Mark
6:6b-13, 30-32
(A
Bible Study Led by Dr. Larry Reynolds – April 26, 2012)
In our study last week we saw in Mark 6:1-6
Jesus being rejected by the people of His hometown of Nazareth. After that rejection, He began to expand His
ministry into an ever widening area of Galilee and ultimately outside of
Galilee. The events described in the
paragraph beginning with Mark 6:7 give us the prelude to this expansion of
Jesus’ ministry. In this session we are
going to focus the account of Jesus sending out the twelve disciples on their
first preaching mission. [Show golf GPS
watch … small but tremendous potential for information…]
The
Scripture makes it clear that God has built into each of us tremendous
potential. In the creation story we are
told that God made us “in His own
image.” [Genesis 1:27]. Psalm
8:5 tells us that we have been made “…a
little lower than God…” and that God has crowned us with “…glory and majesty.” Every person is a person a dignity and value
and worth. God has placed within each of
us tremendous potential. Nowhere can
that be seen more clearly that in the lives of those twelve men Jesus chose to
be His first disciples. Earlier in this
study, when we were going through Mark 3, we looked at each of their lives in
some depth. By all accounts they were
just ordinary, everyday people. There
was nothing about them that would have caused them to stand out from any number
of other people in their world. But not
many years later, they were accused by people in Thessalonica, nearly 1000
miles from their homeland, of turning the world upside down with their
teachings about Jesus!
And
the incredible thing about that, is that we have within us that same potential
for advancing the Kingdom of God! In the
account of Jesus sending out the twelve in Mark 6:7-13, 30-32, are six
principles which, if we follow them, will help us loose that potential. I want to just quickly list them for
you. Here is what we must do to unlock
the Kingdom potential God has placed within each of us.
I. Remember whose we are (Not who, but whose!)
1. Have you
ever heard someone say, “I’m trying to
discover who I am?” I suppose for
someone who is 18 or 19 years old and just coming into adulthood, that’s not
such a negative thing to say. But for
someone who is an adult, that is a very sad statement. And tragically, many people go through life
without ever discovering who they are.
And I think I know why. My
observation is that we will never know who we are until know whose
we are.
2. Notice
what verse 7 says about identity of the disciples. They were people who were "summoned"
by Jesus and "sent out" (apostello) by Jesus. They
were called out of the world and sent back into the world...
3. Gives
strong clue about our identity as Christians.
We are called by Jesus to be His representatives in our world. Mo matter what our vocation or what our stage
in life, our primary task as a believer in Jesus Christ is to be His
ambassadors in the world. And if keep
that single task before us, if make it our primary focus, we are much more
likely to realize our spiritual potential.
4. One of
great heresies of modern Christianity is belief that some Christians are called
to ministry and others are not. We are
all called to ministry. That is basic
task of all our lives. We just do
ministry in different settings and different ways. Remembering to whom we belong and what He's
called us to do is the starting point of unlocking the amazing potential God
has placed in each of us.
II. Treat all people with dignity and respect
1. In the
Jewish rabbinic law, it was required that person take off his shoes, money
belt, and lay down his staff before entering Temple courts. All ordinary things were to be set aside
before entering Holy Place. On the Temple Mount in Israel you will
experience that firsthand if you want to enter the Dome of the Rock. Before a person enters that building he must
remove his shoes and leave all belongings outside.
2. In
telling the disciples in verse 8 to take nothing for their journey except was
absolutely necessary, Jesus may have been thinking of humble homes in which disciples
would stay. He could have been saying
these homes just as sacred as Temple Courts.
Don't clutter them with unnecessary items. Treat them and their owners with the same
respect you with which would treat the Temple.
Also, verse 10 has to do with the treatment of people. Whenever the disciples entered a house as invited
guests, they were to stay there making it their base of operations until they
left the town. They were not to impose on the hospitality of many people or
accept more attractive offers once they were settled.[1]
3. There is
an abiding principle in that for how Christians should relate to people. It is amazing how much more we can get
accomplish for the Kingdom by treating people with kindness, compassion,
patience, understanding, and gentleness.
While we are to have a clear, sharp message, we are to present it with
grace. I think that is something of what
Jesus meant we He instructed us to be to be “…wise as serpents but gentle as
doves…” in Matthew’s account of this event.
III. Depend on God for provisions and strength
1. That's
probably the main idea behind the instruction to take "no bread, no
bag, no money in their belt" in verse 8. The word for "bag" in
that phrase is the one used to describe the begging bag of itinerant preachers
in first century world. He was reminding
them not to get bogged down worrying about money. That would only serve to distract them from
their mission.
2. One of
Satan’s most effective tactics in hindering the expansion of God’s Kingdom is
to get Christians to subtly and gradually change their focus from mission to
money. In a book about the famous
Catholic scholar Thomas Aquinas, C.K. Chesterton tells of conversation which took
place between the Pope and a Spanish friar named Dominic Guzman in 13th
century. Pointing to gorgeous Papal
Palace and referring to incident in Acts 3 where Peter told lame man "Silver
and gold have I none, but what I do have I will give you, take up your bed and
walk" the Pope said to Dominic Guzman, "Peter can no
longer say, 'Silver and gold have I none." And according to the story Dominic
Guzman quietly said to the Pope, "No, and neither can he now say,
'Rise and walk.'"
3. If our focus
is more on material things and our capacity provide for ourselves than it is on
God's provision and strength, we will have no real spiritual power. Instead we will end up spending an inordinate
amount of time and energy absorbed by the trivial.
4. Also,
along the same lines, they were not to be overly concerned about visible
results. That’s the basic thrust of the
statement in verse 10 about shaking the dust from their feet at any place that
rejects their message. This Jewish custom essentially communicated that they
had done their duty and the result was up to God.
IV. Focus on the primary message God has given
us
1. There
were many things the disciples could have preached about as they went on their
mission...evil of 1st century slavery ...corruptness of the Roman gov't...how
leaders of Israel had strayed away from foundations laid by forefathers...but
notice in verse 12 what they preached..."And they went out and
preached that men should repent..."
2. What an
important lesson there is in that...we have entrusted to us most important word
in all the world...it is the gospel/good news...it's the message that God made
us and loves us...we have strayed from God by being disobedient...God did not
stop loving, but instead sent Son die on cross for our sins...if turn from sins
and to Him we find life abundant and life eternal...
3. And that
is the word God has given us to proclaim with our words, our lives, and our
witness to the world…instead of spending time and energy endorsing or opposing
political candidates or appointees and instead of wasting precious resources
fighting or supporting the passage of certain laws which will, at best, impact
our land temporarily and superficially, we should be about the business of
proclaiming the message God has given us --the message of repentance-- which
will change people from the inside out and which will in turn change our
society...
V. Remember that we are accountable to God
1. When
disciples returned from their mission, verse 30 says "...they
reported to Him all that they had done and taught." ...has tone of
formal time of accounting...was time to stand before the Master and give
account of what they had done...
2. Nothing
like a little accountability to keep person from getting bogged down in the
trivial...when in high school worked for
my dad's company...would give me task to do and then leave me alone to do
it...but knew he would return and check on my work, and that knowledge was
enough to keep me focused on the task, even in his absence...
3. Way is
with us and God...day will come when stand before Him and give account of our
lives...not judged whether saved or lost...already settled...(just like was
never question about whether still my father's son)...but will be judged
according how faithful we've been with task given to us...should motivate us
stay focused and fulfill the potential God has given us...
VI. Know when to stop and rest
1. In verse
31 Jesus advised the disciples to "Come away by yourselves to a
lonely place and rest a while."...one of interesting things about
ministry of Jesus is that He knew when to work and He knew when to rest...after
a period of intensive ministry He told the disciples the time for rest had
come...and even though all the needs of the people were not met (Mark tells us
in verse 31 that many people were pressing on them seeking help), they withdrew
to be renewed...
2. Some
people in our world are too good at this...they stop to rest before they've
worked hard enough to get tired!...but for others knowing when to stop, relax,
and let our batteries recharge is one of most difficult things to learn...in
the long run we will be more productive for the Kingdom as a result of such
times...
CONCLUSION
As
the end of his life approached, the Apostle Paul was able to look back over his
life, and in spite of the terrible mistakes He had made in persecuting
Christians and opposing the growth of God’s Kingdom, was able to say: “I have fought the good fight, I have
finished the course, I have kept the faith…” And he could say that because he lived by the
principles Jesus gave us in this passage.
If you want to be an effective Kingdom person then here’s what you do:
·
Remember to
whom we belong; we are called and commissioned by Jesus...
·
Treat all
people with dignity and respect...
·
Depend God
for provision and strength...
·
Focus on the
primary message God has given us...
·
Remember we
are accountable to God...
·
Know when to
stop and rest...
[1]
Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary : An
exposition of the scriptures (Mk 6:10–11). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
