WEBVTT

00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:06.020
 Step back for just a moment in your mind, and I want you to consider what Jesus was actually doing

00:00:06.020 --> 00:00:12.800
 at this point in his ministry in Galilee. Everywhere that he traveled, he preached the

00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:16.800
 message of the kingdom of God, and we are told that plainly in chapter 1. In fact, just flip a

00:00:16.800 --> 00:00:21.640
 couple of pages over. We point this out often in this study, but it's helpful for us to be reminded

00:00:21.640 --> 00:00:29.379
 of it again. Mark chapter 1, verse 14. After John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee,

00:00:29.379 --> 00:00:35.879
 and here's what he was doing. He was preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and here was the

00:00:35.879 --> 00:00:42.679
 summary of the content of that message in verse 15. The time is fulfilled. The kingdom of God is at hand.

00:00:43.140 --> 00:00:50.519
 Repent ye and believe the gospel. Well, what was this message of the kingdom of God that he was preaching

00:00:50.519 --> 00:00:58.560
 as he went from place to place? It was the good news that Jesus had come to provide salvation for

00:00:58.560 --> 00:01:05.939
 his people. And in response to the proclamation of that good news, he commanded that those who heard

00:01:05.939 --> 00:01:12.900
 the message would repent of their sin and follow him in faith. Repent and believe the gospel.

00:01:13.960 --> 00:01:22.180
 And so these people, these Jews mostly, had long awaited a Messiah. In their mind, this Messiah would

00:01:22.180 --> 00:01:29.660
 come to restore their nation, to deliver their nation from the Roman oppression that they had faced for so

00:01:29.660 --> 00:01:37.020
 long. But the message of Jesus was different than national deliverance. He had actually come to deliver

00:01:37.020 --> 00:01:44.900
 them from something far greater, a far greater enemy than Rome, a far greater enemy than Babylon, a far

00:01:44.900 --> 00:01:50.840
 greater enemy than any other enemy that they may have even to this day. And that enemy was the enemy of their

00:01:50.840 --> 00:01:58.900
 their nation. And so as you continue to read your Bible, you will discover that the way in which Jesus

00:01:58.900 --> 00:02:09.900
 provided this deliverance was by taking our place, suffering our death, and conquering death through his

00:02:09.900 --> 00:02:17.379
 own resurrection. What was taking place according to 2 Corinthians chapter 5 is that as Jesus was dying on

00:02:17.379 --> 00:02:25.159
 the cross, those who would come to believe him, God was imputing our sin onto his own son. God was

00:02:25.159 --> 00:02:33.120
 looking at his son, Jesus Christ, as if our sin was his sin. And for those who believe, God then looks at

00:02:33.120 --> 00:02:41.340
 us and he sees the righteousness of his son, Jesus Christ, as if it was our righteousness. And so how would

00:02:41.340 --> 00:02:46.840
 Jesus come and deliver these people? It wouldn't be through a revolution. It wouldn't be through politics.

00:02:47.159 --> 00:02:54.780
 It wouldn't be through war. It would be through his own death. And as he died on the cross, he took our sin

00:02:54.780 --> 00:03:01.460
 and he became, as John wrote in that second chapter that we just read, the propitiation, the full

00:03:01.460 --> 00:03:09.560
 appeasement of the wrath of God against sin on all who would come to believe in him. That's how he would do it.

00:03:09.560 --> 00:03:15.020
 And so as Jesus is going from place to place and he's preaching this gospel message, this is what

00:03:15.020 --> 00:03:20.080
 he's preaching. He hasn't been this clear about it yet. He hasn't said just yet that this is what

00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:24.140
 would happen when he went to Jerusalem, that the crucifixion would take place in the resurrection.

00:03:24.300 --> 00:03:30.219
 He's going to, but he hasn't said that yet. He simply said, the time is at hand. The kingdom is near,

00:03:30.340 --> 00:03:36.300
 meaning he representative of the kingdom is near, repent and believe the gospel.

00:03:36.300 --> 00:03:44.920
 And out of his perfect love, he satisfied the wrath of God. And this is the truth of the gospel of the

00:03:44.920 --> 00:03:53.939
 kingdom. This is why it matters. Again, second Corinthians 5 21, for our sake, he made him to be sin,

00:03:53.939 --> 00:04:02.780
 who knew no sin, that we might have the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. And then again, if you've been

00:04:02.780 --> 00:04:12.500
 reading in 1 John 4, in this is love, not that we have loved God, but that he has loved us and has sent

00:04:12.500 --> 00:04:21.500
 his son to be the propitiation for our sins, the appeasement of God's wrath for our sins.

00:04:21.980 --> 00:04:27.500
 This was his words, but there was another part to what Jesus was doing. He was traveling through Galilee.

00:04:27.500 --> 00:04:32.660
 He was preaching the message of the kingdom of God, and that was his primary objective, but he also

00:04:32.660 --> 00:04:39.100
 performed many mighty works, and we've studied many of those. And what was all of that about? Of course,

00:04:39.240 --> 00:04:46.639
 an expression of the compassionate heart of Christ for sinners and sufferers, but the purpose of these

00:04:46.639 --> 00:04:53.920
 works was to point these people back to the message. As he preached the message of the kingdom of God,

00:04:53.920 --> 00:05:00.939
 he performed the works in order to validate the message that he was preaching, which is why he said

00:05:00.939 --> 00:05:05.720
 so often as he went from town to town, for the towns that rejected him. Remember, there's the one section,

00:05:05.800 --> 00:05:12.400
 we'll get to it eventually, woe unto you, Chorazin, woe unto you, Bethsaida, and as is even recorded,

00:05:12.560 --> 00:05:18.300
 at least in the King James Version here in this particular passage, that even those towns will suffer a

00:05:18.300 --> 00:05:25.520
 greater judgment than even Sodom and Gomorrah from the Old Testament. Why? Because they saw the works

00:05:25.520 --> 00:05:32.699
 of Christ. They were witness to the Christ. They heard his message, and yet they still rejected

00:05:32.699 --> 00:05:40.360
 the message, but that's what the works were for. They were signs of his true identity, and they pointed to

00:05:40.360 --> 00:05:46.900
 the gospel message. And so Jesus did all of these things to announce that the kingdom of God was near

00:05:46.899 --> 00:05:57.079
 in him. But as he did these things, there were 12 men that tagged along with him, and they watched him,

00:05:57.459 --> 00:06:05.799
 and they listened to him. And ultimately, they patterned their own ministry after his.

00:06:07.179 --> 00:06:16.599
 And what Jesus was going to do with them as he sent them out was he was going to use them and empower them

00:06:16.600 --> 00:06:26.540
 to preach his words and to perform his works. And so there's no question that Jesus had a special

00:06:26.540 --> 00:06:32.400
 purpose for these 12 apostles. Was these men that he used to lay the foundation for the church?

00:06:33.580 --> 00:06:39.300
 And theirs was certainly a unique and unrepeatable role in redemptive history.

00:06:39.300 --> 00:06:48.000
 But despite the unique nature of their call and their role in the church, the calling of these 12 men

00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:57.300
 is representative of the task that's given to each and every believer. The mission of proclaiming the

00:06:57.300 --> 00:07:06.240
 gospel, of preaching the words of Christ, and mimicking the works of Christ is not exclusive to just a few

00:07:06.240 --> 00:07:13.500
 specially called or gifted Christians. But the Bible actually makes it clear that this is not just a

00:07:13.500 --> 00:07:20.939
 responsibility for a select few, but this mission is giving to all those who name the name of Christ.

00:07:21.720 --> 00:07:25.960
 And I want to give you just a few bullet points to support that before we jump into verse 1.

00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:32.740
 Think about this. Jesus sometimes sent people out in addition to these 12 apostles,

00:07:32.740 --> 00:07:39.439
 and he gave them the same exact instruction. Go from village to village. He gave them the same

00:07:39.439 --> 00:07:45.740
 regulations even in one instance. They were to preach the message of the gospel. They were to perform

00:07:45.740 --> 00:07:51.579
 the works that Jesus was performing in his power, and they were to prepare the way for him. Luke chapter 10

00:07:51.579 --> 00:07:57.740
 tells us plainly, after this the Lord appointed 70 others and sent them on ahead of him two by two

00:07:57.740 --> 00:08:04.199
 into every town and place where he himself was to go about. So even in Jesus's own ministry, it wasn't

00:08:04.199 --> 00:08:10.000
 just limited to 12 people. There was at least one occasion where he's sending out 70 or more people

00:08:10.000 --> 00:08:16.199
 to go and do this same exact task that he was sending the 12 to do here in Mark 6. Not only that,

00:08:16.780 --> 00:08:24.980
 as we study the Great Commission in Matthew 28, Jesus didn't intend for the command to make disciples

00:08:24.980 --> 00:08:32.019
 disciples to be absent from what they were to teach others to observe. Remember what he said in the

00:08:32.019 --> 00:08:39.519
 Great Commission. Go therefore and make disciples, teaching them, baptizing them in the name of the

00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:45.539
 Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.

00:08:46.120 --> 00:08:51.039
 Well, Jesus didn't expect that what they were teaching and what Jesus had commanded,

00:08:51.039 --> 00:08:55.259
 that this responsibility of evangelism would be absent from that.

00:08:56.879 --> 00:09:00.899
 And then we see in Acts, in the book of Acts, and even later in the New Testament,

00:09:01.500 --> 00:09:08.279
 everywhere Christians went, they carried the gospel with them. In Acts chapter 8, it was Saul before his

00:09:08.279 --> 00:09:13.360
 conversion that was persecuting the church, and the church, the Christians were beginning to have to

00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:17.059
 scatter across the world. And here's what it says, Acts chapter 8 and verse 4,

00:09:17.059 --> 00:09:24.119
 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. It wasn't just the apostles going about

00:09:24.119 --> 00:09:28.979
 preaching the word. The impact of the gospel on the world in the days of the apostles was not

00:09:28.979 --> 00:09:35.159
 limited just to those few men. It was all Christians that were spreading out across the world under great

00:09:35.159 --> 00:09:40.779
 persecution and taking the gospel with them. It was not just a matter of obedience for these men,

00:09:40.779 --> 00:09:47.319
 but for every believer. Paul wrote of the necessity of this for the salvation of the lost.

00:09:47.839 --> 00:09:52.620
 In Romans chapter 10, how then will they call on him and whom they have not heard,

00:09:52.959 --> 00:09:57.579
 or have not believed? And how are they to believe in whom they've not heard? And how are they to hear

00:09:57.579 --> 00:10:05.500
 without someone preaching to them? In 2 Timothy, Paul encouraged Timothy, a pastor in Ephesus,

00:10:05.500 --> 00:10:13.539
 to do the work of evangelism. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an

00:10:13.539 --> 00:10:19.720
 evangelist. Timothy was not an evangelist. He was a pastor. He was a representative of Paul in Ephesus,

00:10:20.019 --> 00:10:25.940
 and yet he is still encouraged to do the work of an evangelist. And Paul says immediately following,

00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:33.139
 in doing all of these things, fulfill your ministry. And then of course, we know Acts 1.8,

00:10:33.139 --> 00:10:41.279
 you will receive power. After that, the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in

00:10:41.279 --> 00:10:47.379
 Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and the other most parts of the earth. John Stott said in

00:10:47.379 --> 00:10:53.139
 relation to this particular verse, we can no more restrict the command to witness than we can restrict

00:10:53.139 --> 00:11:01.240
 the promise of the Holy Spirit. And the truth is that God calls and he gifts us each differently,

00:11:01.240 --> 00:11:07.860
 but the great commission, the mission of taking the gospel of Jesus to the world, and of mimicking the

00:11:07.860 --> 00:11:16.940
 works of Jesus in the world, belongs to every Christian. And so though this text has elements that

00:11:16.940 --> 00:11:25.100
 apply specifically to these men at this particular time, it also contains principles that endure for us

00:11:25.100 --> 00:11:32.860
 today. And so as we use our next two studies in Mark to examine these few verses, we'll see three

00:11:32.860 --> 00:11:40.019
 things. We'll see that there is a commission to fulfill, that there is instructions that we should

00:11:40.019 --> 00:11:46.500
 obey, and that there is a pattern of ministry to follow. And as I said, we'll only get to this first

00:11:46.500 --> 00:11:54.620
 one today, which is this, if you're keeping notes, there is a commission to fulfill, a commission to

00:11:54.620 --> 00:12:02.299
 fulfill. Look again with me at verse seven. And he called the 12 and began to send them out two by two

00:12:02.299 --> 00:12:11.220
 and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. So after months of following Jesus and watching him

00:12:11.220 --> 00:12:19.540
 closely, he's finally sending the disciples out to preach his words and to perform his works. Now let's

00:12:19.540 --> 00:12:27.700
 think about this in the kingdom language that Jesus so often used. The king, Jesus, was commissioning his

00:12:27.700 --> 00:12:34.580
 representatives to proclaim the good news of the kingdom. And here in this verse, in this simple verse,

00:12:34.580 --> 00:12:42.800
 Mark notes three actions that Jesus takes in the process of calling and sending these men. There's

00:12:42.800 --> 00:12:50.300
 calling, there's sending, and there's empowering. And it's the exact same pattern that follows in the

00:12:50.300 --> 00:12:58.340
 great commission that is given to all believers. Jesus calls us to himself, he sends us on his mission,

00:12:58.340 --> 00:13:05.680
 and he empowers us with his spirit to perform the task to which we have been called. All three things

00:13:05.680 --> 00:13:11.019
 represented here in this summary statement that Mark gives us in verse seven. So let's just look at

00:13:11.019 --> 00:13:18.280
 the three. First thing we see, and he called the 12. Do you see it there? And he called the 12.

00:13:19.399 --> 00:13:25.820
 Now, as far as Mark's gospel is concerned, this is now the third time that Jesus has issued a call

00:13:25.820 --> 00:13:32.520
 to these men. The first one was a call to actually follow him. And Mark tells us about the experience

00:13:32.520 --> 00:13:39.000
 of five specific disciples. In fact, let's look at it together. Flip back with me to chapter one first,

00:13:39.000 --> 00:13:43.180
 if you would do that. You'll remember we covered this, I think, back in November.

00:13:44.600 --> 00:13:52.980
 In Mark chapter one, verse 16, passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew,

00:13:52.980 --> 00:13:59.159
 the brother of Simon, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them,

00:13:59.500 --> 00:14:06.539
 follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men. Already a hint there in this passage of what

00:14:06.539 --> 00:14:10.840
 he was going to one day use them to do. Now, he hasn't used them to do that yet. At this point,

00:14:10.899 --> 00:14:16.019
 he's only called them. He's only put them in an observational role, but eventually they would become

00:14:16.019 --> 00:14:23.939
 indeed fishers of men. And then it says, immediately they left their nets and followed him.

00:14:24.740 --> 00:14:30.079
 And going on a little further, he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, who were in

00:14:30.079 --> 00:14:37.379
 their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in

00:14:37.379 --> 00:14:44.840
 the boat with the hired servants and followed him. So four of them initially are giving a first call.

00:14:44.980 --> 00:14:50.480
 It was a call to follow Christ in faith. And all four of them abandoned everything that they were

00:14:50.480 --> 00:14:56.320
 doing in order to follow Jesus. And then flip over to chapter two, and we see this happening once again.

00:14:57.799 --> 00:15:05.220
 This time, it was not fishermen he was calling. It was actually who the fishermen would have absolutely

00:15:05.220 --> 00:15:12.300
 hated and despised. It was a tax collector. His name is Matthew. Mark chapter two, verse 13.

00:15:12.980 --> 00:15:19.340
 He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. And as he

00:15:19.340 --> 00:15:27.379
 passed by, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus. We know his Greek name to be Matthew. He was sitting at the

00:15:27.379 --> 00:15:35.200
 tax booth, and Jesus said to him, follow me. And what did Matthew do? He rose and followed

00:15:35.200 --> 00:15:41.220
 him. This was their first call. What is this call all about? This is the effectual call of God to

00:15:41.220 --> 00:15:53.100
 salvation. Every true believer experiences this call, whereby they hear the gospel message. They are

00:15:53.100 --> 00:15:58.820
 stirred by the Holy Spirit of God. And in response to that, they abandon everything in repentance,

00:15:58.820 --> 00:16:07.379
 and they follow after Jesus Christ alone in faith as Lord and Savior. This was their first call.

00:16:08.280 --> 00:16:13.480
 All of us must come to a point where we hear the gospel message, and we respond in faith and repentance.

00:16:13.840 --> 00:16:19.080
 These men had been called to that, and they had left everything to follow Christ. But it's not the only call

00:16:19.080 --> 00:16:26.700
 that we've seen in Mark's gospel for these men. In fact, we see another call. It was a call that set them apart

00:16:26.700 --> 00:16:31.200
 for a unique purpose. Look at chapter 3, verse 14.

00:16:33.080 --> 00:16:40.840
 And he appointed 12, whom he also named apostles, so that they might be with him, and he might send

00:16:40.840 --> 00:16:46.800
 them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons. Now, he didn't send them to do that yet.

00:16:47.720 --> 00:16:54.120
 But he issues this call. He sets them apart. He gives them a unique apostolic call. And that's

00:16:54.120 --> 00:16:59.519
 really what that is about in chapter 3. But the principle applies to each of us still.

00:17:00.539 --> 00:17:06.640
 God gifts and calls each of us to serve him uniquely, but the foundation of that call is the same.

00:17:07.339 --> 00:17:14.779
 He calls us to be with him, and he sends us to go for him. He calls us to be with him,

00:17:14.779 --> 00:17:20.980
 and he sends us to go for him. Look back at Mark 3, in verse 14. He appointed 12, so that they might be

00:17:20.980 --> 00:17:30.279
 with him, and he might send them out to preach. Now, listen, this isn't a separate call from salvation.

00:17:32.039 --> 00:17:38.900
 This isn't different or extreme from the call to follow Jesus. It's actually an extension of it.

00:17:40.240 --> 00:17:44.720
 Discipleship in this way is not a higher tier of Christian experience.

00:17:44.720 --> 00:17:51.000
 It's not that only the people that really got it together and only the people that really want to follow Jesus

00:17:51.000 --> 00:17:56.100
 get set apart for the work of God in some way or another. No, discipleship is not that.

00:17:56.400 --> 00:18:01.500
 Every believer is called to follow Jesus, is also called to be a faithful disciple of Jesus.

00:18:01.759 --> 00:18:06.160
 We have the same call. Be with him and go for him.

00:18:06.160 --> 00:18:11.819
 And he gifts us in different ways, and he puts us in different places, and he calls us to perform that work

00:18:11.819 --> 00:18:16.759
 in different ways to edify his church and to preach the gospel. But the call, the foundation of it is the same.

00:18:17.019 --> 00:18:27.799
 Follow me and be with me and go for me. And we do that as we study the Bible, as we commune with God in prayer,

00:18:28.139 --> 00:18:34.159
 as we yield to the work of the Holy Spirit. As you walk with Jesus in this way, you'll find yourself

00:18:34.160 --> 00:18:47.940
 being continually enraptured by his love. And this always, always leads to passionately sharing the gospel with others.

00:18:49.940 --> 00:18:53.060
 Think about what Paul wrote to the Ephesians in Ephesians chapter 2.

00:18:53.059 --> 00:19:10.579
 He said,

00:19:10.579 --> 00:19:13.659
 You say, how am I supposed to become enraptured with the love of God?

00:19:13.859 --> 00:19:17.079
 You get in your Bible, and you spend time in prayer, and you focus on the gospel.

00:19:17.079 --> 00:19:23.319
 because as Paul looked and he considered the gospel that he had been given when he considered

00:19:23.319 --> 00:19:28.559
 the great mercy that is in Christ and the great love with which he has loved him he felt constrained

00:19:28.559 --> 00:19:36.099
 to do nothing but to take that message and to share it to others he found Jesus to be the

00:19:36.099 --> 00:19:44.359
 treasure in the field and the pearl of great price I love those parables perhaps my favorite

00:19:44.359 --> 00:19:50.359
 in relation to the kingdom of God you remember him Jesus said the kingdom of God is like this it's

00:19:50.359 --> 00:19:54.399
 like a man who goes and he finds a treasure in a field and he goes and he sells everything that he

00:19:54.399 --> 00:20:01.359
 has and he buys that field and then he says it's also like the merchant who is on search for a great

00:20:01.359 --> 00:20:07.219
 pearl and upon finding a pearl of immeasurable value he sells all of his possessions all of the things

00:20:07.219 --> 00:20:14.339
 that he has in order that he may buy that one pearl of immeasurable value and Jesus says I am the

00:20:14.339 --> 00:20:20.319
 pearl I am the treasure and as you come to understand the gospel you'll give everything

00:20:20.319 --> 00:20:24.500
 up in order to have that treasure you'll give everything up in order to have the surpassing

00:20:24.500 --> 00:20:31.319
 value that is in Christ Jesus the pearl of great price and as you continually come back to the gospel

00:20:31.319 --> 00:20:37.179
 and study the word of God and spend your time in communion with him and you become enraptured with

00:20:37.180 --> 00:20:45.060
 the love of God how can you not share that with others we collect things sometimes things of great

00:20:45.060 --> 00:20:49.799
 value and when people come to our home what do we do I want to show you this thing that I have it may

00:20:49.799 --> 00:20:57.500
 not mean much to you but it means everything to me I have in my office a picture that Mr. Quo gave me

00:20:57.500 --> 00:21:04.299
 last year it's uh um psalm 23 and verse 1 written in mandarin and then right next to it I have he gave me a

00:21:04.299 --> 00:21:09.399
 uh a Chinese name and he he has that written out and every time people come in my office Mr. Quo I

00:21:09.399 --> 00:21:15.000
 take them I show them I said you got to see what Mr. Quo gave me I have to use google translate to figure

00:21:15.000 --> 00:21:20.779
 out what it says but it's so cool for most people it means nothing to them it means a lot to me

00:21:20.779 --> 00:21:27.980
 and what does that say for our recognition of the value of Christ and the gospel in our lives

00:21:27.980 --> 00:21:35.680
 Paul wrote to the Corinthians that the love of God controls me and that I have determined in viewing

00:21:35.680 --> 00:21:40.839
 the gospel that there is such great value in the gospel his love has shown me so much he goes on to

00:21:40.839 --> 00:21:47.039
 say that one has died for all therefore all have died and he died for all that those who might live

00:21:47.039 --> 00:21:55.880
 might live no longer for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised and Paul says

00:21:55.880 --> 00:22:01.920
 when I consider this gospel and I consider this love I am constrained by it to the extent that it

00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:08.080
 controls everything that I do it controls everything that I say it controls everything that I do

00:22:08.080 --> 00:22:15.560
 for the Lord so Christ calls us to be with him what does that mean we study our bible we commune with him

00:22:15.560 --> 00:22:22.740
 in prayer we focus our attention on the gospel therefore those who are not going out for him

00:22:22.740 --> 00:22:27.180
 give evidence that they have not been with him

00:22:27.180 --> 00:22:39.500
 it doesn't mean that every person who doesn't faithfully share the gospel or serve the Lord in

00:22:39.500 --> 00:22:45.500
 one way or another it doesn't mean that every one of them aren't believers but it at least means

00:22:45.500 --> 00:22:51.599
 that it's been a while since they've been captivated by Christ's love through the gospel

00:22:51.599 --> 00:23:00.939
 and I find this incredibly convicting because my witness is weak you would think that it would be

00:23:00.939 --> 00:23:05.219
 difficult to stand on a platform Sunday by Sunday and preach a message like this but it's actually

00:23:05.219 --> 00:23:12.679
 not that hard to do what's more difficult is to do it as you step off of the platform

00:23:12.680 --> 00:23:25.080
 if your evangelistic efforts are weak like mine the first step is to refresh yourself

00:23:25.080 --> 00:23:30.120
 on the wonderful grace of Jesus Christ in the gospel

00:23:30.120 --> 00:23:37.680
 I remember times growing up somebody would come in a pastor or visiting preacher whoever it was you go to

00:23:37.680 --> 00:23:41.900
 youth conference there was always something like this there and there would always be a sermon that was

00:23:41.900 --> 00:23:46.860
 specifically on the need of evangelism and all of that's good and well but but it was presented in

00:23:46.860 --> 00:23:51.400
 such a way that I thought okay I'm not I'm not great at sharing the gospel and my first response

00:23:51.400 --> 00:23:55.060
 is I'm going to grab a handful of tracks off the track rack and I'm just going to start handing out

00:23:55.060 --> 00:24:01.100
 tracks listen to me if if you are weak in your evangelism the first thing that you need to do is not grab a

00:24:01.100 --> 00:24:05.160
 bunch of tracks and go hand them out to people in your neighborhood the first thing you need to do is get in

00:24:05.160 --> 00:24:10.400
 your bible and to get on your knees in prayer and focus your heart on the gospel of Jesus and the

00:24:10.400 --> 00:24:16.840
 overflow of that as your love for Christ is renewed once again is I can't wait to share with you what

00:24:16.840 --> 00:24:22.620
 Christ has done and if you will just believe he will forgive you too

00:24:22.619 --> 00:24:36.919
 he will save you too of course the best way to share the gospel is to be thoroughly convinced of it yourself

00:24:36.919 --> 00:24:43.959
 effective evangelism does not begin with winning an argument with someone on

00:24:43.959 --> 00:24:50.059
 Facebook or on next door or whatever it is whatever the venue is that you prefer to argue

00:24:50.059 --> 00:24:58.339
 it's by demonstrating that you actually believe the things that you say that you believe

00:24:58.339 --> 00:25:06.480
 how do we do that we do that lots of ways what about the expression of joy that we have day by day in

00:25:06.480 --> 00:25:13.319
 this life when we get distracted away from the gospel and its impact on our lives we really start to become

00:25:13.319 --> 00:25:17.539
 such ungrateful people don't we

00:25:17.539 --> 00:25:23.859
 we don't demonstrate joy in Jesus we demonstrate a love for the world

00:25:23.859 --> 00:25:32.079
 but when we demonstrate the joy even the deepest darkest moments of our life it gives evidence that

00:25:32.079 --> 00:25:36.799
 we actually do believe this thing that we say that we believe about eternity and about hope and about

00:25:36.799 --> 00:25:37.220
 Christ

00:25:37.220 --> 00:25:41.779
 we show this in our song

00:25:41.779 --> 00:25:46.000
 I love congregational singing it's my favorite thing

00:25:46.000 --> 00:25:50.880
 it's my favorite thing when we come together outside of the preaching is that I love when we sing together

00:25:50.880 --> 00:25:56.100
 and if someone were to come in here that was an unbeliever even if they didn't believe it

00:25:56.100 --> 00:25:58.380
 even if they didn't believe this message

00:25:58.380 --> 00:26:02.360
 would they be able to see the way that you sing and know that you actually do believe this

00:26:02.359 --> 00:26:05.359
 you can't carry a tune worth a lick but man

00:26:05.359 --> 00:26:07.679
 but man you must

00:26:07.679 --> 00:26:09.679
 you must really believe this

00:26:09.679 --> 00:26:13.139
 our passion

00:26:13.139 --> 00:26:15.039
 our urgency

00:26:15.039 --> 00:26:18.559
 our commitment to the Lord

00:26:18.559 --> 00:26:21.719
 our commitment to be obedient to him

00:26:21.719 --> 00:26:24.199
 our knowledge of him

00:26:24.199 --> 00:26:28.619
 people may think you're delusional or fanatical

00:26:28.619 --> 00:26:31.199
 but may they never think that you are insincere

00:26:31.199 --> 00:26:35.779
 and so what was it what does this have to do with call

00:26:35.779 --> 00:26:39.739
 well this is now the third time that Jesus has issued a call to these men

00:26:39.739 --> 00:26:43.339
 and the second one was be with me

00:26:43.339 --> 00:26:46.479
 in order that you may go for me

00:26:46.479 --> 00:26:49.819
 and now because they have been with him

00:26:49.819 --> 00:26:52.979
 they are able to go for him

00:26:52.979 --> 00:26:56.159
 and so we see calling we'll see the last two quickly

00:26:56.160 --> 00:26:58.180
 then we see sending

00:26:58.180 --> 00:27:00.740
 look at verse 7 again

00:27:00.740 --> 00:27:05.180
 and he began to send them out two by two

00:27:05.180 --> 00:27:10.519
 so the second action that Mark notes here is the actual sending of the twelve

00:27:10.519 --> 00:27:18.600
 and again Jesus exercised wisdom as he strategically and methodically sent these men out on this mini mission

00:27:18.600 --> 00:27:23.500
 began seems to suggest that he staggered their departures

00:27:23.500 --> 00:27:25.640
 perhaps due to specific assignments

00:27:25.640 --> 00:27:27.160
 which just reminds us once again

00:27:27.160 --> 00:27:29.819
 even if you were to study church history

00:27:29.819 --> 00:27:32.200
 and you would see that all of these men went to different places

00:27:32.200 --> 00:27:33.759
 and they were used in different ways

00:27:33.759 --> 00:27:36.920
 even despite being apostles themselves

00:27:36.920 --> 00:27:38.920
 they were used in different ways in different places

00:27:38.920 --> 00:27:42.859
 perhaps he staggered this in order to give them specific assignments

00:27:42.859 --> 00:27:46.940
 to go and to do what he desired for them to do in this moment

00:27:46.940 --> 00:27:47.980
 it's just wisdom

00:27:47.980 --> 00:27:49.420
 it's organization

00:27:49.420 --> 00:27:52.420
 provided security for their journey

00:27:52.420 --> 00:27:55.460
 it provided encouragement in the work

00:27:55.460 --> 00:27:58.200
 it provided credibility

00:27:58.200 --> 00:28:02.279
 as Jewish custom and even law necessitated that

00:28:02.279 --> 00:28:03.840
 at least two witnesses

00:28:03.840 --> 00:28:07.900
 be present to confirm a statement or an accusation

00:28:07.900 --> 00:28:11.800
 Solomon wrote about this in the Old Testament

00:28:11.800 --> 00:28:13.200
 two are better than one

00:28:13.200 --> 00:28:16.160
 because they have a good reward for their toil

00:28:16.160 --> 00:28:18.340
 for if they fall

00:28:18.340 --> 00:28:19.680
 one will lift up his fellow

00:28:19.680 --> 00:28:21.799
 but woe to him who is alone when he falls

00:28:21.799 --> 00:28:23.440
 and has not another to lift him up

00:28:23.440 --> 00:28:26.060
 again if two lie together

00:28:26.060 --> 00:28:27.220
 they keep warm

00:28:27.220 --> 00:28:28.740
 but how can one be warm alone

00:28:28.740 --> 00:28:32.539
 and though a man might prevail against one who is alone

00:28:32.539 --> 00:28:34.840
 two will withstand him

00:28:34.840 --> 00:28:37.980
 what is Jesus doing here?

00:28:38.060 --> 00:28:39.799
 well he's just practically sending them out

00:28:39.799 --> 00:28:41.019
 with wisdom

00:28:41.019 --> 00:28:44.100
 now we don't need to

00:28:44.099 --> 00:28:47.019
 view this too woodenly

00:28:47.019 --> 00:28:50.119
 Jesus intention here was not

00:28:50.119 --> 00:28:53.259
 that we would stagger our times of evangelism

00:28:53.259 --> 00:28:54.219
 and it wasn't that

00:28:54.219 --> 00:28:57.319
 the only way to effectively do the work of the ministry

00:28:57.319 --> 00:28:58.719
 is to do it in pairs

00:28:58.719 --> 00:29:00.079
 that's not the point

00:29:00.079 --> 00:29:07.339
 the point is that God has given us each a unique assignment in his work

00:29:07.339 --> 00:29:11.459
 and our commission is to be fulfilled in partnership

00:29:11.459 --> 00:29:13.039
 with other believers

00:29:13.039 --> 00:29:17.379
 particularly the church to which you belong

00:29:17.379 --> 00:29:22.179
 so not only has God called us and sent us

00:29:22.179 --> 00:29:23.879
 and empowered us

00:29:23.879 --> 00:29:26.579
 but he desires that we do that in concert

00:29:26.579 --> 00:29:28.240
 with his church

00:29:28.240 --> 00:29:29.859
 and with his people

00:29:29.859 --> 00:29:32.619
 and then the third action we see

00:29:32.619 --> 00:29:36.779
 he gave them authority or power over the unclean

00:29:36.779 --> 00:29:38.099
 spirits

00:29:38.099 --> 00:29:40.559
 now in the summary

00:29:40.559 --> 00:29:43.619
 Mark chooses to specifically highlight the fact

00:29:43.619 --> 00:29:45.619
 that they would have authority over unclean spirits

00:29:45.619 --> 00:29:46.980
 but we know that that authority

00:29:46.980 --> 00:29:50.539
 did not limit itself to just unclean spirits

00:29:50.539 --> 00:29:53.059
 because later on we see that they were actually able to

00:29:53.059 --> 00:29:54.579
 heal many people as well

00:29:54.579 --> 00:29:57.440
 and that there was great power as they preached the gospel

00:29:57.440 --> 00:30:00.160
 as Jesus would preach the gospel

00:30:00.160 --> 00:30:03.019
 and so the emphasis here is not so much on the unclean spirits

00:30:03.019 --> 00:30:04.879
 as it is on the authority

00:30:04.879 --> 00:30:05.879
 and the power

00:30:05.880 --> 00:30:08.660
 so Jesus not only called them

00:30:08.660 --> 00:30:09.920
 not only sent them

00:30:09.920 --> 00:30:11.680
 but he empowered them

00:30:11.680 --> 00:30:13.240
 to do the work

00:30:13.240 --> 00:30:14.760
 to which they were called

00:30:14.760 --> 00:30:18.040
 and this is an important reminder for us

00:30:18.040 --> 00:30:21.660
 that the fruit of their ministry

00:30:21.660 --> 00:30:24.680
 was not the result of any power within themselves

00:30:24.680 --> 00:30:28.580
 but it was the power of Jesus at work

00:30:28.580 --> 00:30:29.640
 through them

00:30:29.640 --> 00:30:35.400
 they had no power without God giving them that power

00:30:35.400 --> 00:30:37.960
 which means the power was not their own

00:30:37.960 --> 00:30:41.860
 but the power and the authority belonged to Christ

00:30:41.860 --> 00:30:44.160
 they weren't to go in their own name

00:30:44.160 --> 00:30:46.380
 they weren't to build their own kingdom

00:30:46.380 --> 00:30:48.780
 they were to go in the name of Christ

00:30:48.780 --> 00:30:51.600
 building the kingdom of Christ

00:30:51.600 --> 00:30:53.980
 and this is the fact that surprised

00:30:53.980 --> 00:30:56.360
 so many of the enemies of the gospel in the book of Acts

00:30:56.359 --> 00:30:58.919
 these were ordinary men

00:30:58.919 --> 00:31:01.099
 common people

00:31:01.099 --> 00:31:04.159
 they had no theological training

00:31:04.159 --> 00:31:07.019
 they hadn't been to the rabbinical schools

00:31:07.019 --> 00:31:08.139
 they were fishermen

00:31:08.139 --> 00:31:09.579
 and tax collectors

00:31:09.579 --> 00:31:12.819
 and anti-Roman zealots

00:31:12.819 --> 00:31:17.059
 yet the religious leaders of the day

00:31:17.059 --> 00:31:17.979
 were blown away

00:31:17.979 --> 00:31:20.139
 by the power with which they preached the gospel

00:31:20.139 --> 00:31:22.699
 remember in Acts chapter 4

00:31:22.700 --> 00:31:24.980
 now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John

00:31:24.980 --> 00:31:27.600
 and perceived that they were uneducated common men

00:31:27.600 --> 00:31:28.980
 they were astonished

00:31:28.980 --> 00:31:30.360
 and here's what it says

00:31:30.360 --> 00:31:33.720
 they recognized that they had been with Jesus

00:31:33.720 --> 00:31:35.799
 they didn't look at Peter and John

00:31:35.799 --> 00:31:38.460
 and say what great power is in Peter and John

00:31:38.460 --> 00:31:39.920
 they looked at Peter and John

00:31:39.920 --> 00:31:42.420
 and said these men must have been with Jesus

00:31:42.420 --> 00:31:44.880
 and how did they know that?

00:31:45.259 --> 00:31:46.799
 by the works they performed

00:31:46.799 --> 00:31:48.700
 and the message that they preached

00:31:48.700 --> 00:31:50.039
 it wasn't about them

00:31:50.039 --> 00:31:51.680
 there was no power in them

00:31:51.680 --> 00:31:53.100
 it was about Christ

00:31:53.100 --> 00:31:54.700
 and it was about his work

00:31:54.700 --> 00:31:57.279
 and Christ empowered them to do the work

00:31:57.279 --> 00:31:58.279
 that he called them to do

00:31:58.279 --> 00:32:00.360
 so Jewish custom

00:32:00.360 --> 00:32:03.720
 it recognized that the sent one

00:32:03.720 --> 00:32:07.880
 was sent as if he was

00:32:07.880 --> 00:32:09.720
 the one who commissioned him

00:32:09.720 --> 00:32:11.000
 in other words

00:32:11.000 --> 00:32:12.160
 the authority of these men

00:32:12.160 --> 00:32:13.660
 in proclaiming Jesus' words

00:32:13.660 --> 00:32:15.180
 and performing his works

00:32:15.180 --> 00:32:17.000
 was to be viewed as that of Jesus

00:32:17.000 --> 00:32:20.680
 similar to a modern ambassadorship

00:32:20.680 --> 00:32:24.799
 they were ambassadors for the king

00:32:24.799 --> 00:32:28.019
 and though they went in the fullness of Christ's power

00:32:28.019 --> 00:32:30.080
 the authority was not their own

00:32:30.080 --> 00:32:31.900
 but the one whom they represented

00:32:31.900 --> 00:32:33.519
 Paul wrote about this

00:32:33.519 --> 00:32:35.680
 he wrote about it this way in 2 Corinthians 5

00:32:35.680 --> 00:32:36.840
 that is in Christ

00:32:36.840 --> 00:32:39.380
 God was reconciling the world to himself

00:32:39.380 --> 00:32:42.120
 not counting their trespasses against them

00:32:42.120 --> 00:32:44.000
 and entrusting to us

00:32:44.000 --> 00:32:45.920
 that message of the gospel

00:32:45.920 --> 00:32:47.380
 that message of reconciliation

00:32:47.380 --> 00:32:49.260
 therefore Paul says

00:32:49.260 --> 00:32:53.240
 we are ambassadors for Christ

00:32:53.240 --> 00:32:57.440
 God making his appeal through us

00:32:57.440 --> 00:32:59.540
 and then he makes his appeal

00:32:59.540 --> 00:33:02.040
 he says we implore you then

00:33:02.040 --> 00:33:04.680
 be reconciled to God

00:33:04.680 --> 00:33:06.560
 what is this ambassadorship about?

00:33:07.000 --> 00:33:08.660
 we are not representatives of ourselves

00:33:08.660 --> 00:33:10.840
 we're not building our own kingdom in Cornelius

00:33:10.840 --> 00:33:11.940
 we're not doing our own thing

00:33:11.940 --> 00:33:13.200
 we don't matter

00:33:13.200 --> 00:33:15.180
 one person said

00:33:15.180 --> 00:33:16.019
 preach the gospel

00:33:16.019 --> 00:33:17.299
 die and be forgotten

00:33:17.299 --> 00:33:20.180
 we don't like to live that way

00:33:20.180 --> 00:33:21.940
 we want everybody to remember us

00:33:21.940 --> 00:33:23.420
 we all want to have a legacy

00:33:23.420 --> 00:33:25.799
 we all want to be applauded

00:33:25.799 --> 00:33:26.740
 for the things that we do

00:33:26.740 --> 00:33:28.240
 but it wasn't about these men

00:33:28.240 --> 00:33:29.299
 it was about Christ

00:33:29.299 --> 00:33:30.680
 they were going with his authority

00:33:30.680 --> 00:33:32.039
 they were going in his name

00:33:32.039 --> 00:33:33.640
 and it was only because of that

00:33:33.640 --> 00:33:35.360
 that they were used so mightily

00:33:35.360 --> 00:33:36.360
 in the work of God

00:33:36.360 --> 00:33:37.620
 and Paul said

00:33:37.620 --> 00:33:38.440
 that's what we are

00:33:38.440 --> 00:33:39.259
 we're ambassadors

00:33:39.259 --> 00:33:41.580
 we're ambassadors for him

00:33:41.579 --> 00:33:43.179
 and what do ambassadors do?

00:33:43.339 --> 00:33:45.159
 they represent the king

00:33:45.159 --> 00:33:46.460
 and what are we to do?

00:33:46.759 --> 00:33:47.699
 represent the king

00:33:47.699 --> 00:33:48.339
 how?

00:33:48.559 --> 00:33:49.939
 by preaching his words

00:33:49.939 --> 00:33:51.419
 and doing his works

00:33:51.419 --> 00:33:53.679
 just like these men

00:33:53.679 --> 00:33:55.659
 you say what does that mean?

00:33:55.960 --> 00:33:56.919
 well for Paul it meant

00:33:56.919 --> 00:33:57.799
 looking at the people

00:33:57.799 --> 00:33:58.659
 to whom he was preaching

00:33:58.659 --> 00:33:59.039
 he's saying

00:33:59.039 --> 00:34:00.399
 therefore I implore you

00:34:00.399 --> 00:34:01.839
 be reconciled to God

00:34:01.839 --> 00:34:03.799
 and that may be all that it means for you

00:34:03.799 --> 00:34:06.179
 that as you go to your family

00:34:06.179 --> 00:34:06.759
 and your friends

00:34:06.759 --> 00:34:07.480
 and your co-workers

00:34:07.480 --> 00:34:08.199
 and whoever it is

00:34:08.199 --> 00:34:09.299
 that the Lord sends you to

00:34:09.299 --> 00:34:10.360
 that that's what you say

00:34:10.360 --> 00:34:11.700
 I'm an ambassador for Christ

00:34:11.700 --> 00:34:12.539
 therefore please

00:34:12.539 --> 00:34:14.240
 be reconciled to God

00:34:14.240 --> 00:34:15.220
 share the message

00:34:15.220 --> 00:34:17.140
 and urge people to respond

00:34:17.140 --> 00:34:19.980
 we're his representatives

00:34:19.980 --> 00:34:21.960
 in this place

00:34:21.960 --> 00:34:23.680
 at this time

00:34:23.680 --> 00:34:25.660
 and he's commissioned us

00:34:25.660 --> 00:34:27.220
 to go in his power

00:34:27.220 --> 00:34:30.039
 and in his authority

00:34:30.039 --> 00:34:32.800
 and it's easy for us

00:34:32.800 --> 00:34:34.260
 to be timid in this task

00:34:34.260 --> 00:34:37.500
 but this truth actually comes

00:34:37.500 --> 00:34:38.519
 as a great comfort

00:34:38.519 --> 00:34:41.739
 because he didn't tell these men

00:34:41.739 --> 00:34:44.019
 go from village to village

00:34:44.019 --> 00:34:45.639
 and figure it out

00:34:45.639 --> 00:34:47.760
 no

00:34:47.760 --> 00:34:49.880
 no

00:34:49.880 --> 00:34:52.420
 he gave them authority

00:34:52.420 --> 00:34:54.739
 he empowered them

00:34:54.739 --> 00:34:55.440
 and later on

00:34:55.440 --> 00:34:56.320
 he's going to tell them

00:34:56.320 --> 00:34:58.000
 the night before his arrest

00:34:58.000 --> 00:35:00.599
 the night of his arrest

00:35:00.599 --> 00:35:01.780
 he's going to say

00:35:01.780 --> 00:35:02.900
 I'm going to leave

00:35:02.900 --> 00:35:04.119
 and when I leave

00:35:04.119 --> 00:35:05.500
 I'm going to send a helper

00:35:05.500 --> 00:35:06.980
 and the helper

00:35:06.980 --> 00:35:07.780
 is going to remind you

00:35:07.780 --> 00:35:09.039
 of everything that I've taught you

00:35:09.039 --> 00:35:10.139
 and he's going to open your mind

00:35:10.139 --> 00:35:11.320
 and he's going to empower you

00:35:11.320 --> 00:35:13.179
 and then we get to the book of Acts

00:35:13.179 --> 00:35:14.659
 and that's exactly what he did

00:35:14.659 --> 00:35:15.659
 the Holy Spirit came

00:35:15.659 --> 00:35:17.059
 and empowered them in a way

00:35:17.059 --> 00:35:18.559
 that they would have never dreamed

00:35:18.559 --> 00:35:19.239
 why?

00:35:19.860 --> 00:35:21.880
 in order that they may perform the work

00:35:21.880 --> 00:35:23.840
 that God had called them to perform

00:35:23.840 --> 00:35:26.119
 you don't have to have it all together

00:35:26.119 --> 00:35:27.219
 to be a witness for God

00:35:27.219 --> 00:35:28.639
 you just need to be with Christ

00:35:28.639 --> 00:35:31.000
 you just need to be with Christ

00:35:31.000 --> 00:35:32.920
 and if you're a believer today

00:35:32.920 --> 00:35:34.059
 you already have the Spirit

00:35:34.059 --> 00:35:36.539
 so go in the power of that Spirit

00:35:36.539 --> 00:35:39.279
 trusting him to be fruitful in the work

00:35:39.279 --> 00:35:40.019
 as you are faithful

00:35:40.019 --> 00:35:44.039
 remember that great commission

00:35:44.039 --> 00:35:45.000
 in Matthew 28

00:35:45.000 --> 00:35:47.539
 go ye therefore

00:35:47.539 --> 00:35:49.920
 and make disciples of all nations

00:35:49.920 --> 00:35:51.779
 baptizing them in the name

00:35:51.779 --> 00:35:53.019
 of the Father and the Son

00:35:53.019 --> 00:35:53.739
 and the Holy Ghost

00:35:53.739 --> 00:35:55.519
 teaching them to observe all things

00:35:55.519 --> 00:35:56.960
 that's a heavy command

00:35:56.960 --> 00:36:00.380
 it's overwhelming isn't it

00:36:00.380 --> 00:36:01.599
 but we can't understand

00:36:01.599 --> 00:36:02.819
 that commission

00:36:02.819 --> 00:36:04.039
 without the promises

00:36:04.039 --> 00:36:05.440
 on either side of it

00:36:05.440 --> 00:36:07.799
 because Jesus opens up

00:36:07.799 --> 00:36:08.559
 in verse 18

00:36:08.559 --> 00:36:09.139
 and he says

00:36:09.139 --> 00:36:10.900
 all authority is given to me

00:36:10.900 --> 00:36:12.000
 in heaven and earth

00:36:12.000 --> 00:36:13.579
 go therefore

00:36:13.579 --> 00:36:15.239
 because of this authority

00:36:15.239 --> 00:36:16.019
 I give it to you

00:36:16.019 --> 00:36:17.199
 I'm going to go with you

00:36:17.199 --> 00:36:18.299
 and then at the very end

00:36:18.299 --> 00:36:18.799
 of the command

00:36:18.799 --> 00:36:20.079
 what is it that he says

00:36:20.079 --> 00:36:20.739
 and behold

00:36:20.739 --> 00:36:22.039
 I am with you always

00:36:22.039 --> 00:36:23.860
 even to the end of the age

00:36:23.860 --> 00:36:24.839
 you say

00:36:24.839 --> 00:36:25.819
 how am I supposed to go

00:36:25.819 --> 00:36:26.179
 and do this

00:36:26.179 --> 00:36:27.059
 how am I supposed to be

00:36:27.059 --> 00:36:27.679
 a faithful witness

00:36:27.679 --> 00:36:28.699
 how am I supposed to do anything

00:36:28.699 --> 00:36:30.119
 as far as mission is concerned

00:36:30.119 --> 00:36:31.339
 you do it because God

00:36:31.339 --> 00:36:32.579
 has empowered you to do it

00:36:32.579 --> 00:36:35.480
 and you rest in the promise

00:36:35.480 --> 00:36:36.219
 that he has given

00:36:36.219 --> 00:36:38.519
 that I will not leave you

00:36:38.519 --> 00:36:40.579
 I will be with you

00:36:40.579 --> 00:36:43.159
 so we go with his message

00:36:43.159 --> 00:36:43.900
 and his power

00:36:43.900 --> 00:36:44.599
 and we trust him

00:36:44.599 --> 00:36:45.819
 to fulfill his promise

00:36:45.819 --> 00:36:48.400
 and let me just close like this

00:36:49.259 --> 00:36:54.500
 Jesus and this is really the point

00:36:54.500 --> 00:36:55.480
 of spending so much time

00:36:55.480 --> 00:36:56.159
 on this verse

00:36:56.159 --> 00:36:59.119
 Jesus is still calling

00:36:59.119 --> 00:37:01.880
 he's still calling

00:37:01.880 --> 00:37:04.859
 he's still sending

00:37:04.859 --> 00:37:09.139
 he's still empowering

00:37:09.139 --> 00:37:12.259
 this wasn't limited to these men

00:37:12.259 --> 00:37:14.239
 this matters for us

00:37:14.239 --> 00:37:17.400
 he is calling us

00:37:17.400 --> 00:37:19.500
 he is sending us

00:37:19.500 --> 00:37:21.779
 and he will empower us

00:37:21.779 --> 00:37:22.579
 to do the work

00:37:22.579 --> 00:37:25.639
 and we think back in history

00:37:25.639 --> 00:37:26.319
 and we think about

00:37:26.319 --> 00:37:26.980
 all of the people

00:37:26.980 --> 00:37:27.980
 that we have seen this

00:37:27.980 --> 00:37:29.599
 so glaringly in history

00:37:29.599 --> 00:37:32.119
 Julie and I

00:37:32.119 --> 00:37:33.460
 we were all sitting

00:37:33.460 --> 00:37:33.980
 in the living room

00:37:33.980 --> 00:37:34.380
 last night

00:37:34.380 --> 00:37:36.539
 watching a series of videos

00:37:36.539 --> 00:37:38.079
 of I think it was

00:37:38.079 --> 00:37:38.740
 Tim Challies

00:37:38.740 --> 00:37:40.159
 was going around the world

00:37:40.159 --> 00:37:40.780
 and he was finding

00:37:40.780 --> 00:37:42.539
 historical artifacts

00:37:42.539 --> 00:37:44.980
 that would communicate

00:37:44.980 --> 00:37:47.300
 the unique way

00:37:47.300 --> 00:37:48.000
 in which God

00:37:48.000 --> 00:37:49.179
 had used different people

00:37:49.179 --> 00:37:50.539
 in Christian history

00:37:50.539 --> 00:37:51.219
 throughout the world

00:37:51.219 --> 00:37:51.740
 and he was doing

00:37:51.740 --> 00:37:52.420
 and he was going

00:37:52.420 --> 00:37:53.599
 to all these missionary places

00:37:53.599 --> 00:37:54.779
 he goes to China

00:37:54.779 --> 00:37:55.539
 and he sees

00:37:55.539 --> 00:37:58.039
 the work of Hudson Taylor

00:37:58.039 --> 00:37:59.420
 and he goes to India

00:37:59.420 --> 00:38:00.420
 and he sees the work

00:38:00.420 --> 00:38:01.360
 of William Carey

00:38:01.360 --> 00:38:02.900
 and of Amy Carmichael

00:38:02.900 --> 00:38:04.119
 and we can think of others

00:38:04.119 --> 00:38:05.059
 we can think of people

00:38:05.059 --> 00:38:06.299
 like Adoniram

00:38:06.299 --> 00:38:07.239
 and Ann Judson

00:38:07.239 --> 00:38:08.179
 who went to Burma

00:38:08.179 --> 00:38:08.900
 and we can think

00:38:08.900 --> 00:38:10.339
 of other people

00:38:10.339 --> 00:38:10.739
 who have gone

00:38:10.739 --> 00:38:11.500
 across the world

00:38:11.500 --> 00:38:12.400
 and across the seas

00:38:12.400 --> 00:38:13.239
 and the Lord

00:38:13.239 --> 00:38:14.119
 has just used them

00:38:14.119 --> 00:38:16.319
 they were called

00:38:16.319 --> 00:38:17.039
 and they were sent

00:38:17.039 --> 00:38:17.719
 and they were empowered

00:38:17.719 --> 00:38:18.679
 to do a great work

00:38:18.679 --> 00:38:19.579
 and it wasn't a matter

00:38:19.579 --> 00:38:20.500
 of going for a couple

00:38:20.500 --> 00:38:20.860
 of years

00:38:20.860 --> 00:38:21.639
 and going home

00:38:21.639 --> 00:38:23.119
 they gave their lives

00:38:23.119 --> 00:38:23.619
 for that

00:38:23.619 --> 00:38:26.099
 they're buried

00:38:26.099 --> 00:38:27.119
 in those places

00:38:27.119 --> 00:38:29.859
 because God

00:38:29.859 --> 00:38:30.460
 had called them

00:38:30.460 --> 00:38:30.699
 and it's

00:38:30.699 --> 00:38:31.339
 listen God

00:38:31.339 --> 00:38:32.299
 still calls people

00:38:32.299 --> 00:38:33.900
 and he still

00:38:33.900 --> 00:38:34.679
 sends people

00:38:34.679 --> 00:38:36.259
 and who's to say

00:38:36.259 --> 00:38:36.739
 that he's not

00:38:36.739 --> 00:38:37.759
 sending you somewhere

00:38:37.759 --> 00:38:39.779
 he's at least

00:38:39.779 --> 00:38:40.460
 sent you here

00:38:40.460 --> 00:38:42.779
 he's at least

00:38:42.779 --> 00:38:43.379
 sent you to your

00:38:43.379 --> 00:38:43.779
 neighborhood

00:38:43.779 --> 00:38:45.480
 and to your family

00:38:45.480 --> 00:38:46.879
 don't forsake

00:38:46.879 --> 00:38:47.379
 the call

00:38:47.379 --> 00:38:48.980
 go in his power

00:38:48.980 --> 00:38:50.420
 but think of all

00:38:50.420 --> 00:38:51.019
 the thousands

00:38:51.019 --> 00:38:51.679
 and thousands

00:38:51.679 --> 00:38:52.320
 and thousands

00:38:52.320 --> 00:38:52.880
 of people

00:38:52.880 --> 00:38:53.599
 throughout Christian

00:38:53.599 --> 00:38:53.980
 history

00:38:53.980 --> 00:38:54.800
 whose names

00:38:54.800 --> 00:38:55.780
 you will never know

00:38:55.780 --> 00:38:56.539
 whose faces

00:38:56.539 --> 00:38:57.539
 you will never see

00:38:57.539 --> 00:38:58.259
 who have given

00:38:58.259 --> 00:38:58.880
 their lives

00:38:58.880 --> 00:38:59.699
 to be empowered

00:38:59.699 --> 00:39:00.340
 by Christ

00:39:00.340 --> 00:39:01.480
 to do this work

00:39:01.480 --> 00:39:02.059
 and they have

00:39:02.059 --> 00:39:03.119
 served in obscurity

00:39:03.119 --> 00:39:03.800
 and they have

00:39:03.800 --> 00:39:04.599
 served faithfully

00:39:04.599 --> 00:39:05.239
 and they have

00:39:05.239 --> 00:39:06.239
 glorified God

00:39:06.239 --> 00:39:07.340
 in the same way

00:39:07.340 --> 00:39:08.360
 that these 12 men

00:39:08.360 --> 00:39:09.219
 glorified God

00:39:09.219 --> 00:39:11.360
 because it's not

00:39:11.360 --> 00:39:12.159
 about these men

00:39:12.159 --> 00:39:14.179
 it's not about us

00:39:14.179 --> 00:39:16.739
 it's about him

00:39:16.739 --> 00:39:18.599
 and his gospel

00:39:18.599 --> 00:39:20.799
 and he's still

00:39:20.799 --> 00:39:21.339
 calling

00:39:21.339 --> 00:39:22.960
 and he's still

00:39:22.960 --> 00:39:23.420
 sending

00:39:23.420 --> 00:39:25.239
 and he's still

00:39:25.239 --> 00:39:25.819
 empowering

00:39:25.819 --> 00:39:26.960
 so the question

00:39:26.960 --> 00:39:27.460
 is not

00:39:27.460 --> 00:39:28.360
 is Jesus

00:39:28.360 --> 00:39:28.940
 still doing

00:39:28.940 --> 00:39:29.539
 these things

00:39:29.539 --> 00:39:30.319
 the question

00:39:30.319 --> 00:39:30.639
 is

00:39:30.639 --> 00:39:31.219
 are we

00:39:31.219 --> 00:39:31.799
 answering

00:39:31.799 --> 00:39:33.799
 and are we

00:39:33.799 --> 00:39:34.420
 going

00:39:34.420 --> 00:39:36.579
 and are we

00:39:36.579 --> 00:39:36.920
 going

00:39:36.920 --> 00:39:37.539
 and obeying

00:39:37.539 --> 00:39:38.179
 in his power

00:39:38.179 --> 00:39:54.159
 for

00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159


00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:54.159