1 Mark 6:7-30 The Sending of the 12: How to minister in an unbelieving world. Today, I will be considering the sending out of the twelve apostles in verses 7-13. But, you may wonder why we also read verses 14-30 which tell us about the occasion for the death of John the Baptist. Though there are some truths we could glean from these verses, I believe the main reason Mark included this story where he did is context. If you will notice, verse 7 Jesus called the 12 and sent them out, giving clear instructions. Then, Mark turns to John the Baptist and gives us a detailed account of his death. Finally, in v. 30 Mark turns again and says, The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. I have two reasons I believe Mark put this story in this context. The first is this: 1) The emphasis has turned from John the Baptist to Jesus. John said, I am not worthy to stoop down and tie his shoes. I baptize with water, but He will baptize with the Holy Spirit. I must decrease. He must increase. This passage will end the ministry of John the Baptist. The second reason is this: 2) There is danger in preaching the Gospel and standing for the truth. As John lost his life for the truth, so will the Apostles and so will many who follow Christ. As He sends us out, there is danger. Jesus said, If any man comes after me, he will deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. This is the context. Now, let s turn to verses 7-13 where I will pretty much go verse by verse and bring out some truths. I would like to say just a few words about the general calling of the Apostles. Look back in cp. 3:13. Mark says He went up on a mountain and called to him those whom he desired and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles)... Although disciples and apostles are both followers of Christ, an apostle, is different than a disciple. The apostles were disciples before Jesus called them apostles. In a broad sense the term apostle simply means sent one, (even as Christians today). When we send missionaries we could say they are apostolic in this sense. However, in the more narrow sense, the original apostles (also Paul, Matthias, and a couple more) filled an office that was unique to the first century. In order to qualify as an Apostle in this narrow sense there were two requirements. 1) An apostle had to see the resurrected Jesus with his own eyes. 2) An apostle had to have been specifically appointed by Christ himself. (For references see Acts 1:22; with Paul see Acts 9; 1 Cor. 9:1; 15:7-9; for specific calling of Christ see Matt. 10:1ff.) Now, why did Jesus call 12 original apostles? This may be somewhat obvious. How many tribes were there in Israel? There were 12. The nation of Israel was descended from the twelve patriarchs, the sons of Jacob. At the time of Jesus they were scattered all over the land. In the calling of the 12 they were reminded (which is also a picture) that there would be some kind of restoration for Israel. In the book of Revelation their names are inscribed on the foundations of the heavenly city (Rev. 21:14). Without going into much detail here, the calling of the 12 began something new. Jesus had come. The Kingdom of God was at hand. The new covenant, the NT church, salvation to the Gentiles, the beginning of the restoration of Israel; all of these were beginning with the calling of the 12 apostles. Paul says in Eph. 2:19-21, So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. With the calling of the Apostles we also see a progression. In Mark 3 Jesus calls the apostles to himself. In Mark 6, Jesus will still be with them for two more years, and although the attention is on Christ and the Kingdom of God, they are sent to preach and given authority over unclean spirits and the power to heal. After Jesus dies and is resurrected, then He sends them out again (with the rest of us), commanding them to make disciples and teach (not simply preach the Gospel) them to obey everything he has commanded them. So, when we come to this passage, we must realize we are not apostles in the narrow sense. However, I believe the principles from this passage are very relevant for us today. Let s look at some of them.
1. Jesus calls us. As we have already seen Jesus calling the 12 Apostles, He also calls us. We have spoken about the call of Jesus often, so I won t spend a lot of time here. I would just like to remind all of you that if you are in Christ, if you are following him, it is because He called you effectually just as He called the Apostles. As He called Peter and Andrew, James and John, to leave their fishing careers and follow him, so He calls us. As he passed by Levi s tax booth and called him to follow, so he calls us. As Jesus powerful, effectual, call to Lazarus, who was dead for 3 days, raised him up, so his call powerfully raises us from our spiritual deadness to a life of following him. In home groups we are in John chapter 10. In verse 3 John tells us, The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. I must ask this morning, How do you know you are called by Christ? John gives us the answer in 10:27, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. According to this verse, if you are called by Christ, you hear. Do you hear him today? When you go to the Scriptures do you hear him by faith speaking to you and leading you as a shepherd leads his sheep? If you hear him today it is because you are known by Jesus. Let me read to you one of the most frightening passages of Scripture. Matthew 7:21-23: Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? And then will I declare to them, I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. Another way you know you have been called is that you actually follow Jesus. Today, are you following Jesus? Is He the object of your pursuit in life? Is He the reason you wake up in the morning? Is He your motivation for all your works? 2. Jesus sends us with authority. It is interesting to note that Jesus sent the apostles two by two. They were duo duo. It reminds me of the Dynamic Duo. The wisdom in this lay in the fact that having two witnesses met the legal requirement for authentic testimony (Deut. 17:6; 19:15; Num. 35:30). Also, this two by two provided mutual encouragement and prayer for ministry. John the Baptist also sent his disciples two by two (Luke 7:18-19) and so did the early church (Acts 13:2, 3; 15:39-41; 19:22). The word for send in v. 7 is apostello, where we get the word apostle. This is the narrow sense in which I spoke of earlier. Jesus sent the apostles. And, in this sending there is authority over unclean spirits. In the same way Jesus cast out demons, so did his disciples. They did this because He gave them power for this task. And, this power came before the giving of the Spirit at Pentecost. So, I believe this was a specific power for a specific task. The Gospels speak often about the authority Jesus had over unclean spirits. In no time during Israel s history had they seen such powerful signals of the coming of the Messiah than at this time. Here, as elsewhere in early Christianity there is no proclamation of the gospel without powerful deeds, and no powerful deeds without the proclamation of the Gospel. Now, what about us? Concerning unclean spirits, Yes, I believe we have authority over unclean spirits. But, I would like to speak in a more general sense. Jesus gives us authority. What does this mean? The Greek word can be translated right or power or authority. It is the same word used in John 1:12 which says, He gave to them the power (right, authority) to become the children of God. Let me try and give an example. Sometimes right before supper Caleb, on his own, will ask his brother and sisters to come to the table to eat. And they may or may not come. Then, the time actually comes and, if they don t listen to him, he will come to me and say they aren t coming. Then, I say to Caleb, Tell them Daddy said come to the table. When he goes this next time, he has more authority for his command, and they come. I believe the authority Christ gives in sending us, at the least, includes this kind of authority, because there is no greater authority in heaven and earth by which we are sent. However, the authority Christ gives 2
in sending us out comes also with the power to do what He has commanded. The difference between the authority I give to my children and the authority Christ gives to those he sends is that He gives the Spirit. Acts 1:8 says, But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. What does this mean for us? The obvious application is that God gives the power and ability to do what He asks. Also, consider this: In spite of us, He calls, He sends, He empowers, and He works. The disciples hadn t walked with Jesus very long. In Mark cp. 1:36-39 when Jesus went off to pray, they didn t understand and said, Everybody is looking for you. That is to say, Don t you know that this solitary prayer stuff is not so important right now. There s work to be done. In cp. 4 when they were in the storm, they questioned his care for them and his decision making abilities and rebuked him. In cp. 5 they were sarcastic with him when someone in the crowd touched his garment. They couldn t understand why he would not go with his family back in cp. 3. Throughout the Gospels, the disciples prove to be not very understanding, not very patient, not very able to follow him. Yet, He calls them and sends them out with authority. This willingness of Jesus to endure the behavior and faults of his followers is further testimony to his divine humility. The sending of these individuals, particularly at this stage of their understanding of Jesus is a testimony to the believers in Mark s church in Rome as well as to believers in every age. The fulfillment of the word of God depends not on the perfection or merit of the missionaries but on the authoritative call and equipping of Jesus. The same is true for you. I hope you don t think today you have it all together. If you are like me, you don t. If you are like me, you pray, Lord, work, in spite of me. He who thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God (1 Cor. 1:26-29). 3. Jesus gives clear instructions for ministering to an unbelieving world. In verses 8-12 Jesus charges the disciples and gives clear instructions as to what to take, what not to take, and how to act. In regard to provisions, Jesus says in v. 8, Take nothing for your journey except a staff no bread, no bag, no money in your belts but wear sandals and do not put on two tunics. As to what they are to take, it is interesting that the four items required is identical to the belongings that God instructed the Israelites to take on their Exodus from Egypt. In Exod. 12 when God instituted the Passover, he said, In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. (An outer garment is assumed. If not, why the belt?) These four items emphasize the haste and expectation of the Exodus. Here is a theological implication. I believe that when Jesus called the 12 apostles and sent them out, this event was as foundational and revelatory as the Exodus from Egypt. As God was about to begin something new with the Exodus from Egypt, so was the sending out of the 12 at the beginning of Christ s ministry. What a pivotal point in the ministry of Jesus in sending out the 12. After instructing these men on what to take, Jesus tells them what not to take. No bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Don t take two tunics. What is significant about this simplicity in baggage? I believe this minimal baggage was a means for greater service and dependence on God. I believe that by taking the barest of essentials ensured that they place their trust not in supplies and training, but rather in the One who sent them. 3
4 The Sherrill family knows what it is like to pack for a trip. When we first went to Central Asia, we took 22 bags. You can hardly imagine what a sight we were at the airport. We thought we needed everything we took. After coming back to the states a few times for furlough, we realized less is better. We realized how little we really needed and how freeing we were by getting down to the essentials. The same is true for us, the Church, as ambassadors of Christ. True service of Jesus is characterized by dependence on Jesus, and dependence on Jesus is signified by going where Jesus sends despite material shortfalls and unanswered questions. We must travel light in the Christian walk to heaven lest worldly cares blunt the urgency of the message. Like Gideon s troops with their reduced numbers before the battle with Midian (Judges 6-7), we must go in dependency on God. Like the birds of the air and lilies of the field (Matt. 6:25-34), we must trust him alone who sends. Jesus instructions to the Apostles ensure that they seek not their own advancement but that of the Gospel. Verse 12 tells us that they preached the Gospel, namely that people should repent. If they were to go with an elaborate support system and provisions for every event, then they need not go in faith, and apart from faith their proclamation is not believable. The same is true for us. Today, we are in danger for having too much baggage than too little. We as elders will fight to keep things simple as we try our best to live out the Gospel at GBC. We must say, Silver or gold I do not have what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Although great miracles accompanied the Apostles, in the end what they gave the people to whom they were sent was the simple Gospel, accompanied with effectual power from the one who sent them. Today, I would urge you to do the same. Keep things simple; the word, prayer, meeting together as believers. And, keep your focus on the one who sends you into the world. As Christian Husbands, Fathers, Wives, Mothers, Singles, children, workers, citizens in this country who make up the church, Christ must always be your focus and your desire. Trust Christ today! Finally, this morning notice Jesus instruction about how to act when ministering to an unbelieving world. In vv. 10-11 Jesus says, 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. When the Apostles were sent out it was the duty of the hearers to extend hospitality. It would be easy for them to know where to stay. They stayed with those who welcomed them, who showed hospitality. I understand this first-hand. In many of my travels with other believers as we went to different villages, we had certain people who welcomed us, even when they found out we were Christians. What a blessing they were. They opened their house, fed us, bathed us, took care of us, and even listened to our message. I believe there are a couple things we can learn from this. The first is this: Look to see where God is working. Although I may not share the gospel with everyone I meet, I like to at least let them know I am a Christian, which gives them an opportunity to comment. Then, I can see their interest and act accordingly. As Christians we should always be aware of those around us, prayerfully seeking to present the pearl of Great price, the Gospel into their lives. Another application is that we should be content with what God gives. As the Apostles entered a poorer home with not all the comforts of life, they should not leave, but be content with what God gave. In the same way we should do the same in principle. I know we aren t traveling from village to village, but we must obey in principle, namely the spread of the Gospel has the priority over personal likes and dislikes. When I look around at Grace, I see a lot of like minded people, as well as a lot of the same color. Folks, there are lot of people out there who are not like us who will be hospitable, who will hear the Gospel, who will turn to Christ, if we will only go to them. (elaborate)
In verse 11, Jesus tells the Apostles to shake the dust off their feet if when they leave an unbelieving village. It was customary for pious Jews who had traveled abroad to carefully shake the dust of alien lands from their feet and clothing. This act dissociated them from the pollution of those pagan lands and the judgment which was to come upon them. The same action by the apostles symbolically declared a hostile village pagan (even if it were a Jewish village). The design of this shaking of the dust off their feet was to make people think deeply about their spiritual decision. Today, there are times when we the Church must warn the world of judgment. There may even be times when we disassociate ourselves from segments of society. In conclusion today, I must ask what happened to the 12? Verse 12 says, They went out and preached that people should repent. They preached the Gospel. They preached that the Kingdom of God was at hand and that people must turn from their sin to Christ. The result in v. 13 was, they drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. In short, the 12 experienced great power in bringing the gospel to an unbelieving world. It was repentance, deliverance, and healing, just as if Christ were physically there. There was a foretaste of what the Church would do through the centuries when it operated in the power of the Holy Spirit. The same is true today. Jesus says, All authority has been given to me. Go therefore, teaching them to obey all I have commanded, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And I will be with you all even to the ends of the earth. 5