Sunday 14th
Notes
Transcript
Turn to and read Mark 6:7-14. Pray.
As we continue through Mark chapter 6 on our Journey with Jesus, we have the opportunity to see Christ’s ministry expand and we also see some additional results from His ministry as word about Christ’s ministry continues to spread.
This morning we are going to look at two such events and the people they involved. As we do that, we will find some very definite application for our lives.
First of all...
The Disciples Sent Forth
The Disciples Sent Forth
In Mark 6:7-13, Christ’s ministry expands as He sends His disciples out, by two, through the country side to preach the Gospel.
Christ involved His disciples in “the ministry.”
Christ involved His disciples in “the ministry.”
And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;
I believe that, from all we’ve seen thus far, Christ was doing a pretty good job of preaching the Gospel Himself. Did He really need the help? (I think we all understand that, “No,” He didn’t need the help.)
However, Christ choose to give His disciples the responsibility to preach the Gospel.
Christ does not “need” our help. And yet, He wants to use us!
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
We are ambassadors for Christ.
We are ambassadors for Christ.
An ambassador is:
A minister of the highest rank employed by one prince or state, at the court of another, to manage the public concerns of his own prince or state, and representing the power and dignity of his sovereign.
We are Christ’s representatives in this present world. We are to manage Christ’s concerns - which is to seek and to save that which is lost - while at the same time representing Him in a fashion that is worthy of His power and dignity - for His honor and for His glory!
We should concern ourselves with His concerns!
We should conduct ourselves in a manner that is worthy of His power and dignity!
Next, before He “set them loose” He gave them some instructions. We see those instructions in vs. 8-11.
Christ’s instructions.
Christ’s instructions.
The disciples had to trust Christ.
The disciples had to trust Christ.
And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:
But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.
The disciples were commanded to take nothing for their journey. All they were to take - literally - were the clothes that they were wearing. They had to trust Christ for everything else!
Simply trusting every day
Trusting through a stormy way
Even when my faith is small
Trusting Jesus, that is all
Trusting as the moments fly
Trusting as the days go by
Trusting Him whate'er befall
Trusting Jesus, that is all
How well are you doing at trusting God - for everything?
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on thee: Because he trusteth in thee.
Trust ye in the Lord for ever: For in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:
Right now, in the wake of COVID-19, we must trust God like never before. I do not say this lightly but, for some, it is a matter of trust simply to come to church right now. I get it and I understand but bless God, we can trust Him! He is trustworthy! God is more trustworthy than the World Health Organization; He is more trustworthy than the CDC; He is more trustworthy than Fox News; He is more trustworthy than all the social media fact checkers put together!
One church, here in our area, has had a sign which reads, “Saying our prayers; Listening to the scientists.”
Bless God it should read, “Saying our prayers and trusting God!”
Not only did Christ instruct the disciples to trust Him for everything but He also told Him that...
The disciples’ provision would come through others.
The disciples’ provision would come through others.
And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.
One commentator wrote:
Exploring the Gospel of Mark: An Expository Commentary b. Rejection Expected on the Homeland Crusade (6:7–13)
In every place someone—rich or poor, artisan or aristocrat—would be waiting for them, glad for the opportunity of extending hospitality to them.
While God is quite powerfully enough to miraculously provide, often it is God’s plan to provide for the needs of His servants through others. We see that throughout Scripture.
And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,
Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
God wants to use you to provide for the needs of His servants.
I’m thinking specifically for the needs of our missionaries around the world who are seeking to do just as these disciples did - preach the Word!
Turn to and read 2 Corinthians 8:1-7.
Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.
Abound in the grace of giving!
COVID-19 “hit” right after our missions revival. To the point where we did not receive nearly as many commitments to give!
May I challenge you with this: whether you wrote down a commitment for missions or not, go ahead and make a commitment to God and give to support our missionaries! It takes just as much “trust in God” to give for missions as it does for the missionaries to go to the mission field!
After Christ gave the disciples His instructions...
The disciples obeyed.
The disciples obeyed.
And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
I believe that the application of this verse should be very apparent to each of us.
Are we being obedient?
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Are we going? Are we telling? Are we being obedient to Christ’s command?
King Herod Heard
King Herod Heard
And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.
We’ll not take the time to read the following verses but, what we have is the account of the death of John the Baptist at the hands of king Herod.
What I would like to draw your attention to is simply this:
And king Herod heard of Him...
In chapter 5 (vs. 27), when the woman heard of Jesus, she came to Christ and was healed.
At the beginning of chapter 6, when Christ’s hometown heard Christ speak, they were astonished and offended. Because of that, Christ was not able to do any might work there.
Now, when king Herod heard of Christ, his guilty conscience began to speak to him!
Exploring the Gospel of Mark: An Expository Commentary a. Herod’s Conscience (6:14–16)
Shakespeare says that conscience makes cowards of us all. Conscience will often lie dormant, seemingly sound asleep. Then, suddenly, the sight of a certain face, the sound of a certain voice, the mention of a certain name, a visit to a certain place, and suddenly conscience is wide awake, baying at the door of memory, or growling angrily over some deed, long dead and buried but now horribly raised and crying out for vengeance.
We all have a conscience.
Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
Turn to and read 2 Corinthians 7:8-10.
We have all experienced a “guilty conscience.” What really matters is what we do with that guilty conscience. Do we allow it to lead us to God? Or, do we silence our conscience so that it we are led further away from God?
It may be that even this morning, some of you are battling with your conscience. What will you do? Will you humble yourself and allow it to lead you to God? Or will you - in pride - refuse to listen until you can no longer hear its voice?
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
To our knowledge, King Herod didn’t listen to his conscience. To our knowledge, Herod never came to Christ to receive Him as Lord and Savior. As such, today, King Herod, in Hell, is saying, “I wish I had listened!”