Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:04] Speaker B: Welcome to Hope for Today, a weekly Bible teaching program that will bring you hope for every day.
It is good to be with you today for another look into the Word of God. What a privilege.
Today we will finish the lesson we started last time about the Disciples commission.
We are looking at the story where Jesus sends out the 12 disciples two by two.
These lessons have three delegated authority, delineated simplicity, and defined responsibility.
We will finish today's lesson with the last two. In case you missed it the first time we discussed the authority Jesus gives to his followers. Today we will finish delineated simplicity, meaning Jesus precisely described the little they needed. And also look at defined responsibility, which is Jesus setting the boundaries and limits of what they were to do.
If you can turn to Mark 6 and J, Mark will begin by reading verses 7 to 13.
[00:01:13] Speaker A: And he called the 12 to himself and began to send them out two by two and gave them power over unclean spirits.
He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except the staff, no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts, but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics.
Also he said to them, in whatever place you enter a house, stay there until you depart from that place.
And whoever will not receive you nor hear you when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.
Assuredly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment than for that city.
So they went out and preached that people should repent, and they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.
One significant difference between this setting here in Mark 6 and our contemporary context lies in the issue of hospitality, because in biblical culture, hospitality was a requirement.
Even today, if you go to the eastern part of the world, hospitality is given much more readily than it is here in the West.
I've visited some countries in Southeast Asia and I've experienced this kind of hospitality.
You know, the people there have so little compared to so many of us, and yet they will gladly sacrifice their very best to entertain a stranger.
It's a humbling experience.
One time when we were there, a widow who lived next door to the seminar venue invited us, the Bible teachers, to a meal at her house. And so around noon that day, I saw her catch a chicken from her yard.
Later that evening, she served us that chicken as part of the meal.
We gathered in a bedroom, we sat on the beds, and we had a wonderful time of fellowship together. Around that meal But I realized that killing that chicken was a sacrifice for her. It meant no more eggs from that one.
And yet she was so happy, so glad that we accepted her invitation.
Another act of this delineated simplicity that we've been talking about concerned where the disciples were to stay while they were on their mission. Jesus told them to go to one house and. And once they were welcomed, then they were supposed to stay there as long as they were in that town.
If Jesus does not expect us to follow this delineated simplicity literally, then should we just ignore it and move on?
I don't think so. That's not why the Holy Spirit inspired Mark to record this teaching.
Have you ever thought about how much more quickly the Gospel could spread across the world if each one of us learned to live with less, especially here in the West.
Now, I know some of you think I left off preaching and I'm going to meddling.
But Jesus does not ask his disciples, then or now, to do things that he was unwilling to do.
Jesus taught us clearly that food and clothing are the two necessities of our existence, and we often add a third one, shelter. And I think that's right.
But my possessions go way beyond those necessities, and I'm assuming that yours do too.
It's not hard to see how our failure to be content with the basics in life affects our ability to proclaim the gospel, whether it's in our local community or somewhere around the world.
Most people I know who have been called to cross cultural missions need training to prepare for the field. And sometimes that training results in financial debts.
I don't think that's God's plan, but it happens. And so therefore, they must work for a few years to repay the debt. And then once that's done, they need to raise support to go to the field.
Some of them will spend many months raising funds so that when they get to the field, they can maintain a standard of living that's comparable to what they enjoyed at home.
And then when they get to the field, that difference in their standard of living compared to the indigenous folks creates barriers to the gospel.
However, I do know there's a growing number of people who are pursuing missions in a different way.
Once their training is complete, they proceed to the field of their service and they trust God to provide for their needs.
Their family and their friends and even their local church congregation support them. But they don't go around asking for funds. When they have needs, they pray and they ask God to supply that need.
If others ask them about their work they answer those questions freely and honestly, but they don't require a certain level of funding before they leave for the field.
As I look at Jesus teaching here, that model seems to be closer to the one that Jesus gave to his disciples.
And then other people remain in their local communities and they enjoy that familiar environment.
They keep their job. They build up their savings or retirement accounts, maybe even purchase a vacation home.
They know that their wealth should enable them to share the gospel freely. But their lifestyle requires a lot of financial resources.
And some of those wealthy people, yeah, they give generously to missions, but from all appearances, their goal seems to be accumulation rather than gospel proclamation.
So this principle of delineated simplicity is difficult in a culture that measures success by the number of things we have.
We should not seek the approval of our culture, but the approval of God in our lives and on our lifestyle. Because the Gospel is countercultural.
If you and I plan to obey this principle, it will take intentional effort on our part because we have to consciously reject a materialistic worldview.
Under the Holy Spirit's guidance, we can forego certain things that would make more resources available to share the Gospel.
And just to be clear, that self denial does not earn us salvation. It's simply a matter of discipleship. Voluntarily limiting myself so that others can learn about God's love for them through Jesus.
You know, I tend to look at other people and find fault with their lifestyle.
But I have to ask God how well I'm doing in this delineated simplicity.
Are there changes I need to make to comply with this principle?
I'm sure there are.
And I believe God wants you to examine your lifestyle too.
The scriptures clearly teach that one day we will be held accountable for our stewardship.
Now, I'm not sure what all will be included in that reckoning and how the Lord will handle that process, but wouldn't it be tragic if he revealed to us that because of our lavish lifestyle, people missed heaven because they never had the opportunity to hear the gospel?
And then here's another question for you to consider.
Does our failure to live simply affect the first principle?
Remember that the flow of delegated authority through our lives.
Will God entrust you and me with his authority if we fail to embrace this second principle?
You know, I think we need to seriously reflect on those questions. And if we do, it will most likely call for change in our lives.
If you and I will effectively fulfill our commission to proclaim the Gospel. We cannot ignore this principle of delineated simplicity.
And then as we move toward the conclusion of this Study on the Disciples Commission. There's a final principle. I've called it defined responsibility.
To define responsibility means that we need to set boundaries. And in this text, Jesus set clear boundaries for the 12.
They were fully equipped to carry out their responsibilities, but they were not responsible for whether or not the people accepted or rejected their message.
Jesus told the disciples to be selective in finding a base of operations for their ministry.
He told them to inquire about a suitable place in the town. And if they found that advice accurate, then they should stay in that home. As long as they were active in that area, they weren't to move around in search of better accommodations.
And then when they left that home, the peace that they had brought authorized by Jesus would rest on that household.
There was one final possibility, and that was outright rejection.
So if they came to a house and they were rejected out of hand, when they left that town, they were to shake off the dust of their feet as a witness or a sign of condemnation against the house or the city that refused to show hospitality to them.
Rejecting these ambassadors of Jesus was a serious matter.
Matthew and Mark both record Jesus saying that more mercy would be shown to Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than than to those cities that refused the witness of the disciples.
Now, knowing the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, we may wonder how can this be?
But here, I think is part of the reason Jesus authority sent out the 12. And so those who rejected them, that is the disciples, were not simply rejecting the disciples, they were rejecting Jesus.
And the punishment for rejecting Jesus disciples was severe.
Sodom and Gomorrah also rejected their heavenly messengers.
Think about their punishment.
In the final verse of our text, we read that after receiving instructions, the disciples went through the towns. They cast out demons, they anointed the sick with oil, and they healed. Everywhere they went.
They took their commission seriously and they exercised the authority that Jesus granted to them.
The today, we, like them, have a defined responsibility.
We've been given a mandate to take the gospel of Christ to the whole world to make disciples of every people group. And part of that process is teaching them to keep, obey and guard all that Jesus commanded. And that includes the entire New Testament. If we do that, we are promised the presence of Jesus. As long as the world stands, our mission and our responsibility are clearly defined.
Now, like the 12, we are not responsible for how people use the message or how they receive it. God will hold them accountable for their response.
However, I would hasten to add that we shouldn't do Things that hinder people's response to the message, our character, our conduct, the way we live, should point people to Christ, not push them away.
And so, if you're a follower of Christ, I urge you to reflect on the commission to proclaim the Gospel.
You understand your authority as a disciple, that it has been delegated to you.
The power and the authority to proclaim the gospel is not inherent in me and you. It's something that we have received and we must never forget that.
And how are you living out the principle of delineated simplicity again? Have you ever considered how much more quickly the Gospel could spread? And how many more people could hear the good news if we just learned to live with less?
It's not too hard to see how our failure to live simply affects the ability to proclaim the gospel, whether that's at home or abroad.
And then finally, have you accepted the principle of defined responsibility?
Do you know what God expects of you as one of his children? And what role are you filling in the command to make disciples of all people?
As one who has received a disciple's commission, how well do you understand these principles and are they a part of your daily life?
[00:13:11] Speaker B: Thanks, J. Mark. These are good principles for us to put into practice as we serve Jesus wherever we are.
This is one reason the Bible is so incredible. God knows people, and in His Word he gives lessons that are for all people, all the time.
May His Spirit guide you as you put these principles into practice right where you are. If you have any questions about today's lesson or if you would like to contact us, please let us know. You can reach us by email or Internet. Our email address is hopeheraldsofhope.org and our website is heraldsofhope.org There go to the Partner tab at the top. Under this tab you will see click Contact us. From there you can message us directly. Thanks so much for being with us today for the last part of a disciples commission.
Discipleship is learning from Jesus and becoming more like Him. This won't happen automatically. We must be intentional and fight for it. Like Paul said, I fight not as one who beats the air, but I discipline my body and bring it into subjection. This is good advice and and this is also what we must do.
