Sermon
#23 Series:
Mark
Title: MESSENGERS COMMISSIONED
Text: Mark 6:7-13
Readings: Office:
Bob Poncer Auditorium: Rex
Bartley
Subject: The Commissioning of the
Apostles
Date: Sunday Evening - June 15, 1997
Tape # T-81
Introduction:
The title of my message tonight is Messengers Commissioned. I have
given the message this title because I want you to understand at the outset
that all true gospel preachers, all who are called, gifted, and sent of God to
preach the gospel are just that - Messengers Commissioned!
1.
Gospel
preachers are messengers.
God’s servants are not just men who went off to Bible
college or seminary and learned how to study, preach, and exercise the
political savvy it takes to avoid ruffling the feathers of the wrong people.
God’s servants are messengers. They
are men with a message from God. I am not here tonight merely to give you the
facts recorded in Mark 6:7-13. Any honest man, woman, or child here, who
studies the passage carefully can give you the facts revealed and the doctrine
taught in these verses. I have been studying this passage this week, seeking a
message for your souls from God. And, I believe God the Holy Spirit has given
me a message to deliver to you.
Perhaps you are thinking, “Pastor,
what is the difference between giving out a sermon, factually expounding a text
or a doctrine, and delivering a message?” Let me tell you. If all I have is a
sermon I have prepared, it really does not matter whether you are here to hear
it or not. But, if I have come here with a message from God, (a message fresh
from God’s heart, to my heart, for your heart), and you miss that, then,
mister, you’ve missed something! You’ve missed something that can never be
repeated. You’ve lost something you can never regain. Tapes will not make up
for it. You can put my words on tape; but you simply cannot put the Spirit of
God on tape!
Do you understand what I am talking
about? God’s servants are messengers. This what Paul told the Corinthians…
2 Corinthians 5:20 "Now then we
are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in
Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."
2.
A
messenger is a man with a commission.
Our Lord Jesus is called “the
Messenger of the covenant” because he was commissioned by God the Father to
fulfill the covenant as our Surety. He came into the world with a commission
from God, with a specific work assigned to him as Jehovah’s Servant. He came to
save his people from their sins; and he did it.
Even so, every man who is called and
sent of God into the work of the gospel has a commission from God, a work to
do, a work which no other man can do, a work which he must do. Forgive me if I
appear to be one of those men who thinks he has a messianic task. That is
exactly what I think! A commission is a mandate. A commission from God is a
mandate from God almighty! I cannot imagine a nobler work or a greater burden
of responsibility!
Now, I want us to read Mark 6:7-13
together. These verses describe the commissioning of the Apostles by our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Mark 6:7-13 "And he called
unto him the twelve, and began to
send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; (8) And commanded them that they should
take nothing for their journey, save
a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: (9) But be shod with sandals; and not put on two
coats. (10) And he said unto them, In
what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that
place. (11) And whosoever shall not
receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your
feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more
tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. (12) And they went out, and preached that
men should repent. (13) And they cast
out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them."
Proposition: As our Lord
Jesus, the King of Glory, sent out messengers (Apostles) from the beginning, so
today he sends out messengers of mercy, calling sinners to repentance and
rebels to surrender, with the promise of grace, salvation, and eternal life to
all who obey the gospel they preach.
Divisions: Tonight,
I want us to consider just two things set before us in these seven verses of
Scripture.
1. What The Master Did
2. What The Messengers Did
I.
First, let’s look at and carefully consider WHAT THE
MASTER DID.
Whenever we think about men and God,
us and our Savior, what we do and what he does, we would be wise first to find
out what he has done. We cannot really understand what we do under his
influence and for his glory until we understand something about what he has
done and is doing for us, in us, and with us. So Mark first describes what the
Lord Jesus Christ did for, in, and with these men, before telling us what they
did for him.
A. He
called his messengers. - “And he called unto him the twelve.”
You will notice that Mark does not
here name the twelve Apostles, as Matthew did in his account. That may be
because he is giving a shorter account of the same event and had already listed
the names in chapter three; or it may be that Mark is describing a different
account of the sending out of the disciples. Be that as it may, I want you to
notice this one thing here - Those
men who are God’s messengers to your soul, God’s servants in this world, God’s
preachers, are men who have been specifically called by Christ. Every
true gospel preacher has a twofold call from Christ.
1.
First,
these men were called to Christ himself, as their Savior and Lord.
Mark 3:13-15 "And he goeth
up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. (14) And he ordained twelve, that they
should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, (15) And to have power to heal sicknesses,
and to cast out devils:"
Mark 3:16-19 "And Simon he
surnamed Peter; (17) And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of
James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder: (18) And Andrew, and Philip, and
Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite, (19) And Judas Iscariot, which also
betrayed him: and they went into an house."
Though, when first he called them, he had ordained them to
be his Apostles, these men were first called into union and fellowship with the
Lord himself. They must know him before they can make him known. They must sit
at his feet before they can run on his errands. They must walk with him before
they can represent him. In other words…
·
Before a man can be a
preacher, he must be a believer.
·
Before a man can be a
leader of others, he must prove his faithfulness as a disciple.
·
Before a man can
teach, he must be taught.
·
Before a man can be a
messenger, he must get a message.
2.
Then,
after they had been some time in the Lord’s company, the Lord Jesus called
these men to be his Apostles, his messengers.
As the prophetic office ceased with
John the Baptist, so too the apostolic office began and ceased with the twelve
Apostles. There are not inspired prophets or apostles in our day. We have the
complete Revelation of God in his Word. Yet, every true gospel preacher is, in
a sense, both a prophet (A Proclaimer of The Gospel) and an apostle (A
Messenger of God). Therefore, the things in our text are in every detail
applicable to us today, and specifically identify those men who are sent of God
to preach the gospel.
This business of gospel preaching is
not a chosen career, or a vocation for which a man volunteers his services,
though every man called to the work chooses to do so and volunteers most
willingly, counting such a call to be an indescribable honor put upon him.
Ephesians 3:8 "Unto
me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I
should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;"
1 Timothy 1:12-17 "And I thank
Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; (13) Who was before a blasphemer, and a
persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. (14) And the grace of our Lord was
exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. (15) This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (16) Howbeit for this cause I obtained
mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a
pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. (17) Now unto the King eternal,
immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be
honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen."
Note: God’s call upon a man is made manifest by the fact that the
Lord God has put him into the ministry.
There is no way a man can know that he has been called to
Christ until he is brought to Christ. And there is no way a man can know that
he is called to the work of the ministry until God puts him in the ministry.
More often than not, those who wear the name “preacher” have simply assumed the name. They have entered their
office untried, unproved, inexperienced, and uncalled. They have run without
being sent. They have no message, no mandate from God. Therefore, they soon
tire of the work, become over-burdened, get ulcers, have nervous breakdowns,
burn out, and find something else to do.
Those men who are called of God to
preach the gospel, to pastor a local church, or serve as a missionary are…
·
Gifted for the Work - “Apt to teach!”
·
Qualified for the
Work.
·
Doing the Work. -
Look at the next line of our text.
B. Those
who are called of the Lord to preach the gospel are sent by the Lord. - When he
called these men, “He began to send them forth by two and two.”
The word “send” that used here is
the verb form of the word “apostle” (apostello). It means, “to
set apart, to send out on a mission (Not just to send out, but to send out on a
mission!), send away, send forth, or set at liberty”. So God’s servants are men who have been…
·
Set apart for the
work of the gospel by God’s decree and God’s call.
·
Sent out on a mission
for God himself.
·
Sent away into the
world as God’s ambassadors.
·
Set at liberty in
their souls by the call and power of God residing in and upon them.
Notice also that Mark specifically tells
us that our Master sent his disciples out in pairs of two. He sent them
forth “by two and two.” Neither
Matthew nor Luke make mention of this fact; but the Holy Spirit inspired Mark
to record it for us to teach us, no doubt, the advantages of serving Christ in
the company of others. The wise man had a good reason for telling us that “Two
are better than one” (Eccles. 4:9).
·
In most labors, two
men working together can do much more than one man alone, or two men working
separately.
·
Two men together
assist one another in judgment and make fewer mistakes.
·
They aid one another
in difficulties, uphold one another in temptations, encourage one another in
trials, and arouse one another in times of languishing.
·
Two men together
comfort one another and are less likely to be cast down
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 "Two are better than one; because they have a
good reward for their labour. (10) For
if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him
up."
It seems obvious to me that our Lord
is teaching us a principle. God’s servants are not free-lance, self-appointed
apostles, who are answerable to no one. While a church is under the pastoral
direction of one man, the work of the ministry is not one man’s work. It is the
work of the entire assembly. Moreover, it is our privilege and responsibility
to, as much as possible, work together with other gospel churches and other
gospel preachers. The Apostle’s words to the Hebrew Christians are applicable
to us all, pastors, elders, deacons, teachers, and all believers…
Hebrews 10:24-25 "Let us
consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: (25) Not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as the manner of some is;
but exhorting one another: and so
much the more, as ye see the day approaching."
Every man called by Christ to the work
of the ministry is sent by Christ into his vineyard. And…
C. Next
we are told that our Lord gave power to his messengers. - He “gave
them power over unclean spirits.”
These men were commissioned to attack
Satan’s kingdom in the name of Christ. Therefore, they were equipped with the
God given power that was necessary to do their work. Their miraculous,
apostolic power to cast demons out of men’s bodies was an emblem and sign of
the power of Christ and his gospel which we preach to bind the strong man armed
in the City of Mansoul and cast him out! The gospel of Christ, the doctrine of
the cross is “the power of God unto
salvation!”
D. In
verses eight and nine, the Lord Jesus expressly commanded his messengers to
take nothing for their journey.
To many this seems to be insignificant
and relatively meaningless. But nothing
in this passage is more important, more instructive, or more needed than the
instruction given to gospel preachers in these two verses.
Mark 6:8-9 "And commanded
them that they should take nothing for their
journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: (9) But be shod with
sandals; and not put on two coats."
There is no discrepancy in the fact
that in Matthew we are told that our Lord forbade his servants from taking
staves for their journey and that here Mark tells us he told them to “take nothing for their journey save a staff
only.” That which seems to be a contradiction to some is explained very
easily in two ways
1st, They were not allowed
to carry two staves, which would be a needless encumbrance; but it was
perfectly proper to carry one staff, which might be a very useful instrument.
2nd, Though they might not
be allowed to carry staves for their protection and defense, they were allowed
to carry a staff for their assistance.
The
doctrine taught in verses eight and nine needs to be taught with emphatic
clarity in our day. The doctrine of these two verses is as plain as the
nose on your face. There is nothing mysterious about it. Yet, it is almost
universally ignored by churches and preachers. Three things are here taught; and these three things are taught
throughout the Word of God.
1st, Gospel preachers must take great care not to
be, or appear to be, covetous, self-serving, worldly men, men who enrich
themselves by the ministry.
2nd, Gospel preachers are
not to provide for their own livelihood, or entangle themselves with the
affairs of this life, but give themselves wholly and entirely to the business
of study, prayer, and preaching.
3rd, Gospel preachers are
to be provided for by those to whom they minister, provided for by local
churches in a manner comfortable enough to keep them from the mundane concerns
of feeding, clothing, educating, and properly caring for their families.
John Gill
was exactly right in his exposition of these verses. He wrote, “A minister of
the Gospel ought not to be a worldly minded man, (a man) that minds earth and
earthly things, and seeks to amass wealth and riches to himself, and preaches
for filthy lucre's sake. Neither should he be a sensual and voluptuous man,
serving his own belly, and not the Lord Jesus Christ, feeding himself, and not
the flock. Nor should he be filled with worldly cares, overwhelmed in worldly
business, and entangled with the affairs of this life. He ought to have his
mind free from all solicitude and anxious concern, about a subsistence for
himself and his, so that he may with greater and more close application attend
to his ministry, to preparations for it, and the performance of it; and give up
himself entirely to the word and prayer, and not have his mind distracted with
other things. Upon which account it is highly necessary, that the people to
whom he ministers should take care, that a sufficient provision be made for
him; that he may live without any anxious care and thought about such things,
and his mind be more intent about the work he is called unto. This is what our
Lord chiefly designs by all this, who has ordained that they that preach the
Gospel, should be comfortably provided for, and live of it; and which, as it
makes for the peace of their minds that minister, it issues in the advantage of
those who are ministered to.”
E. In
verse ten, the Lord Jesus specifically told these first gospel preachers how they
were to be provided for as they served him.
Mark 6:10 "And he said
unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye
depart from that place."
As they went about from place to place, they were, according
to Matthew forbidden to ask anyone for anything. They were not to go from house
to house. God’s servants are not groveling beggars! They are the servants of
the most high God, the King of glory! Not only does our Lord forbid begging, he
commands his servants not to provide anything for themselves. Yet, he tells
them, as they serve him to live, and expect to live, upon the generous charity
and hospitality of those to whom they preach the gospel.
1.
Proud men do not like to live upon the generosity of others.
2.
Miserly men do not like to generously provide for others.
3.
Gospel preachers are to be comfortably supported in their
labors by the generous, voluntary, free gifts of those whose souls are served
by them.
1 Corinthians 9:11 "If we have
sown unto you spiritual things, is it a
great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?"
1 Corinthians 9:14 "Even so hath
the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the
gospel."
Galatians 6:6 "Let him that
is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good
things."
4.
God’s servants ought to be, and faithful men will be content
to live upon the provision God supplies through the generosity of his people.
While these apostles were in a house,
as long as they were there, they lived according to the ability of the
household to provide for them. That is the idea I am trying to convey. If a man
pastor’s poor people, he ought not seek to live above the people he serves. If
I have ten families in this congregation who are willing to support me and give
of their means no more than a tithe, I ought to be able to live on what you do.
If a man pastors a wealthier congregation, they ought to provide more
comfortably for him; but he ought never take more than he needs. In either
case, there is no need for the gospel preacher to maintain a side job and give
himself part time to the work of the ministry. God deserves better than our left over time!
It is true, when the Apostle Paul
preached at Corinth and among other Gentiles, he made tents to support himself
and his companions. But a few things need to be remembered about that.
1st, Paul did not make
tents to enrich himself, but to provide for his expenses and the expenses of
those preachers traveling with him.
2nd, The fact that Paul
labored with his hands was a fact for which the Church at Corinth ought to have
been embarrassed and ashamed.
3rd, It is the Apostle
Paul, more than any writer in the entire Bible, who deals with and insists upon
the necessity of pastors and missionaries being supported by God’s people.
This much I know - If God almighty sends me out as his
ambassador, he will provide for me and my household sufficiently (Lk. 22:35).
Luke 22:35 "And he said
unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said,
Nothing."
F. In
verse eleven our Lord shows us what an awesome thing it is to be privileged to
hear the gospel.
Mark 6:11 "And whosoever
shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust
under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall
be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that
city."
To receive an ambassador is to receive the king who sent
him, the king he represents. To reject an ambassador is to reject the king who
sent him. This is our Lord’s teaching, not mine. To receive Christ’s servant
and the gospel of the grace of God which he preaches is to receive Christ
himself. But to reject, despise, or ignore God’s servant and his message is to
reject, despise, and ignore God himself! That, my friend, is the most horrible
crime and offense against God in the universe. Not even the wickedness of Sodom
and Gomorrah rivals the wickedness of willful unbelief!
J.C. Ryle said, in commenting
on verse eleven, “One of the greatest sins a man can commit in the sight of God
is to hear the Gospel of Christ and not believe it…To reject the Gospel will
sink a man to the lowest place in hell.”
2 Corinthians 2:14-16 "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to
triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in
every place. (15) For we are unto God
a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: (16) To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour
of life unto life. And who is sufficient
for these things?"
Matthew 10:40-42 "He that
receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent
me. (41) He that receiveth a prophet
in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that
receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a
righteous man's reward. (42) And
whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily
I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward."
I have shown you what the Master did.
Now, look at verses twelve and thirteen; and…
II.
Let me show you WHAT THE MESSENGERS DID.
Mark 6:12-13 "And they went
out, and preached that men should repent.
(13) And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were
sick, and healed them."
Matthew Henry
said, “Though they were conscious to themselves of great weakness, and expected
no secular advantage by it, yet, in obedience to their Master’s order, and in
dependence upon his strength, they went
out as Abraham, not knowing whither they went.”
A. These
men, like all God’s messengers today, went out into the world preaching exactly
what they had experienced, what they had been taught, and what the Master
himself preached - REPENTANCE.
1.
Repentance is a change of mind.
·
About Myself.
·
About My Sin.
·
About My Sins.
·
About My
Righteousnesses!
2.
Repentance is a change of masters.
3.
Repentance is a change of motives!
True repentance is inseparably
connected with a proper view of God, a revelation and knowledge of the person
and work of the Lord Jesus Christ (His Eternal Deity - His Glorious Humanity -
His Effectual Accomplishments!), right views about holiness, right views about
sin, and right views about justice. Repentance is the gift of God, the result
of the new birth. It is the fruit of faith’s look at the crucified Son of God.
Zechariah 12:10 "And I will
pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit
of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have
pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall
be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn."
B. The
Apostles anointed with oil many that were sick.
They did not anoint all who were sick,
but many. Oil, as you know, throughout the Scriptures, is a symbol of God the
Holy Spirit, who was yet to be given in his office capacity. While the ceremony
of anointing with oil may not be practiced by faithful men today, the thing
symbolized certainly is keenly understood by them all - Without the blessing,
unction, and anointing of God the Holy Spirit, our labor is utterly vain and
meaningless. Only God the Holy Spirit can make my preaching of the gospel
effectual to the healing of sin-sick souls.
C. We
must not fail to recognize that all who were anointed with oil were also
healed.
So it is now. All who are anointed by and given the unction
of God the Holy Spirit in regeneration are effectually healed by God’s
sovereign grace, by the application of Christ sin-atoning blood and his saving
power. Christ is that sweet Balm of Gillead by whom our souls are healed.
Application:
Have you repented? Do not leave here without settling this
issue. Our Savior declares, “Except ye
repent, ye shall all likewise perish!” It is not enough to have our creed
right. Our hearts must be right. It is not enough to know truth. It must be
experienced. Behold the crucified Son of God, now risen from the dead and
seated upon the right hand of he majesty on high, and repent. God help you to
repent, for Christ’s sake!
Lamentations 1:12 "Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if
there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the
LORD hath afflicted me in the day of
his fierce anger."
2 Corinthians 5:20-21 "Now then we
are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in
Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
(21) For he hath made him to be sin
for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in
him."