Five Instructions for Serious Servants of God | Mark 6:6-13 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Mimi and Mark, chapter six. What a mighty God we serve. Mark six together. Today is an exciting session for many reasons, and one of those reasons is that as we come to the word of God and as you've been with us week after week after week, we are now entering into a new era with the ministry of Jesus Christ. We have spent many weeks and months exploring and beholding through a handful of chapters Jesus Christ preaching, healing, delivering, rescuing, rebuking, with a variety of people before him and with a diversity of scenarios and situations.

But as we come to what we're going to read today, for the first time, we are going to witness and we are actually going to see the closest disciples of Jesus Christ being commissioned to multiply and expand what exclusively belong to Jesus for so long. After being sorely rejected in Nazareth, the Lord now is ready to delegate his disciples to give him a portion of his power and to send them out on a short term outreach to really replicate the activity that you and I have become so familiar with. And they are going to take what Christ was doing and reflect it in different parts within the boundaries of Israel. Now you and I hearing that might think to ourselves, okay, that's great, and that might make up for a great bible study, but it's very difficult for that kind of subject to hold applicable truths. Right?

And I would say not right. Because all scripture is breathed out by God and it is profitable. All of it, including Jesus giving specific instructions to his disciples as they are prepared to head out on mission for the first time in this way. And and the only group who really will not benefit from what is about to be said from this point on is is for those who do not have their life set on seriously serving God. I'll tell you upfront that this will have no relevance to you.

If you are a person who has not prioritized playing your part in God's grand drama of redemption in our world. But if you are a person who's who has this burning desire, who has orchestrated your life around everything, serving the purpose of you serving God, then I can assure you that as we draw from this well of truth, it will enrich that holy ambition. You will feel blessed. Because what we're going to read in a moment is actually in some way directions for us as much as they are for the disciples. And these directions are for those who seriously want to serve God.

And I wanna read it first and I want you to see it first and then we're going to look at five. Five of them. Five things that you can apply to your life. If you have this ambition to say, Lord, with my life, I want to be as effective as possible because these principles will be applied and can be applied no matter what you do for the Lord. No matter where you go for the Lord.

No matter what member you are in his body, all these things are sufficient and they are good and you will be blessed by them, I'm sure. Again, for those who have no concern and have different desires, this will be a dread to you. But I pray that even if you are in this place and you are in that place, something would touch your heart. You know, we just pray, but I really wanna pray again. And I I really wanna pray because I believe in prayer.

And and one of the things that a preacher fears is coming on the pulpit without the help of the Holy Spirit. Some might be able to depend upon their oratory skills or their charisma, not this leadership. You know, it was Charles Spurgeon when he would get up from the front pew to the pulpit who would say to himself while trembling inside, I believe in the Holy Spirit. I believe in the Holy Spirit. I believe in the Holy Spirit.

Because he knew that he needed the Holy Spirit. And I want you to just join with me as I ask God to just anoint this time in a special way. Lord, we do ask in reverence that you would help us in this time. Lord, we believe in the Holy Spirit, and we believe that the Holy Spirit has been given for the sake of demonstrating power, and that the message heralded would not be heralded, void of that strength and that grace. Lord, with everything in our hearts, please bless this delivery and may the reception be equally blessed.

Lord, help us see the beauty of Jesus, his wisdom, his glory, and let it be something that will cause us to worship. Lord, we set aside any confidence in the flesh and we look to you now in desperation. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Mark six verse seven, here's what God's word says.

And he called the 12 and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them not to take nothing for their journey except a staff, no bread, no bag, no money in their belts, but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. And he said to them, whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you. When you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.

So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them. Five directions given by Jesus Christ for the serious servant of God. And the first observation that we have to make is this, and I'm gonna organize it that servants of God will do. Number one, a serious servant of God will value and cherish Christian partnership.

Will value and cherish Christian partnership. We cannot overlook the fact that when Jesus sends out the 12, he organizes them in groups. He did not send them out individually. He pairs them and he releases them as six different partners. Now you would think, Lord if you really want to reach more people and cover more ground, send them out one by one and and you you can just do so much more that way.

But clearly by Jesus doing this implies that there is a foundational philosophy at work here if you and I want to be serious about kingdom work. And here it is, Christian service must be performed with Christian company. Christian service must be performed with Christian company. This is Christ's idea and it must be our conviction. Listen carefully, there is no such thing as an effective servant of God who dismisses the regular companionship and the co laboring efforts of other believers.

And the primary means by which God has given to believers in order to know this advantage is through the local church. A body of believers that someone can connect and serve with. That is his means of which you and I can come as a home base, and then from that home base, enjoy the blessings that come by going two by two. Two by two. Not just the number two, but the idea of partnership.

You know, whenever I meet somebody who is flimsy with their interaction and conviction with the local church, It's indicative of many things and one of the things that it signals that is that this person is not serious about serving God. This person is clearly not serious about serving God. And you might say, well, no. Because there are some people who really make great efforts to serve God, who are not consistent with their fellowship and accountability with other believers. And I would say that might be true, but no matter who that person is, how gifted they are, how intelligent they are, that person's labor will be limited.

It will be limited. The Holy Spirit tells us in the book of Ecclesiastes, two is better than one. Two is better than one. And when he says that statement through Solomon's writings, he follows that statement with the glorious advantages that come when a person trusting God's wisdom. That doing anything solo is always lesser than doing it with the way God intended you to do things including how you serve him.

And so I want you to turn there quickly Ecclesiastes chapter four. And I want you to see how two is better than one. The serious servant of God will cherish and value Christian partnership. Ecclesiastes chapter four verse nine. Two are better than one.

And here's the first reason, because they have a good reward for their toil. The first thing that partnership promises is greater fruit in your labor. Greater fruit in your labor. And I think for those who are members of this church, the one of the strongest examples of that is understanding how the mechanics operate here. It is absolutely impossible for the things that are occurring here to function without the participation of every single one of you.

Everybody knows that, including the the declaration of God's word. So many things need to happen in the background for this to happen more than once a week. But more than the obvious practicality of helping hands being present, when you choose to be a part of a body of believers, you not only have access to that, you have access to wisdom and support and counsel, and encouragement, and so many other things, resources, and creativity that will only sharpen you in what you do forgot and who God called you to be as a man or a woman of God. And so, as iron sharpens iron, right? When we come into this place consistently and we meet with one another consistently, there is a polishing that occurs that cannot be known if you do this solo.

And I can expand on these things so much more, but I wanna just go from one to the next. Look at the second thing the Holy Spirit says. In verse 10, for if they fall, one will lift up his fellow, but woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up. Here's the second gift that partnership assures us. That when and if we do fall, we will be helped.

Now the way this argument is made is brilliant because it shows that the only way you and I can expect swift assistance from other people who have Christ like convictions is that if you fall in their presence, if you tumble in close proximity, because it's possible to be alone and fall. And there are some people unfortunately who deliberately distance themselves from other believers for whatever reason that are unjustifiable. And such people have no right to expect brothers or sisters coming to their aid if they do fall, because they made the decision long ago to be distant. This blessing is only secured when you have a firm conviction that you will stay close to the fold. And what a secure thing it is to know that what I inherit when I go two by two, when I lock arms with other saints, is that when I am overcome in any way emotionally, physically, physically, I I praise God for the moments where people here throughout the past few months have had surgeries or different things and they were able to come here with believers and believers were able to help them in practical ways.

This is what it's speaking about physically, emotionally, spiritually. When when you have this two by two mentality, you will know this blessing. I mean, I know we're in Ecclesiastes, but just come with me quickly to Acts and put your hand there in Ecclesiastes four, but go to the other side of your bible in Acts four. I want you to see something so wonderful, so precious to me. In Acts four, the church was being introduced to persecution very early on in their in its inception.

And here we see that Peter and John were before the council. They were arrested and they were warned. They were warned by the religious elite not to go out and to preach in this name anymore. So after being arrested, look what they do in verse 23 of chapter four. When they were released, they went to their friends.

They went to their friends and reported what the chief priest and the elders had said to them. Isn't that incredible? These mighty apostles, after being in a very hostile environment, knew as a reflex, we must go to the brethren and we must share what had happened to us. We must open our hearts and declare the threats that are looming over us, and the dangers that await us. Apostles did this.

My friend, do you have friends? Do you have a group of believers that you can come to when there is war against you? When there are trials that are overcoming you? And to spill your soul and say, this is what's happening in my life. Well, I think I'm okay.

Oh, really? You're better than the apostles. You're stronger than Peter and John. Obviously. No.

They came to their friends and they opened their hearts and I want you to see what their friends did in verse 24. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God. Peter and John come in. This is what the the Pharisees are saying. This is what the Sanhedrin are planning.

We're in trouble. And here's what true friends do. Here's what two by two promises. Alright. Alright.

Let's pray. Let's pray. Let's seek God. And they lifted their voices to God and the Holy Spirit came and shook that place and they were emboldened. They were emboldened to continue to speak the word of God.

Do you have that believer? Do you have this? Is this true in your life? Then we come back to Ecclesiastes and we see a third blessing that partnership opens up for us. In Ecclesiastes four eleven, again, if two lie together, they keep warm.

But how can one keep warm alone? Here's the third blessing that partnership offers. It it promises comfort and company. When you have the presence of other like minded Christ filled people, it keeps us from emotional, mental, and spiritual hypothermia. It's very difficult for you to feel your zeal crystalizing or being overcome by the chill of discouragement when you are constantly around those whose hearts are alive in Christ.

When you have the active presence of people in your life, you will know warmth. A warmth that will cause your heart to be softened, that will give you hope for tomorrow, that will assure you that you are loved and cared for. That cannot be realized if you are sporadic. That cannot be realized if this is not a discipline. That cannot be realized unless you are consistent.

And this is what we're promised. If you look at the early church's practice, constant fellowship was was the thing. When you study the book of acts and you see how people went out to minister into different parts of their known world, there was partnership. There was constant visiting homes and local churches. It was just that was the nothing was done individually, at least as a standard.

And so you have to understand something that there is warmth. There is warmth and you know what? It happens in the most simplest of ways. Can I tell you how it happens to me? I can walk through those doors, come into this place on a Wednesday or Friday night and just the presence of believers is enough to awaken my faith and to bless me.

Is that not true? Is that not true? Thank you for agreeing with me. Is that true that you just the sight of you in this place here at two now, 02:00 on on a Sunday, it just rejuvenates me. It blesses me.

And then add on top of that when you sing, and add on top of that when this place fills up with the voices of fellowship. Oh, you can't get that on Instagram. You'll never get it, because warmth comes from close proximity. Thinking that you can warm yourself on a fire on a screen that you project from your phone, no matter how realistic it is, will never be able to deliver the same way that when you come and you put locks together and light that thing aflame. Same goes with church.

Watch it on the screen all you want. It can be real, it can be HD, now with this goggles that you'll be able to put on and be an avatar and show up to service. God help us. There's a fourth blessing, you think I'm done. Look at verse 12 of Ecclesiastes four.

And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him. A threefold cord is not quickly broken. Here's the final, but not limited to this blessing mentioned pertaining to partnership. There is a greater resistance in warfare. You know, I know criminals out there in our city are becoming more and more bold and reckless, but I think some of them still have sense that if they were to choose the option between attacking a crowd or attacking somebody who's walking alone in the night, they're gonna go with the latter.

And we think about spiritual warfare, the scriptures prescribes the principles to tell us that it's up to us how we experience warfare. And one of the ways in which you can ensure greater strength is when you do this thing with fellow soldiers. Your mind is less vulnerable. Your emotions are less accessible. When you are constantly surrounded by eyes, and hands, and hearts who will go to war with you when they know that you are out in the field.

And when you are in a trench and bullets are whizzing by your head, who's in your foxhole? The serious servant of God will value and cherish Christian partnership, but we come back to Mark and we realize point number two. Instruction number two. Principle number two found in verse eight. He charged them not to take nothing for their journey except the staff.

No bread, no bag, no money in their ballots, but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. The serious servant of God will learn how to continually depend on God. Undoubtedly, this particular charge is unique to the disciples in this instance because of the uniqueness of the mission and the brevity of the mission. There is there was no time to prepare. There was no time to make provisions and extra provisions.

But that doesn't mean that there is not a timeless truth tucked in here for us. Why would Jesus specifically order them not to look back and not to reach anywhere to add anything to their inventory, but to simply go out immediately? The answer is simple. Because they were to learn absolute confidence in God to provide for them as they committed to serving his son. They would learn absolute confidence in God as they have absolutely determined to serve the glorious Son of God.

And that is what the Lord wants to teach him. As you prioritize my kingdom, I'm gonna show you how I'm gonna provide for you along the way. Now listen, when you make it your ambition to live for the glory of God, especially for those who are in full time ministry, that endeavor can be very daunting for many reasons. And the main obvious general reason is that serving God will entail for you to wait on God and to look to God day by day. There are certain seasons in serving God where you will be pressed.

And this is not just for the full time preacher, it's for any servant of God. You will be pressed and tempted to turn your attention, your resources, your time away from God and on something else for the sake of self preservation. And in those moment where you are worried about the necessities of life even, here's my charge to you based on this principle and a 100 different promises. God will honor you as you honor him. God will honor you as you honor him.

And it is quite amazing how he finds a way to not just keep you afloat, but cover every need that you have. And if you don't think that this is what Jesus means, then turn quickly to Luke 22 and look at verse 35. This is at the end of Jesus' ministry, and he's giving final instructions in preparation for his departure. And when he looks at his disciples after hinting and clearly preparing them for this transition in their own lives, Look what he says in Luke twenty two thirty five. And he said to them, when I send you out with no money bag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?

They said, nothing. Nothing. And then he goes on to tell him, well now, I'm telling you to actually equip yourself. Right? The following verse gives him new sets of instructions, which which informs us that his initial set of instructions is not just permanent universal rule that you and I as Christians need to pledge ourselves to self induce suffering or lack.

Right? There's context here. This is a teaching moment and this is what he wanted to teach them. When I sent you out and deliberately told you not to accompany yourself with any other advantage, practically speaking, did you lack? Nothing.

And here's what I wanna tell you, your confession will be the same if you serve God long enough. Serve him long enough and be willing at any moment for him to send you where he would wanna send you or keep you where he would wanna keep you. And you will have this glad confession when you look back. Lord, I lacked nothing. Absolutely nothing.

I'm telling you when you serve God, there'll be many who will discourage you. You can make more money. You're more gifted. You can go into this avenue. You can go into this kind of field.

But I have to tell you, there is no greater adventure than serving the Lord Jesus. It's an adventure. It is not stale. It is not predictable. It is not routine.

You can make it that way. But oh, when you daily say, Lord, just let me let me be used by you. What a joy it is to see how he authors your life. What a joy it is when he brings like minded people with you. What a joy it is when he provides a work for you.

Do you know how I know that he will give you a work if you're desperate to serve him? Because he told us that the laborers are few. The harvest is great. It's ripe. The laborers are few.

And so we see here that there was a call to trust. And as we are about to look here, one of the means, if not the main means by which God does come through is through people. It's through other people directly and indirectly. Look here at verse 10, and he said to them, whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there.

This may seem like a strange command, but it is a beautiful hint at the humility and the careful wisdom of the master. And it brings us to our third point. The serious servant of God will value and cherish Christian partnership. The serious servant of God will learn how to live dependently on God. Three, the serious servant of God will pursue contentment.

Will pursue contentment. Here's the Lord essentially saying the following. Whatever lodging providence leads you to, as you go out and serve me in my name, ensure yourself that you will remain there and refuse to seek another place no matter how much more appealing or luxurious other options may be. This may seem like a petty thing, but it's very important as a principle because it holds two purposes. One, for the messenger and two, for the message that such behavior would convey.

And when we think about the first purpose, by staying still, you know what would happen for the disciples? They would learn contentment and not get caught up in the pursuit of things that would ultimately distract them from their main focus which was to preach the word of God. You know, naturally when these guys would have the authority of Christ on them casting out devils and healing the sick, they would attract people and they might even attract host and invitations to something that is more prosperous, something that is more honorable, something that is more beneficial, materially speaking. And what the Lord is saying, no. Wherever you go, wherever providence leads you, park there and stay there, and don't get caught up looking for the next best thing wherever you go.

Learn to be content and learn to focus your efforts on ministry above all else. And though this is specific, again, zoom out and understand the principle. Serving God without contentment, being satisfied with your lot as God ordained is an extremely difficult and disorienting thing. You rob yourself of joy, you you cut your effectiveness in so many pieces and in so many limitations, and there are other problems that come with that. The Lord wanted these people, his disciples to be single-minded, single eyed, focused.

And listen, contentment is not our natural disposition. You and I know that. That is why Paul says, I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Do you know what that means in context? It's not it's not meaning that you can bench a certain amount of weight or that you can, you know, make a certain amount of money in your business.

God will help you. He will bless you in all things. But the context there is Paul just finished saying, I have learned the secret of being and facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Because of my inner restlessness to continually covet and to organize my life to be driven by comfort and pleasure, it requires the power of Jesus in me to be satisfied in all seasons.

To actually tangibly, feelably be content. And that is really a secret to effective service to God. Because even the most faithful of God's servants can be driven off course when they allow discontentment to take the driver's seat. And to determine their decisions and their planning and what they do with their time. Be careful if you were easily distracted by toys or by experiences.

If you are ultimately motivated by upgrades and and all these trivial things, I have to tell you boldly, you will be of little use for God's work. You will not be cut out for the maximum potential of God's work. It is not to say that we can't enjoy things. That is not what Jesus is trying to convey. It's a more about distraction than anything else.

And you and I cannot profess a desperation for God to use us in any way that he would wanna use us if we're not ready to go where he want us to go or stay where he want us to stay or give up what he would want us to give up. And sometimes Jesus will tell you to travel light and sometimes like in Luke 22, he'll say, be wise and prepared and save up and be careful how you go about this. It's all about being sensitive to his Holy Spirit. But pursue contentment. But there's something else to this command in verse 10.

This charge communicates something about the manner in which the servant of God must conduct himself. Think about it this way, imagine going to somebody's home, you enter into a village, you're greeted. Right? Matthew 10 says you greet them and you stay there if they are worthy, and if they are worthy you remain there until you depart from that town. What would it look like if after being invited and hosted by somebody who is worthy to get up and leave when you get an invitation to go elsewhere?

It's offensive. It's rude. And more than that, if you stay in that community long enough and you have this habit of bouncing one place to the next, and dismissing people's hospitality and their care for you, you risk muddying your testimony and planting in people's minds that you might have different motives. You might be doing this for something else. And so Jesus here is brilliant.

Jesus, Lord, we love you. This is amazing. Because the Lord here cares about social etiquette. He actually cares about how you interact with people in different context. How you enter into a place, how you exit a place.

All these little intricacies are important to the Holy Spirit, especially for the person who cares about their testimony for the gospel of Jesus Christ. The true servant of God does not limit their witness to the depth of their doctrine or their theology. No. People who care about their witness are also disciplined and educated in how to interact with people. They are not unnecessarily offensive.

They are not people who are just powerful orders. No. They they actually they think about how they communicate. What to say, what not to say. And sometimes you meet some people who are extremely insightful spiritually.

They they seem to have a colossal intellect, but they stink with pride. And they have a sense of superiority. And what happens with all that knowledge? What happens with all that vigor? What happens with all that amazing ability to present something?

It just dissipates. So the true servant of God will avoid the appearance of evil. They will they will ensure that their steps are led by God's wisdom as provided here. And I challenge you to read the bible and to look deeper and to see that God does in fact care about what I'm what I'm saying. He does.

So there's a pursuit of contentment. If you want God to take you far, if you want God to keep you long, then there needs to be this settled learning. Lord, in all things, help me believe that I have a beautiful inheritance. And help me more than that to trust that there's nothing that will satisfy me more than doing the will of the Father. You will go far for God's kingdom if that is something that you apply.

But it's not just contentment nor is it just conduct that the Christian will exercise if they are a serious servant of God. No. Jesus instructions here require the disciples to apply something else. Look here in verse 11. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.

The serious servant of God will not just pursue contentment in all places at all times, they will also apply and exercise discernment. Discernment. This is what Jesus is saying. When you come to a place, you need to be able to identify who is receptive, and you need to be able to identify who is not receptive. And this kind of awareness would determine many things.

It would determine whom they would serve, where they would stay, and when it was time to move on. They were to expect rejection. Right? We learned last week that they witnessed with their own eyes Jesus' hometown kick him out. And Jesus here is preparing them, that you too will know resistance, you too will know obstacles, you will know opposition.

Be prepared for that. And by informing them about that in advance, they needed to be trained about how not to throw their pearls before swine. And the Lord listen, he amplifies this principle in Matthew chapter 10 when he says the following in verse eleven and twelve. And whatever town or village you enter, Matthew ten eleven, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it.

And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. So their discernment had to be beyond just their audience. Their discernment also need to be applied about their association. And Jesus says, you need to be able to develop a screening, so that when you come into a place, you can determine who is worthy to host you and who is not worthy to host you.

Now what does that mean worthy? Like if they they they give enough of an honorarium? If they have social status? Absolutely not. The worthiness here that Jesus is teaching on is simply this, receptivity.

Receptivity to the message of the gospel. Receptivity to the truth that you want to declare. Receptivity to you as a representative of Jesus Christ. You need to be able to see, is this person a person of peace? And if they are a person of peace, then stay there.

And more than that, are they worthy in terms of integrity? What is their life like? Because you being in their home can again send a message to others by your simple association with them. Do you agree with their life? Do you agree with what they do?

Do you agree with how they conduct themselves? You need to be all to say, you need to be able to discern people. And this again reinforces that true servant of God servants of God are selective in discriminating. I know discrimination is a bad word, but if you understand his definition, it's simply to decipher. Discriminating.

Yes. We're supposed to be very careful with our associations unless we put ourselves in compromising situations or positions that will weaken our witness. Now, listen, it's much easier to know it's much easier just to know when to move on when you deal with a non believer who is either cursing you or saying all these derogatory things to you or simply just walk away from you. That doesn't require much. Right?

But there are people who are still tempted to, and I've seen it with my own eyes, just continue to hound on people that want nothing to do with the gospel and end up endangering themselves in one way or another. All that to say that our call to discernment is beyond our evangelistic efforts. Our call to discernment is even within the household of God. Because as much as this is about going out there, you know this very well, people will come in here. They will come in here.

And when they come in here, we have to be equally careful to be able to determine who is worthy and who is not worthy. Everybody is worthy. No, I'm not saying it like that. Who will be receptive and who in fact might be a danger? Now you might not believe this, you might think that is harsh because there are some people who even in Christian circles and and I I believe they're saying this from a pure heart innocently even out of a place of love and care.

Brother, we can't give up on him. Brother, we can't give up on her. And yes, that's true. There is a there is a persistence in our love and service. But that is not totally true.

Because the same Holy Spirit that tells us to love and serve and reach out and to be patient is the same Holy Spirit who says that there are sometimes where enough is enough and you need to move on. Let me prove that to you in Titus chapter three. In Titus chapter three verse 10, look at these simple instructions, one of many. Paul says, as for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him. We're not talking about the world here, we're talking about the church.

We're not talking about the streets, we're talking about the assembly. Have nothing more to do with them knowing that such a person is warped and sinful, he is self condemned. You know what that teaches me? That I, by the grace of God in his word and through his holy spirit, need to be discerning enough to look at a person and to evaluate their life long enough to determine this person is so warped and so sinful to the degree that they are no longer worthy to pursue at this time. I know that might sound shocking, but it is true.

Because here the danger is by tolerating such a person, by ignoring such a person, you put the rest of the congregation at risk of being hurt by such a person. And so again, not just the preacher, but the church as a whole must be able to understand what is being said here because if we're not careful, our limited time, our limited efforts, our limited energy can in fact be wasted by somebody or some people who have no issue devouring all that you are with no intention to change. So he says have nothing more to do with this person. Have nothing more to do with this person. This is a call to scripture saturated and Holy Spirit prompted wisdom to know when to shake the dust off your feet and to leave people in God's hands.

Leave people in God's hands and to give ourselves to those who are worthy, to those who will receive, to those who are more open. And I've seen in many ways where people don't know how to just stop and trust in the sovereignty of God because they think that they can actually do something to change somebody. You can't. You can't. And the discernment part is when do you stop and when do you move on.

That will make for an effective servant of God. And we come to the last point. The last point is pretty is pretty obvious, but before we get there, depending on your translation, you might have seen something in verse 11 that I didn't read. In verse 11, you'll find this more in the King James or the New King James. It's added, assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

Who's who has that in their translation? It's a manuscript difference. But when you go to Matthew, you'll see that this very same truth is added in the account that Matthew gives about these same instructions that Jesus gives to his disciples. So it's not completely omitted. But I think it's worth pausing on.

Think about that. Sodom and Gomorrah is an example throughout the Bible of an example of judgment that will come upon evil and perversion. I mean, think about the judgment that Sodom and Gomorrah received. And yet Jesus can say that for the person or the town or the city that is exposed to the truth that is powerfully presented and yet rejects it, their judgment will be more severe than that of Sodom and Gomorrah's. How can that be?

It just goes to show what great of a crime it is to hear the gospel and to witness the power of the gospel and to still decline it. In the eyes of God, this is a severe violation. And at this specific dispensation you had the Apostle who had unusual authority over demons and unusual authority over sickness which made this penalty even more profound. But it even says that at the final day of judgment, there will be degrees of punishment in the same way that there will be degrees of reward for the believers. It will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah.

I don't think people understand just how serious the transaction of truth is. We look at a vessel of clay and we see probably his weaknesses, his stumbling of words, whatever the case may be, But understand that the gospel is the most precious thing and it cost the blood of Jesus Christ and to be able to hear that and then to turn your back on that. Oh, God says, Sodom and Gomorrah, their judgment will be tolerable more than that person's judgment. The servant of God will exercise discernment, will know that they are limited in many ways and that people have different heart postures and conditions. And so they know where to go, where to stay, who to deal with, and when not to.

But lastly, they will remain they will remain compassionately truthful. In verse 12, Jesus says, or is told of what happened to the disciples after Jesus said, so they went out and proclaimed that people should repent and they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them. So after all these practical instructions, Jesus now says go and they go and the priority of their mission was a message. The priority of their mission was a message. Right?

The disciples were not to get caught up in community service. They were not to get overly involved with alleviating suffering or to providing practical material needs. Now there's no doubt they were to be practical. They were they were casting out demons. They were healing the sick.

They were actually administrating help in that way, but never at the expense of eliminating the presentation of the truth that brings true redemption. And I think that's important for many ministries today who have much more emphasis on practicality than the profession of faith that we have. We need to be very careful. They went out with a message and everything that they did was to point to that message. And the message of hope, the message of saving, the message of redemption and salvation was a word that you don't hear a lot today.

Repent. Repentance. Change the way you think about God. Change the way you think about sin. Change the way you think about eternity.

Change the way you think about life. Change the way you think about In fact, just give everything up and come to God's word and say, I agree with this. That's repentance. That's repentance. So the disciples didn't just go into town and tell people about the love of Jesus.

No. They went into town and they told them about this Jesus and yes, about his unusual kindness, mercy, and grace, but that that would change you. And this is what they preach, and this is what they did, and that part should bless us. You know why? Because despite being warned by Jesus right before this, that you will come against hostility, you will come against resistance, they still they still dug their heels and they said, we're still gonna obey you, and we're still gonna preach this message.

How much more today? How much more today regardless of what the seculars are saying that, you know, we're living in a post Christian world, and what people need, what people really need is messages on self healing. Inner healing and self esteem, Because there is now this this wave of propagating mental health and trauma and I I'm not saying that those things are not true to some degree, but it's come to the point where salvation is apparently reflecting on your past and confronting things that had happened, and to acknowledge it and to realize that you were a victim in one way or another. That's not the gospel. That's not the gospel.

This is what they preached. Repent. No matter what happened to you, no matter what you did, you need to repent. And you need to come to Jesus Christ who will forgive you once you realize that your repentance is genuine and true. And these men were not intimidated obviously.

They they could not they could not even think about the threats or whatever was coming about their way, and we shouldn't be concerned about the trends and the threats that they hold anyway. Our message is not bound to a certain time. It's not limited to this culture. It's not at any point open to be adjusted for any reason. The serious servant of God will hold firm to that.

For the time is coming when men will not endure sound teaching. They will not endure it, but they will accumulate for themselves teachers. Right? To satisfy their itching ears. What a way of phrasing that they will not endure sound teaching.

Meaning, perhaps at one point they could have tolerated it, but now at this point, they're no longer able to tolerate it. This is too offensive. It it it's it's too it's too controversial enough. And maybe even for some, this is getting boring. Is the Bible boring to you?

Can you endure it? They cannot endure sound teaching and so they accumulate for themselves teachers to scratch their itching ears. And what's our motivation? The same motivation as these disciples. Whatever is before me, whatever is happening around me, I'm gonna just do what Jesus called me to do.

If he said go and preach repentance, I'm gonna preach repentance. That's it. It's very simple to serve God. We have made it complicated. And here's the conclusion that we can make.

Notice verse 13. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil, many who were sick and healed. But you gotta connect that with verse seven again. And he called the 12 and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority. Gave them authority.

On the short term mission, they needed a special dose of authority to fulfill this particular part in Christ's plan. When it came to the great commission, he says, don't you dare go out until the gift of the father is bestowed upon you. Wait upon the Holy Spirit. Which tells me that at any point in ministry, I and you are continually in need of God's grace to strengthen us, to equip us, to do what he needs to do in us before we even do anything for him. Authority, power, a touch from God.

Not just human ingenuity, not just my own efforts, but something that God grants from his own hand. And that tells me with all the things that I just heard and all the things beyond those five directions, I will know a help from God. I will know some kind of grace that will lift me up and take me where I can't go in my own flesh. And so what a way to cap off all of this. We need the authority of God.

We need his help. We need something beyond the natural and this is something that he is willing to provide. My friend this afternoon, are you a serious servant of God? I hope you are. If not, I hope you'll be inspired to be because there's no other way to live.

Our dear brother and pastor just mentioned that he has come to give us life and life abundantly. And if you are a seer, servant of God, you will cherish and value Christian partnership. You will you will understand that there is a contentment to be learned and understood. You will also realize that there's a discernment to be applied. You will also know that there is a timeless truth that must be compassionately conveyed.

And finally, you will also realize that there is something to be known in the place of reliance on God in all seasons at all times. This is my message to you. May God help us follow him and honor him, especially in these final days. Let's pray. And worship team, I know you have songs ready, but if we can sing at some point that classic, I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back.

After a message like this and even hearing those statistics early on, I think it's worth declaring to God again, I will follow you. No turning back. So keep that in mind as we prepare to sing in a moment. But our hearts are bowed in the presence of God almighty who has reminded us of our mission and purpose on earth and who has given us all that we need to be effective. Lord, we do pray in this place that you would renew that ambition and that you would help us indeed wherever we are to apply the things that we heard.

Lord, we ask for a fresh touch from the Holy Spirit. A fresh touch from the Holy Spirit. Lord, we do not dare think that this ministry will go anywhere apart from his help. We will be succumb to so much mess, fears, doubts, fleshly conflict. Unless your word is embedded in our hearts and your power is energized in our being.

Lord, help us. Help us value this community. Help us care about who we are in every place that we find ourselves in. Not just in this church, but when we go to the restaurant for lunch and we deal with waiters and waitresses. When we go and see our extended family, when we go to work, Lord, help us.

Help us really know who to find that is worthy and when to move on when we need to move on. Lord, determine our every step and let it be effortless. Let it be a grace because your yoke is indeed easy. Your burden is indeed light. And so, Lord, if there is any sense in which somebody feels overwhelmed by these instructions, Lord, let them know that your power is behind every command, ready to be dispensed and provided.

And so, Lord, we rejoice in you and we wanna honor you. May you be blessed, Lord. May you be blessed by our response now as we sing together with one voice. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Let's stand church. I sincerely ask this. I'm not trying to be corny. I'm not trying to feed off of what was just sung to play on your emotions, but I'm sincerely asking you as soberly as possible in this place. Have you really decided to follow Jesus?

Sincerely, genuinely, can you recall a time where you made a choice, I want to follow Jesus. Now you might be that person that says, I don't remember the time where I made that decision. Well, that that's fine. Are you now following Jesus? That's more important than anything else.

But for the person who is not concerned, the person who may not even thought about that question and how it applies to their life. Listen, everything is at stake with that question being answered in one way or the other. Have you made a conscience decision to say, this Jesus who came into this world two thousand years ago and who died on the cross was not an empty performance, was not something that held no purpose or significance to me. I now realize that he died for me. That he was buried and rose again for me.

And that he beckons and he calls me to himself. And now I will decide to follow Jesus. This is how you follow. You heard what was just preached. You repent.

You make a decision today that you will now realize he is Lord, he is savior. This is sin. What I have been doing, how I've been living, I turn from that and I turn to God. And I wanna follow him, and I wanna live for him, and I wanna enjoy him, and I wanna see him and be with him for all of eternity. I'm telling you today, make that decision to follow Jesus.

I'm calling you today because tomorrow is not promised, and you don't know if you'll have never the chance to receive this invitation. I'm telling you this today because the days in which we are living have been predicted by the prophets and the apostles of old. We are in the final seconds of human history. I don't know the date and nobody has the right to give a date, but I have been instructed and you have as well to look at the signs of the times. And when you understand that these signs line up with the truths of the Bible, to lift your head up because your redemption is nigh.

But that redemption is only for those who are redeemed. You cannot look up with confidence and expect Christ to come back in your favor. If anything, you have every reason to be terrified because he is a righteous judge, and he has been good to this world for thousands of years. In this time of grace, this window of opportunity for the worst and the most filthy of sinners to come and to be washed, and to have everything that was held against and be eradicated by one moment of confession, that time is dwindling down. And when it comes to a finality, the mission of Christ will be changed, and the change will be this, you will be judged for rejecting my grace.

And so I call you today to flee from the wrath to come. I call you today to understand that you have an immortal part of who you are. You will live for eternity. And you will either live in the presence of God's pleasure or you will be under God's wrath without end. And the way in which you can transfer one status to the next is upon one thing, and that is you acknowledging Christ as Lord.

And you acknowledging that if you come before him now and repent and believe on his name, that you will be clothed in his righteousness. You will be forgiven of everything. The unspeakable things, the private things, the perverse things will in one moment be dealt with. And you will be justified in the sight of God. And so today is the day of salvation.

Listen. Hear me clearly. This is not the time to play church in America. Our nation is crumbling. Souls are being sealed in their fate of disobedience and rebellion with the culture and the narrative of our time.

And so, even if you are in this place and you are a minister or you're planning to be a minister, hear my heart from a fellow brother. Be bold. Be unapologetic. Seek this authority from heaven and let God clothe you with power. So that when you go out into this world, you will not be able to easily ignore it.

Men and women will see this is a man who is met with something or someone apart from this life. And yes, we have met with someone who has created life and created this world and created you and created me. His name is Jesus. And he wants to save you. He wants to deliver you.

Oh, I pray to God that you are unable to come into this place week after week and not even be slightly convicted. May God have mercy on your soul if that is the case. We wanna do everything that we can to make sure that in these I just was so stirred by those statistics. That's why I'm keeping you here longer than I usually do. It's just the times that we're living in are unbelievable, and then we can still find it in ourselves to to minimize our church services to fast as possible TED talks.

It's just not gonna work. It's not gonna cut it for this generation. We do need a revival, and that revival has to come first from the preacher who has been baptized with power from on high, and who knows the word of God, who loves the word of God, and loves the people that he sees week after week, and loves the visitor who comes in, and loves the neighbor, and loves the persons who was on the streets. It's out of my system. Give your life to Christ.

Give your life to Jesus Christ. Stop playing the fool with God. He cares for you, and he wants you, and he has a purpose for you. But more than anything else, it's for God himself. He wants you in his bosom forever and ever.

Lord, I pray with all of my heart and with my brothers and sisters who have been amening everything that was said. Lord, pour out your Holy Spirit. Pour out your Holy Spirit, not just here, but in every church, every pulpit, Lord. In this crisis hour, oh God. We pray that you would raise up prophets, that you would raise up men and women who would take the call of God seriously, and who would take the partnership of the ministry seriously, and say, oh God, I will do what I need to do to to play the two by two and to serve my brother and to be encouraged by my brother for the sake of the greater cause.

Help us Lord. Help us Lord. We look to you and we thank you for this glorious time in this place. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen and amen.

Be blessed. See you.