2018-07-11 Mark 6:7-13 Harvest

Mark 6:7–13 CSB

He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a staff—no bread, no traveling bag, no money in their belts, but to wear sandals and not put on an extra shirt. He said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. If any place does not welcome you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” So they went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons, anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

Every disciple is sent.

(CSB)

7 He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits. 8 He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a staff—no bread, no traveling bag, no money in their belts, 9 but to wear sandals and not put on an extra shirt.

7 He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits. 8 He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a staff—no bread, no traveling bag, no money in their belts, 9 but to wear sandals and not put on an extra shirt.

A mark that you are a true disciple is that you move beyond being a receiver to serving in obedience.

(CSB) 7 He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits. 8 He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a staff—no bread, no traveling bag, no money in their belts, 9 but to wear sandals and not put on an extra shirt.

COMMISSIONING THE TWELVE

7 He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits. 8 He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a staff—no bread, no traveling bag, no money in their belts, 9 but to wear sandals and not put on an extra shirt.

Illus: Most of us come to God selfishly.

We come to God because we see the sins, realize what coming our way, and realize we need Jesus.

Some come to God because they see the emptiness and pointlessness of life and find the abundance of life in

Christ.

Some come because they see the love and community in the body of Christ.

Most of us did not come because we thought it would be satisfying to sacrifice and serve while denying ourselves.

Though you come to God selfishly, you should not stay in that place. A disciple learns from the teacher and then puts it in practice.

That means we embrace both the life of Jesus as well as the calling of Jesus. A disciple applies what he learns.

As Christians we consider ourselves evangelistic because our churches preach the gospel and an invitation is offered.

What makes us evangelistic is not what we do with our church service, but instead what we do with our lives.

A believer who does not share the gospel is not a practicing disciple of Jesus.

(CSB) 18 Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

18 Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The act of obedience is an act of faith.

(CSB) 7 He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits. 8 He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a staff—no bread, no traveling bag, no money in their belts, 9 but to wear sandals and not put on an extra shirt.

Illus: Think through the task given to us.

We are given a message that will radically change people’s lives. Not only that, in our own strength, the message will fail because we cannot change men’s hearts.

What changes men and women’s hearts is is the Holy Spirit. Salvation is a gift of God, nothing men can do on thier own.

So we are called to deliver a supernatural message, which will supernaturally change the heart, through our broken and weak bodies completely dependent on God.

Our personal devotion to God, time spent in prayer, yielding constantly to God’s spirit in faith is what will produce genuine conversions from men.

(CSB) 12 Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose.

LIGHTS IN THE WORLD

12 Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose. :

Success is measured by God, not men.

(CSB) 10 He said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. 11 If any place does not welcome you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and preached that people should repent.

10 He said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. 11 If any place does not welcome you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and preached that people should repent.

Success is not measured by response, but instead by obedience.

(CSB) 10 He said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. 11 If any place does not welcome you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and preached that people should repent.

Illus: OUr call is not to make converts, it is do deliver a message.

God’s call is to convert the heart through our obedience to deliver the message.

Evangelism may mean going to a place where God has prepared people’s hearts and many come to trust him.

Evangelism may also mean going to reach people who will not easily trust Christ, and may often harm the messenger.

God calls us to both.

God may call you to share with a friend or neighbor who is ready to trust him, and he may call you to a person who rejects your message.

You are faithful in both instances.

We can’t ever forget that Jesus was not successful by worldly standards. Most often when he taught clearly about following God, people left. That said the gospel grew through the blood of the cross and the blood of the martyrs.

(CSB) 18 “If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. 20 Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they don’t know the one who sent me.

PERSECUTIONS PREDICTED

18 “If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. 20 Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they don’t know the one who sent me.

Success is measured by our faithfulness to God’s message.

(CSB) 10 He said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. 11 If any place does not welcome you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and preached that people should repent.

Illus: This past week our mailman delivered a new pair of shoes to my wife. She was so excited. For her she embraced the package and welcomed the news.

This past week our mailman delivered our utility bill. We were not excited. We did not embrace that letter.

For the mailman, was he successful because he delivered a happy piece of mail, or one we weren’t as happy about? The mailman’s job is to deliver the mail as it was intended. Our reaction to the mail has nothing to do with his sucess.

How often has the fear of failure or rejection kept us from delivering the mail. We have placed unbiblical expectations on ourselves. In turn our reluctance to go, to share has resulted in disobedience to God.

(CSB) 23 Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 The one who doesn’t love me will not keep my words. The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me.

23 Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 The one who doesn’t love me will not keep my words. The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me.

Will you obey?

(CSB) 12 So they went out and preached that people should repent.

Being sent doesn’t always mean you have to cross an ocean, but it should mean you will at least cross the street.

Illus: Jesus often talks about the harvest. As we see the fields around us grow to maturity and produce fruit, what kind of farmer would abandon his field at this time.

Oh well, harvest is going to take too much time, it is going to be to difficult. I’m done.

Harvesting is hard work. That said, will we allow our harvest to spoil in the fields, or will we be obedient and get to work for God’s singular mission in our lives?

(CSB) 34 “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work,” Jesus told them. 35 “Don’t you say, ‘There are still four more months, and then comes the harvest’? Listen to what I’m telling you: Open your eyes and look at the fields, because they are ready for harvest. 36 The reaper is already receiving pay and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together.

34 “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work,” Jesus told them. 35 “Don’t you say, ‘There are still four more months, and then comes the harvest’? Listen to what I’m telling you: Open your eyes and look at the fields, because they are ready for harvest. 36 The reaper is already receiving pay and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together.