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We live in a world today where we don’t want to confront people unless we have too. I will admit that the South is much more open about many issues than the North, but we can talk about a lot of things to strangers as long as it doesn’t involve religion or politics. Most of us will acknowledge that it is easier to invite a stranger than a friend. After all, what do you have to risk or lose when you invite a stranger? If they think you are crazy, so what! You will probably never see them again. Who cares if they think you are crazy? But when it comes to family and friends, now we clam up and don’t invite them to church. We are afraid of what they will think of us. Isn’t it selfish that we are more concerned about ourselves than for our friends and family when we are afraid to invite them. The best way for Redeemer to grow is to invite people to church.

One of my hobbies is genealogy. I can spend hours combing through census reports, obituaries, marriage records, church records, military records, cemeteries, and whatever else may give me a clue. This hobby causes me to slow down and read the obituaries in the newspapers. Many people will gloss over the names or just omit this section of the paper all together. As a Christian, I see a deeper meaning in studying the obituaries. The obituaries give me a barometer as to how Christian an area might be. When I read the obituaries, I look for church affiliation. If their funeral is being held at a church, they are probably Christian. If no church affiliation is mentioned, then there is a good chance that they are not Christian. This is a rule of thumb indicator, but

I see a lot of people dieing here in Shreveport without church-homes. When we see a friend, co-worker, or an acquaintance die without a church-home, it is too late to invite them. Often we are shocked and realize that we had many opportunities to invite people to church, but we didn’t. Missed opportunities are all around us. Today’s message is based on the Gospel lesson of Jesus sending out His twelve disciples.

I. He sends his messengers (v. 7)

7 And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits;

When Jesus sent out the twelve, he was sending a hand picked group. He sent them out in pairs. The reading in Mark does not mention preaching, but just sending them out. The parallel passage in Matthew does provide the information that the were sent out to preach. However, it is made clear that they did preach later in this text.

It is important for us to notice who is the instigator, the "doer", in the sending out of the twelve apostles. It is Christ himself that sends out the twelve. They weren’t just sitting around the table, eating ice cream, and then decided to go knocking on doors. It wasn’t their idea, but Christ’s. Christ is the one who called the apostles and He is the one that sent them out.

II. He instructs them (vv. 8-11)

8 and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belt— but to wear sandals; and He added, "Do not put on two tunics." And He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town. "Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them."

It is interesting that Jesus instructed them to take nothing with them except the clothes on their back and a staff. This is not an office staff - it does not include a secretary, a travel planner, a driver, a hair stylist, and a cook. The staff they took was like a walking stick, a walking staff. This is all they were instructed to take - the clothes they were wearing and a walking staff. Jesus tells them: No bread which means no food, no bag, no money (that includes traveler’s checks and Visa cards), no extra shoes or clothes. There were no provisions for a laptop computer, a car, or even a cell phone. Of course these things did not exist back then, but many of us would want to at least have a cell phone with us. Jesus sends them out empty handed. Why?

"The orders which Jesus issues are to teach the apostles absolute dependence upon their Lord who sends them out."¹ All these directions are not intended to inflict hardships on the disciples but to relieve them of all worry regarding their bodily needs. He who sends them out will provide for them in all respects.² Jesus is teaching them to completely trust them. This must have been difficult for them back then, because it is difficult to fully trust Jesus today. We are to completely trust Jesus for our own needs. We often confuse needs with wants. There are many things we want, but only a few things we need. I want the new Trail Blazer to drive, but my mini-van will do fine. We take for granted that we must have a car, but a car is really not a necessity for all people.

What do we need today to go out into the world to spread the gospel? Do we have to have an expensive evangelism program? Do we have to have a huge budget, a television ministry, a radio ministry, and hire a media staff or an advertising company? The answer is NO! The best way for Redeemer to grow is for us to go out and tell other people about Jesus Christ. Jesus sent out the twelve apostles as heralds, or messengers. The message they were delivering was not their message, but Christ’s message. Today, God still works through messengers. He has called YOU to take His message out to the people. He is calling on YOU! The message you are delivering is not yours! It is Christ’s! He is the one who died for you and took away your sins, has granted you eternal life and given you Salvation. His grace is sufficient for you! Today, we are too afraid of being rejected by our friends and family. If we could only be like Jesus, then we would be equipped to go out and tell others. We loose sight of the fact that JESUS HIMSELF WAS REJECTED IN HIS OWN HOMETOWN. IF SOME REJECTED CHRIST, WE SHOULD EXPECT THAT SOME WILL REJECT US!

Jesus calls us today to go and tell others the good news. Yes, we will be rejected by some, but some will accept the message. Why would we want to go and make fools of ourselves? It is important to realize that many will look at you as a "fool". Scripture tells us in 1 Cor. 1:18 "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." To those who reject the message we deliver, we will look like fools. To those who believe the message we deliver, they will be saved. The message is not ours! Jesus says "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ¹ Jesus message is that He died for your sins, and He gives you faith, eternal life, and Salvation.

III. He blesses them (vv. 12-13)

We live in a world that we often hear "What’s in it for me?" Well, we do have something. We read in Scripture the following:

12 They went out and preached that men should repent. And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.

Jesus blessed the Apostles with the gift of casting out demons and the healing of the sick. We may not have the gift of casting out demons or healing the sick, but we have been blessed. Let’s listen to our Epistle reading today, read earlier.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ⁴For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— ⁶to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ⁷In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. [Eph 1:3-7]

Today you have received God’s blessing from His promise to you, through His world. You are blessed by God. His blessing is Yours! We are His messengers!

AMEN