The Gospel of Luke (32): The Short-term Mission of the Twelve 07/16/2023

Justification by Faith Alone in Romans 4

The Apostle has set forth the glorious doctrine of justification by God's grace, alone through faith alone, and Jesus Christ alone. Well, after the Apostle set forth his doctrine, he would call upon Scripture, the Old Testament Scripture, to substantiate his claims, and that's what we have in Romans 4.

And so he cites Abraham as well as King David, the people during the Old Testament times were justified in the same way you and I are, through faith alone, and Romans 4 testifies.

Of that.

Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift, but as his due. And to the one who does not work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works.

Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin. Is this blessing then only for the circumcised or also for the uncircumcised?

For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.

The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well. And to make him the father of the circumcised, who are not merely circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

For the promise of Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the adherence of the law who are to be heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.

For the law brings wrath, but where there is no wrath, there is no transgression. That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring, not only to the adherent of the law, but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.

As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. In the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist, in hope he believed against hope that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told.

So shall your offspring be. He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead, since he was about a hundred years old, or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb.

No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was counted to him as righteousness.

But the words it was counted to him were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believed in him, who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

Prayer for the Word and for Faithful Application

Let's pray.

Lord God, we thank you for the law. We thank you that the law reveals something of the law giver. The law reveals something of man, it reveals our sin, and it reveals our need for a savior. And Lord, we rejoice that you have revealed the law to us so that we might see our great need for a savior.

And through faith, through the gift of faith, that we might receive the blessings that are to be ours in Christ Jesus. Lord, we thank you for the work of Christ. We thank you for what he accomplished, that through his life, death, burial, and resurrection, that we have life, that you have redeemed us from a miserable existence, a life of emptiness and futility.

We just rejoice, Lord, that we are your children and that we belong to you. And Lord, we thank you that we can gather together here this morning and sing your word and hear it read and hear it preached.

And we pray, Lord, for the preaching of the word, that as Pastor Lars preaches, that you would take the word from our ear and that you would implant it into our hearts, that you would give us wisdom as to how we to apply this.

And we pray, Lord, that we would do just that, that we would walk in the spirit, that we would live in the truth that we hear this morning to the praise and glory of your honor. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus' name.

Amen.

The Flow of Luke's Gospel and the Shift in Chapter 9

Well, let's turn to the ninth chapter of the Gospel of Luke. Today is our first Lord's Day in chapter nine. It might do us well to take a few moments and focus again on the flow of our story, the Gospel of Luke.

Chapter nine is a very significant chapter in Luke's account. Here Luke records the conclusion of our Lord's Galilean ministry and gives a fuller disclosure of his impending suffering, death, and resurrection to his disciples.

Luke sets before the readers another change of emphasis here in chapter nine. In the previous chapters, the episodes recorded the Lord performing miracles for people who could only find help in him. But beginning with chapter nine, however, the story begins to emphasize our Lord's relationship to his apostles and disciples.

Jesus continued to perform miracles. He continued to interact with others, but increasingly Luke records these incidents as a means by which our Lord trains and instructs his disciples. There's the point of emphasis.

He was training and instructing them, preparing them for their future ministry after his departure. This being the case, increasingly we learn what it is to be and to live as true disciples of Jesus Christ.

And chapter nine begins to unfold that quite significantly. Now let's just take a moment and scan the chapter to see this emphasis on Jesus and his disciples. Notice first our Lord calls the twelve and sends them out on a mission.

Verses one through six. In verses 10 and 11, we read of the disciples' return to Jesus, reporting to him what they had experienced and accomplished. We then read that Jesus intended to take his disciples aside to be alone with them, but was prevented from doing so because of the multitude of crowds following him.

Then Luke records Jesus' miraculous feeding of the 5 ,000. And although this one miracle of feeding the 5 ,000 is recorded in all four Gospels and apart from the resurrection, it is the only miracle in all four Gospels set forth, Luke's emphasis is on the role of the twelve disciples and the lessons they learned from this miracle.

And then in verses 18 and 20 through 20, our Lord inquires of his disciples who the crowds identify him to be. Followed by Peter's confession on behalf of the twelve, Jesus is the Christ. This leads to our Lord's major announcement of his approaching rejection by the Jewish leaders, resulting in his suffering and death, but followed by his resurrection.

But then our Lord gave one of the clearest declarations of the nature and necessity of Christian discipleship. It set forth as the only way of salvation for those who come to know him. And then following this disclosure about discipleship, Luke records our Lord's transfiguration.

Jesus took three of his closest disciples to the mountain where he was transfigured before them. And then upon their return, we read of a miracle of our Lord casting out a demon from a young man, something his disciples were unable to do.

And so again, the emphasis is on the lessons they learned through this. And so this resulted again in our Lord speaking of his impending rejection and death. Nevertheless, the disciples' understanding of this remained darkened.

So in a way, it's disclosed to the readers, but even the disciples at this time didn't fully comprehend what was to take place. And then this is followed amazingly by a dispute among the disciples as to who was the greatest among them.

They had quite a ways to go before they could assume their responsible positions as his apostles. And then this brings us to the end of our Lord's Galilean ministry with a statement of Jesus departing Galilee for Jerusalem.

And Luke 9 .51 is one of the major, major changes of Luke's gospel. We read now, it came to pass when the time had come for him to be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem and sent messengers before his face.

And from Luke 9 .51 all the way to Luke 19, you have this well-known travel narrative of Jesus and his disciples traveling to Jerusalem. And so this chapter is quite a rich one, containing important instruction for our Lord's people as he discloses his purpose and end to be rejected, to suffer and die in Jerusalem, and then to be raised the third day.

Now for today, we want to consider verses one through 10, from which we might receive some practical instruction in our own service for our Lord as his disciples. We're going to see that there's some themes here that we've already covered in the gospel.

Of Luke.

And the very fact that they're reiterated here shows how important they are. And so to rehearse them, to go over them, I think is important and needful for us. They are relevant, they are important. And so let's consider this short-term mission of the 12, Luke 9, verses one through 10.

And of course, I'm reading from the New King James Version. Then he called his 12 disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

And he said to them, take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money, and do not have two tunics apiece. Whatever house you enter, stay there and from there depart. And whoever will not receive you when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.

And so they departed and went through the towns preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. Now Herod the Tetrarch heard of all that was done by him and he was 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 old prophets had risen again.

Herod said, John, I beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things? So he sought to see him, Jesus. And the apostles, when they returned, told him all that they had done. Then he took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.

But when the multitudes knew it, they followed him and he received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God. And healed those who had need of healing. The short-term mission of the twelve. Our Lord sends his twelve apostles on a short-term mission.

It is a beginning point in which our Lord's disciples are being trained in the great work.

Of the kingdom.

There is no learning quite as valuable as practical experience. I can imagine the sense of uncertainty which these disciples must have felt as they found themselves doing the work of their master. There's a courage that comes when one stands silently in the presence of another.

More skilled and experienced, but that courage quickly dissipates when you stand alone. And that's probably one of the reasons they went out two by two. I can remember the day that I was first thrust out in our Lord's service.

We walked up to a strange door together. My mentor and myself, Brad, we went to high school together. He was a year older than I. He was the first one to put a can of beer in my hand. I became a drunk because of Brad.

He went off to college and was converted. Two years later he found out I was converted. He came, found me, and got me into the ministry. So here we were in Plano, Texas, knocking on doors. I was the silent partner watching and listening to Brad as he was engaging those who came to the door.

And so I was beginning to feel a little more comfortable. I was timid and fearful by nature. We came to a door. He knocked on it boldly. That was his nature, his manner. And so I stood timidly, but I was suddenly filled with fear.

When he turned to me and said, you handle this one, and he turned and walked away quickly. And I'm standing at this door. Thankfully, nobody was home. I remember it vividly because it was a terrifying moment.

But he didn't let me off the hook. And so he sent me up to the next door. And as I came up, the front door was ajar and the room was dark. I couldn't see anything inside. I was wearing a suit and tie.

We did that back then. The tie I was wearing was a rather nice silk tie. And suddenly a large dog jumped through the door, the open door, lunging, growling, leaping toward my neck. And he grabbed the bottom of my silk tie.

It caught on his teeth. And he started pulling me into the house. The tie stretched out about four feet long. I had no idea a silk tie could stretch that long. I thought I was going to be ravaged. And then a man thankfully came along and pulled back his dog.

But that was my first encounter in the service of the Lord. And I was thinking about it. And that was 49 years ago this month. So we've had a little bit of experience since then. Now, thankfully, our Lord did not send forth his disciples so ill-trained and ill-equipped.

Rather, they had been with Jesus for quite some time. And we read before us that our Lord sent them forth with a clear understanding of what they were to do and how they were to do it. A .B. Bruce wrote a classic work on the life of Christ.

He wrote, the Twelve are now to come before us as active agents in advancing the kingdom.

Of God.

Having been for some time in Christ's company, witnessing his miraculous works, hearing his doctrine concerning the kingdom, learning how to pray, how to live, they were like sent forth to evangelize the towns and villages of their native province, Galilee, and to heal the sick in their master's name and by his power.

This mission of the disciples as evangelists or miniature apostles was partly, without doubt, an educational experiment for their own benefit, but its direct design was to meet the spiritual necessities of the people whose neglected condition lay heavy on Christ's.

Heart.

And so there are two points. He was concerned about people and their need to hear the kingdom, the message of the kingdom, but also to be healed of their sickness, but also he was training his Twelve.

And so we read, Jesus sent forth his Twelve Apostles. And here we need to do some reinforcing some matters in a repetitious way. First of all, let's emphasize the significance of the number Twelve. And in fact, when I got done with my sermon notes, I did a search and I used the number Twelve 56 times in these notes.

It's a point of significance. Well, the Twelve, we first read, Our Lord equipped these men in their tasks, the New King James Version reads, he called his twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons and cure diseases.

And so our translation says Twelve Disciples. The English Standard Version reads, and he called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons to cure diseases. The Greek text itself reads the Twelve, the Twelve.

Some Greek texts read differently. They include the following variants down through textual history, his Twelve, his disciples, his Twelve disciples, and Twelve Apostles. The best Greek manuscripts, however, read the Twelve.

And so the ESV, as well as the New American Standard Version, are the preferred English translations of this verse. We've already seen this term, the Twelve, in this gospel. It was first used in Luke 8, verse 1, the Twelve.

It's a formal title. There it reads, Now it came to pass afterward, he went through every city and village preaching, bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God, and the Twelve were with him. Now on an earlier occasion, we explained the reason for Twelve and only Twelve Apostles.

This is very important. And if this was understood, this would undermine a lot of teaching of eschatology about the end times and the nation of Israel, for example. It's important. And so we mentioned it again today.

The nation of Israel was comprised of Twelve tribes, of course. The Lord appointed Twelve Apostles to become the new leaders of the nation of Israel. Comprised of all true Israelites, whether they were Jewish or Gentile, Pastor Jason just read Romans 4, which makes that very declaration, all who have the faith of Abraham are the children of Abraham.

Abraham would be the father of many nations, Gentiles too. And so all who embrace and submit to Jesus Christ the Lord through repentance and faith are children of Abraham, they're members of Israel. When Christ called forth his Twelve Apostles, he was beginning to form spiritual Israel, to which the Old Testament physical nation was a type, a picture.

Israel of the Old Testament was the type. The Church of the New Testament is the anti-type. Israel in the Old Testament was a shadow. The Church in the New Testament is the reality to which the shadow foretold was coming.

The New Testament Church is spiritual Israel, over which our Lord entrusted Twelve Apostles. Charles Spurgeon wrote, of the Twelve Apostles, the Holy Spirit does not object to truthful statistics. There were Twelve Apostles.

This was a complete number, neither too many nor too few, and a number which linked the spiritual Israel with a nation that had typified it. Notice how he says the nation typified the New Testament Church, spiritual Israel.

That this was our Lord's intention may be seen in what he said to the Jewish leaders of Israel who rejected him and his rule over them. He declared, therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits, Matthew 21.

And our Lord spoke directly of his intentions to his Apostles just before his arrest and crucifixion, Matthew 19. Peter said in reply, see we've left everything followed you, what then will we have? Jesus said to them, truly I say to you in the new world, or in the new age, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

And they had been doing so since our Lord ascended into heaven after his resurrection. They are still ruling over the twelve tribes of Israel. Our New Testament is the apostolic witness. They are judges leading us and guiding us in what we should believe and how we should.

Live.

And so the Lord Jesus wrested the leadership of Israel, the professing people of God, from the rule and grip of the wicked, unbelieving Jewish leaders, and he entrusted the leadership of Israel to his twelve Apostles.

They became the twelve judges ruling over the twelve tribes of Israel. We emphasize this because you're not going to hear it, except here or there a few places, Ligonier, Alistair Begg, perhaps, recorded shows of, radio shows of R .C. Sproul and whatnot, but other than that, it is not pronounced very greatly.

The book of Revelation also describes the church as the fulfillment and realization of the promised destiny and hope of Israel. We read in Revelation 21 the vision of the New Jerusalem, in which the twelve tribes of Israel are mentioned and the twelve Apostles in the same context.

John wrote, it had a great high wall with twelve gates and at the gates twelve angels and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed. On the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, on the west three gates.

And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and here it is. On them were the twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lord. So there you have Israel, spiritual Israel. Twelve tribes, twelve Apostles.

Those who oppose the teaching we have just set forth falsely charge us with the pejorative term replacement theology, and that is viewed as a real negative accusation, which is leveled against us. The accusers of teaching that the church replaced Israel, and we don't teach that at all.

The church did not replace Israel, rather the church is the true spiritual Israel. The spiritual nation to which God had promised to give salvation. Peter wrote of this, of course, the Israel of God and first Peter.

And it is declared forthrightly, you, he's talking to Christians, are a chosen generation. That was language applied to Israel in the Old Testament. You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, Christendom, his own special people that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, who once were not a people, you're talking about Gentiles, but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

And so here in first Peter, we have the church of Jesus Christ described in terms of what God had promised Israel in the Old Testament. It's comprised of all true Christians, both Jews and Gentiles who were saved through Jesus Christ.

We didn't put it in our notes, but actually Jesus Christ is the true Israel. The nation of Israel was the unfaithful Israel. Jesus was the faithful Israel. Out of Egypt, I've called my son referring to Jesus.

Jesus is the true Israel of God. Israel was the false vine, Jesus said, I'm the true vine. There are numerous applications of Jesus as the true Israel. And so we become a part of the true Israel when we believe on Jesus Christ.

He's building up his nation over which he is Lord. And so the church is Israel under the new covenant, the Israel of God. It's the physical nation of Israel reconstituted under a new constitution or new covenant.

The old constitution made at Mount Sinai was replaced by the new covenant that Jesus Christ established through his death, burial, and resurrection. Physical Israel of the old testament was comprised of an ethnic people, Jewish people, the physical descendants of Abraham, the male set apart by the physical circumcision of the flesh.

Spiritual Israel of the new testament is comprised of a spiritual people. It's not by race, but by grace, a Jewish remnant and an innumerable number of Gentiles who are the spiritual descendants of Abraham set apart by a spiritual circumcision of the heart.

Old testament circumcision was a type. The new testament type is not infant baptism. It's not baptism. The type of circumcision, the anti-type is the spiritual circumcision of the heart. Those who have the same faith as Abraham are the true children of Abraham to whom God's promises of salvation are bestowed and again that's what Paul argued in the passage that Pastor Jason read for us, Romans chapter 4.

What Luke is recording for us in his gospel is our Lord preparing the twelve for the day when they assume the spiritual leadership over spiritual Israel, which took place upon the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ when he was enthroned by his father as the king over the kingdom of God.

Apostolic Authority and the Cessation of Miraculous Gifts

Now we should say a few words also about the term the apostles. Our Lord Jesus imparted authority to heal and deliver his twelve apostles. He gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases.

Luke 9 verse 1. We read in the holy scriptures that the power to work miracles was an authentication of our Lord's identity as the promised Messiah. We've seen that many times already in Luke's gospel.

The miracles Jesus did proved he was the Messiah, but miracles were also an authentication of the legitimacy of the apostles. Paul made reference to the signs of an apostle. When his own ministry was not readily accepted by many at Corinth, Paul could appeal to them.

I've become a fool in boasting. You've compelled me for I ought to have been commended by you for in nothing was I behind the most eminent apostles, though I'm nothing. Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.

Notice signs and wonders and mighty deeds were signs of an apostle. The writer to the Hebrews also makes reference of the uniqueness of miracles to authenticate the apostles' ministry. Hebrews 2. Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard lest we drift.

Away.

For the word spoken through angels proves steadfast, referring to the law of Moses. And every transgression and disobedience received a just reward. How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation which at first began to be spoken by the Lord, the Lord Jesus, was confirmed to us by those who heard him?

These are the apostles. God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders with various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit according to his will. The ones who heard him were authenticated by the miracles, gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The point is this, the miraculous events of our Lord's ministry and the following apostolic ministry were authenticating signs that legitimize the identity and claims of our Lord and his apostles. It's great error to suppose that the nature and frequency of the miracles we read about in the gospels and acts are to be regarded as normative events that the church can expect to occur throughout history.

They were assigned gifts that were temporary in nature. They were revelatory gifts that were temporary and served their purpose. And although God answers prayer from time to time, we see wonderful miracles of healing, thankfully, and deliverance that comes through God answering the prayers of his people.

We should not think that these things are commonplace or that they must be seen among us if we are authentic representatives of Christ and are speaking forth his word. And there is where the major error comes.

One wrote, the theologians of the post-reformation era are a very clear-headed body of men taught with great distinctness that the charismata, the miraculous gifts of the spirit, ceased with the apostolic age.

And then remember this, our Lord warned against false teachers and prophets who would lead people astray through miracles, signs, and wonders. He said, for there shall arise false trites and false prophets shall show great signs and wonders insomuch that if it were possible, and the Greek language of this means it's not possible, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Thankfully, it's not possible because you have received an anointing that secures you in Christ. He warned his disciples and rebuked others, an evil and adulterous generation seeks after.

A sign.

And then secondly, the Bible itself, an early Christian tradition, confirms that the frequency of miracles faded rapidly and completely at the conclusion of the apostolic age. Even as the ministry of the apostles was present, the frequency of miracles seemed to diminish.

Paul wrote, Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I've left in Miletus sick. Why did not Paul heal Trophimus? Paul instructed Timothy, no longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities.

He was sickly. Why did not Paul heal Timothy? Moreover, Paul did not rebuke Timothy for his lack of faith to be healed. It would appear the former period of frequent and wonderful miracles was drawing to a close even in the apostles' lifetime.

There are some today who claim to have authority and say that God endorses their ministry through miraculous gifts that they manifest. There are many churches in the world that claim to be led by apostles today.

There's a movement that advocates a five-fold ministry. I specifically put this in our notes, not so much for us, but I'm thinking about the hundreds of people that are going to be looking at these notes in third world countries today, because this is very common throughout the world.

They call it a five-fold ministry, although there are many in America that make the same claim. This is taken from a website that promotes this teaching. What is the five-fold ministry? This is a question that many people have heard of, but don't know what it means.

The five-fold ministry is found in Ephesians 4 .11. It refers to the five roles that God has called Christians to fill. These roles are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. And then it makes this statement, which I am bold and italicize.

Each of these roles is important, not just for the early church, but for the body of Christ today to function properly. We got to have apostles and prophets today for the church to function properly. And so they claim that in this day, their apostles and prophets perform healings and receive direct revelation from God.

They appeal to the miracles they do as authenticating what they teach is valid. But recognize this, that although God used miraculous gifts to authenticate the apostles and a few other leaders in the first generation, like a few of the deacons, for example, God does so no longer.

God had appointed apostles and prophets to begin the church by bringing forth his word through them, but God had clearly authenticated his spokesman through the miracles of the Holy Spirit working through them.

So his word being spoken through them would be validated or authenticated before the people. But once his word and his purpose in the world was established and grounded, the need for authentication came to an end.

And ever since that time, claims of performing miracles should be viewed as not a sign of an apostle or a prophet, but of a false prophet or a false apostle. That's what Jesus himself said. Several points be made to substantiate this.

First, consider Paul's description of the role of apostles and prophets, Ephesians 2, 19 and 20 or 21. Now, therefore, you're no longer strangers and foreigners. He's talking to Gentile Christians at Ephesus, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.

There he's saying Gentile Christians are now fellow members of Israel. See, the people of Israel of the Old Testament, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone in whom the whole building being joined together grows into a holy temple in the Lord and whom also you also are being built together for a habitation of God in the spirit.

And so God has founded his church. His church was built on a foundation that God laid long ago through his apostles and prophets. The message that God gave through his spokesman has been established. It was authenticated.

It doesn't have to be reestablished, reauthenticated through miracles. Now to fail or refuse to believe the word of God is a sign of unbelief for the one who says, I've got to see a miracle before I believe the word.

That is unbelief. That's not faith. Secondly, we recognize that God had also called Paul to become one of his apostles. Of course, he was not one of the original 12. He was an apostle called out of due time.

He's described as an apostle to the Gentiles. And numerous times he refers to himself as Paul, an apostle in one place, several places, he says by the will of God. And in one place, he calls himself an apostle by the commandment of God and our savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

That's one of the clearest statements of the deity of Christ, by the way, by the commandment of God, our savior, and the Lord Jesus Christ, even the Lord Jesus Christ. Thirdly, we might ask, what of those who insist that people must have this kind of miracle working power in order to believe?

I've got a book in my library called Power Religion, which argued 30 years ago, in order for the word really to be converted, we've got to show forth miracles to show the reality and the power of God.

No, that is not the case at all. The Lord Jesus himself said, again, an evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign. And then the Lord himself, you know, declared in the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16, which we'll get to eventually, is that they have Moses and the prophets.

In other words, they have the written word of God. And the rich man, of course, said to Abraham, no, no, but they'll, my brother, five brothers will believe if you send Lazarus back from the dead. Jesus to Abraham said, no, no, they have the Moses and the prophets.

If they do not believe Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe one, though we rise from the dead. Seeing miracles does not bring about conversion of anybody. It can maybe create a follower, an enthusiast, but it cannot make a Christian.

That takes an inward miracle work of grace. Well, now let's get back into our text of Luke chapter 9. And here we read after Jesus empowered his 12 apostles, he sent them on a mission with a message. Once again, Luke 9, 1 and 2.

Then he called his 12 disciples together, gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. And so he gave the 12 power and authority.

In verse 1, our Lord imparted to his 12 disciples power and authority. And the quote I have in my notes, they are referred to the two Greek words, the Greek words, dynamis and excusia have already been used by Luke to describe Jesus's own status, his power.

And there's some references and authority. Jesus is us granting the 12 a share in the dominion that he enjoyed as God's special emissary. Jesus had had power and authority and he gave his 12 power and authority.