A Ministry Lesson from Jesus – Part 1
Luke 9:10-17 (10-11)
September 9, 2018

Well this morning we gaze upon Jesus’ most famous miracle.
It’s easy to call it that, because it (aside from the resurrection)
Is the only miracle that Jesus worked which is included in all 4 gospel accounts.

THIS WAS A BIG ONE.
And while each writer uses this miracle for a similar purpose, I always think it is important to understand where each writer is coming from.

There is a lot going on here in Luke’s gospel.
There are a lot of themes that he is juggling.

And I want you to see them so that you can gain an understanding of the point.

As I read through Luke’s gospel, it is easiest for me to see what he is doing in the concept of VARIOUS THEMES.

It’s fairly easy to recognize that LUKE OPENS with the theme of “JESUS, THE LONG AWAITED REDEEMER OF ISRAEL” (especially to the humble and broken)

That one jumps out pretty easily as we see how Jesus satisfies the Zacharia’s and the Elizabeth’s and the Mary’s and the Simeon’s and the Anna’s and the shepherds of Israel who were long looking for this Savior to come.

Luke gave us that for 3 chapters.

We saw a pretty clear jump into the next phase of Luke’s gospel as we might call it “THE MINISTRY OF JESUS”.

Starting with Jesus in Nazareth preaching the gospel,
Luke chronicled how Jesus went around preaching
And working miracles to validate who He was.

And that theme culminated really in
Luke 7:17 “This report concerning Him went out all over Judea and in all the surrounding district.”

Jesus was at the height of ministry popularity.
He was saturating Galilee.

But in Luke 7:18 Luke began the 3rd theme of his gospel which might easily be titled the “WHO IS THIS MAN?” portion.

Now that Jesus popularity and power are evident,
It poses really the most important question of the book. Who is He?

Luke has given you several instances where this question has been asked,
And then emphatically answered by Jesus.

Luke 7:20 “When the men came to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, to ask, ‘Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?'”

And how did Jesus answer?
Luke 7:21-22 “At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind. And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.”

Then again after Jesus calmed the storm:
Luke 8:25 “And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”

And how was the answer given? Through the demoniac on the shore.
Luke 8:28 “Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me.”

Then again:
Luke 9:7-9 “Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was happening; and he was greatly perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen again. Herod said, “I myself had John beheaded; but who is this man about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see Him.”

And that one will be answered in:
Luke 9:18-20 “And it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the people say that I am?” They answered and said, “John the Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again.” And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”

That is the current theme.
Who is this Man?
Answer: He’s the Messiah

That is what Luke is currently teaching you.

The next segment will begin in Luke 9:21 with what we might call:
“MESSIANIC MISCONCEPTIONS” as Jesus will address just how wrong the disciples are in who they expected the Messiah to be.

Now that’s an important theme to recognize
Because in some ways Jesus has already begun to address it.

We said several weeks ago that
• As Jesus warned Galilee that they were in danger of losing the truth we saw that as Jesus pulled back from them a little,
• He also began to really focus on the 12.

He has ramped up their training.
• We saw that field trip to the Gerasenes
• We saw Him take Peter, James, and John in to see the girl healed
• And we saw Him assign them an internship where He actually sent them out to preach and heal

However, part of the problem is that
The disciples don’t really understand the purpose of the Messiah, Which means they also don’t understand what true ministry is.

JESUS IS STARTING TO CORRECT THAT.

And this is a very important point for Luke.
• In fact, I can show you how important it is,
• Even how important this story is to Luke.

If you follow the story of the synoptic gospels
Then you will find that there is quite a lot that Jesus did
Which is recorded in Matthew and Mark that Luke omits.

For example:
• After this feeding of the 5,000 Matthew and Mark and John record that: Jesus will walk on water (Peter does too)

• John will include the sermon Jesus preached once He reached the other side of the lake about being the bread sent down from heaven.

Matthew and Mark then record that:
• He heals a great deal of people, many just by touching His cloak
• He will have a squabble with the Pharisees because His disciples don’t wash their hands before they eat, prompting Jesus to reveal the dangers of tradition and how all true defilement comes from the heart
• From there Jesus will travel to Tyre and Sidon and will heal the Canaanite woman’s daughter who is demon-possessed.
• He then works more healings along the coast of the sea of Galilee
• Following that Jesus will feed the 4,000
• They will then all cross the sea of Galilee again back to Bethsaida, where Mark records that Jesus will heal a blind man (the one who said people looked like trees walking around)
• And then Jesus will travel north with the disciples to Caesarea Philipi where He will ask, “Who do you say that I am?”

There is a lot of the ministry of Jesus
That Luke does not include.

IT’S OBVIOUS that
• He wants to jump from Herod’s question, “Who is this man?”
• Directly to the point in Caesarea Philipi when Jesus answers that question.

There is no doubt Luke is preserving that theme
So if you understand Luke’s commitment to answering that 1 question.
It’s easy to see why Luke omitted all those other stories.
LUKE IS MAKING A POINT.

However, Luke does keep 1 story in between the 2.
• He does include 1 miracle (even at the risk of distracting from the theme of answering Herod’s question).

Of all the miracles and stories that Luke omits,
He determines to keep this one.
Jesus feeding the 5,000.

I think the question is obvious; “WHY?”
Of all the stories that Luke omitted, why did he determine to keep this one?

It would have been a seamless transition to go directly from Herod’s question in verse 9 to Peter’s confession beginning in verse 18.

But Luke chose to risk the interruption by giving us this story.
We can certainly agree that Luke saw this story as too important to skip.

I think the reason is because
This story perfectly fits the concept
That Luke has also been highlighting which is:
“JESUS TRAINING OF THE 12.”

As Luke works through his gospel account
To systematically reveal to us who Jesus is,
He is also at work to reveal what it means to follow Him.

And this story taught such a great example about following Jesus
That Luke chose to include it,
Even though it risked distracting from his theme.

I FIND THAT FASCINATING.
It makes me want to look deeper into this story and find out what happened here and see what I can learn.

I’m just calling this text, “A Ministry Lesson from Jesus”
That’s really what it is, and I might go ahead and tell you that
This isn’t the only time Luke includes a story to teach this lesson.

You’re going to get this lesson again in a story that only Luke records
And that is the story of The Good Samaritan.

This is an important theme to Luke.

So let’s work our way through it this morning.

We are going to break this story down into 5 points and I’m going to present it to you as 5 realities you must know about ministry.

We are here as ministers of the gospel.
• Some are certainly vocational ministers, but we all are ministers.
• We are left here as lights in the midst of darkness.
• We are left here as ambassadors for Christ
• We are left here as those who publish the gospel to the world

If you are a follower of Christ, then you are a minister of the gospel

And as such, here’s 5 realities about the ministry you need to know.
#1 ACCOUNTABILITY
Luke 9:10a

We simply read, “When the apostles returned, they gave an account to Him of all that they had done.”

Let that sink in for a moment.
Ministry comes with a divine standard and a divine expectation.

We don’t just do what suits us in the way we think best.
• We are under the authority of our Lord
• And when our ministries are complete, we will give an account to Him as to how we did it.

Certainly this is true of pastors and overseers and elders
Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”

1 Peter 5:1-4 “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

But it is ALSO TRUE FOR ALL BELIEVERS
In the manner in which they serve the Lord.

There seems at times to be some confusion from believers regarding the concepts and realities of judgment.

You know, “Will we or won’t we be judged?”
Is there or isn’t there a judgment for those who believe?

And here’s the clarification.
For believers there is no condemnation.
Romans 8:1 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Believers will never be condemned before God.
That is to say our sins will never be counted against us
And therefore causing us to be condemned to hell.

Christ Jesus, satisfied that debt for all believers on the cross,
And now in Him there is no condemnation.

But there is still a certain judgment even for believers.
2 Corinthians 5:9-10 “Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

This judgment is further explained by Paul in:
1 Corinthians 3:10-15 “According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

That is judgment and the penalty is loss or reward.
• Some will be saved with great reward, and some will be saved with no reward at all.
• Some will be saved with great treasure in heaven, some will be saved with no treasure in heaven.
• Some will be saved with many crowns, some will be saved with none.

There is an account to be given
Of how each believer lived their Christian life.

And it is the reminder to us all,
That ministry is not by our design, or by our delight.
We do what Christ commanded,
And we do it in a manner that pleases Him.

Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”

And then we will give an account of that to Him.

That’s why Paul, in his encouragement letter to Timothy, penned that encouragement like this:
2 Timothy 4:1-2 “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”

The “living” are believers. The “dead” are non-believers.
Christ will judge them both.

That is something that the disciples are here learning.
• Jesus just sent them out for the first time,
• And when they returned He made sure they knew that they had to answer to Him regarding what they did.

He would want to know,
• “Did you do what I commanded?”
• “Did you go?”
• “Did you preach?”
• “Did you heal?”
• “Did you give it freely?”

And even later in Luke’s gospel Jesus will address more specifics
About those servants who do not do what they are told.

Luke 12:42-48 “And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. “Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. “But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. “And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.”

It’s serious isn’t it?
You don’t lightly enter into service for the King.

There we don’t just have a faithful slave who didn’t do a good job.
There Jesus actually spoke of a slave
Who proved he wasn’t a true save by adamantly disobeying.

And that is a reality too.
• There will certainly be some genuine believers who will suffer loss at the
judgment for a failure to obey as they should have.

• But there will also be some who thought they were believers who will find
that they were not, and that their failure to obey was merely the proof of that.

Those are like those people in Matthew 7 who cry, “Lord, Lord, did we not..?”

It is a dangerous reality.

But above all, simply understand, what you do (or don’t do)
Is being watched, it is being evaluated by the Lord
And you will answer for it.

The disciples gave an account.
So will we.

But Jesus has more to teach them than just that they will give an account.
Luke could have included that fact
Without including the story of the feeding of the 5,000.

Jesus has more to teach them and so here we find that
He is about to take them on a STAFF RETREAT.

(10b) “Taking them with Him, He withdrew by Himself to a city called Bethsaida.”

If you picture the Sea of Galilee in your mind,
It looks sort of like a footprint of your left foot print without any toes. (slender at the heel and wide at the top)

The most populated part of Galilee (Chorazin, Capernaum, even Cana)
Are all on the west side of the sea (what would be down the left side of your foot).

That is where all the ministry has been happening.

But Jesus just retreated with the 12 to “Bethsaida”.
For a geographical understanding,
Bethsaida would be directly under your left big toe.

Jesus here pulled the 12 away from all the crowds.
In verse 12 the disciples call it “a desolate place”

AND THERE WAS A REASON FOR THIS TRIP.

One reason is given in Matthew’s gospel.
It is the story of how Herod beheaded John the Baptist:
Matthew 14:9-13 “Although he was grieved, the king commanded it to be given because of his oaths, and because of his dinner guests. He sent and had John beheaded in the prison. And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. His disciples came and took away the body and buried it; and they went and reported to Jesus. Now when Jesus heard about John, He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself; and when the people heard of this, they followed Him on foot from the cities.”

Jesus just received word of John’s execution.
• This was the forerunner
• This was His cousin
• This must have also been a stinging reminder of what was coming for Jesus

Jesus was human, certainly grief is involved, and He wants to get away.

Coupled with that, the 12 have just returned from a mission trip.
Mark 6:30-31 “The apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.)”

The disciples were likely spent.
Ministry is indeed exhilarating, but it can also be exhausting.

The people of Galilee were relentless.
• Jesus was grieving.
• The disciples were tired.

And Jesus offers a small retreat/vacation
To the remote side of the lake to just get away from it all.

Not only that,
But for several of the disciples it afforded an opportunity for them to go home.

John 1:44 “Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter.”

There is good reason to assume Nathaniel, James, and John
Were from there as well

So, after a long mission trip, after months of ministry,
The disciples are tired, Jesus is grieving, the crowds are relentless,
Let’s get away and rest.

Sound like a good idea to anyone else?
I’m betting Peter had the boat ready before Jesus finished the sentence.

But you’d think after the trip to the Gerasenes
That these disciples would have figured out by now
That JESUS IS ALWAYS TEACHING SOMETHING.

And this trip would be no different.

This will not be a trip for rest.
Jesus instead takes this opportunity as a perfect time
To teach the disciples the truth about ministry.

So here we are.
They have already learned about accountability in their ministry, now let’s look at the second thing they are about to learn.

#2 PRIORITY
Luke 9:11

Jesus and the 12 retreat to go get alone in a desolate place,
And they think it is just to recharge their batteries.
• Maybe do a little reading…
• Maybe do a little fishing…
• Maybe play a little golf…

And then that infamous 3-letter word: “But”

“But the crowds were aware of this and followed Him;”
Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!

Mark 6:33 “The people saw them going, and many recognized them and ran there together on foot from all the cities, and got there ahead of them.”

• I don’t know if they were sailing near enough the shore line that they could see what was happening as they sailed,
• But I’m certain as they drew near the shore to land that they could most certainly see what was waiting for them.

It would just ruin your day wouldn’t it?

• Somebody leaked your itinerary,
• Somebody shared your email address,
• Somebody gave out your cell phone number,
And once again a vacation that’s not a vacation!

It doesn’t say how the disciples initially responded to this,
But I don’t think it has to. We already know that in a minute
They’re going to tell Jesus to “send them away”.

But I can imagine those two sons of thunder (James and John) were ready to jump on that shore and give that crowd a piece of their mind.

But before James has a chance to tell those crowds they circled the lake for nothing we read: (11b) “and welcoming them, He began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing.”

Even if you’d never read this story before,
YOU KNEW IT WAS COMING DIDN’T YOU?

Never bet against the compassion of God or His Son.

It reminds me of Jonah complaining to God about preaching to the Ninevites
Jonah 3:10-4:3 “When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it. But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry. He prayed to the LORD and said, “Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. “Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.”

I knew it, You just couldn’t help Yourself could you God?

I knew it, You just had to heal them didn’t You Jesus?
Of course He did. Why did He come?
• To seek and to save what was lost
• To preach the gospel to everyone

What did He just send out the 12 to do?
To preach the kingdom and heal the sick

So when people who need to hear about the kingdom are willing to walk all the way around the Sea of Galilee to get to Him, what did you expect Him to do?

John 6:37 “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.”

Jesus decision to postpone the vacation to minister to the crowd
Poses a real important question.

DOES THE MINISTRY EVER END?
And what would be the answer from Jesus here? NO

We are always ministers of the gospel
The gospel ministry is meant to take priority
Over every other thing in our lives.

Consider what Paul taught:
1 Corinthians 7:29-35 “But this I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none; and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess; and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away. But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.”

And by the way, this is the same Paul who taught husbands to love their wives and to sanctify them and sacrifice themselves for their wives.

Paul is not against marriage.
• And he is not saying that even if you’re married just go live like you aren’t.
• That’s not true either, married men have responsibilities that God commands them to fulfill.

But listen very closely.
A man may indeed have responsibilities to his wife and children and to any number of other things,
BUT THAT MAN STILL HAS 1 PRIORITY.

And that is what Paul was saying.
“secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.”

1 Peter 3:15 “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;”

Peter says that you should “always” be ready.
• Peter had a wife, Paul even alludes to the Corinthians that Peter took her
along with him.
• Church tradition teaches that right before Peter was crucified upside down he
first stood at the cross of his wife encouraging her not to deny the Lord.

Francis Chan was asked last year about a message he would have for the church today.
“I’m pretty excited when I see the faith of some of the young people today that are just saying “God I’ll go anywhere, I’ll do anything.” There wasn’t a lot of that when I grew up. But what happened with those who did have that spark and that excitement. I saw how the church almost squashed that. And I’m praying for this next generation; for the young people who are just saying. “I’ll go anywhere, I’ll do anything.” And they’re doing it. They’re going overseas, or they’re right where they’re at in the inner cities and in the suburb just going “I’m going to be radically obedient; I’m going to follow Jesus completely”…
My challenge to the church is…would you set the example for the young people? What happened in my generation, when we were younger, there were those who were radical…but once they got married everything changed. Once they had kids everything changed. And I’m just praying “O God could I be an example for someone who’s married and has kids and is still thinking kingdom first?” Like 1 Corinthians 7, those who are married should live as though they’re not. There’s a sense in which this mission is bigger and can we still live and take risks and surrender our lives and say “You know what it’s me, my wife and my family…
Not only that, but I want to be an example to the young people and say, “You know what, you’re mission with the Lord doesn’t end when you get married and say, ‘Oh you’re dating so focus on each other, O it’s your first year of marriage, just focus on each other. O you just had a kid, then you know what, just take time for that little kid until he goes to school and then you’ll be free. And then once he goes to school it’ll be like O they’re a teenager now and just collect that family together and worry about yourselves”. But then you’re teaching this mentality again that is not about going out into the harvest and being a worker. It’s about let’s protect our family now. Now let’s keep us safe. Let’s find some gated community and you know, and keep them all in our house away from all the bad people. That’s…there’s no excuse for that…you can’t find that in this book.”
https://vimeo.com/216327211

What Francis Chan is talking about is
How American Christians today have idolized their families
And lost the sense that the gospel ministry takes priority over everything.

• Can you believe Jim Elliot would leave his wife and infant child to go to a primitive group of South American Indians where he would end up getting speared to death?

• Can you further believe that after his death, his wife Elizabeth went to those same people and took her infant with her because she supposed that the infant would make her less of a threat?

We are talking about priority.
Nothing was more important to the Lord.
• When was He too tired?
• When was He too hungry?
• When was He too grieved?

Think about all the inconvenient ministry times of Jesus.
• I think we can all agree that there was nothing convenient about the incarnation. There was nothing convenient about surrendering your glory and becoming an infant.

And then even in His ministry.
• How about the 4 friends cutting a hole in the roof and dropping their friend down in the middle of a sermon?
• How about a demoniac crying out in the middle of a sermon in the synagogue?
• How about a hemorrhaging woman grabbing you while you’re on the way to heal a sick girl?
• How about a mob showing up when you are on vacation?
• How about a thief dying next to you on a cross wanting forgiveness?

It was never convenient.
But it was always a priority.

And He is teaching this to the 12.
This isn’t even the first time.

Remember when Jesus stopped in Samaria to take a drink from that woman at the well?
Jesus had sent the disciples into town to buy food.

John 4:27-38 “At this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why do You speak with her?” So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and said to the men, “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?” They went out of the city, and were coming to Him. Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. “Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. “For in this case the saying is true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ “I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.”

Can you picture that scene?
• Those disciples just left the very town that the Samaritan woman just ran back in to.
• They got their food, but that was all.

In the meantime
• This woman gets saved,
• Runs back into the town and tells everyone about the Lord
• And here comes the whole town out to meet Jesus.

And the Lord says, “Look at them. I sent you into that town to reap, all you did was get food. I sent you to go reap what you didn’t even labor for, but all you were worried about was food.”

Does that convict you?
IT CERTAINLY DOES ME.

• I would have been right there with those disciples, buying food with no thought of the salvation of the Samaritans.
• I would have rebuked those friends for tearing a hole in the ceiling…
• I would have been like Peter telling Jesus, “We’ll never figure out who touched You, come on let’s go.”
• I would have been angry at this crowd waiting by the water’s edge about to ruin my vacation.

Because I am selfish,
And far too often my main priority is me, not the kingdom.

This is an object lesson from the Lord for the 12 to learn
That ministry not only comes with accountability,
But it also demands priority.

Whenever the opportunity arises, seize it.
Whenever the ministry presents itself, take it.
More than any other thing in this life, that is why you are here.

And you will give an account to the Lord for how well you did it.

Now obviously, we didn’t make it very far into this story this morning,
So we’ll come back to it next time.

The retreat will take place at the spectacular Wildcatter Ranch in Graham, TX.

This year’s theme is “Mirror Image” based upon Colossians 3:2-3, “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.  For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

MEET OUR TEAM OF WORSHIP LEADERS

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“The more we focus our thinking on the things of God, the more we realize the fullness of Christ in Us, the more we can become a mirror image of Him!” – Elizabeth Mahusay

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Sent By Jesus – part 2
Luke 9:1-9 (3-9)
September 2, 2018

We started on this text last time
Regarding Jesus sending out the twelve apostles.

To pull us back into focus you’ll remember:
• For 18 months Jesus has been traveling all through Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and performing miracles.
• However, after the parable of the soils He warned them that they are in danger of losing this access.

That will be true in:
Luke 9:51 “When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem;”

And so the time for Galilee is short.
• From reading Mark’s gospel we know that after raising Jairus’ daughter, Jesus then returned one last time to Nazareth, but they refused to believe.
• He then began traveling one more time through Galilee
• However since their time is almost up, Jesus is about to engage in a saturation campaign.
• So now He is sending out the 12.
• Later in chapter 10, He’ll send out the 70
• And then that will be it.

It really is a picture of the long-suffering of our Lord.

And many of us are so grateful that He is so patient,
For we have a lot in common with the stubborn Galileans.

I don’t know that any of us can boast that
We readily followed Christ without any struggle whatsoever.

For many of us, faith began as an argument with the Lord,
And where it not for the Lord’s persistence and sovereign grace,
We would have rejected Him.

So none of us have a problem with
Jesus making one final push here in Galilee.

There are 5 points to be made in this text, and we looked at the first 2 last week.
#1 THE CALL
Luke 9:1

Here we simply pointed out that for the first time
Jesus pulled the twelve out from the midst of the rest of the disciples.

Here He gave them “power and authority”
They were endowed with the same power and authority that Jesus had.

What Jesus has done, they now have authority and power to do.
• They could heal the sick
• They could cast out demons
• They could raise the dead
• They could cleanse lepers
• They could restore paralytics

Jesus just called them and subsequently equipped them.
(You’ve been equipped to, with the word)

And then we saw the second point
#2 THE COMMAND
Luke 9:2

This is the “what to” of missions.
Which is to say, if you wonder what you are supposed to do,
Then read this passage, for Jesus is not cryptic here.

He could not be more straightforward.
“And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing.”

We again recognize that the mission required them to be “sent…out”.

We know that the unregenerate world is not coming to us.
• At least not unless the church consents to corrupt their worship and make it
something that is gratifying to the flesh, as many churches have done.
• But if we aspire to keep worship sanctified and holy, and gratifying only to the
Spirit and not the flesh, you can rest assured that the lost have no interest.

So getting the gospel to them requires us to go to them.
That is why Jesus sent them out.

We also remember what He sent them out to do.

PRIMARILY “to proclaim the kingdom of God”

That is, they were to preach that God has a kingdom
And men can now enter it.
Included in this is the necessity of repentance of sin
And humility before God.

That is why Mark’s gospel says:
Mark 6:12 “They went out and preached that men should repent.”

Man is not fit for the kingdom of God in his sinful condition.
He must repent of that sin and be made clean
Through the atonement which is found in Jesus Christ.

THE SECOND ASPECT of their ministry was “to perform healing”

And we talked extensively about this.
• This was validity, this was proof.
• The apostles had no New Testament that they could turn to and preach from.
• This miraculous power was to prove to the crowd that what they were saying
was the message of God.

Today we don’t need these powers
Because we have something more powerful,
Which is the apostle’s teaching; better known as the New Testament.

These are the very words of God
Which separate soul and spirit, joints and marrow
And are able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Whereas miraculous demonstrations may in fact return void,
God’s word never returns void.

So we now stand on that for our validity.

But that wasn’t the only reason they were commanded “to perform healing”.

Also included there is the call for COMPASSION.

Jesus forced the 12 to get up close and personal with people’s pain.
• It is very easy for a preacher of divine truth and a holy standard to grow callous toward sinful men when he is never around them.
• Even our Lord, that He might sympathize with our weaknesses, put on flesh and dwelt among us.

Jesus wanted this same compassion from His preachers,
And we learn that as well.

We go, we preach the gospel and the necessity of repentance,
And we do it with compassion.

These are broken people
These are lost sheep

Another good verse that summarizes that mentality so well is:
Matthew 9:36-38 “Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. “Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

“distressed” there is SKULLO (skoo-lo) in the Greek, it means “to skin” or “to flay”
“dispirited” is RHIPTO, (rdip-to) it means “to cast or throw off”

• These people weren’t just sheared sheep, they were skinned sheep.
• Life had skinned them and thrown them aside.
• The religious leaders had exploited them and cast them out.

And the response of our Lord to this was is clear.
“Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them”

And He ended up commanding His disciples to pray
That the Lord would send out more workers into the harvest.
Compassion for sinners leads to preaching of the gospel.

Jesus wanted both from the 12.
And that’s where we ended up last time.
This morning we move forward.

The Call, The Command
#3 THE CONDITION
Luke 9:3-4

I’m quite certain you are most likely familiar with this command
Especially since it is recorded in all 3 synoptic gospels.

However, focusing in on it, is bound to give you a little pause,
For it is somewhat of a PECULIAR COMMAND.

Jesus is sending these 12 out throughout Galilee.
• In Matthew’s gospel Jesus specifically tells them NOT to go to the region of the Samaritans, but only to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

And as we said, Galilee is not that big.
It’s only about 25 miles by 50 miles.
That’s not that much bigger than Dickens county.

And Jesus tells them specifically NOT to take preparations with them.

“Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics apiece.”

• Travelers would usually take “a staff” to help them walk, and even a second smaller club in case they got in danger.
• They would take a “a bag” in which to hold the things they might buy
• They would take “bread” to make sure they did not get stranded without food
• They would take “money” in case they needed to buy something
• They would take “two tunics” in case it got cold and they had to sleep out in exposure.

And none of that sounds bizarre for a traveler.
If you travel, I’m betting you do at least that.

Why did Jesus tell them not to take it?

Furthermore he tells the apostles “Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that city.”

• There were no hotels in Israel, and inns were commonly nothing more than brothels.
• When you traveled you counted on the hospitality of other Israelites.

And Jesus says when you get somewhere, “stay there”.
Don’t move around from house to house.

Show up at a house with no provisions, stay at that house,
Go out and preach, and return back there every night
For your meals and lodging.

What is the point to all of this?
Well, there are several.

The FIRST, is to teach the THE VALUE OF THEIR MINISTRY.

Let me read it to you from Matthew’s gospel.
Matthew 10:7-10 “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘ The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. “Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.”

Matthew’s gospel spells it out: “for the worker is worthy of his support.”

I think this hits to a very real insecurity and deception
That runs through the minds of believers far too often.

When you live in a wicked society it is all too easy for the culture to convince Christians that their preaching is a nuisance and a bother.

Jesus says just the opposite.
Jesus says what you are doing is valuable and worthy of compensation.

I don’t think believers really think that way anymore.
(Now certainly I’m not saying you should expect a $20 bill every time you talk about Jesus to someone, obviously)

What I mean though is that far too often
Believers seem to think that witnessing to someone
Is almost inappropriate and rude.

“Excuse me, I don’t mean to bother you, but…”
“I hate to take up your time, but if you have just a second…”

Now look, I’m not advocating rudeness or anything like that,
But Christian do you realize that what you are doing is not wasteful?

No one could possibly be bringing
Anything more worthy or valuable to them
Than you are when you bring them the gospel.

What the Bible say about people who preach the gospel?
Romans 10:15 “How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!”

I think Christians today see themselves more like hovering furniture salesmen that are really more irritating than helpful.

AND THAT IS NOT TRUE.
The Bible says those who go and proclaim the gospel have beautiful feet!
They are the most welcomed sight in the world.

And Jesus wanted the 12 to know this.

Don’t feel guilty about going into a city or town and preaching the gospel
Like you’re some sort of traveling medicine show
That is wasting people’s time.

• No one has ever brought anything more valuable into a city than what you are
about to bring.
• In fact, they ought to compensate you for taking the time to bring it to them.

Considering the value of this message, take a look at the early church immediately after Pentecost.
Acts 2:43-47 “Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

Surely you’ve recognized that scene before.
It almost reads like socialism.

What was going on there?
• Well, at that time you only had 1 church in the entire world, and it was in Jerusalem.
• And 3,000 of these Jews who came from out of town to celebrate the feast of weeks (remember Acts 2:9 – Parthians, Medes, Elamites, etc.) and while they were there, they got saved.
• And there was only 1 place in the world to hear the gospel.
• There was only 1 place in the world to fellowship with believers.
• And these travelers didn’t want to go home, but their resources had run out.

But understanding the value of the gospel, and the value of fellowship,
People were selling everything just to keep it all together.

The point?
It was valuable.

Jesus taught is in that parable of the treasure in the field
And again in that parable of the pearl of great price
That the gospel is worth everything a person has.

He is reiterating that to the 12 here.
• They should not enter a city feeling like men who would be a nuisance.
• They should enter a city feeling like men with the greatest offer ever.

As Paul would later say:
1 Corinthians 9:11-14 “If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ. Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar? So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.”

The point is, what you are doing is valuable.
Christian, don’t forget that.
And you may have to remind yourself of that at times.

Every week, after I finish with my sermon notes, Peggy puts them in a binder for me, and when it gets full she brings it to my office.

I’ve been preaching for 17 years, and from a physical perspective,
The sum total of all that I’ve accomplished fits on 2 shelves in 20, 3-ring binders.
That doesn’t look like much for 17 years.

15 years of that has been here in Spur.
This church has paid my salary for 15 years, that’s quite a chunk of money.
In exchange, all you got was about 18 of those binders.

Preaching the gospel may not feel like much, or look like much.
BUT GET PAST THAT THOUGHT, IT IS VALUABLE!

That’s part of what Jesus is saying here.

ANOTHER part, also requires Matthew’s gospel to better understand it.
Matthew 10:7-8 “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.”

As I told you earlier, one of the things Jesus told the apostles
Not to take with them was “a bag”.

Certainly this had to do with carrying essentials,
But even more than that it had to do with
BRINGING BACK THE THINGS YOU RECEIVE OR BUY.

And the point of Jesus here is the other side of the coin.
• Your ministry is valuable, it’s a blessing, it’s worth all the support you receive.
• It’s worthy free lodging, it’s worth free food, it’s worth compensation.

BUT…
Do not assume that you are going on this venture to make money or get rich or obtain the things of this world.

As Matthew recorded, “Freely you received, freely give.”

Can you imagine the human impulses and temptations that would have entered the minds of these apostles now that they had been empowered with the ability to heal the sick and cast out demons and raise the dead?

It would have been very tempting to start adding a price to their services,
And you and I both know people would pay it.
We see that type of corruption today with our “so-called” faith healers.

Peter said it best:
2 Peter 2:13-16 “They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.”

Peter knew that they were only in it for the money.
• They were modern day Balaam’s and Peter (because he learned it from Jesus)
was warning about these types of greedy false prophets.

This also explains Peter’s admonition to the elders of the church.
1 Peter 5:1-3 “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.”

I like the King James there which calls “sordid gain” – “filthy lucre”

Don’t do it for the money!

There is ALSO a measure of contentment expected here.
Jesus told the 12, “Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that city.”

What if the first house you stay in is the house of a poor man?
• And after a few days a tax collector gets saved and invites you to his house?
• The accommodations would certainly be more comfortable.

And some preachers certainly did this.
They made the circuit, jumping from house to house, preaching exploiting and moving on to collect all they could from everyone.

DON’T GO OUT AND USE THIS POWER TO GAIN THE WORLD.

And certainly a third point to be made here is the expectation of TRUST.

These men would have to go out and be faithful to the calling
As their first priority and let Jesus deal with all the logistical details.
When you set out without a reservation or even any food in the cooler,
You are certainly placing all the trust in the Lord for provision.

It sort reinforces His famous teaching:
Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

The apostles were to remember where their focus was to be.
They were going to preach the kingdom of God.

They weren’t going to get rich…
They weren’t going to get applause…
They weren’t going to get souvenirs…

Just preach the gospel, trust Jesus to provide,
And know that what you are doing is valuable
So don’t feel like some sort of intruder when you arrive.

For balance sake, however, we also read later in their ministry:
Luke 22:35-38 “And He said to them, “When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?” They said, “No, nothing.” And He said to them, “But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one. “For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH TRANSGRESSORS’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.” They said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”

The point is, that making plans to go on vision is not a sin.
Jesus was teaching trust to the disciples,
But even later He reminded them that in this world, provisions must be made.

But hopefully you get His point.
These were the conditions for their missionary journey
It speaks to the true purpose and value of their mission.

Understand that Christian when you go as well.

The Call, The Command, The Conditions
#4 THE CONTINGENCY
Luke 9:5-6

Here is an interesting verse,
And one that certainly addresses an issue
That would have been on the mind of the apostles.

I know You said our ministry is valuable, and people should be willing (even eager) to meet our needs, but what if they don’t?

What about when you encounter those who are hostile to the message?

“As for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”

WELL IT SOUNDS BAD, BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
To fully understand it, you have to understand something of the Jewish (and even global) understanding of the value of land.

Do you remember the story about Naaman the Leper?
• He was the commander of the armies of Aram, who was sent in to Israel to be
healed by Elijah of his leprosy.
• Elijah told him to dip in the Jordan river 7 times and he’d be cleansed.
• He did, and he was.
• After being healed, he wanted to pay Elijah.

2 Kings 5:15-17 “When he returned to the man of God with all his company, and came and stood before him, he said, “Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel; so please take a present from your servant now.” But he said, “As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will take nothing.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused. Naaman said, “If not, please let your servant at least be given two mules’ load of earth; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering nor will he sacrifice to other gods, but to the LORD.”

Naaman wanted that so that He could worship Israel’s God on Israel’s dirt.

There was a mentality about land and how it was tied to worship.

Commonly when a Jew had to travel through Gentile regions,
• Before crossing the border into Israel they would stop and shake the dirt out of their sandals before transporting pagan dirt into Israel.

It was a sign of reproach, it was a sign of disdain.
We don’t want your pagan dirt contaminating our worship of the true God.

And that is what Jesus is referencing here.
• If they won’t hear you…
• If they won’t listen to you…
• If they want you to leave…

Then as you go, “shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”

Basically, right there in their presence, with them watching,
You perform this ritual of disdain and reproach.

You will in effect be saying, “You are a pagan. You are not a worshiper of the true God, and I don’t even want your dirt, effecting the rest of Israel.”

That’s contempt isn’t it?
That’s seemingly intolerant isn’t it?
But that’s what Jesus commanded.

You say, “Wow, that doesn’t really sound much like Jesus.”
Well, how about this one?

Later, in Luke 10 when Jesus commands the 70
Luke 10:10-12 “But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ “I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city.”

That’s even worse!
• Not only are we shaking the dirt from you yard off our feet to protect against
cross-contamination,
• But we’re getting out of here like Lot fleeing Sodom!

And all of this is done publicly
All of this is done “as a testimony against them”

And if you’ll remember, Paul did this on a number of occasions.
Acts 13:50-52 “But the Jews incited the devout women of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. But they shook off the dust of their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 18:5-6 “But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

WHAT DO WE TAKE FROM THIS?
I think it’s pretty clear.

When you go out and preach, not only is your message valuable, BUT IT IS NOT OPTIONAL.

• You’re not offering people a new alternative…
• You’re not offering people a different way to try something…
• You’re not just throwing something out there to consider…

You are preaching the message of God about how to enter His kingdom.
• If you repent you and submit to God’s King, you enter the kingdom.
• If you don’t, you remain outside the kingdom, and enemy of God, and under certain condemnation and promised destruction.

How is this for a picture?
• An army approaches the city gates, and it is clear that they have the man-
power and the fire-power to destroy your city.
• Before attacking, the commander of that army sends delegates to the city to
offer terms of peace.
• Those delegates come in, you show them around the town, you give them a
Spur Bulldogs cap and T-shirt, you invite them for supper,
• They express the opposing general’s terms.
• You must apologize to the commander of the army, for having rebelled against
him, and you must submit yourselves to his authority, or he will crush your
city.
• And you say, “Tell him to get lost, and you get out of here too”

The delegate says, “Ok”, but before he leaves, he takes off the Spur hat, and Spur T-shirt, throws it down and says, “Judgment is coming.”

THAT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE.

Look, Jesus wasn’t rude…
And Jesus certainly wasn’t cruel…

But let me also remind you that Jesus never budged
On the requirement of the kingdom.

• He didn’t send the 12 into a city to organize a town forum to see if there was some sort of middle ground where they could compromise.

• He sent the 12 to go and graciously offer peace based on a few non-negotiable requirements.

And that is part of evangelism.
Is that present in your evangelism?
• Do you offer the gospel as though it is the greatest offer ever?
• And if people reject it, do you make sure they understand the grave implications of their rejection?

That is what Jesus taught the apostles to do, and they did it.
(6) “Departing, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.”

That is the “What To” of being sent by Jesus.

But there is one more point, and one that I’m going to have to make very quickly.
#5 THE CULMINATION
Luke 9:7-9

Here we run across a text that really seems to stick out as not belonging.
But it does.

Herod is a mini-picture of the response of Galilee
To the preaching of the apostles.

• Not only does Herod hear about these 12 and what they are doing,
• Herod also summarizes for you how the people are responding to the message.

I don’t have the time to give you all the background on Herod,
Just know that this is the guy who beheaded John the Baptist.

And here we find that Herod “was greatly perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen again.”

SO
• The apostles went out and preached the kingdom.
• They went out and worked attesting miracles of healing.
• They told of King Jesus, and the necessity of submission to Him.

And after hearing the sermons, who did Galilee say that Jesus was?
“John” or “Elijah” or “one of the prophets”

Certainly they recognized the supernatural abilities of Jesus,
But they still refused to honor Him as was demanded.

They all saw Him as a powerful delegate from God,
But none saw Him as God’s King whom they must serve.

And even though it says that Herod wanted to see Jesus,
We all know that in 18 months he will get his chance, and all he will do is mock Jesus.

In fact in
Luke 13:31 “Just at that time some Pharisees approached, saying to Him, “Go away, leave here, for Herod wants to kill You.”

Herod didn’t want to submit to Jesus either.

Despite the apostles preaching, everyone missed the point.
THE GENERAL CONSENSUS OF THE REGION WAS
To give credit to Jesus for His power,
But to refuse submission to Jesus as their Lord.

THAT’S NOT WHAT JESUS WANTED

Fast forward to an accurate response:
Luke 9:18-20 “And it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the people say that I am?” They answered and said, “John the Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again.” And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”

When Peter was asked, Peter named Jesus as God’s King,
God’s Messiah, God’s Christ.
Do you see the difference?

This is what we are shooting for when we take the gospel to the world.
• We are NOT JUST trying to get people to be amazed at Jesus’ ability…
• We are NOT JUST trying to get people to believe in Jesus’ power…
• THE GOAL IS for rebels to repent and submit their lives to God’s King!

AND WE’LL SAY MORE TO THIS LATER.

However this morning we come to the TABLE OF THE LORD
Where not only do we understand the need for repentance before God,
But we also remember the price of our pardon before Him.

God allows men into His kingdom, even unworthy men,
But not before a penalty is enacted against the rebels who defied Him.
This is the necessary requirement of a holy God.

We celebrate because Jesus paid the price of that rebellion.
• He was treated as the rebel that we are,
• So that we can be accepted as the Son that He is.

2 Corinthians 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

THIS MORNING WE CELEBRATE THAT.

Before we do, we have a time of preparation to once again bow our hearts to our King and to thank Him for His great sacrifice.

The Real Avenger
Psalms 9
September 2, 2018

I. DAVID’S PRAISE (1-2)

A. Praise Expressed (1-2)

B. Praise Explained (3-10)

1. You Make My Enemies Stumble (3-6)

a. They Stumble Justly (4)

b. They Stumble Totally (5)

c. They Stumble Permanently (6)

2. But For Me You Are A Stronghold (7-10)

a. A Stronghold Eternally (7)

b. A Stronghold Justly (8)

c. A Stronghold Effectively (9)

d. A Stronghold Thoroughly (10)

C. Praise Expected (11-12)

II. DAVID’S PRAYER (13-16)

A. His Personal Request (13-14)

B. His Personal Reminder (15-16)

III. DAVID’S PROCLAMATION (17-20)

A. The Wicked Won’t Always Be Free (17)

B. The Needy Won’t Always Be Forgotten (18)

C. The Nations Won’t Always Be Fearless (19-20)

If you’ve followed the theatres at all in the last decade
Then you know that Hollywood has repeatedly returned
To the same franchise over and over.

Marvel’s Avengers have already produced 20 films
With 12 more in various stages of production.
They are advertised as “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes”
And it’s safe to say that our culture loves them.

But long before Stan Lee was writing stories about Captain America and the Incredible Hulk, there was an Avenger present.

HE IS NONE OTHER THAN OUR GREAT GOD.

• NO, that doesn’t mean that our God runs around in a shiny suit with special
powers and fights mythical creatures in cosmic battles.

• RATHER, our God reigns as the sovereign Judge of the universe and
promises that a day is coming, when He will in fact avenge His people from all
the wrongs they have suffered from the wicked.

The battle has not yet been fought,
But when it is (and it will be) it won’t even be difficult.

Our God will simply destroy forever
All those who rebelled against His rule, and who afflicted His elect.

This is a fact.
And it is this fact that inspires the 9th Psalm.

• I passed you out an outline tonight, namely because outlines are often times the product of my understanding and perhaps it will help you in understanding this Psalm as well.

• I am not going to hit each detail of that outline in the sermon tonight, because detailed outlines that run that deep make for good reading, but horrible preaching.

Tonight I want to hit the big points,
And you can refer to the outline if you want something more detailed.

3 main points tonight.
#1 DAVID’S PRAISE
Psalms 9:1-12

The Psalm begins, like many Psalms begin
And that is simply with a passionate statement of exaltation to God.

When you read these first 2 verses, the thing that pours over you
Is the reality that David is “all in”

He’s not just thankful.
“I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart;”

Just so we’re clear,
The “heart” in Bible times was not the seat of emotion (that was the gut, or the bowels).
The “heart” was the seat of reason or thinking or the mind.

And so David here is not just singing as loud as he can,
But he is also racking his brain
To make sure he remembers all that he is thankful for.

This is a mental exercise for him.
• He’s contemplating on the LORD
• He’s remember God’s benefits
• He’s recounting what God has done

And as he remembers them, he says, “I will tell of all Your wonders”

That’s commitment right there.
Not only to do the mental work to explore the depths of God,
But to also commit to share what you find.

What is also true is all that David finds fully satisfies him.
“I will be glad and exult in You;”

Not just rejoicing in what God has done, but rejoicing in who God is.

And of course the external fruit of this mental labor and inner rejoicing is that it comes out of his mouth in song.

“I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.”

We read it in Ephesians:
Ephesians 5:18-20 “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;”

Paul speaks of the spirit-filled life,
• And it is evidenced by those who speak to one another “in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” and by those who engage in “singing and making melody with [their] heart to the Lord”

That is David.
• He has searched the depths of God
• He is satisfied in what he has found
• He is grateful for what he has learned
• And He can’t wait to reveal that in songs of tremendous praise.

In short, you just see that David
Is filled with wonder and gratitude and praise for God.
IT’S OBVIOUS.

The question we again ask, is: WHY?
• David, what did you learn in your inner mental quest?
• David, what did you see as you sought out God?
• What is it about God that has made you so overwhelmingly joyful and grateful?

And the answer:
GOD IS MY AVENGER

You may not actually see the word in your text,
But in vs. 12 we read, “For He who requires blood remembers them;”

Literally translated “He who avenges bloodshed”

This is what David discovered about God.
GOD IS MY AVENGER.

I suppose we should begin with
At least a brief understanding of WHAT THAT MEANS.

In the Old Testament, you are certainly aware of the significance of bloodshed to God.

He hates the shedding of innocent blood.
• When Abel was murdered by Cain, God called out to Cain that his brother’s
blood was crying out to Him from the ground.

• When Noah got off the ark, it was the first command he received that man
should not take the life of another man because he is created in the image of
God.

• In fact, in the Old Testament, if you randomly found a dead body in the field,
you had to measure which city was closest to the man. The elders had to
come out to that man with an unworked heifer, break it’s neck, and wash their
hands over it declaring, “We did not do this!” (Numbers 21)

The point being, shedding innocent blood is a big deal,
And justice must be made when it occurs.

And so, in Bible times, if someone was murdered,
There would typically be a person who would set out to cleanse the land of that innocent blood, by killing the one who committed the murder.

That person was called “the avenger”

TURN TO: Numbers 35:9-34
That gives you a bit of an understanding.

What I’m telling you is that GOD IS AN AVENGER.

Psalms 99:8 “O LORD our God, You answered them; You were a forgiving God to them, And yet an avenger of their evil deeds.”

1 Thessalonians 4:3-6 “For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you.”

And this Psalm praises God for that.

And so let’s see what David says.

A very telling statement comes in verse 3
“When my enemies turn back, They stumble and perish before You.”

You understand the statement.
• David has come to the realization that he’s never had a single victory because of the strength of his arm.
• Every victory he has ever accomplished has been because of the strength of his God.
Goliath didn’t fall before David.
Goliath fell before God.

But that is also true for all those who would attack David and seek to supplant him.
• Whether that is Saul or Absalom or the Philistines or any other foe.
• It is God who has come to David’s defense and delivered him from his enemies.

It is God who has made his enemies stumble.

And you’ll notice that DAVID IS QUITE EXPLICIT about how they stumble.
THE STUMBLE JUSTLY
(4) “For You have maintained my just cause; You have sat on the throne judging righteously.”

That is to say, they deserved what God gave them.
God wasn’t showing partiality, God was demonstrating justice.

No one likes it when the guilty go free,
And David says that before God, they never do.

THEY STUMBLE TOTALLY
(5) “You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name forever and ever.”

• God didn’t just discipline them.
• God “destroyed” them.
• God “blotted out their name”

David saw this as intense and decisive judgment.
God attacked and destroyed David’s enemies.

This is actually a promise we find in the New Testament.
2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 “For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed — for our testimony to you was believed.”

Do you pick up on those same themes?
• “it is only just…”
• “God to repay…”
• “dealing out retribution”
• “penalty of eternal destruction”

This is no idle observation by David.
God does this for His elect.
He causes their foe to totally stumble.

THEY STUMBLE PERMANENTLY
(6) “The enemy has come to an end in perpetual ruins, And You have uprooted the cities; The very memory of them has perished.”

I’ve heard of people being “ancient history”
I’ve heard of people being “a distant memory”
But David says “The very memory of them has perished.”

It’s over, they’re gone, they aren’t coming back.

David saw that God had done such a work on his behalf with his enemies.
GOD HAD AVENGED HIM MANY MANY TIMES.

And while God was avenging David’s enemies,
God was also busy protecting David.

In verse 9, David refers to God as “a stronghold”

HE IS AN ETERNAL STRONGHOLD
(7) “But the LORD abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment,”

The reason God is an eternal stronghold is because God “abides forever”
There will never be a time when He is not our avenger.

HE IS A JUST STRONGHOLD
(8) “And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity.”

Again, He will never condemn the innocent or acquit the guilty.
He judges with “equity” or “uprightness”.

He is perfectly just.

HE IS AN EFFECTIVE STRONGHOLD
(9) “The LORD also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, A stronghold in times of trouble;”

He’s not just a stronghold when there is no threat.
He’s not phony rock.

When times are the hardest.
When trouble is the most real.
That’s when God shines forth the brightest.

He is “A stronghold in times of trouble.”

HE IS A THOROUGH STRONGHOLD
(10) “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.”

If you’ll remember up in verses 4-6 David listed 6 things that God had done.
All marked by “You have”.

But equally important is the one thing that God has never done.
And that is that He has “not forsaken those who seek You.”

Psalms 37:25 “I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his descendants begging bread.”

And David is just calling it like he sees it.
• As he goes on this mental journey to discover who God has been for him,
• David is lifting his voice in praise because God has been the constant avenger
of all his enemies,
• And a constant stronghold for him in ever trouble.

And David just can’t stop singing about that.

Think about it believer.
• How has God ever failed you?
• At what time did He abandon you?
• When did He ever let the enemy fully defeat you?

David can’t think of a time, and he is amazed at that.

So much so that HE CALLS FOR CORPORATE PRAISE
From everyone who would realize this as well.

David is singing and he wants the church to sing with him.

(11-12) “Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion; Declare among the peoples His deeds. For He who requires blood remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the afflicted.”

David says, “Church you ought to be singing praises to God. Specifically because He is the avenger God who avenges you before the enemy and remembers you and never forgets your cry”

Sing to Him about that!
Praise Him for that!

“The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, He will not, He will not desert to his foes. And though even hell should endeavor to shake, He’ll never, no never, no never forsake!”

“Through many, dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come. Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead will me home.”

• Sing of how God silenced the enemy and delivered you from his grasp.
• Sing of how God was a great stronghold for you in distress.
• Sing of how God has avenged you from the evil one.

That is David’s praise and his command for the church to sing.

1 Peter 4:3-5 “For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you; but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.”

Praise God for that!
Praise Him that He avenges His own!
This is a blessing of being God’s child!

BUT THERE’S MORE.
Again, we are reminded why sound music is so important.

Because the song we write on the day of victory
Is also the song we’ll lean on in the valley of despair.

That song blesses your heart and causes you to sing, and you memorize it, and you love it, for it is true.

And then when life takes a difficult turn,
That truth has been embedded in your heart, and you sing it again,
But this time you sing it in faith that it is still true.

David does both.
• In verses 1-12 he sings the song in gratitude.
• In verses 13-20 he sings it again in faith.

David’s Praise
#2 DAVID’S PRAYER
Psalms 9:13-16

Do you see how what David has learned about God not only inspired his praise, but also inspired his prayer?

It is so valuable to search out the person and work of God.
Not only will it lead you to praise, but it will also lead you to prayer.

David just realized that God had many times avenged him.
And so after singing praises because of that,
DAVID NOW TURNS TO PRAYER FOR HE STILL HAS ENEMIES.

(13-14) “Be gracious to me, O LORD; See my affliction from those who hate me, You who lift me up from the gates of death, That I may tell of all Your praises, That in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in Your salvation.”

David has a prayer request.
He is hated, and his life is in danger.

And he is asking God to do again as He has always done
And be a stronghold and an avenger once again.

And he asks it that he may continue to “tell of all Your praises.”

But I’ll tell you what I like about the way David words this prayer.
He simple asks God to “see my affliction from those who hate me.”

David doesn’t ask God to avenge him.
David doesn’t ask God to defend him.

But that’s because David knows he doesn’t have to.
All he has to do is make sure God knows about it.

My dad was a man with many flaws. The one he battled most of his life was his temper. But despite his flaws my dad was a fierce protector and defender of his family. And my sister and I knew that if anything ever happened to us, we didn’t have to tell my dad how to respond, we just had to make sure he knew about it.

I remember a time when Alaina and I could not have been more than about 6 and 10 years old and we were at a horse sale in Brownwood, TX. And an impatient alley worker wasn’t too happy with how long it was taking Alaina to cross the alley and so as soon as she reached the fence, he sent the horses down the alley. It could have been really bad. We told dad, and to this day I remember how the roof of the entire sale barn rattled when he kicked the pipe gate around into the fence, and I distinctly remember the long line of “yes sir’s” and “no sir’s” he was receiving from that man.

We didn’t have to tell him to avenge us,
We just had to tell him what had happened.

That’s all David does here.
Because he already knows that God is an avenger.

And as an added reality, David even reminds himself of the fact.

(15-16) “The nations have sunk down in the pit which they have made; In the net which they hid, their own foot has been caught. The LORD has made Himself known; He has executed judgment. In the work of his own hands the wicked is snared. Higgaion Selah.”

(“Higgain” – perhaps resounding music or meditation – who knows?)

David announces how “the nations have sunk down in the pit which they have made”

We learned that back in Psalms 7 didn’t we?
How the wicked dig a pit for the righteous but then fall into it themselves.

The question is, WHO IS DAVID REMINDING?
Certainly not God, God knows that.

David is reminding himself of who God is
And how God deals with the wicked
SO AS TO STRENGTHEN HIS OWN FAITH.

David knows that the Lord often times snares the wicked in his own snare.

• Do you remember when we spoke of Haman, building gallows for Mordecai and then being hanged on them himself?

• Do you remember Pharaoh’s edict to drown all the Hebrew baby boys, and then that Pharaoh was himself drowned in the Red sea?

• Do you remember that Jacob had a propensity for lying, even dressing up at times to deceive, and then we remember his wedding night with Leah?

We read it:
Galatians 6:7 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”

Or how about this story:
Judges 1:3-7 “Then Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into the territory allotted me, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I in turn will go with you into the territory allotted you.” So Simeon went with him. Judah went up, and the LORD gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hands, and they defeated ten thousand men at Bezek. They found Adoni-bezek in Bezek and fought against him, and they defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites. But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and big toes. Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to gather up scraps under my table; as I have done, so God has repaid me.” So they brought him to Jerusalem and he died there.”

You get the idea.
David is reminding himself of this very thing
THAT HIS FAITH MAY ENDURE
Even though now currently in a difficult predicament.

And David’s prayer of faith is made possible by the song of praise which he had learned.

Sound music is so important.

David’s Praise, David’s Prayer
#3 DAVID’S PROCLAMATION
Psalms 9:17-20

We’ve heard David singing, we’ve seen David praying,
AND NOW DAVID IS PREACHING.

He’s sharing what he knows about God with the rest of the nation
That their faith might also be encouraged.

And his truths are so important for every believer to know.
THE WICKED WON’T ALWAYS BE FREE
(17) “The wicked will return to Sheol, Even all the nations who forget God.”

I know at times it feels as though wickedness abounds.
It feels like we are drowning in the corruption of the world.

And certainly this was promised.
2 Timothy 3:1-9 “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes’s and Jambres’s folly was also.”

We know wickedness will rise, but we also know that it won’t last.
“the wicked will return to Sheol, even all the nations who forget God.”

They won’t survive, remember that.

THE NEEDY WON’T ALWAYS BE FORGOTTEN
(18) “For the needy will not always be forgotten, Nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever.”

And of course they aren’t really ever forgotten.
Verse 10 made that clear.

It’s just that at times it feels that way.
• At times it feels like the Devil is already taking a victory lap.
• At times it feels like this whole thing is headed down the gutter.

But it won’t always be this way.
God hasn’t forgotten and our hope is not a foolish one.

The day of God’s vengeance is coming.
• He will avenge His children on their enemies.
• He will fulfill their hopes.

Remember this story?
Luke 16:19-25 “Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. “And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. “Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. “And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.”

It was bad for Lazarus for a while, but it didn’t end that way.

THE NATIONS WON’T ALWAYS BE FEARLESS
(19-20) “Arise, O LORD, do not let man prevail; Let the nations be judged before You. Put them in fear, O LORD; Let the nations know that they are but men. Selah.”

Today men strut about continually.
• Boasting of atheism and paganism
• Boasting of immorality and iniquity
• Relishing foul language and lewd behavior
• Laughing at the grossest of immoralities

And men do this because there is no fear of God before their eyes.

But there will be…
There is coming a day when the whole world will emphatically learn
That there is a God and it is not them.

Revelation 6:12-17 “I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

There is coming a day when fear of God will be reinstated.
Men will know who He is and will shudder.

And this is David’s encouragement to the church.
• Sing to God – He is the Avenger!
• Pray to God – He is the Avenger!
• Trust God – He is the Avenger!

BUT LET ME TAKE IT ONE STEP FURTHER.
Because, while the New Testament doesn’t quote this Psalm,
It does reference the doctrine behind it.

We are given a very real and practical application
To how we are to respond to the fact that God is our avenger.
TURN TO: Luke 18:1-8

Do you see that?
“will not God bring about justice for His elect cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?”

And the implied answer is no.
“I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

But what is the application to the story?
It’s seen in verse 1.
“That at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart”

• Trust God.
• Don’t lose heart, just pray
• Know that God is the Avenger
• He brings about justice for His elect
• Know this, trust this, lean on this, and rejoice in this!
It is a blessing for the church.

D-NOW 2018!!!

2018 RULES VIDEO

2018 HIGHLIGHT VIDEO

Dan Tarr's Friday night Sermon (audio picks up at minute mark) 
(right click to download)

Dan Tarr's Saturday morning Sermon (right click to download)

Dan Tarr's Saturday night Sermon (right click to download)

Kaylin Adam's Testimony

(SONG) "Let My Light Shine Bright" (Scott Cunningham)

Dan Tarr's Sunday School Sermon (right click to download)

Sunday Morning Worship (Scott Cunningham)

Scripture Reading: Acts 2

Dan Tarr's Sunday Morning Worship Sermon (right click to download)

FOUNTAINS SKIT

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