kinds of persecution John the Baptist experienced and more.

If we jump over to Matthew 10 where Jesus is sending out the 12 disciples we see Jesus follow the command to go out and minister with a warning.

The warning is basically this, if you follow me on my path you will be persecuted.

Persecution does come

Mt 10:16–25 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. 24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.

The purpose behind the location in the Bible of Johns persecution… I think the timing of John’s story in the bible is meant for the hearer to honestly reflect on the cost of following Jesus. I think its meant for us to realize that this decision we make is an important one that carries with it a lot of weight.

Choosing God… John the Baptist chose God over persecution. Jesus Christ chose God over persecution. The apostles chose God over persecution. You and I have received this message of hope and salvation at the cost of many many lives throughout history. Will we hold fast to it like our forefathers did and receive our reward in the end?

Why fear persecution?.... Why would we who have followed Christ, who have picked up our cross and died to self, literally given up our lives to Him who bought us with His blood, fear persecution? Haven't we already die to self? Once we have died to self what can really be done against us. If the enemy were to come against you he would be attacking the living God who's life we are now hidden in. Greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world. Sounds to me like he would be picking a fight He could not win.

Matthew 10:26–32 ““So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,”

He will supply our needs

Isn’t this supposed to be encouraging and uplifting you might be asking yourself. It is, if you don't spend your time focused on the wrong things. Yes persecution comes, but it can’t compete with freedom, your freedom. It can’t compete with seeing those around you delivered from the same brokenness common to us all, sin. Persecution cant compete with the forgiveness and freedom of Jesus Christ.

“There are some things that stick in mans craw worse than dying” Open Range

Luke 9:10 “On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida.”

The disciples stepped out in faith… and the Father did through them exactly what Christ said He would. Healed the sick and deliver the oppressed. Peoples lives were forever changed.

Luke 22:35 “And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.””

God cared for there needs.… While they were caring for the others, walking in the will of the Father, the Father was caring for them. You have probably herd this phrase before but if not its good to remember. God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called.

If He has called you to it He will supply you through it.

The group He used.… He used Men who did not have what we would call great faith in the beginning. Remember they all deserted Him once He was arrested. They were loud mouths, common fisherman, a tax collector who had been cheating people, angry brothers who wanted to call fire down from Heaven, prideful arguing amongst themselves about who would be greatest. Later, Paul, the murderer of the church brethren. This doesn't sound like first round draft picks. God fixes and uses broken people because........ He loves people.

Closing

Here. Now. This is the group God is using. It’s our turn to step out in Faith and acknowledge Him before the world. It’s time for us to acknowledge Jesus to the world. Jesus went to that cross so one day, in the throne room of Heaven, He could acknowledge us before the Father.