Sent Forth On A Mission Series

SENT FORTH ON A MISSION

Text: Mark 6:7 – 13, 30

Introduction:

• 1986 decided to major in secondary education

• Transferred to Ohio University

• Took courses in curriculum development, educational psychology, media methods, teaching methods, and mathematics

• Before I could get my diploma and teaching license, I had to complete student teaching

• Supposed to take all that I had learned and apply it in a real situation for an extended period of time

• Spring of 1989 I began my student teaching

• Disciples had been taught by Jesus, had watched him heal and cast out demons, had heard him preach and teach to the multitudes

• Now it was time for them to do their “student teaching”

• Jesus sends them out on a mission to take all that they had learned and apply it in a real situation for an extended period of time

• Before they leave, He gives them some specific instructions about how they are to carry out their mission

• His instructions to the twelve give us an indication of what we should do when we are sent to carry out a mission for Jesus as well

I. Everyone had a job to do. (v. 7)

• Notice that he sent out all 12

• Jesus has a mission for every Christian

i. It’s true: some of us are pastors, some of us are teachers, some of us are evangelists, some of us are missionaries

ii. But the majority of us are called to do other things

iii. 1 Corinthians 12:27 – 30 “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?”

iv. Jesus doesn’t send a lot of Christians to Africa, but He sends a lot of Christians across the room or down the street

v. Every Christian has the mission of proclaiming the Gospel to the lost

vi. How we do that depends upon what God has gifted us to do

II. They were not to work alone. (v. 7)

• Acts: Peter and John; Paul and Barnabas; Paul and Silas

• Jesus does not send out Lone Rangers

• We are all expected to work together to accomplish the mission

• We need the strength, support, and encouragement of our brothers and sisters

• That’s one reason why it’s so important to be faithful to church

III. They received their power and authority from Jesus (v. 7)

• “You don’t understand…I’m not talented, I don’t know what to say, I don’t have the resources”

• The disciples were to use what Jesus had given them through teaching and experience to accomplish their mission

• Jesus never sends you to do anything that He doesn’t prepare and equip you for

• Sending you to witness to your next door neighbor? Pray for insight in what to say and how to approach him.

• When Jesus sends you, He is working on the other end as well

• The great mistake and failure of a lot of Christians is that they try to accomplish their missions on their own strength, intelligence, and abilities

IV. They understood that their mission was urgent (vv. 8, 9)

• The people that they were sent to needed help and they needed it now

• No time to go home and pack and gather supplies

• 2 Corinthians 6:2 “…behold, now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation.”

• If Jesus is sending you to go and talk to someone about their soul, don’t wait…time is running out

• You don’t have the guarantee of tomorrow; and neither do the lost

V. They were to identify with the people they were sent to (vv. 8, 9)

• They were to go to the poor and hungry as one who was poor and hungry

• Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California and author of The Purpose Driven Church says that they spent months researching the backgrounds and characteristics of the people in the unchurched area they were trying to reach

• Came up with a composite of the typical lost person in their community, “Saddleback Sam”

• Well educated, likes his job, skeptical of “organized religion”, likes contemporary music, and is overextended in both time and money

• Rick and his staff dress like the people in the community in hopes to win their trust and confidence

• 1 Corinthians 9:20 – 23a “And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel’s sake…”