Mark 6:7-13 - Two by two

Joel and Mary Nadel, Covenant Church

From J.C. Ryle’s “Expository Comments on the Gospels - Mark”

House Rules: Phones, Respect, Stay on the Text

Pray

Mark 6:7–13 NASB95

And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belt— but to wear sandals; and He added, “Do not put on two tunics.” And He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town. “Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.” They went out and preached that men should repent. And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.

Introduction and Review

The beginning of Jesus Ministry

Jesus’ message - the kingdom of Heaven is a hand - repent and believe the gospel

We’ll get deeper into this later in this lesson

His teaching with signs and wonders

Focuses on the Gospel

How to have peace with God

Consequences: Rebellion against God

Miracles to prove who He is and the truth He preaches

Healing sickness

Casting out demons

Controlling the weather

Raising the dead, Jairus daughter

Now He has turned to training His church

Return to Nazareth

Today:

Training the apostles - practical exercise

They had observed his ministry

Head of the church tested His apostles before letting them alone in the world

Taught them to ID strengths and weaknesses, while He was still with them

This is clear - teamwork is a duty for all who work for Christ, whenever possible

A good model for the church, in training its pastors and ministers

Firstly, Christ sent out His apostles two by two

Only mentioned by Mark - let’s look at it closely

Shows us that teamwork is important for the work of Christ

9 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.

10 For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ec 4:9–10.

Two do more together than two by themselves

Keep each other from mistakes

Help each other in difficulties - better chances of success

Encourage one another - laziness, depression, caring for the mission

Help each other when in trouble

Ecclesiastes 4:11 “Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone?”

Churches in our day would do well to remember this principle

Much work to be done, few people to do it, here and abroad

One by one would seem to be more efficient - not so

The Lord did it this way though

Apostles did not work alone

Better on the mission field

This is clear - teamwork is a duty for all who work for Christ, whenever possible

All Christians should try to work together - pastors, teachers, witnesses, street preachers - take counsel

Heb. 10:24,25 “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

Question: Do you have a partner or a battle-buddy? Do you prefer to be alone? Why?

Secondly - Jesus has hard words for those who will not receive His ministers

“it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgement than for that city”

A truth frequently stated in the Gospels

Sad - overlooked by many

Thousands believe: go to church, do not openly break commandments - they think: no danger

More than keeping the law to save men’s souls

Great sin - hear the Gospel of Christ and not believe - be invited to repent and believe, and not care

Reject the Gospel and go to hell

Ask yourself: what are we doing for the Gospel?

We live among Christians, have Bibles, hear of the salvation of the Gospel frequently

Have we taken it into our hearts? Obeyed it?

Have we laid hold on the hope set before us, taken up the cross and followed Christ?

If not we are worse than heathens and unbelievers who worship idols

More guilty than Sodom and Gomorrah - never heard the Gospel

We hear the Gospel - don’t believe

Search your own heart, pay attention, don’t ruin your own soul

Question: how do you feel about those who share the gospel with you?

Thirdly - what did they preach?

“they went out and preached that men should repent”

Same message as Jesus - the kingdom of Heaven is at hand - repent and believe the Gospel

The need for repentance may seem a simple, obvious truth

Need to repent may seem basic

Connected to right views of the holiness of God, our human nature, sin, Christ, holiness, Heaven - elaborate

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” All need to realize this, be willing to give up sins, and seek after pardon

All need to be born again - run to Christ - repentance unto life

Nothing less is required for salvation (easy believism)

Like the apostles, Christians need to beg men to repent, continue in repentance.

Questions: Are you going to Heaven? Why?

Bringing it home

Have we, ourselves, repented? Key question for us

Do we continue to repent?

Question: why do we need to continue to repent?

Good to know what the apostles taught, Christian doctrine, but

better to know repentance by experience and feel it in our hearts

May we never rest until we know and feel that we have repented!

No unrepentant people in heaven

All in heaven have felt, mourned over, forsaken and asked pardon for their sin

This must be our experience, if we hope to be saved

If you seek to repent and turn to Christ, see me

Questions and Prayer