Training Jesus' Style

Training Jesus’ Style – Luke 9:1-10

Gladstone Baptist Church – 27/11/05 pm

I have never been in the army and never been to boot camp. But sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be in training for the army. What I’ve heard and seen on TV doesn’t make me really desire to join the army really. When I was a kid, one of the shows on TV was Gomer Pyle – does anyone remember that show – Gollllly. Shazam. Well Gomer had a pretty tough Drill Sergent who gave him a hard time, though I sometimes felt sorry for Sergent Carter – imagine having to knock people like Gomer into shape.

Another man who faced a similar challenge was Major Payne. He had to whip a group of school students into line for a military competition. Have a look at some of what they had to do in their training. …

Training is never fun, but it has a purpose and it therefore usually necessary to obtain the necessary skills to do a job.

Jesus’ disciples needed training also. Unbeknown to the disciples, they were being groomed to take over Jesus’ work when he died and so he was going to have to whip them into shape sooner or later.

Tonight, I want us to take a look at one of Jesus’ training exercises that he prepared for the disciples and look at what we can learn from it, because, we are carrying on the tradition of the disciples in being Jesus’ hands, mouth and ears here on this earth. So the things the disciples learnt – we need to learn.

Luke 9:1-10 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 5 If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them.” 6 So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.

7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed, because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, 8 others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. 9 But Herod said, “I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?” And he tried to see him.

10 When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida,

By this time, the disciples had been with Jesus for 2 years. They were in a 3 year apprenticeship remember and so they must have been getting to the stage where they were understanding much of what Jesus was talking about.

So here in this account, Jesus sends them out of the classroom to do some practical work on their own. This was part of their training and was therefore necessary. So lets look five lessons we can learn from their training.

Lesson 1) – We must Answer Jesus’ Call

In Vs 1 we read that Jesus called the disciples together and they responded. It is unlikely that the disciples remained at Jesus’ side for the whole of the 3 year apprenticeship. They had homes and families and some of them lived in the areas of Capernaum and the surrounding villages, so it is highly likely that some of them were visiting with friends and families when Jesus’ call came to them. And when they received Jesus’ call - they came. This symbolises the first step in becoming one of Jesus’ disciples. We need to be called by Jesus and we need to respond to that call if we want to be Jesus’ disciples.

God calls us to follow him and to SERVE HIM. In his calling, he calls us to be ministers and priests. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Eph 2:10 God has some works of service for you to do for Him, and He has called you to do those things. The first thing that is needed therefore is for us to answer Jesus’ call and say – Sure, I’ll do it. This is what the disciples did, they came together and then Jesus told them his plan…