In The Absence, Jesus is there

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Sermon

Read Matthew 11:1

Matthew 11:1 ESV

When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.

If I had to title today’s sermon it would be… in the absence, Jesus is there.

Context for our sermon today

This passage actually belongs in the previous chapter

Jesus gives his disciples instructions and then sends them out

He gives them instructions to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons

These were all the things that they had watched Jesus do

They had been walking with Jesus as he was engaging in Spiritual warfare, as he was blessing those who cursed him, as he was Loving on the least and the lost

They had seen the mission field and they were equipped by the Lord to do what needed to be done

The only problem is that they weren’t doing any of that stuff in Galilee

Jesus was doing it all

They were there, they were learning how to walk the walk. HOw to love the lost sheep

Yet Jesus was the one doing it

This was partially by design

It’s a lot easier to show someone how to do something when you are doing it

But it was also default

The 12 were serving as disciples to the Rabbi

If someone had a request they would try to get to the rabbi. THey didn’t want the disciple as long as the rabbi was there.

Why would you request the assistant to the regional manager when you can see the head guy?

So Jesus sent the 12 out into the land of Israel

he sent them out to do the work of proclaiming the Good news to those who were far from the Kingdom

They were to go and love, and serve, and bless and heal the lost sheep

This is significant for a couple reasons

1 is that usually back in those days (and in these days as well)

People didn’t really travel to far from their home towns. They went on pilgrimages, but generally they stayed put

And Jesus was sending these men away from their homes, their wives, children, responsibilities.

He was calling them specifically to go and do what he had asked

I don’t know about you, but if I have to be away from my wife and children for any extended period of time, I start to have a bit of anxiety well up in the flesh

I mean, didn’t God give me my family, my home, my ministry context so that I can rule it and look out for it as sovereign?

2nd

They hadn’t had to do ministry without Jesus before

Sure they’d seen him do it… and he told them they had the authority… but its a lot different to sit and listen to the instructions than it is to go out and execute the plan without a safety net

They were going out and truly stepping out in faith and this time, Jesus wasn’t in the midst to fix any issue that came up

They just had to trust that the empowerment that they had was enough

They had to trust that the teaching was enough

they had to trust that Jesus knew what he was doing

If I were one of the 12 here’s what I’d be saying

Okay Jesus. I know you said I should go, but what about all the stuff left undone?

There are sheep to look out for right around the house?

Plus I’m really not that comfortable with change

Plus I don’t really like depending on others

YOu said don’t take money with me, just trust that I’ll be fed

And what about my family? If I’m gone, who’s going to provide for and protect them?

And you’re not going to be there? Like I won’t even be able to lean over and get clarification or nothing?

What if someone asks a question that I can’t answer?

What if there’s some trial I can’t overcome and You’ve been there for me… and now you’re not?

I’ll just call you… oh wait its 1C Palestine and we don’t have cell phones… maybe beepers but i don’t know where the nearest pay phone is

I’m going to need a full plan of these next 30 days Lord before I go ahead and obey… because I’m not sure you thought this through

See the struggle that I personally deal with is that in those moments when God is calling me to do something difficult or something that causes me to operate outside of my comfort zone… I start to see reasons why God got it wrong

And that comes from a lack of trust

Because its easy for us to trust the Lord in hypothetics. It’s easy to trust the Lord when it’s not real…

But when Jesus says Go That’s when we have to put what we say we believe into practice

And what about those left behind? What about the families, the communities that the disciples were leaving?

Honestly, this passage from today is one that brings me so much comfort in my soul. Especially in seasons of change

The verse says that after Jesus instructed the disciples and sent them off

Jesus himself went and ministered in their cities

See while they were there trying to rule their little kingdoms of comfort

they were missing out on the trust that was necessary to walk into their true identity as the foundations of the Faith

Plus, the people in their life were missing out on the opportunities to be ministered to directly by Jesus

Whenever Jesus is crafting change in your life, there is a tendency to only see how it affects your comfort

We only see the areas of lack or loss that are possible

But what we miss is that in those areas of absence, Jesus himself is there

Moses didn’t get to see the Israelites through into the promised land

David never got to see the temple completed

There are always going to be situations where we feel God has got the timing wrong because we can’t see how the absence that is being created can be a good thing

But the truth is, it is in those moments when we don’t have earthly comforts, or even certain people around us that we have to step into the realm of faith

It’s in those moments that Jesus meets us in the absence we feel and he ministers to the brokenness by building us up in him

It is in the absences that surround us that Jesus is able to step in and minister to others

Next Sunday is our last Sunday in Plainville

There is going to be an absence in our leaving. Both for us and for you

For us, we have to operate knowing that Jesus is calling us to step out in faith and trust that he is going to minister in our absence. In the times when my control issues raise up and I think about the things that I didn’t get to do

I have to trust that it is by his design for him to get the glory

For you all here in Plainville

For the past 4 years, I have done all that God has asked me to in order to equip you to serve and to love the lost

Kylie Jo and I have sought to demonstrate high levels of accountability and community

We have sought to live out a Gospel of excellence and compassion, and mercy, and grace

And that wasn’t by our design, but by God’s leading

And so in our absence I know that God has equipped you all for the next season.

That Jesus is growing this church and the ministers in it

Know that God is doing amazing things in the life of the people of Plainville, And each of you has a part to play in the mission of God right here

You are equipped, you are empowered by the Holy Spirit, and if you are listening to the sound of my voice, you are called to step out in faith and operate in the giftings and abilities that the Lord has blessed you with

Time to reflect

If change is hard for you because it induces anxiety and stress and fear

Now is the time to lay it at the foot of the cross

Now is the time to confess it as a lack of trust in God and allow his Holy Spirit to meet you in that place and bless you with faith

If you’ve heard the word today and felt convicted because you know that you are called, you know that you’ve been equipped, but you just haven’t taken the step to serve

Don’t allow the enemy a foothold and allow guilt to well up

It’s as simple as starting today.

If you’re above ground and moving around, God’s got something for you to do. You are valuable to the kingdom and to the body of believers right here in this congregation

Let’s pray