SERMON: Apostolic Preaching Ministry Begins | Mark 6:7–13
Sermon Notes
Apostolic Preaching Ministry Begins | Mark 6:7–13
Shaun Marksbury | Quacco Baptist Church
Sunday Evening Service | 6 August, 2017
I.
Introduction
II.
The objective of the twelve (v. 7)
III.
The operation of the twelve (vv. 8–11)
A.
The twelve were to be dependent (vv. 8–9)
B.
The twelve were to be content (vv. 10–11)
C.
The twelve were to be discerning (v. 12)
IV.
The obedience of the twelve (vv. 12–13)
V.
Final Thoughts
Apostolic Preaching Ministry Begins | Mark 6:7–13
Shaun Marksbury | Quacco Baptist Church
Sunday Evening Service | 6 August, 2017
Prayer has the effect of bringing us into God’s work. Just like in the sending of Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1–8), the ones with the Lord are about to be sent on a mission. In Matthew 10, Luke 9, and here in Mark 6, we have the commissioning of the twelve to labor in the harvest mission. We see them sent out with an their objective (v. 7), and then we’ll see their operation (vv. 8–11), and finally, their obedience (vv. 12–13). In this, we will see some implications for our own service.
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Apostolic Preaching Ministry Begins | Mark 6:7–13
Shaun Marksbury | Quacco Baptist Church
Sunday Evening Service | 6 August, 2017
Shaun Marksbury | Quacco Baptist Church
Sunday Evening Service | 6 August, 2017
I.
Introduction
Chapter six started with a sad account. Jesus returned home, only to find Nazareth in
determined unbelief. They had a sinful, self-condemning resolve
to not believe, which gave us the
opportunity to examine the unbelief of false believers. That account ended with the stunning words of
verse six: “And he marveled because of their unbelief.”
The latter half of the verse says, “And he went about among
the villages teaching.” Because they had
so rejected Him, He simply moved on in His preaching ministry. As such, the sending of the twelve grows from
Jesus’s teaching campaign in the area.
Remember that the Pharisees, the shepherds of Israel, were
also committed to their unbelief; in Mt 9:34, they say, “He casts out demons by
the prince of demons.” Look to Matthew
9—in v. 35, we read, “And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages,
teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and
healing every disease and every affliction.”
Look what comes next: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for
them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd”
(v. 36). There were so many who need to
hear, and the spiritual leaders responsible for teaching them were saying that
the Messiah is in cahoots with Satan!
So, what’s the solution?
“Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the
laborers are few; 38 therefore
pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his
harvest” (vv. 37–38). He needs people to
go and tells them to pray; but He already has the perfect people in mind.
Prayer has the effect of bringing us into God’s work. Just like in the sending of Isaiah (Isaiah
6:1–8), the ones with the Lord are about to be sent on a mission. In Matthew 10, Luke 9, and here in Mark 6, we
have the commissioning of the twelve to labor in the harvest mission. We see them sent out with an their objective
(v. 7), and then we’ll see their operation (vv. 8–11), and finally, their obedience
(vv. 12–13). In this, we will see some
implications for our own service.
II.
The objective of the twelve (v. 7)
And he called the twelve and began
to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.
Remember that Jesus appointed these twelve already back in 3:13–19,
so Mark finds no need to relist the twelve here. Jesus is sending them out in His name, and the
Greek word here is the same root from which we get the word “apostle.” The twelve are specifically His “sent ones”
for ministry.
Going out by twos has obvious practical applications for
evangelistic purposes and for simple companionship (cf. Eccl. 4:9–12). More than that, the Law required the
testimony of two witnesses (Nm 35:30; Dt 17:6; 19:15; Jn 8:17; 2 Cor 13:1). And then there’s the pattern; John the
Baptist sent two disciples to Christ (Lk 7:19), and Jesus continued it for
church discipline (Mt 18:16) and for charges against an elder (cf. 1 Tm 5:19). Missionary journeys in the Book of Acts also
followed this pattern (Acts 3:1; 4:1; 13:2; 15:40).
So, by twos, Jesus began to send them out, staggering their sending. He already had a handful of target areas in
mind. It seems that He sends them in
different directions.
Now, this is actually the fourth phase of His mission for His disciples. MacArthur explains the others:
“In all, there were five phases
culminating in their final sending, of which this was the fourth. First, they
were called to confess Jesus as Lord and Messiah (cf. John 1:35-51), being
drawn by the Holy Spirit to believe in Him. Second, the Lord called them to
follow Him permanently in full-time ministry and leave behind their trades,
such as fishing and tax collecting (cf. Mark 1:16-20; 3:13-17; Luke 5:1-11).
Third, He elevated these twelve to the level of preachers. Is anywhere not only
calls to follow but to be sent by Him as his Apostolic delegates (cf. Luke
6:12-16). … Fourth, He prepared them for ministry by sending them out on a
short-term preaching tour. It is this
phase of their training that is described in these verses. Fifth, after His resurrection and before His
ascension, Jesus finally commissioned them to do miracles and to preach the
gospel throughout Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the
earth (cf. Acts 1:8)” (John MacArthur, Mark
1–8, 284).
Since the current shepherds of Israel have rejected Him,
Jesus selects these fishermen. While
other apostles appear in Scripture, these are in that special category of
specifically being sent by Jesus Christ,
those who would later be witnesses of His resurrection (Acts 1:22). As such, Jesus would give them authority that
no other disciple would have.
The role of the twelve would be foundational for the
building of Christ’s church. Jesus
Christ will later say, “I will build my church,” and it’s built upon Peter’s
profession of Christ (Mt 16:16–18). Once
the Spirit of Truth came upon them, He gave them prophetic utterance concerning
Christ and the future (John 16:12–15).
As such, we read that “household of God” is “built on the foundation of
the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone” (Eph
2:19–20). The signs and wonders that
they wrought were signs that they were the true apostles of Christ (2 Cor
12:12). As the foundation of the church,
theirs was a unique, unrepeatable role, which will be commemorated in the
construction of the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:14).
Their objective is to
preach repentance and belief. This
verse highlights their authority over demons, but more is implied, especially
when considering the parallel passages.
Luke 9:2 says that He “sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and
to heal.” The word for “proclaim” is the
same to describe Jesus’s own public teaching ministry (Mk 1:14, 38; Lk 4:43;
8:1), meaning that they are to follow His pattern of ministry. It’s the same word used here in v.12—they “proclaimed
that people should repent.”
Their objective is
obtained with delegated authority. The
text says that He “gave them authority over the unclean spirits,” and the
imperfect might imply that they were each given authority individually.[1] They
cast out demons in the name of Christ, and v. 13 tells us that they also
healed, as does Matthew and Luke. Oil
was used for medicinal purposes (Lk 10:34), but the context here is that
supernatural healing took place. The
anointing symbolized the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit (cf. Zech
4:1–6). Those being anointed by the
apostles would recognize that the power of God working through them, and that
they were sent by Christ. As such, they
would realize that Jesus had the power to send the Holy Spirit and dispense
supernatural authority as He wished.
While this special healing and deliverance ministry was only
for that era, Jesus still distributes grace to believers through the Holy
Spirit. Ephesians 4:7 says, “But grace
was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” He not only gave the church the apostles and
prophets that we read about in Scripture, but also evangelists and
pastor-teachers who teach it and build up the body of Christ (vv. 11–12). Indeed, the whole body should work in this
process (v. 16), for our sufficiency is always from God in the Holy Spirit (2
Cor 3:5–6).
III.
The operation of the twelve (vv. 8–11)
He charged them to take nothing for
their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 but to wear sandals
and not put on two tunics. 10 And
he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from
there. 11 And if any
place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave,
shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and
proclaimed that people should repent.
The King gives them their standing orders for this mission,
and they seem strange. The twelve are to
bring nothing with them—no provisions.
They’re certainly sent with an urgency, but also with a lesson. Even though they have supernatural authority
(v. 7), must still trust in the Lord for their provisions. There’s also a hint here as to how God
expects His ministers to live.
A.
The twelve were to be dependent (vv. 8–9)
It’s interesting to me how some use this passage and the
parallel accounts. Some think that this account
means that Christ’s ministers should take a vow of poverty. I heard of one young man who read this and
thought he should go to Bible college in faith, having no way to pay, and the
funds would miraculously be provided. In
Matthew 10:5–6, it says that they shouldn’t go to the Samaritans or to
Gentiles, but only to the house of Israel.
Obviously, if we make applications like those all the over here in the
United States, we’re woefully outside the will of God!
In fact, these are orders only for this particular
mission. Look in Luke 22:35, where Jesus
recalls the day we’re studying.
35 And he said to them, “When I sent you out with
no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said,
“Nothing.” 36 He
said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a
knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that
this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the
transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” 38 And they said,
“Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”
So, we have to be careful to say that this sending—recorded
in Matthew 10, Luke 9, and here in Mark 6—applies to all of God’s ministers
throughout time. It didn’t even apply to
the apostles throughout time!
So, what do we read here?
Jesus “charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no
bread, no bag, no money in their belts—but to wear sandals and not put on two
tunics.” In Mt 10:9–10, we read, “Acquire
no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or
two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food.” They were to travel light and rely on the
goodness of others.
Wait a minute—didn’t we just read a discrepancy? Here, Jesus says to take a staff and sandals,
and it sounds like He says not to do
so in Matthew. Again, in Mt 10:9–10,
Jesus said “Acquire no… sandals or a staff.”
In other words, they were not to buy a second set of sandals or a new
staff for their journey. They needed to
go just as they were, with current walking staff and sandals, and learn to
depend upon the Lord for provision.
This also meant that they couldn’t “stock up” later from
someone’s generosity, nor could they accept payment for services rendered (Mt
10:8–9). They were to demonstrate
dependence on God. They were also to contrast
the false shepherds of Israel who saw their godliness as a means of gain (1 Tm
6:5).
B.
The twelve were to be content (vv. 10–11)
Dovetailing from the previous point, they should not be like
the false teachers who try to get free lodging and meals, taking advantage of
people’s generosity. It would be
tempting for the disciples to take advantage of the generosity of others. Remember, Judas is later discovered to be
stealing from the moneybag (Jn 12:6), so this isn’t beyond the realm of
possibility.
Instead, they were to model contentment. They didn’t choose
houses at random. In Matthew 10:11,
Jesus explains that they were to take care to find “worthy” houses, “for the
laborer deserves his food” (v. 10). The
depraved are
imagining that godliness is a means
of gain. 6 But
godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for
we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the
world. 8 But if we
have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into
temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge
people into ruin and destruction. 10 For
the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving
that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many
pangs. (1 Tm 6:5–10)
C.
The twelve were to be discerning (v. 12)
Sadly, not everyone would provide for their needs. Even fewer would actually accept the message
of the gospel. So, when a town in Israel
refused them, they were to dust off its dirt from their feet. This was a habit of the devout Jews after
they passed through godless, Gentile regions.
Essentially, they were condemning a Jewish town with the same
condemnation that a pagan, Gentile territory would have. However the manner of shaking dust off one’s
self might be, the scene of a Jew doing this within the borders of Israel would
have been scandalous.
Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Do not give dogs
what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them
underfoot and turn to attack you” (Mt 7:6).
Indeed, it wasn’t simple rejection the disciples were to fear. Jesus warns them, “Behold, I am sending you
out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as
doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in
their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my
sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles” (Mt 10:16–18).
They had to count the cost of their divine service.
IV.
The obedience of the twelve (vv. 12–13)
12 So they went out and proclaimed that people
should repent. 13 And
they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed
them.
Again, John the Baptist (Mt 3:22) and Jesus (Mk 1:15)
preached repentance, so it should be no surprise that Christ’s disciples were
called to give the same message of repentance and belief. They were not to blunt the hard edges of the
law, nor were they to water down the exclusive call to belief in Jesus
Christ. If it meant possible
persecution, they were to tell people that they needed to turn from their sins
and trust in the Messiah.
This is where we can learn a lesson. Many of God’s representatives fail to
communicate God’s Word today, giving personal anecdotes and axioms in the place
of the Gospel of Christ. For instance, when
you have a pastor of one of America’s largest churches saying that he doesn’t think
people need to hear him preach repentance, you see a pastor who attracts his
thousands by substituting Christ’s message with his own message. The teaching of
the Christian must be the same as the message of Christ—repentance and belief
in the gospel. It may cause offense and
may divide friendships, but it is the message ever on our lips.
Now, again, Christ’s apostles had a larger charge than
simple evangelism. They were laying the
foundation of the church. So, their
obedience included believing and practicing the casting out demons and
supernatural healing Jesus gave to them.
These were among “the signs of a true apostle,” practiced “with signs
and wonders and mighty works” (cf. 2 Cor 12:12). God was bearing witness to the truthfulness
of the apostolic message with these miracles (Hb 2:3–4). While they may have been timid at first, they
were to use their particular and peculiar spiritual gifting.
It’s interesting to see them healing with the use of oil,
which was used for medical purposes (Lk 10:34).
Perhaps what James 5:14 is talking about, but the context here is that
supernatural healing took place. The
anointing symbolized the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit (cf. Zech
4:1–6). Those being anointed by the
apostles would recognize that the power of God working through them, and that
they were sent by Christ. As such, they
would realize that Jesus had the power to send the Holy Spirit and dispense
supernatural authority as He wished.
Jesus did not Himself require oil as a vehicle when He healed
others.
V.
Final Thoughts
First, we see that the
Lord has the right to command and direct His people. This passage is full of the orders that Jesus
gave, and we see the response of His twelve.
If the Lord defines how we are to engage in evangelism, that becomes our
methodology for apologetics and witnessing.
If the Lord defines how the church should be run, that becomes our
ecclesiology. We must recognize Him as
Lord of all, bowing to His prescriptions.
Second, we also see
the simple principle of two is better than one. While it’s not impossible for ministry do be
done by a single individual, it can certainly be done better by multiple
people. That’s why it’s better for
missions to be done in teams. That might
also be why God commanded churches to be run by more than one pastor. Indeed,
there are certain times when multiple members need to work together to
accomplish a ministry. As Hb 10:24 says,
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.”
Third, while the
special healing and deliverance ministry of apostles was only for that time, we
should recognize that Jesus still distributes grace today through the Holy
Spirit. Ephesians 4:7 says, “But
grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” He gives the church not only the apostles and
prophets that we read about in the New Testament, but also the evangelists and
pastor-teachers who can teach the Word and build up the body of Christ (vv.
11–12). The whole body, in fact, is to
be involved in this process (v. 16). Our
sufficiency is always from God in the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 3:5–6). As such, in the Spirit, Christians can
practice a similar dependence, contentment, and discernment.
Finally, note the implicit
judgment of the passage. If you have
never turned from your sins to the Lord and trusted in Him alone to get you
into heaven, then you have been rejecting the message of the apostles and of
their Christ. If you ignore the Word of
God, you may find the metaphorical dust shaken before you for the day of
judgment. Don’t trust in anything else,
sharing your faith in Christ with another, “just in case.” Trust fully in the fact that He can save you
from your sins, this world, and all that is in it.
[1]
Max Zerwick and Mary Grosvenor, A
Grammatical Analysis of the Greek New Testament (Rome: Biblical Institute
Press, 1974), 121.
