 We're about to get into this study here. Let me begin by reading verses one through six and give you some explanatory comments and then get into our study. So, beginning at verse one, Mark chapter six, reading to verse six, then he went out from there and came to his own country and his disciples followed him. And when the Sabbath had come he began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing him were astonished saying, where did this man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to him that such mighty works are performed by his hands? Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us? So they were offended at him. But Jesus said to them, a prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house. Now he could do no mighty work there except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. Then he went about the villages in a circuit teaching. And so what we're going to do today is we're going to look at verses one through six and I'll be picking up in a moment at verse seven and read to verse 13. So in the past I've actually given two separate Bible studies. This would have taken me two weeks to go through normally. So you're going to see that these are two different kinds of studies in a way. And verses one through six we'll be sharing. I'll be sharing certain things and when I get to verse seven we'll be looking at some practical comments as it relates to serving the Lord in ministry. But I normally, as mentioned, usually would do verses one through six by themselves and then pick up next week at verse seven. But I didn't want to prolong that portion this time. And so we're going to do that. And you'll see there are going to be two different kinds of studies that we'll be experiencing this morning. So let's begin by looking at verses one through six. And let me introduce a few thoughts to you so we can get a context of this particular portion of Scripture. As we've already seen, Jesus was in the area of Capernaum and many had gathered to hear him. And amongst those who had come to hear him was a synagogue official. His name was Jaros. Now Jaros had a 12 year old daughter who had been very ill. And Jaros had come and asked Jesus to heal her. So Jesus went with him. And as he was on his way to the house, we already had seen how that a woman had come behind him and actually touched him. She had an issue of blood for 12 years and it was getting worse. So when she touched his garment, the fountain of her blood dried up and she was instantly healed. And Jesus sensing that someone had by faith touched him and asked who it was who had done so. And we saw how she had come forth and confessed that it was her and that Jesus went on to tell her to go in peace. Well, in the meantime, Jaros' daughter had died. But Jesus encouraged him. You need to believe. We saw how Jesus had entered the young girl's room. And as I shared with you last time, he had spoken to her in in the Aramaic language and is Talita Kumi. And and I mentioned to you that the tone of his voice was was not a shout. It was more like when a father comes into the room to wake up the child. And I could almost as I mentioned this last time, I could almost hear his voice as he simply said Talita Kumi. And that basically can be translated not only little girl arise, but it also is translated little lamb wake up. And so with the gentleness, he had entered into the room and he spoke to her in that fashion little lamb awaken. And immediately she was brought back to life to the amazement as we saw of all who are present. Well, this has taken place. We now pick up at verse one because Jesus is about to leave. It says in verse one of chapter six, he went out from there. He came to his own country and his disciples followed him. And so he's leaving the city of Capernaum. He's traveling 25 miles or so to the west. And he's on his way to his former hometown, the city of Nazareth. He's returning to the city of his youth and he's bringing his men with him. So that informs us that Jesus is returning to Nazareth for the purpose of ministry. He isn't returning for a visit with his family. He's returning to minister. Now, we know that he had been raised in the city of Nazareth. We know that he'd performed much ministry there. So he now moves into the area to continue his ministry and he's bringing his disciples with him because he's training his men in ministry. And so as he returns, verse two says, when the Sabbath had come, he began to teach in the synagogue in Israel today and perhaps around the world. There's a phrase that they will use when they speak, when they speak concerning a religious Jew. They'll speak of him as being an observant Jew. And so Jesus was an observant Jew and he had the habit of attending synagogue services. Sharing in the synagogue on Sabbath was something that he did. He actually did that often. If you looked into chapter four, for example, of Luke's Gospel, it speaks about one time when he did so. It says in Luke 4.16 that he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up and as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and he stood up to read. And so Jesus had gone in in a previous time that he was in Nazareth and he went into the synagogue as was his habit and he was handed the book and he began to read from Scripture. Well, after he had read from Scripture, he had said, this word has been fulfilled in your hearing and they got so upset that they violently rejected him. In Luke 4, it says, verses 28 through 30, all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath and rose up and thrust them out of the city and they led them to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down over the cliff. Then passing through the midst of them, he went his way. We've been in this particular place on a number of occasions, a hill there right outside of the city of Nazareth and they wanted to throw him down over this cliff. And so as we saw that in Luke's Gospel, the obvious fact is that people aren't always receptive to hearing the claims of Jesus Christ and on occasion they may even violently oppose not only the message, but the person who was speaking or giving that message to them. We see it in the case of Christ when he was speaking, they took him to the brow of the hill in order that they might throw him over a cliff. They violently rejected what he had to say. So often even in our day, when people get upset, it's because they don't want to hear about the Lord. In the United States, many agree that Christ was a profound teacher and a good man and some will even claim to have great respect for him. Many will even refer to Jesus Christ as a prophet of God. But the fact remains that Jesus made claims that clearly divides people. In John 3, 18, he said it like this, he who believes in him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And that makes a big difference. That makes a difference in people. You can't call him a good man. You can't call him a great teacher. You can't speak of him as simply a prophet. He's more than that. He's that and more than that. He's the Messiah. And if you don't have a relationship with him, the Bible makes it very clear that you aren't going to be going to heaven at all, but you're actually going to be finding yourself in judgment and people don't want to hear that. You see, the problem with all of this and some people's thinking is that this doesn't seem fair, but the fact is with Jesus, it's an all or nothing kind of thing. Either you're with him or you're not. Either you're for him or you are against him. And so he would make these statements and people didn't want to hear it. And thus, sometimes they would even react with violence. Well, in this passage, Jesus is once again attempting to reach his former neighbors and friends. They had violently opposed him before, but he comes and he shares with them once again. That shows to us the love of God because in Romans 2 verse 4, Paul asks the question, do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you to repentance? Don't you understand that? How many times in the past could you have perished without Christ? How many times could you have died in an accident, a near accident, for me an overdose? How many times? I can remember on one occasion, clearly remember on one occasion where I almost died of an overdose and I mixed wine with what we called them Lillia 40s. They were downers, reds. Some of you are old enough to know what I just said. Others will say, what's that? Well, they were barbiturates and poisonous. It's a poisonous combination with alcohol and barbiturates. And I had drank almost, I'd say about three quarters of a half gallon jug of wine and I had dropped, I believe it was five reds and I should have died. And I awakened in the midst of my body reacting to the poisoning and I was about to vomit. And the way that you would die very often with barbiturate poisoning like that is you're paralyzed, your body is paralyzing and you vomit and you're drowning your own vomit. And my head, I still remember my head was looking straight up. I was on my back looking straight up as my body began to respond. I knew I was about to vomit and I knew I couldn't move. I was paralyzed and I'll never forget that. And I prayed for the first time. I was like 19 or so. I forget how old I was, about 19. And I said, God, please don't let me die. I'm too young. And I do remember obviously awakening in the next morning, finding the empty bottle that I had, I drank the wine from and I threw it into a field across the street from where my parents lived and continued on in my way of sin. But I still remember that there are so many opportunities, so many times that I could have died and perhaps some of you could have died in sin. But God was merciful and he showed the to you his tolerance, his kindness, his patience because his kindness was intended to lead you toward repentance. You see, many who were listening to Christ really didn't understand who this man is. Notice in verse two, the second portion, it says, many hearing him were astonished, saying, where did this man get these things? What wisdom is this which is given to him that such mighty works are performed by his hands? So they're beginning to question amongst themselves. Once again, who is it? They're amazed. They're amazed at his clarity. They're amazed at his eloquence. They're amazed at the authority he speaks with. They begin to question amongst themselves, where did this man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to him? Where did this man get these words and these works? Now this is the kind of thing that's asked more than once. In John 7.15, the question was asked, how has this man become learned? Having never been educated. He never went to one of the rabbinic schools. He never sat under one of our great rabbinic teachers. How is this man know these kinds of things? Have he never received an advanced education as it pertains to the Bible and the things of God? And so they would ask those questions. Who is this man? Well the answer is that his wisdom was from above. Like it says in the Old Testament book of Isaiah in chapter 50 verse 4, it says, the Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who's weary. He awakens me morning by morning. He awakens my ear to hear as the learned. His wisdom was from above. So they're asking, where did he get this wisdom? It's from above. Where did he get these mighty works? Where did he get the power to perform these miracles? So these people didn't deny that he performed works. They just wondered of the origin. There were already some saying that his power came from Beelzebub from the devil. We saw that in chapter 3 verse 22. But they're ignoring the obvious answer. Jesus's anointing is from above. The works were of heavenly origin. Now there are those who are aware, some are aware of this, and they're drawn to him because of his works. You remember Nicodemus, the one who came to Jesus by night, and John, the Gospel of John chapter 3 verse 2 records how Nicodemus approached Christ and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you're a teacher. Come from God. For no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with them. So there were those who saw the works of Christ and were attracted and began to think amongst themselves, speak amongst themselves, and they agreed that these signs have got to be being performed by somebody who's from God. And that would be the obvious answer. Jesus was from God. But the problem is in their questioning, they're revealing the sin of unbelief. There's an unwillingness within them to believe. Isaiah 53 verse 1 in the Old Testament asks the question, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? They wondered. They wondered at his words. They were amazed at his works, but they still refuse to believe. There's a famous infidel by the name of Voltaire. And Voltaire once said, if a miracle occurred in the marketplace of Paris in the presence of 2,000 men, I would rather disbelieve my own eyes than to believe the 2,000. So there's this obstinate refusal within them to believe. And so they're questioning. Notice verse 3, is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us? So they were offended. They were stumbled, scandalized at him. And so they begin to ask this question, Matthew 1355, giving us the same thing that had occurred. And Matthew 1355 says, they said, is not this the carpenter's son? So is not this the carpenter's son? Is this not the carpenter? So they began to speak concerning his family. Now Mark mentions four brothers and the fact that Jesus had at least two sisters. James eventually became the leader of the church in Jerusalem. He became a believer. And we see him in Acts 15. Judas is also known as Jude. And he came to faith and wrote the epistle of Jude. And he was so influential that Paul McCartney wrote a song about him. Hey Jude, you can take that out of the tape. Now this village, Nazareth, there are different estimates of the population. Some would say that the village of Nazareth, and it was a village, not a major city of any sort, had as few as less than 100. Others say it could have had up to 500, but it was a small village. And so in a small village, people knew each other. And so this stumbled them about Jesus Christ. They're basically saying, well we've all known Joseph and we knew that he was a simple carpenter. We know Mary and we've known his brothers and his sisters. But how can a laborer from our village with no theological training be the Messiah? Because this is our local carpenter. Now the word carpenter for those who take notes, you might want to note this, the word carpenter doesn't speak of somebody who just works with wood. That's what it does speak of obviously. But the word is a kind of a generic word that was used in that day. It spoke also of a simple builder. It could speak of somebody who built a ship. It also spoke of a metalsmith or a stone mason. Jesus in other words was the local handyman. That's what they're saying. This is a guy who comes and repairs our house. This is somebody who builds our plows or fashions the yolks for our oxen. Why didn't he ever say anything? Why didn't he ever do anything when he was amongst us to reveal to us who he is? And so their questioning can Messiah actually come from among us? That went against their religious teachings that they had received because they had been taught concerning things related to the prophecies of Messiah. They knew Daniel 7.13 and Daniel 7.13 said Messiah would come on the clouds of heaven yet that Jesus is just a simple carpenter. His family is well known to us. Malachi the Old Testament book of Malachi chapter 3 verse 1 said that the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. So they're wondering how could this man fit into these prophecies? You see as far as they knew the traditional teaching they'd received is nobody would know exactly where he came from. In John 7.27 it says there, we know where this man is from. When the Christ comes no one will know where he's from and that's the way they thought. So Jesus didn't fit into the theological mode that they had been given, that mold that they had received. He wasn't fitting within it. This is Jesus a carpenter. This is a man who's simply ordinary. He has no extraordinary qualities about him. Again in Isaiah 53 verse 2 it speaks of Messiah. He grew up before him like a tender shoot and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to tract us to him. Nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He didn't glow in the dark. Jesus wasn't the kind of man that when he walked in everybody would stop and just watch him. He was an ordinary looking man and he didn't have some outward beauty of some sort that made him extremely attractive. It's not that he wasn't a good looking man. It doesn't ever say that he was was homely in any way but there was simply nothing about his presence when he'd enter a room initially that would have caused people to at first have taken notice of him. He's an ordinary guy. He's a carpenter. He's just an ordinary man. So they reduced him to an ordinary man in order to excuse their unbelief. In spite of his miracles his wonderful teachings they refused to believe. John in chapter 1 verse 11 says it like this. It says he came unto his own and his own received him not. As a matter of fact verse 3 tells us they were offended by him. They were stumbled over him. How dare this ordinary man call us to accountability and repentance. You see in their minds Jesus did not fulfill their understanding of Messiah. So how dare he do this? Well as they're responding in this way as it says in verse 3 they were offended at him. Verse 4 says but Jesus said to them a prophet is not without honor except in his own country among his own relatives and in his own home in his own house a prophet. Again remember he had spoken in their synagogue earlier and they had reacted violently. That's when they tried to push him over the cliff and on that occasion he also quoted this proverb to them. He did so in Luke 424. You know a prophet is not recognized. He's not without honor except in his own country etc. He had quoted that earlier to them. It simply means familiarity breeds contempt. His own hometown, his own brothers and sisters didn't even believe in him. John tells us that. John speaks concerning his brothers and all and they did not believe in him. It's very clear they didn't come to believe in him until after the resurrection. So let's be practical for just a moment here. The most difficult people to reach are often our own family and friends aren't they? Our own family and friends who can look at you and say to you who are you to tell me how I should live? I've been better than you all my life. Who are you to tell us how we should live? That's what my brother was like with me. My brother said this is a fad you're going through. This Jesus is just a fad that you're going through David. I've seen you go through so many different things and this is just another one. And when are you going to get over Jesus? That was my brother and so it's been almost 51 years. I never did. But my brother at that time wouldn't listen to me. He didn't listen for a couple of years. He didn't listen. He just watched. And so a prophet is not without honor except in his own home, his own household, amongst his own people. You know, I wonder sometimes whether or not Billy Graham's children recognize that their father was Billy Graham. I know that Franklin Graham didn't for the longest time. He wrote his own testimony out. I read it many years ago now and he was just a kid who was a rambunctious sinful little guy. That's what he was. Then he came to faith in Christ. But he certainly didn't realize that this great man that he called daddy was actually, man, God used him in fantastic ways. And I'm sure that's true in a lot of ministry homes where the kids don't necessarily realize who that person is that is raising, that person is being used of the Lord in wonderful ways. And it's true. It's very difficult to win your own family members. I was able to do that and never realized that that was the amazing grace of God. I thought everybody did. As a matter of fact, I remember when my sister Madeline came with her boyfriend and I met him for the first time. His name was Pat and he came into my den and I, being the older brother, was there giving him the third degree. Who are you and what do you do with my sister? That kind of thing. And I still remember asking him, I said, Pat, when did you come to faith in Christ? Just he and I. And he says, well, I got saved and he told me when. I said, and where do you go to church? And he tells me where he goes to church and I started grilling him. I wanted to know these things about him and all of that because he needed, he needed to come to faith in Jesus and all. And I wanted to make sure that, that, that he did. And yet, you know, people don't always appreciate that line of reason. They don't always accept the fact that you're asking these questions for a purpose. Why are you wanting to know these things and, and, and people can get up tight. And because I was that way with people, I wanted to know where they stood with the Lord and all of that. It took a while for my family to actually realize that God had put his hand on my life to share the gospel with other people. And so they'll watch you. And my brother watched me for those two or three years until, until he finally realized that, that I wasn't in a fad. And, and maybe that happened with you. Maybe that's happening now with you. Where you have family. Maybe on Thanksgiving, you went to, to have a Thanksgiving meal. And the people at your family, perhaps they came and they ate that $800 turkey with you and they're watching you, trying to see whether or not you're the real deal. And that happened for me many, many years ago. A prophet very often is, is, is, is without honor in his own home. Somebody God is using very often is not recognized by his own family because they're able to say, no, wait a minute. I know what you were like, what you did, how you have been, and all of that. Sometimes the most difficult people to reach are your own family and friends. In 1 Peter 2 verse 8, it says, Jesus is a stone that causes men to stumble in a rock that makes them fall. They stumble because they disobey the message. There are those who think it's no big deal if they don't believe in Jesus Christ. And that's because they don't understand the cost that they're paying for their unbelief. You see in verse 5 it says, he could do no mighty works there except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. He marveled because of their unbelief. Then he went about the villages in a circuit teaching and so he could do no mighty work there. It wasn't that he was lacking in power. It's that they wouldn't come to him. They didn't desire him to work amongst him. The opportunity is present but the majority didn't ask. Performing a miracle is possible, but they didn't ask him. They were filled with unbelief. And verse 6 says that he marveled. He marveled because of their unbelief. Now when you read your Bible this is interesting. Jesus is recorded as marveling two times in Scripture. The first time is found in Matthew chapter 8 where a Centurion has come to him and has said to him, Master I have a servant who is very sick. And I know basically he's saying would you heal him? And Jesus says I'll come. And he says no, no, no. You don't need to come to my house. He says I too am a man under authority. This Centurion, this fellow who is a Roman soldier who had authority over 100 soldiers. So he was either a command sergeant major rank or maybe even a second lieutenant. But he had some rank there and a Centurion. He says oh no, he says I too am a man under authority. And I say to someone go and he goes, I say to another one come, come, I tell him to do something. He does it. I know what authority is. It just requires a command. He says so I'm not worthy that you should come under my roof. Speak but the word and my servant will be healed. And that's what he says. Just give the command. I understand authority and the response is found in Matthew 8 10 where Jesus said I haven't found so great faith. No, not in Israel. Even the Jews don't exercise faith like this is what Jesus was saying. And so he marveled over the faith of the Centurion. But here notice he marvels at his own people's unbelief. In both instances he was faith or the absence of it that caused him to wonder. And notice again in verse 5, he could do no mighty work there except they delayed his hands on a few sick people and healed them. He could do no works because they would not come to him. So what did he do? Verse 6 says he went about the villages in a circuit teaching. Their unbelief didn't keep him from continuing his ministry. Like the people of Gdera, the rejection kept them from blessings from the Lord. And still there were so many others who were open to him. He went to minister to them. And so he marvels because of their unbelief. I wonder if there may be some watching right now or some here who are stuck in unbelief thinking that Jesus Christ isn't who he says he is. You're stealing, you're stealing blessings from yourself. You're stealing blessings from yourself. Maybe you don't like the way your dad acted. Maybe you don't like the way your mom acted. Maybe you don't think that your brother or your sister really acted as a true Christian. And you're stumbled over that. You know the good thing is is you're not, you didn't, you're not to receive your dad, your mom, your brother, your sister as your savior. It's Jesus. And Jesus is perfect when we're not. Jesus is. That's no excuse for sinful behavior. It's just a fact. Jesus is perfect and we're not. And we still stumble in word indeed. We're not perfect ourselves. And God knows that there's been many a night that I had wished that I had been a different kind of guy in my life. But you know what? It's not my perfection that got me into heaven. It's his. And I've made myself open to whatever he wants to do simply because I know he can do anything. And so I want to give him honor and I want to follow him. And these people on the other hand, he just marveled at their unbelief. You have not because you asked not. You don't come to me so I could minister to you. But does that stop him? No. He continues and he goes out in a circuit going from place to place and continues to reach people to teach them about the kingdom of God. So that's your first half. Let's get into the second beginning in verse seven. And he called the twelve to himself and began to send them out two by two and gave them power over unclean spirits. He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff. No bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts. But to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. Also he said to them in whatever place you enter a house stay there till you depart from that place. And whoever will not receive you nor hear you when you depart from there shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them assuredly I say to you it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city. So they went out and preached that people should repent and they cast out many demons and anointed with oil. Many who are sick and healed them. So this is a different kind of study. This is where he's sending out the twelve. You see after this point Jesus has been modeling ministry to the apostles but now he sends them to personally perform this ministry. Now Jesus's own ministry lasted around three years but the ministry of Christ is to to continue on after his resurrection. And so what he did is he appointed these men to carry on his work. That's because the only plan the Lord has for reaching the world is for those who know him to be his witnesses. And so here in verse seven he calls the twelve to him and he begins to send them out. Notice two by two is how the scripture reads and he gave them power over unclean spirits. So what we find here is we see Jesus sending his men on a ministry mission and we're going to see what he did to prepare them to be successful because the following verses will reveal the task of basic ministry to us. And so verse seven first let me point this out. He called the twelve to him and sent them out. Ministry begins by being called by God. He called the twelve to him. It's not self-generated. It's not self-initiated. The call and the sending came from Christ. They didn't volunteer themselves for the task. The fact that he calls them gave them a sense of divine commission because he's the one who not only called them he's also the one who sent them out. And this strong conviction is going to strengthen them in the face of the opposition that is going to come because in ministry you always experience opposition. Always. Just because you open a Bible just because you're ministering the word doesn't mean the people listening will respect that word. Times are changing. Generations are different. When I was 20 years old and I had people speak to me I had a basic respect for the Bible. I was raised in a way to respect the Bible. And so when it was opened or read to me on a couple of occasions when I was around 20 I had my doubts and all of that but I respected the people who believed it. I because you should I thought you should respect these people they're they're living out what they believe you should respect them and when they read our scripture verse I didn't necessarily not with not with real intent. I said something once very stupidly just because I felt like messing with the guy who was sharing with him but I didn't believe it. I told him I thought the Bible was written by 12 men on acid which was stupid I was just being stupid with them. I didn't think so. I thought the Bible was a book from God. I did but 50 years later the generation today doesn't have the same sense. They're quite a number who say that's just a book. What does that matter? There's a lot of books that's just one book amongst many. And so what we need to do today is be aware of the fact that there is opposition. In Jeremiah 1 4 and 5 it says the word of the Lord came to me to Jeremiah saying before I formed you in the womb I knew you before you were born I sanctified you and he went on to say I ordained you a prophet to the nations. There's this strong conviction that God saves you and has sent you out to do the work and that's why before they called me pastor David that's why when I was in college and the professor a sexual and non-Christian college that's why I would give my opinion and always couch it in scripture even in the fact that the students in the class sometimes could be rude and obnoxious arrogant and and make fun of me. But you know what that didn't matter because I expected opposition. I didn't expect them to stand up and say oh the voice of a god I want to follow this one. I didn't expect that. I expected the opposition and it does come but the Lord was with me. He gave me a commission. I had that sense that that's what I'm called to do and that's the same thing for all of us. You'd have to be called pastor or elder deacon deaconess. You don't have to have a title like that. You've been called by God and you have a responsibility to share this magnificent word with people and don't be surprised if there is opposition. So one of the things he does in the face of this verse seven is he sent them out but notice he sent them out two by two. He provided them with companionship for a very new and difficult task. Working together built them in built into them an understanding of their need for each other's gifting. Though they had the same task they still had individual gifts and individual personalities and working together on a task that was bigger than themselves helped to develop their teamwork. This is something I feel very strongly about. I'll say it this way one man ministry shows do not adequately reveal the richness of the family of God. When you have one man running everything he's got to be the pastor he's got to be the the special person that's not a good that's not good at all according to 1 Corinthians 12 14 in fact the body is not one member but many. We need one another Christianity is in voluntary oscillation is not biblical. I mean we spoke a little a little while ago a moment ago about the fact that that just this last Thanksgiving we had over 30 volunteers who were there serving and helping we had over 100 people show up for meals. When you got here to church today you pull into the parking lot we have guys outside in the parking lot we have people that that are when you register your children to go into children's ministry we have all of these volunteers who are working there helping you when you came walking in there are people who are standing out there greeting you we call them our greeters we have people who stand amongst us here in the in the aisles who are ushers and all of that the band that we have I think we have a beautiful worship worship team but there's only yeah amen we only have one paid member of that all the others are volunteers that's how it works that's how it's supposed to work not just one man shows it's all about him it's us it's a thing about us it's a body of Christ we all have gifts we all have ministries we all ought to exercise them there's no one greater the only great one we have in this church is Jesus Christ that's that's how it's supposed to work see and a lot of people don't understand that and what happens is before you know it oh I can't you know there's no I can leave this person to Jesus I have to take him to this crusader I have to bring this evangelist you can lead him to Jesus Christ you can minister why can't you you have the same word you say you have the same powerful Holy Spirit all you need to do is have a prayer life and a willingness and you can do wonderful things and that's something that these men needed to learn that they needed to work together there was nobody there that was greater than the other the only one who was great with Jesus himself and what this is going to do is safeguard them from discouragement the discouragement of loneliness the depression the the despair that you can go through sometimes because if you're by yourself while loneliness and ministry is a breeding ground for temptation as well as self pity so in sharing ministry they were accountable to one another and in that there was safety it also safeguarded them from carnal competition and taking credit for the work when you see fruit from your efforts you can begin thinking you're the one responsible for it and you'll always have people who walk up and say without you nothing would happen and that's just not true in 1st Corinthians 3 6 and 7 Paul said it like this I planted Apollos watered but God gave the increase so then neither he who plants is anything nor he who waters but God who gives the increase always keep that in mind it's always God there are no superheroes in the body of Christ we have Jesus Christ he is the king and he's the one that we should be worshiping anyway and then a third thing before sending them out verse 7 he gave them power to perform the task he gave them power it says here he gave them power over unclean spirit he gave them power to perform the tasks spiritual work requires spiritual power and spiritual authority to overcome the enemy in 2nd Corinthians chapter 10 verse 4 we use God's mighty weapons not worldly weapons to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments these works were to demonstrate the character of God and the nature of his kingdom and we must remember that the problem people have is spiritual in nature without Jesus people live in spiritual bondage and are in desperate need for spiritual freedom and the gospel gives him spiritual freedom now notice in verse 8 and 9 he commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff no no bag no money bag no bread no copper in their in the money belts but to to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics they were not to demand money or support for their services that kind of behavior demanding money and support demanding money and support is the mark of a false teacher in 2nd Peter 2 3 it's speaking of false teachers Peter says in their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they've made up their condemnation has long been hanging over them and their destruction has not been sleeping stories they've made up i can't tell you how many stories i've heard some false teachers give i'll never the one that stands out the most at the moment i if i started racking my brain i'll come up with others i shouldn't probably but i remember one guy in particular who said that he stepped off the platform and hovered in the ground for uh in the air for a while he stepped up the platform and hovered in the air then he came back and people are going ooh ah and i'm saying oh come on stop that there's another guy i'll give you one more there's another guy says and i'll never forget this one says i'm going to tell you something it's on tv i'm going to tell you something that may go against your theology but it actually happened and i'm watching the show it actually happened okay what is it that actually happened oh great one he says i cast the demon out of myself and i was sitting there going no you didn't it's a lying demon and it's still in you you know i mean that's nonsense that's absolute nonsense i have friends who in the early days uh would before they were saved used to smoke pot and watch certain christian tv programs to laugh at the christians because they were so outlandish you see and when they're out there telling you give me money that's a mark of a false prophet titus 111 again false teachers must be sinless they're ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach and that for the sake of dishonest gain they needed to learn something where god guides god provides where god guides god provides i told first services story i'm looking at the time here i think i have a moment to share it with you i don't but i will anyway when the covid virus and all when the covid situation at the united states and we were told and i've said some of this to you before but we were told all the churches are going to shut down and i heard that announcement i've said this before perhaps you'll remember some of this i heard the announcement that churches are going to shut down and i turned to my son joseph and i said to joseph that's not good son that's not good and my son said well you know the lord you know the lord's behind the lord's with us i said son listen i said i knew that the day would come that i would be removed from ministry i just didn't know this is how it was going to happen and i teared up and he said the lord is with us dad i said i know that son i mean in the back of my mind i'm thinking who taught you that i know that i know that son i said now i'm going to share some things with you that i i don't share i said son in our in our church i said 35 of the offering comes online the other 65 is through the giving at the church i said that 65 is now cut off there's no way we'll pay our bills you see the the house payment for this church the house payment our house payment is over $80,000 a month and that's not including heating and air conditioning that's not including maintenance that's just our payment and i said i have 50 staff members 50 staff members that rely on the finances of this fellowship to feed themselves i wasn't concerned for me believe it or not i wasn't and i'll tell you why my father passed on he went to heaven over 20 years ago and when my dad went to heaven my daddy left nothing for my mom but a $10,000 insurance policy that was it and a house we had to sell the house to support my mom for $200,000 she was to live the rest of her life on $200,000 $969 a month social security and i saw that and i said i will not do that to my wife i'm not going to put my wife in a position that somebody has to care for her i'm not going to do that so any extra money i ever got for over 20 years i have saved because i think you have to be savers anyway people need to be saved but sometimes you ought to save some cash too so i put it away for 20 years i'm not concerned for myself i never was because i knew i had wisely prepared i knew that it was for my staff 50 people that's why i cried that's why i cried it wasn't me i'll be okay god i've done what i should do but i don't know how my that's why i cried how can i pay for the house how can i pay my friends our staff how and it broke my heart and i was driving to the office no i'm not asking for an offering bring the buckets let's do it no is there just about there no i'm just being real with you and as i was driving to the office the lord spoke to my heart in a way he spoke many years ago and he said i did not raise you up to let you fall i'm going to take care of you and i got to the office and i can tell you before god who is my witness that we have not in any way shape or form lost any of the finances but god abundantly took care of us all of us all of it our church our church went down by half there are still people right now watching online who haven't returned yet but god reminded me is that son i did not raise you up to let you fall in ministry where god guides god provides that's how and he does it by the way that you find this interesting again he was saying them saying to them again verse 10 in whatever place you enter a house stay there till you depart from the place whoever will not receive you nor hear from you when you depart from there shake off the dust judgment is going to come to them afterwards this is going to be because what has happened is as they've gone into these houses those who were in the house were actually the support and that's how it works in the church jesus builds his church we trust him he cares for us and the people of the body of christ as they give their gifts to the lord are able to support the work that is that is uh that is taking place and that's why he says in verse 10 stay in whatever place you enter just stay there since you're doing great works some may want you to come and stay with them avoid that temptation of upgrading your comfort by changing homes into a better place that's going to protect the message your credibility and it'll safeguard you from temptation and also protects the feelings of the ones who invited you in the first place but in verse 11 as i just read who will not receive you shake off the dust now matthew tells us that the disciples were ministering to jewish people in matthew 10 5 and 6 it says these 12 jesus sent out with the following instructions do not go among the gentiles enter any town of the samaritans go rather to the lost sheep of of israel and so what they were doing is they were going to the lost sheep so shaking the dust from the sandal symbolized the rejection of gentile paganism when the jews would come from a gentile land they would shake the dust off before entering into israel it's a rejection of gentile paganism for the disciples the shake the dust off their sandals was to treat these people as gentile pagans so while you're there concentrate on the truly receptive and don't waste your time the blessings of god are worthless to those who won't receive them and so god's message is to be offered to all but will not be received by all some will treat the message with anger and contempt so don't waste your time trying to convince them move on to more receptive here is verse 11 again assuredly i say it'll be more tolerable for saddam and gamora and the dev judgment the people who are contemptuous of the grace of god will face his justice even as saddam and gamora did remembering this that the greater opportunity brings greater responsibility as they would go to their people and share the more they heard the more they were accountable for the more bible said to you here without responding the more you have to answer to later on and so finally verses 12 and 13 they went out and preached that people should repent turn from their sins and turn to god and they cast out many demons anointed with oil many who are sick and healed them and so they preach that people would repent they did works we're casting out demons they anointed with oil to bring healing it was a picture of a medicinal property of the power of the holy spirit and so they did the work obediently the anointed people with oil and representing the presence of god and his power to heal and it revealed that it was god who was doing the healing and not them and as it went about doing this preaching repentance and ministering to them and and seeing them getting healed once again the kingdom of god was expanding and so the lord jesus christ would have us to know that it's our responsibility to share his word with everybody and that's really what we need in these last days what we need in these last days is a revival may god's people wake up and know that even today we can still preach the same message use the same god we can still pray that god will deliver people from oppression we can still pray that god will heal broken bodies we can do that because he's still able to do that and we should trust him in all things especially right now our father we asked that you would