Simple Directions Series

“Simple Directions”

Luke 9:1-9

A sermon for 1/9/22 – First Sunday after Epiphany

Pastor John Bright

Luke 9 “1Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. 2 He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece.”

4 “Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”

6 So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Him; and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, 8 and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again. 9 Herod said, “John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?” So he sought to see Him.”

I want to give you a chance to participate right off the bat this morning. Raise your hand if you have ever gotten directions that were hard to follow.

Now for the men – that includes all the times you had to give up and actually look at the directions😊

How many of you would prefer simple directions? Me, too!

That’s what we have here in Luke 9, as Jesus prepares to send out His disciples. We also have a connection to the beginning of Jesus ministry. Listen to Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” We read the same in Mark 1:14-15 “14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

What is the Kingdom of God? In the big picture view – God the Father is the sovereign ruler of the whole universe that He created. (That would definitely include the multi-verse for all you Marvel Comic fans!) But we tend to take a close-up view of the Kingdom of God in the gospels – there we find Jesus presented as Savior and Lord of humanity. Listen to what Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:5 “5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Salvation is the entry into the Kingdom of God and the ongoing gift of eternal life. To be a part of the in-breaking Kingdom of God we have to surrender our hearts and lives to Lord Jesus Christ.

Did I lose some of you right there?

There comes a point in each of the Gospels when the crowds stop following Jesus and it’s just the disciples. That’s what happens when we proclaim a gospel that is connected to the Lordship of Jesus over each Believer.

The Gospel & the Kingdom of God

2 He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

6 So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

There was a day in the church when we focused on making sure new Believers left the Kingdom of this world – which is the Kingdom of Satan – and entered the Kingdom of God where Jesus is Lord over every part of life. Today – obedience to God’s Word is optional for Believers and, most of the time, it’s hard to tell the difference between us and them.

There is an old story about a man who noticed an impatient woman who was tailgating him. She was so close that when he had to brake to allow some children to use a pedestrian crossing, she almost crashed into him. Furious at being delayed, she sounded her horn and began yelling out the window at the car in front of her.

It was then, the lady noticed the blue lights behind her. She pulled over and the officer asked for her license and registration. As he sat in the police car, she got more and more irritated. When the officer told her she was free to go, the woman was extremely indignant and demanded an apology.

The officer responsible explained the reason for stopping her. "You see, madam, I pulled up behind your car while you're sounding your horn and loudly cursing the driver in front of you. Then I noticed the 'Follow Jesus, Not Me' sticker on the rear window, the 'God Is Love' sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem. Naturally, I assumed that you had stolen the car..." 😊