The Word This Week
Luke 9:1…
Imagine serving in ministry in the power of Christ.
This is exactly what happens in the lives of the twelve, (including Judas,) as Jesus for the first time sends them out. (Of course we remember ‘apostles’ means ‘sent ones.’)
Now they are sent, most importantly with the power of Jesus to have authority over all demons, to cure diseases, and to preach the kingdom of God. It is one thing to have Jesus bestow His power upon your life, it is another thing to be sent out apart from Jesus to employ His power.
They also have this important instruction from Jesus before they depart. They are to walk by faith, and to allow God to supernaturally provide for their journey. Wherever they are welcomed they are to stay, understanding God has provided. Wherever they are not welcomed they are to move along not wasting their ministry gifts on unbelievers. And they are not to feel guilty about departing unbelievers either – in the manner of the Jewish leaders, they are instructed to shake the dust of unbelief off their feet and move along…
So they went.
We can only begin to imagine how nervous they must have been going into villages and towns without Jesus. We can probably all remember our earliest ventures serving the Lord Jesus Christ. What had we seen of Christ before we entered those ministry fields?
We think of all His disciples have seen in Jesus’ ministry life by this time. But we also remember how young these disciples actually were at this time. They were predominantly in their early twenties, and John perhaps as young as 17 years of age. But despite their age, what they had witnessed of the power of Jesus by this time would have been foundational to their own service, as it should be to ours.
But here’s the most important thing declared here: they went.
You can have all the power of Christ made available to you by the person of the Holy Spirit, but being willing to go and employ that power – despite how well it may be received - is the important part. Jesus understands our frailty, and our complete inability to accomplish anything for God’s kingdom apart from the power of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and that is why He never sends us into the battle unarmed.
Pastor Bill
Imagine serving in ministry in the power of Christ.
This is exactly what happens in the lives of the twelve, (including Judas,) as Jesus for the first time sends them out. (Of course we remember ‘apostles’ means ‘sent ones.’)
Now they are sent, most importantly with the power of Jesus to have authority over all demons, to cure diseases, and to preach the kingdom of God. It is one thing to have Jesus bestow His power upon your life, it is another thing to be sent out apart from Jesus to employ His power.
They also have this important instruction from Jesus before they depart. They are to walk by faith, and to allow God to supernaturally provide for their journey. Wherever they are welcomed they are to stay, understanding God has provided. Wherever they are not welcomed they are to move along not wasting their ministry gifts on unbelievers. And they are not to feel guilty about departing unbelievers either – in the manner of the Jewish leaders, they are instructed to shake the dust of unbelief off their feet and move along…
So they went.
We can only begin to imagine how nervous they must have been going into villages and towns without Jesus. We can probably all remember our earliest ventures serving the Lord Jesus Christ. What had we seen of Christ before we entered those ministry fields?
We think of all His disciples have seen in Jesus’ ministry life by this time. But we also remember how young these disciples actually were at this time. They were predominantly in their early twenties, and John perhaps as young as 17 years of age. But despite their age, what they had witnessed of the power of Jesus by this time would have been foundational to their own service, as it should be to ours.
But here’s the most important thing declared here: they went.
You can have all the power of Christ made available to you by the person of the Holy Spirit, but being willing to go and employ that power – despite how well it may be received - is the important part. Jesus understands our frailty, and our complete inability to accomplish anything for God’s kingdom apart from the power of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and that is why He never sends us into the battle unarmed.
Pastor Bill