Jesus Is Enough Series

Faith evangelism training

a few days

Learning an evangelism method

Then sent in teams of three to specific doors

My turn came to share the gospel - I was scared. I shouldn’t have been, but I was.

I knocked on the door, introduced myself and the team, and then began by asking the question, “In your personal opinion, what does it take for a person to go to heaven?” The man responded about doing good thing, being a good person, going to church…

I responded that scripture tells us it is by faith that we enter - and proceeded to walk through the evangelistic method.

All of my training was coming to fruition. My team embers were silently praying while I spoke with this man. By God’s grace, he responded that he would like to receive forgiveness and eternal life. We prayed together, gave him some material, and brought his information back to the host church so that they could follow up with him.

Then, back at the church, we had a time of reporting. Dozens of people shared about good and difficult encounters. Some shared positive reports of salvation experiences like mine. What began as a fearful night for many ended as a fruitful night of praise!

But there truly is nothing new under the sun. As we’ve ready and discussed I’ve the last few months, we have seen Jesus teaching, healing, serving, praying. In most of this, he did with his disciples. Now He is sending them - with His authority and power - on what seems like a short mission trip. It’s as though he’s giving them a chance to test the waters of leadership, of service, of ministry - showing them that they can make a difference for the Kingdom with a bit of a safety net - ultimately preparing them for his departure.

Theme: Christ is fully sufficient for our every need, empowering us to serve others and meet challenges by entrusting Him with our limitations and needs.

As we go through this text, we’ll get to see that

Jesus supplies what we need for His mission so we should trust Him, and

Jesus is what we need - so we should seek Him

First of all, we see that…

Jesus supplies what we need for His mission - trust Him (1-6, 10)

Let’s look again at our text:

Luke 9:1–6 ESV

And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

Luke 9:10 ESV

On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida.

Notice, Jesus essentially gives them two things - resources and responsibilities.

Resources

He resourced them with power and authority over ALL demons and to cure diseases. This power and authority came from Jesus. It was not something they came up with on their own. They were going as His ambassadors, representatives.

But let’s take a moment to go back to the beginning. Do you remember why Luke wrote this letter? He did so in order that Theophilus might have certainty of the things that he had been taught (Luke 1:4). As Jesus has been traveling around and teaching, Luke has been showing Theophilus and us that Jesus has power and authority. Plutarch has noted…

there is no stronger test of a man’s real character than power and authority….

Plutarch

It seems that now, in an effort to certify who will represent Him, Jesus gives this authority and power to His apostles as they go on this short journey.

Later on, Jesus will send out not just the 12, but 72 representatives (Luke 10:1-20). Then, as we press on into Luke’s second volume, the book of Acts, we again get to see Jesus power and authority given, ultimately not just to the apostles, but to all believers.

Acts 1:8 ESV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Throughout Acts, we get to see the Spirit of God poured out on His people with power - as witnessed by the gifts of the Spirit, healing, miracles, and people responding to the Gospel.