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Luke 9:1-6 Jesus sends out the twelve
Today we are going to look at the time when Jesus is taking his disciples to a new level.  He is sending them out on a mission

Read Luke 9:1-6 How does this account impact our lives as Christians

Jesus sends out His disciples to do what they have seen Him do. Jesus commissions the twelve to multiply His ministry. They will go out from and then return to Jesus with reports of what they’ve experienced and learned.

This is an overview of missions and what it means to be missional. We must understand that – as disciples – we are sent out too

Some fundamental things to think about. A B C

1. It is God’s will that we are saved 1 timothy 2:3-5
2. It is God’s will that you share the gospel  Matthew 18:18-20
3.   He will enable you to do it Romans 12:6

B    1. We cannot do this alone. No one person IS the body of Christ 1 Corinthians 12:27

2.    God ministers to us through others Ephesians 4:11-13

C,  1. He has the power and authority and he gives it to us Colossians 2:10

2. We are His servants, going out in His Name. It is not in our name, power or authority, but in Christ’s!

Responsibility

Jesus has a mission for every Christian

We are all called to get involved and do something

Illustration:

King George V was to give the opening address at a special disarmament conference. The speech was to be relayed by radio to the U.S.A. As the broadcast was about to begin, a cable broke in the New York radio station, and more than a million listeners were left without sound. A junior mechanic in the station, A man called Harold Vivien, Solved the problem by picking up both ends of the cable; And allowing 250 volts of electricity to pass through him. Harold Vivien became the living link that allowed the king’s message; To get through to the people!

Can you see the application of that story?

God is in the communication business;

He expects his people (Christians) to be became the living link;

That will allow the king’s message to get through to the people!

Rely on God

Don’t over plan. Let God lead you to where He is

The way Jesus sent the disciples out was quite deliberate; He wanted to develop their faith, their trust, and their reliance in him! But these disciples were still spiritually young. They had only been with him for a short time.  But they went out to the villages speaking and sharing the message of Jesus with those who crossed their paths.

He sent out in twos

Sending them two by two would provide the disciples with mutual support. Encouragement after all speaking to unfamiliar persons is a frightening experience. I believe Jesus was teaching that to impact the world; You and I aren’t going to be able to do it all alone. They like us - were going to need one another.

Illustration: When geese fly south for the winter, they fly in a V-shaped formation. If not, they’d never reach their destination. Researchers know that the V-shape; Helps geese fly at least 71% farther than they could alone, because each bird creates an updraft for the bird behind it, Making flying easier. If a goose falls out of formation, wind resistance slows down the bird. If it doesn’t act soon, it won’t be able to keep up with its flock. So, it quickly gets back into formation

They were given authority

“…He gave them authority over unclean spirits.” We are in a spiritual battle; And therefore, we need spiritual weapons to defeat the enemy. That is why the Bible says, “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of HIS might.”

illustration: Just as a policeman’s authority to defeat criminals; Is because authority has been delegated to him because of his position and job; If he resigns from the force he will be powerless to act in many situations. i.e. he cannot stop anyone for speeding. Yet if he remains in the force he has the authority to help defeat crime.

You and I are given authority to make a difference to a broken world. The secret to knowing that power is remain close to the master.

Being missional

We can define being on mission as “allowing Jesus to cross a boundary through me.” That boundary could be geographical, political, cultural, linguistic, generational, educational, or any other kind that separates two people in some way.

From creating contact to discipling

You see We are creating bonds. So, relationships first. Then God will take us into discipling. Being missional is crossing boundaries and stretching outside the comfort of our own homes and churches. It is seeking to foster deeper relationships with people to share Jesus with them and show how much he cares about everything in our lives. It is reaching out to those people with the love of Christ through service and sacrifice. Jesus crossed the boundary of heaven to be with us and live as one of us. He discipled us and set a process of sharing the good news that would last for millennia. He sacrificed for us, to show how much he loves us all. And when he was done, he pointed to his own example, and told us to do the same. Will we?

Being Incarnational

Means sacrifice; Sometimes being uncomfortable; Often being great fun; Not always being hard

We could say “letting Jesus serve through you.”

Don’t confuse your gifts with others. DON’T compare. Don’t look for size of mission. Your gift is yours alone. Remember when we go to the lost, the lonely and the sick, some people can be very unpleasant. Go anyway. And bring your new friends to church. Let God heal them. EVERYONE is welcome!!