We have the Power in the Name of Jesus
Romans 12:3-8/Luke 9:1-6
When we think of ministry, what do we think of? Preaching? Teaching? Evangelists? Ministry is much more than any of that. Ministry is the job of every Christian no matter where they are or what they do for a living.
Did you know that when you became a Christian you were called to be ministers of the gospel of Christ? If you claim Jesus Christ as your Savior you have a ministry to do. Not all of you know what that ministry is yet, but there is a ministry for you. For some it is teaching. For some it is music. For some it may be administration. But there is a ministry for you. Look at the list in Romans 12 starting in verse 3
RO 12:3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Some may not be as good at their ministry as others are, but it’s still yours.
An usher met an elderly lady at the back door of church and asked her, "Where would you like to sit?"
"On the front row." Was her reply?
"You don’t want to do that," the usher said, "The pastor is really boring."
"Do you know who I am?"
"No."
"I’m the pastor’s mother."
He asked her, "Do you know who I am?"
"No" came the reply.
"Good!"
We all have a ministry to do and not of our own choosing, but Jesus sends us out. Today we are going to look at the sending out of the twelve disciples to see what is there for us to learn about ministry.
First, I want us to understand that any ministry we have is not because of us, but because of Jesus Christ. If He sends us to it, he will give us the grace to see us through it.
I. The ministry of a disciple. (Verses 1-2) First of all notice this; The call is from Jesus. I Corinthians 1:1, "Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God..."
People can’t just decide to do God’s work. They are called to the work. However, we have to answer the call. First we have to do is respond to God’s message of salvation. After we receive the Holy Spirit in baptism, we are then empowered to do the work we are called to do. There are those who tried to do it on their own, under their own power. Acts 19 tells of seven brothers who tried it and the results were disastrous.
Whomever God calls, He will empower. Acts 1:8, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you..." I Corinthians 2:4-5, "And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." That’s one of the problem with witnessing. We try to use convincing words. We tend to do it in our power. We do not allow the power of God to work in us. God wants to confirm His word with signs and wonders. That means He wants to
A. Confirm that the Word (Jesus) is true.
B. Confirm that His word (the Bible) is true.
C. Confirm that the gospel message is true.
Jesus gives us the authority to cast out demons. This is where spiritual gifts come into play.
Discernment. Not every person who makes poor choices in their lives is possessed. They can be demonically influenced or oppressed but not possessed.
There will be some, but you have to be sensitive to what the Spirit is revealing.
Test the spirits.
To cure diseases.
As an extension of Jesus? ministry.
John 14:12, ’Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father." This is a way to draw attention to Christ. Jesus was always careful to see that people didn’t worship miracles, but the miracle worker, God. Every time He performed a miracle it opened a door for Him to preach the gospel. So if Jesus gives us authority to cast out demons and cure diseases He must have intended for that to lead into preaching.
Jesus calls us to preach the kingdom. To preach means simply to share the good news of Jesus Christ. It doesn’t have to be eloquent. Some of the best preaching is done outside of church. Sharing the gospel with a friend. NOw when we talk about the Kingdom what do we mean? A realm of authority over which a king has reign. If we preach the kingdom, we must realize there is a King. Jesus told Pilate that, "my kingdom is not of this world." Yet he went around preaching that the kingdom of God was at hand.
The heavenly kingdom and the earthly kingdom co-exist. Jesus sits on the throne in heaven and upon the throne of our hearts as Lord of our lives. We are told to heal the sick. Not us but God’s power working through us. That means we have to put our faith into action and then step out of the way to let God work. I am not the healer, Jesus is. But the bible says that the prayer of faith will heal the sick. We get into great discussions about healing but I don’t really believe that there is any reason not to believe what the Bible says about healing. It is there for those who believe without wavering. Jesus tells us what we are supposed to do. Next He tells us how to do it.
II. We must remember who our source is.
Take nothing for your journey. (Our journey is our walk of faith)
No staff. A crutch to help you in your walk. You’ve got Jesus to lean on.
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
No bag full of supplies.
"And My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory, by Christ Jesus." Don’t worry about money. Find one house to stay in and stay there. Be appreciative of what has been given you.
Don’t always be looking for a better place to stay. When God opens the door go in. Don’t be concerned when you are rejected. God loves our obedience more than our sacrifices. The result of witnessing isn’t what’s important here; It is the fact that the good news is being preached.
III. The obedience of a disciple (verse 6)
They departed. Garry Templeton formerly of the San Diego Padres baseball team once said about his selection to the all-star team, "If I ain’t startin’ I ain’t departin’." The disciples didn’t even consider not doing what Jesus told them to do. They didn’t let their personalities get in the way. Shyness (I can’t speak to people), temper (thinking of Peter), ignorance (I don’t know how), doubt (Thomas and I am sure many others weren’t sure about this healing and casting out demons thing). They went through the towns preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
They just did it.
Closing.
I began today by talking about ministry. You may not know what specific ministry that God has called you to. But there is one ministry that we are all called to. You know what it is. I talk about it frequently. Sharing the gospel of Christ with your neighbors.
We know without a doubt that is what we are supposed to do. Beginning on May 3rd our evangelism teams are going to be sent out to preach the gospel across the whole town of Palmyra. This gospel was given to us as a free gift, but the cost was great. It is a gift that was given so we could receive eternal life and then pass it on to others.
Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn’t able to buy it. Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase that beautiful instrument. But to his great dismay it had been sold to a collector. Kreisler made his way to the new owner’s home and offered to buy the violin. The collector said it had become his prized possession and he would not sell it. Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea. "Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?" he asked. Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector’s emotions were deeply stirred. "I have no right to keep that to myself," he exclaimed. "It’s yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it."
Like the violinist, we have been given a great gift to be shared with the world. As our teams go out we would ask for you to take the time if you are not part of the evangelism team, to pray for them as they are going. It is time for us to take it into the world and let people hear it.
