As You Go, Make Disciples (2)

Introduction: (What?)As You Go, Make Disciples

Series: “The Gospel Truth”

Introduction: (What?) Mark told his readers in 3:14-15 why Jesus selected “the 12”. He had three reasons for choosing them. 1. To be with Him. (He desired companions during his earthly ministry) 2. To send them out to preach; and 3. To have authority to drive out demons. We are not told if Jesus shared His reasons with the 12 when He called them. He only said, “Follow Me!”. As they followed Him they saw Him teach the gospel, heal the sick and cast out demons. These are the exact assignments that Jesus gave them. In the passage we will consider today we see Jesus, having demonstrated everything He wanted the 12 to do, now turns them loose to do it. It is amazing to realize tht they had only been following Jesus a short time; perhaps a few months, when He sent them out. (My college/seminary experiences). While most of you don’t realize it, if you belong to Jesus, you also have an assignment. Explanation: (Why?)

1. The Summons; theirs and ours (Mark 6:7; Matt. 28:18-20) Have you ever received a summons for Jury Duty? If you have you know that your options are somewhat limited. Unless you have a valid reason for missing the summons, you MUST appear at the designated location on a specific day and time. The disciples had followed Jesus to Nazareth, observed His mistreatment from the inhabitants of Nazareth, and then…Jesus summoned them. “He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirit’s. Breaking down this passage, we see that evidently Jesus sent one pair, and then another etc. until all had been dispatched on their assignment. He sent them in pairs for several reasons. First, it is safer and wiser to have two on an assignment. The Preacher in Ecclesiastes 4:9 noted “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up.” When I was sent on a mission trip to So. Africa, I was paired with another. We had the assignment of training youth workers in SA how to disciple teenagers. We could pray together, discuss what we were going to say and do, and basically have each other’s back if needed. We also held each other accountable to the assignment. A second reason Jesus had for sending them in pairs was the Jewish law that required two witnesses to verify a matter. (Deut 17:6; 19:15; 2 Cor 13:1) Jesus gave the first disciples specific instructions and specific skills so that their mission would be focused and not random. He did the same for us in Matt. 28:18-20. The authority belongs to Jesus,but He delegates it to those He sends out. The word “go” is actually better translated as “as you go”. Our ministry is not relegated to a particular locale as theirs was. We are to make disciples “as we go” about our normal traffic pattern of life.

2. The preparation and commission (Mark 6:8-13 Mt. 9:37; 10:1-20)

Jesus’ instructions, found in vv 8-9 must have been a bit disconcerting for the disciples. “He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a walking stick (for help on the rugged terrain & for protection from wild animals or criminals): no bread, no traveling bag, no money in their belts. They were to wear sandals (again a necessity because of the hot, rugged terrain), but not put on an extra shirt.”

I know that when I’ve led or gone on a mission trip, even though I had to pack lightly, there was always a list of things to take to meet our basic necessities during the trip. On one particular trip we were instructed to take a roll of toilet paper and a wash cloth (called a “face cloth” where we were going, and therefore very personal).

The point Jesus was making is that God will provide for those on mission for the kingdom.

The second part of His instructions dealt with their lodging once they got on site. “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. If any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, when you leave there shake the dust of your feet as a testimony against them.”

3. The result and report (Mark 6:30-32)

Application: (How does this passage impact my life today?)