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

First Baptist Church Leominster

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Romans 4, the Apostle has set forth the glorious doctrine of justification by God's grace alone, through faith alone, and Jesus Christ alone.

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Well, after the Apostle set forth his doctrine, he would call upon Scripture, the

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Old Testament Scripture, to substantiate his claims, and that's what we have in Romans 4, and so he cites

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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.

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Romans 4, what then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather, according to the flesh?

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For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

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For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.

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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

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God counts righteousness apart from works. Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered.

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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?

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For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him?

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Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.

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He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.

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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

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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.

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For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.

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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.

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As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations in the presence of the

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God in whom he believed who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

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In hope he believed against hope that he should become the father of many nations as he had been told.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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It will be counted to us who believed in him who raised from the dead Jesus our

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Lord who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

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Let's pray. Lord God we we thank you for the law.

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We thank you that the law reveals something of the lawgiver. The law reveals something of man.

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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

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Savior and through faith through the gift of faith that we might receive the blessings that are to be ours in Christ Jesus.

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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.

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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

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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 our apply this and we pray the

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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.

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Thank you Lord in Jesus name amen. Well let's turn to the ninth chapter of the

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Gospel of Luke. It is our first Lord's day in chapter 9.

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It might do us well to take a few moments and focus again on the flow of our story, the

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Gospel of Luke. Chapter 9 is a very significant chapter in Luke's account.

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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.

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Luke sets before the readers another change of emphasis here in chapter 9. In the previous chapters the episodes recorded the

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Lord performing miracles for people who could only find help in him but beginning with chapter 9 however the story begins to emphasize our

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Lord's relationship to his apostles and disciples. Jesus continued to perform miracles.

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He continued to interact with others but increasingly Luke records these incidents as a means by which our

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Lord trains and instructs his disciples. There's the point of emphasis.

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He was training and instructing them, preparing them for their future ministry after his departure.

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This being the case increasingly we learn what it is to be and to live as true disciples of Jesus Christ and chapter 9 begins to unfold that quite significantly.

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Now let's just take a moment and scan the chapter to see this emphasis on Jesus and his disciples.

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Notice first our Lord calls the twelve and sends them out on a mission. Verses 1 through 6.

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In verses 10 and 11 we read of the disciples return to Jesus reporting to him what they had experienced and accomplished.

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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.

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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

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Gospels and apart from the resurrection it is the only miracle in all four

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Gospels set forth. Luke's emphasis is on the role of the twelve disciples and the lessons they learned from this miracle.

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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,

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Jesus is the Christ. This leads to our Lord's major announcement of his approaching rejection by the

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Jewish leaders resulting in his suffering and death but followed by his resurrection.

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But then our Lord gave one of the clearest declarations of the nature necessity of Christian discipleship.

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It set forth as the only way of salvation for those who come to know him and then following this disclosure about discipleship

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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

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Lord casting out a demon from a young man, something his disciples were unable to do.

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And so again the emphasis is on the lessons they learned through this. And so this resulted again in our

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Lord speaking of his impending rejection and death. Nevertheless the disciples understanding of this remained darkened.

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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.

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And then this is followed amazingly by a dispute among the disciples as to who was the greatest among them.

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They had quite a ways to go before they could assume their responsible positions as his apostles.

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And then this brings us to the end of our Lord's Galilean ministry with a statement of Jesus departing

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Galilee for Jerusalem. And Luke 951 is one of the major major changes of Luke's gospel.

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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.

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And from Luke 951 all the way to Luke 19 you have this well -known travel narrative of Jesus and his disciples traveling to Jerusalem.

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And so this chapter is quite a rich one containing important instruction for our

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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.

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Now for today we want to consider verses 1 through 10 from which we might receive some practical instruction in our own service for our

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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.

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And the very fact that they're reiterated here shows how important they are.

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And so to rehearse them to go over them I think is important and needful for us.

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They are relevant, they are important. And so let's consider this short -term mission of the 12

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Luke chapter 9 verses 1 through 10. And of course I'm reading from the

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New King James Version. Then he called his 12 disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases.

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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.

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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.

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And so they departed and went through the towns preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

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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.

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Herod said John I beheaded but who is this of whom I hear such things so he sought to see him

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Jesus. And the apostles when they returned told him all that they had done.

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Then he took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called

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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.

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The short -term mission of the twelve. Our Lord sends his twelve apostles on a short -term mission.

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

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There's 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.

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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.

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And that's probably one of the reason they went out two by two. I can remember the day that I was first thrust out in our

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Lord's service. We walked up to a strange door together my mentor and myself.

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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.

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I became a drunk because of Brad. He went off to college was converted.

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Two years later he found out I was converted. He came found me and got me into the ministry.

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So here we were in Plano Texas knocking on doors. I was the silent partner watching and listening

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Brad as he was engaging those who came to the door. And so I was beginning to feel a little more comfortable.

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I was timid and fearful by nature. We came to a door he knocked on it boldly that was his nature his manner.

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And so I stood timidly but I was suddenly filled with fear when he turned to me and said you handle this one.

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And he turned and walked away quickly. And I'm standing at this door. Thankfully nobody was home.

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I remember it vividly because it was a terrifying moment but he didn't let me off the hook.

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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.

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I couldn't see anything inside. I was wearing a suit and tie.

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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.

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And he grabbed the bottom of my silk tie. It caught on his teeth and he started pulling me into the house.

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The tie stretched out about four feet long. I had no idea silk tie could stretch that long.

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I thought I was gonna be ravaged. And then a man thankfully came along and pulled back his dog.

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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.

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So we've had a little bit of experience since then. Now thankfully our

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Lord did not send forth his disciples so ill -trained and ill -equipped. Rather they had been with Jesus for quite some time.

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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.

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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.

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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,

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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.

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But it's direct design was to meet the spiritual necessities of the people whose neglected condition lay heavy on Christ's heart.

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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.

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But also he was training his twelve. And so we read

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Jesus sent forth his twelve apostles. And here we need to do some reinforcing some matters in a repetitious way.

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First of all let's emphasize the significance of the number twelve. And in fact when

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I got done with my sermon notes I did a search and I used the the number twelve fifty -six times in these notes.

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It's a point of significance. Well the twelve, we first read our

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Lord equip 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.

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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.

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The Greek text itself reads the twelve. The twelve.

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Some Greek texts read differently. They include the following variants down through textual history.

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His twelve, his disciples, his twelve disciples, and twelve apostles. The best Greek manuscripts however read the twelve.

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And so the ESV as well as the New American Standard Version are the preferred English translations of this verse.

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We've already seen this term the twelve in this gospel. It was first used in Luke 8 verse 1.

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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.

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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.

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It's important and so we mentioned it again today. The nation of Israel was comprised of twelve tribes of course.

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The Lord appointed twelve apostles to become the new leaders of the nation of Israel. Comprised of all two

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Israelites whether they were Jewish or Gentile. Pastor Jason just read Romans 4 which makes that very declaration.

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All who have the faith of Abraham are the children of Abraham. Abraham would be the father of many nations.

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Gentiles too. And so all who embrace and submit to Jesus Christ the

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Lord through repentance and faith are children of Abraham. They're members of Israel. When Christ called forth his 12 apostles he was beginning to form spiritual

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Israel to which the Old Testament physical nation was a type. A picture.

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Israel of the Old Testament was the type. The church of the New Testament is the anti -type. Israel in the

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Old Testament was a shadow. The church in the New Testament is the reality to which the shadow foretold was coming.

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The New Testament church is spiritual Israel over which our Lord entrusted twelve apostles.

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Charles Spurgeon wrote of the twelve apostles the Holy Spirit does not object to truthful statistic there were twelve apostles.

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This was a complete number neither too many nor too few and a number which linked the spirit the spiritual

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Israel with a nation that had typified it. Notice how he says the nation typified the

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New Testament church spiritual Israel. This is that this was our

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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

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I tell you the kingdom of God will be taken from away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.

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Matthew 21 and our Lord spoke directly to his intent of his intentions to his apostles just before his arrest and crucifixion.

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Matthew 19 Peter said in reply see we've left everything followed you what then will we have

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Jesus said to them truly I say to you in the new world or the new age when the

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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 have been doing so since our

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Lord ascended into heaven after his resurrection. They are still ruling over the twelve tribes of Israel our

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New Testament is the apostolic witness they are judges leading us and guiding us in the what we should believe and how we should live and so the

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Lord Jesus rested the leadership of Israel the professing people of God from the rule and grip of the wicked unbelieving

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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.

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We emphasize this because you're not going to hear it except here there a few places

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Ligonier Alistair Begg perhaps recorded shows of radio shows of R .C.

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Sproul and whatnot but other than that it is not pronounced very greatly.

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Book of Revelation also describes the church as the fulfillment and realization of the promised destiny and hope of Israel.

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We read in Revelation 21 the vision of the Jerusalem in which the twelve tribes of Israel are mentioned and the twelve apostles in the same context.

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John wrote it had a great high wall with twelve gates at the gates twelve angels and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed.

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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

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Lord. So there you have Israel spiritual Israel twelve tribes twelve apostles.

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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.

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They accuse us of teaching that the church replaced Israel and we don't teach that at all.

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The church did not replace Israel rather the church is the true spiritual Israel the spiritual nation to which

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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.

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That was language applied to Israel in the Old Testament. You are a chosen generation a royal priesthood a holy nation.

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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.

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And so here in first Peter we have the church of Jesus Christ described in terms of what

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God had promised Israel in the Old Testament. It's comprised of all true

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Christians both Jews and Gentiles who were saved through Jesus Christ. We didn't put it in our notes but actually

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Jesus Christ is the true Israel. The nation of Israel was the unfaithful

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Israel. Jesus was the faithful Israel. Out of Egypt I've called my son referring to Jesus.

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Jesus is the true Israel of God. Israel was the false vine Jesus said I'm the true vine.

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There are numerous applications of Jesus as the true Israel and so we become a part of the true

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Israel when we believe on Jesus Christ. He's building up his nation over which he is

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Lord. And so the church is Israel under the new covenant the

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Israel of God. It's the physical nation of Israel reconstituted under a new constitution or new covenant.

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The old constitution made at Mount Sinai was replaced by the new covenant that Jesus Christ established through his death, burial, and resurrection.

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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.

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Spiritual Israel of the New Testament is comprised of a spiritual people. It's not by race but by grace.

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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.

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Old Testament circumcision does not was a type. The New Testament type is not infant baptism.

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It's not baptism. The type of circumcision, the antitype, is the spiritual circumcision of the heart.

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Those who have the same faith as Abraham are the true children of Abraham to whom God's promises of salvation are bestowed.

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And again that's what Paul argued in the passage that Pastor Jason read for us Romans chapter 4.

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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

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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.

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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.

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He gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, Luke 9 verse 1.

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We read in the Holy Scriptures that the power to work miracles was an authentication of our

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Lord's identity as the promised Messiah. We've seen that many times already in Luke's gospel. The miracles

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Jesus did proved he was the Messiah. But miracles were also an authentication of the legitimacy of the apostles.

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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,

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I've become a fool in boasting, you've compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for in nothing was

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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.

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Notice signs and wonders and mighty deeds were signs of an apostle. The writer to the

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Hebrews also makes reference of the uniqueness of miracles to authenticate the apostles' ministry,

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Hebrews 2. Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard lest we drift away.

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For if 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

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Lord, the Lord Jesus, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. These are the apostles.

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God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders with various miracles and gifts of the

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Holy Spirit according to his will. The ones who heard him were authenticated by the miracles, gifts of the

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Holy Spirit. The point is this, the miraculous events of our

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Lord's ministry and the following apostolic ministry were authenticating signs that legitimize the identity and claims of our

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Lord and his apostles. It's great error to suppose that the nature and frequency of the miracles we read about in the

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Gospels and Acts are to be regarded as normative events that the church can expect to occur throughout history.

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They were assigned gifts that were temporary in nature. They were revelatory gifts that were temporary and served their purpose.

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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.

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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

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Spirit, ceased with the apostolic age. And then remember this, our

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Lord warned against false teachers and prophets who would lead people astray through miracles, signs, and wonders.

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He said, for there shall arise false trites and false prophets shall show great signs and wonders in so much that if it were possible, and the

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Greek language of this means it's not possible, if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect.

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Thankfully it's not possible because you have received an anointing that secures you in Christ.

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He warned his disciples and rebuked others, an evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign.

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And then secondly, the Bible itself in early Christian tradition confirms that the frequency of miracles faded rapidly and completely at the conclusion of the apostolic age.

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Even as the ministry of the Apostles was present, the frequency of miracles seemed to diminish.

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Paul wrote, Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I've left in Miletus sick.

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Why did not Paul heal Trophimus? Paul instructed

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Timothy, no longer drink only water but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities.

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He was sickly. Why did not Paul heal Timothy? Moreover, Paul did not rebuke

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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

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Apostles lifetime. There are some today who claim to have authority and say that God endorses their ministry through miraculous gifts that they manifest.

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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.

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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.

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They call it a five -fold ministry, although there are many in America that make the same claim.

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This is taken from a website that promotes this teaching. What is the five -fold ministry?

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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.

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It refers to the five roles that God has called Christians to fill. These roles are

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Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers. And then it makes this statement which

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I am bold and italicized. Each of these roles is important not just for the early church but for the body of Christ today to function properly.

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We've got to have Apostles and Prophets today for the church to function properly. And so they claim that in this day their

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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.

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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,

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God does so no longer. God had appointed Apostles and Prophets to begin the church by bringing forth his word through them.

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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.

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But once his word and his purpose in the world was established and grounded the need for authentication came to an end.

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And ever since that time claims of performing miracles should be viewed as not a sign of an

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Apostle or Prophet but of a false prophet or a false

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Apostle. That's what Jesus himself said. Several points be made to substantiate this.

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First consider Paul's description of the role of Apostles and Prophets, Ephesians 2 19 and 20 or 21.

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Now therefore you're no longer strangers and foreigners, he's talking to Gentile Christian at Ephesus, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.

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There he's saying Gentile Christians are now fellow members of Israel, the people of Israel of the

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Old Testament, having been built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets.

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Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone in whom the whole building being joined together grows into a holy temple in the

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Lord and whom also you also are being built together for a habitation of God in the

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Spirit. And so God has founded his church. His church was built on a foundation that God laid long ago through his

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Apostles and Prophets. The message that God gave to his spokesman has been established.

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It was authenticated. It doesn't have to be re -established, re -authenticated through miracles.

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Now to fail or refuse to believe the Word of God is a sign of unbelief.

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For the one who says I've got to see a miracle before I believe the Word, that is unbelief.

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That's not faith. Secondly, we recognize that God had also called

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Paul to become one of his Apostles, of course. He was not one of the original twelve. He was an

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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

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Apostle. In one place, several places, he says by the will of God. And in one place he calls himself an

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Apostle by the commandment of God our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. That's one of the clearest statements of the deity of Christ, by the way.

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By the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, even the Lord Jesus Christ.

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Thirdly, we might ask what of those who insist that people must have this kind of miracle working power in order to believe?

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

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No, that is not the case at all. The Lord Jesus himself said again, an evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign.

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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

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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 my five brothers will believe if you send

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Lazarus back from the dead. Jesus through Abraham said, no, no, they have

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Moses and the prophets. If they do not believe Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe one though we rise from the dead.

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Seeing miracles does not bring about conversion of anybody. It can maybe create a follower, an enthusiast, but it cannot make a

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Christian. It 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 twelve apostles, he sent them on a mission with a message.

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Once again, Luke 9, 1 and 2. Then he called his twelve disciples together, gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases.

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He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. And so he gave the twelve power and authority.

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In verse 1, our Lord imparted to his twelve disciples power and authority. And the quote I have in my notes there referred to the two

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Greek words. The Greek words dynamis and excusia have already been used by Luke to describe

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Jesus's own status, his power, and there's some references, and authority.

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Jesus is thus granting the twelve a share in the dominion that he enjoyed as God's special emissary.

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Jesus had power and authority, and he gave his twelve power and authority.

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He gave them authority and ability, just as our Father gave

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Jesus authority and ability to perform his ministry. Our Lord empowered these men, then sent them out.

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But what is suggested of Jesus here is really more than just his humanity of sending these men out, as one wrote.

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Because he is the divine leader, he is not only able to perform miracles himself, but also to give to his apostles the power and authority to go and do in wider circles what he has done and is still doing.

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Think about that. An ordinary human leader, no matter how wonderful he may be, cannot communicate to his followers physical or spiritual power to do what he's doing.

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My friend Brad couldn't give me that, but Christ Jesus does it.

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Thereby we see yet again his divine greatness and also his compassionate love, because through his apostles he causes his work of mercy to be continued.

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And we would reason and argue the Lord in the same way today sends forth the same kind of power and authority.

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No, not to the same degree with the same kinds of effects. Nevertheless, we too go forth in God's work in Jesus's name, in his authority.

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And to the degree we believe this will be to the degree we experience this power and authority in our witness.

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We might say several things about this experience of power for Christian service. What is the nature of this power, spiritual power?

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And we can answer this in two ways. First, to go forth in the power of the Lord Jesus involves an infusing of a holy boldness and confidence that dispels fear.

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God gives grace of power and authority in the following ways. His power seems to occur at the moment it's needed, not before.

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When I was 21, I was made an associate pastor in charge of evangelism, soul winning. And a youth pastor invited me to go out with his youth, there were about 20 of them, to a like a youth club, secular.

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There were maybe 200 kids out there. And this youth group, I mean they were bold.

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I was terrified. But I felt like I ought to go, you know, after all

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I'm an associate pastor in charge of soul winning. And so I went with him. I was terrified. And I basically followed them up.

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And as soon as I began to speak to one young person there, there came a holy boldness upon me.

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I couldn't believe it. The fear was gone. And within about two minutes I had 20 or 30 kids standing around me.

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And as several were accusing me and making accusations, the Lord seemed to give me the ability to see immediately the error of their thinking.

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And I was able to discredit them and dispel them with a word. And the following week

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I remember a young girl, teenage girl, come running up to me. She was so happy. She says,

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I talked to you last week and I talked to my family, my parents, and we went to church Sunday.

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And she was so happy. You know, but the Lord infuses when you need it and not before.

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When you speak up on behalf of the Lord, He'll enable you to do so.

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And you'd know that it's not from you. He comes upon you as it were.

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The degree and experience of this boldness is contingent on several things. There's a need for an explicit understanding and confidence in the sovereignty of God, a clear conscience before God in one's personal life, a clear understanding and firm conviction of the content of one's message, an assurance that God is with you and you're speaking on his behalf, and certainly definite prayer for a specific challenge or in the face of a specific crisis.

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Well, not only does this power of the Lord come upon you, giving you a holy boldness and confidence when you first speak, but the power of God that gives

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His witnesses comes with a sudden enlargement of one's understanding of the moment, a clear apprehension of the situation, accompanied with a recall of Scripture in a fashion that leaves you quite amazed.

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I didn't know I memorized that. In fact, I never memorized that, but it comes with a clarity and it comes off your lips.

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And so what is this power or authority that God gives His servants? It's no less than a manifestation of the

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Spirit of God coming upon you. And so God is consciously sensed by the empowered person that he's not standing alone, that you're buried witness on his behalf.

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And so you're enabled by him to be a faithful and powerful witness of the gospel and to do any work of fruit in the

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Lord's kingdom. The power of the Holy Spirit coming upon you is absolutely essential.

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What are the effects of this empowerment that God gives His people? Well, first, what it does not assure.

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It does not guarantee certain success or favorable responsiveness for one's message. Stephen was filled with the

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Spirit, they stoned him. So being filled with the Spirit and speaking forth the

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Word of God doesn't guarantee they're going to respond in repentance and faith. No.

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What then is the effect or result of one being filled with power to bear witness of Christ? It assures that the truth that's being proclaimed is understood by them with clarity.

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And they see the importance of it and the implications of it. The Holy Spirit drives it home to their soul.

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And so what's the result? Well, you generally either have a riot or a revival.

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And sometimes they coincide. You have the same thing happening at the same time.

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The point we want to make is this, when God gives his disciple power and authority to bear witness of him, the truth of God is made clear to the one or the ones he is speaking to, to such a degree that they have to deal with it.

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They have to face it. They can't just not dismiss it. And so what we've been describing effectively occurred on occasions in the book of Acts, for example.

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We read in Acts 4 of unbelieving Jewish leaders arresting Peter and John and threatening them no longer to preach in the name of Jesus.

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Well, they prayerfully responded to that when they came back among the people of God. Being let go, they went to their own companions, reported all that the chief priest and elders said to them.

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So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God. They prayed with one accord, said,

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Lord your God, you made heaven and earth and sea, all that's in them, who by the mouth of their servant

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David have said, why do the nations rage? People plot vain things, quoting Psalm 2.

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For truly against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the

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Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever your hand and your purpose determined before to be done.

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Now, Lord, look on their threats. Grant to your servants that with all boldness they might speak your word by stretching out your hand to heal.

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Again, these are apostolic manifestations. That signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy servant

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Jesus. And that happened. And when they prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken.

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They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke the word of God with boldness. And that's the point.

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When we pray and the Lord fills us with the Spirit, he enables us to speak with boldness.

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And it's just a wonderful blessing when that is experienced.

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And there have been occasions through church history when God manifested his great power in the witness of his servants.

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I was reminded of this account in my favorite biography, and I've got a lot of biographies, the two volumes of George Whitefield by Arnold Dallimore.

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Absolutely wonderful. And here is a record of George Whitefield.

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He was a British man. He made 13 trips across the Atlantic. The Lord used him as well as Jonathan Edwards in bringing about the

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Great Awakening. Mostly Whitefield in England, Britain, and then here in the colonies here in New England.

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He preached down here at Bridgewater. There's a rock down there, George Whitefield Rock, where he preached to thousands. He died over Newburyport after preaching in the

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Presbyterian Church there and was buried underneath the pulpit. But here,

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Dallimore wrote, but as soon as the spring arrived, he, Whitefield, launched forth a tremendous burst of open -air activity, especially at Moorfields, London, during the

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Easter season. An undertaking, he reported, in what has become a classic description of evangelistic effort, revival blessings.

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And so the report made in a letter to a friend reads, and Whitefield invented open -air preaching.

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Nobody ever did that. It was all within the buildings. For many weeks,

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I found my heart much pressed to preach there in Moorfields. At this season, when, if ever,

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Satan's children keep their annual rendezvous, for many years past, from one end to the other, booths of all kinds have been erected for Montebanks, players, puppet shows, and such like.

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I thought about the Appleseed Festival out here. With a heart bleeding with compassion for so many thousands led captive by the devil at his will, on Whit Monday at six o 'clock in the morning, attended by a large congregation of prayed people,

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I ventured to lift up a standard among them. Perhaps there were about 10 ,000 in waiting, not for me, but for Satan's instruments to amuse them.

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Glad was I to find that I had for once, as it were, got the start on the devil. Six o 'clock in the morning,

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I mounted my field pulpit. Almost all flocked immediately around it. I preached on these words, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so shall the

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Son of Man be lifted up. They gazed, they listened, they wept. I believe that many felt themselves stung with deep conviction for their past sins, always hushed and solemn.

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Being thus encouraged, I ventured out again at noon, and what a scene! The whole field seemed all white, ready not for the

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Redeemers, but Beelzebub's harvest. All his agents were in full motion, drummers, trumpeters,

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Mary Andrews, masters of puppet shows, exhibitors of wild beasts, players. I suppose there would not be less than 20 or 30 ,000 people.

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My pulpit was fixed on the opposite side, and immediately to their great mortification, they found the number of their attendants sadly lessened.

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Judging that, like St. Paul, I should now be called, as it were, to fight with beasts at Ephesus. I preached from these words, great is the

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Diana of the Ephesians. You might easily guess there were some noise among the craftsmen that I was honored with having a few stones, dirt, rotten eggs, pieces of dead cats thrown at me.

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My soul was indeed among lions, but far the greatest part of my congregation seemed for a while to be turned into lambs.

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This encouraged me to give notice that I would preach again at six o 'clock. I came,

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I saw, but what, thousands and thousands more than before still more deeply engaged in their unhappy diversions, but some thousands amongst them waiting as earnestly to hear the gospel.

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This Satan could not brook. One of his choice of servants was exhibiting, trumpeting on a large stage, but as soon as the people saw me,

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I think all to a man left him and ran to me, and for a while I was able to lift my voice like a trumpet, and many heard the joyful sound.

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Benjamin Franklin was his publisher in Philadelphia, and he heard Whitefield preach to the tens of thousands, and he paced off.

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He said he could hear George Whitefield clearly a quarter of a mile away. He had this tremendous voice.

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God's people kept praying, and the enemy's agents made a kind of roaring at some distance. At length they approached nearer, and the merrier

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Andrew, attended by others who complained that they had taken many pounds less that day on account of my preaching, got up upon a man's shoulders and advanced near the pulpit, attempted to slash me with a long heavy whip several times, but always with the violence of his motion tumbled down.

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Soon afterwards I got a recruiting sergeant with his drum to pass through the congregation. I gave the word of command, ordered they might be made for the king's officer, the ranks open while they all marched quietly through, and then closed again.

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Finding those efforts to fail a large body assembled together, having got a large pole for their standard, advanced toward us with a steady formidable steps till they came very near the skirts of here and prayed an almost undaunted congregation,

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I saw, gave warning, and prayed for present support and deliverance, and just as they approached as with looks of resentment,

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I know not what accident they quarreled among themselves, threw down their staff, and went their way, leaving however many of their company behind, who before had done,

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I trust, were brought over to join the besieged party. I think I continued in praying, preaching, and singing, for the noise was too great a time to preach, about three hours, and when then retired to the

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Tabernacle, the church building, with my pockets full of notes from persons brought under concern, and read them amidst the spiritual acclamations of the thousands who joined with the holy angels in rejoicing, that so many sinners were snatched in such an unexpected, unlikely place and manner out of the very jaws of the devil.

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This was the beginning of the Tabernacle Society, the beginning of the Great Awakening Revival. 350 awakened souls were received in one day, and I believe the number of notes exceeded a thousand.

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The Lord greatly blessed Whitefield, gave him a power and authority to preach the word.

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Well, in her text, Luke 9, Jesus gave his apostles authority and power for their short -term mission, and again thankfully he's continued to empower his servants to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom to the fallen world.

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And it's a wonderful, glorious thing when you're witnessing, and you truly sense the

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Lord is with you, and you know that the words you're speaking are true to the scripture, and they're going forth with a spiritual weight and power, and you know that person understands what you're saying, and you know that person knows its truths.

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It's just a wonderful thing, but I know what it is to have to try and talk without the blessing of the

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Lord too, and I tell you one's much more preferable than the other. We have to wrap up here.

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Jesus sent his twelve on a short -term mission. What did he send them to do? Preach the kingdom of God and heal the sick.

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And so they were to preach the kingdom of God. Preaching was their primary mission. Just as Jesus preached the kingdom of God, he sent the twelve to do the same.

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The message, of course, would include the declaration that Jesus was the promised Messiah, who had soon established the long -promised kingdom of God, the kingdom of the

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Messiah, that had been promised since the days of King David, anticipated ever since.

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The message they preached would have also included the responsibility and necessity of their hearers to repent of their sins and submit to him as Lord and Savior.

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Jesus sent them forth with a clear message. Preach the kingdom of God. This is so important.

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We have to know and be confident of the message we proclaim. We're witnesses to a message.

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It has content. It's about a person, Jesus Christ, but there's content to this message of the gospel, and the gospel in the gospels is the good news, the gospel of the kingdom.

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Jesus Christ is Lord. We live in a relativistic age in which we hear so frequently it matters little about the content of your faith message as long as you're sincere and you really love people.

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That will serve the purposes of God better. No, we have a message, clearly defined, and we are to declare it in any way possible, everywhere possible.

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We make it clear. And they were to preach the gospel. This is mentioned three times.

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It's mentioned the kingdom of God in verse 1, then they were preaching the gospel in verse 6, and then when they returned, they told them about, he received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God.

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If you're preaching the gospel, it better involve the kingdom of God.

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Jesus is Lord. The gospel is not just, here is how you can have your sins forgiven and get to heaven.

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Continue to live any way you please as long as you believe on Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins.

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That's not the whole gospel. The gospel is the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ.

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Well, we need to close. May the Lord help us to be faithful to our

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Lord. He sent them forth with clear principles. When you go out, depend upon, you know, the

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Lord to provide for you. And I should say a word about this.

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Whosoever will not receive you when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.

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When Jews left a Gentile city, they would take the shoes off their feet, shake the dust off as a testimony against that Gentile city.

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Here, the Apostles were to do the same with the Jewish people who refused to believe on Jesus.

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They were as guilty as Gentiles. Clearly, the Lord is establishing his kingdom based on clear principles and a clear message.

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The outcome of their mission? Why, even King Herod learned about him.

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I thought this was significant. The Twelve went out, they preached the kingdom of God, but in some way they brought glory to Jesus.

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It doesn't say Herod became aware of the Twelve Apostles and their preaching. Herod became aware of Jesus. I think that's significant, and wanted to see

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Jesus. Well, the Apostles then returned to Jesus and reported all that they had done.

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And may the Lord help us to be used similarly to further his kingdom in this day, and that we can come back together and report all that the

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Lord has done through our gospel witness. Amen. Thank you, our

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Father, for your word. We thank you, our God, for the examples that we read of your people.

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We thank you, our God, that your power, your authority is available to us through the

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Holy Spirit today. We pray, our God, that you would enable us to speak to others about their souls and their need for coming to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, to become citizens of the kingdom of God.

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We know that only through the new birth can anyone even see the kingdom of God, yet alone enter it.

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And so we pray that you would help us, our God, and use your word to create life in the

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Herod's. Give us the opportunity, our God, and the courage and the confidence to speak on your behalf to those in need.

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As someone came to us one time, maybe more than one time, and spoke to us of our own need of Jesus Christ.

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And so use us, our God, as your witnesses in this day. All these people we've spoken about are gone in the past, and here we are at this time in history, in the world in which you've placed us.

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Help us, our God, to be faithful to you in the time and the opportunities you've given us.