The Master's Choice (Mark 6:7-13) by: Sis. Lilia Cabatbat

The uniqueness of the ministry of the Lord Jesus is the kind of men He chooses to be His disciples. In our time, if we are to review their qualifications they are probably not the kind of people we would choose to represent us. Several of them were fishermen, a former tax collector, a couple of them were quick tempered, one of them was a revolutionary and one was a traitor. These men lacked spiritual understanding; they lacked faith, humility, power and commitment. These men were missing the point of Christ’s teachings, lashing out at people who were different, they’re saying the wrong thing, and they’re walking away from their commitment to Jesus. But, in spite of their weaknesses, the Lord used these inadequate men to turn the world upside down for His Glory. If He can use them, definitely He can use us too. Amen!                          

 

These men have been with Jesus listening to Him teaching & watching Him perform miracles. Jesus has been teaching them so that He could send them out to preach the Gospel. The passage we’re going to study gives us the details of our Lord commissioning the 12 for their first mission trip. I would like us to understand that, just as Jesus had a mission for the original 12,  it remains the same for us today, He has still a mission for us to accomplish that is to build his kingdom here on earth. Let us see their commission & their work so we can learn more of how the Lord expects us to serve Him in our present time.

 

l. THE MISSION OF THE TWELVE. Verse 7

 

  7. And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out    two by two and gave them power over unclean spirits.

 

A)     They were sent two by two.

 

In Matthew 10:2- 4 they have been paired up, they have no choice but to go with their partner. Jesus sent them out this way for a couple of reasons. It fulfilled the requirements of the law, for every testimony to be established by the words of 2 witnesses. (Deuteronomy 19:15)

 

It provided the men with companionship, encouragement and for someone to pray for them. I believe it is still the best method that we can use today. When two people go out to share the gospel, they can encourage one another, pray for one another & help one another stand in these evil days. When you go out to minister could it be in the prison, in the hospital or wherever the Lord tells you to go take a fellow Spirit filled believer with you, it will make the job easier.

       

B)      Jesus gave them “power”.

 

This particular word refers to inherent power, it has the idea of someone possessing the right to do a thing & having the power to carry out. Literally, they were an extension of Him as they ministered.

 

When Jesus saves us, He gives us the power to carry His message to the world, Acts 1:8. We may feel inadequate for the task, but His power rest in us & on us. We may be weak in our word & may feel that our testimony lacks power, but Jesus has promised us His Holy Spirit to empower us & that is more than enough for us to get the job done. Amen. In order for us to be a powerful witness of Christ in sharing His Word, healing the sick and casting out demons, is for us to live a life of OBEDIENCE TO HIS WORD, WORSHIP AND PRAYER. 

  

II. THE MANDATE OF THETWELVE. Verse 8-11

 

⁸He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff, no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts  ⁹but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics. ¹⁰ Also He said to them, In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place. ¹¹ And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment than for that city.

 

Jesus gave His men   some very specific commands:

·         To take nothing for the journey except a staff.

·         They were instructed to travel light, no extra luggage

·         They have to go as they were, no special preparation for their travel

·         They have to undertake their assignment with their full faith in the Lord & His ability to take care of them.

 

We are saved by faith & the Lord expects us to live by faith. He wants us to walk in complete dependence on Him & on His power to supply our needs. If the Lord sends us out in His service, we can trust Him to take care of us. I believe that as the Lord calls you, He will equip, He will provide and empowers you to do great and mighty things for His Glory.

 

Now, we are not also to be foolish with our resources. Just because the Lord will meet all our needs does not imply we are to give away everything we have, but we’re also commanded to be good steward of what the Lord has entrusted to us. Sometimes the Lord allows us to save during the days of prosperity so that we will have resources during the days of adversity, as we can learn from Joseph’s time. Two timeless principles we can learn:

 

1. Always be a wise steward of the wealth God blesses you with.

2. Always trust the Lord to take care of you.

 

C)      They were to take only one coat.

 

Maybe during that time usually it’s just the rich who could afford 2 coats. Jesus was sending His men out, as common men among common men. They were not to present themselves as though they are better off than the people they encountered.

 

Sometimes we Christians act like we are better than the lost people around us. In reality, the only thing that separates us from the most wicked of sinners is the pure grace of God. Apart from the blood of Jesus & the grace of God in our lives, we would be as bad or worse than they are. Praise the Lord indeed for His grace and His mercy that God bestowed upon us.

 

D)     They were to accept the hospitality of the local people & they were to abide in whatever house they have invited into. They were not to seek out better accommodations, not to look for more comfortable house to live in. They were to take what they were given & be content with it. Simplicity and contentment is what the Lord is teaching His men here.

 

I’ve read a commentary about the church of the 18^th & 19^th century. The Church was rocked by scandal. The Pastors were notorious for seeking their comfort above the needs & welfare of their churches. They were famous for their knowledge of hunting dogs & for the wines in their wine cellars, than they were for preaching the Word of God or ministering to the needs of God’s people.

 

The same could be said about many preachers in our day. They live like kings while their people struggle to support their lifestyle. The TV preachers of our era with their opulent homes, air conditioned dog houses & limousines have left a bad taste in the mouth of this generation.

 

Preachers, if you pastor a church there may be times when you will have to get by with very little. If you serve a church where the people are small minded about things of God, they will do their best to see to it that you have to live by faith. Thank God for church people who knows the needs of their pastor & his family. Regardless of the pay package, preachers, pastors or anyone in general who serve God in whatever capacity should not look to the church as the source of their resources. Instead they should look to the hand of the Lord & trust Him to meet their needs, because God is faithful to fulfill His promise. NUMBERS 23:19 says, “God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should change his mind, does He speak and not act, does He promise and not fulfill.” God is faithful. Amen! Our duty is to take whatever the Lord gives us with a heart of gratitude & learn to be content with the things He provides. HEBREWS 13:5 says,

 

Let your conduct be without covetousness, be content with such things as you have, for He Himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.

 

E)      When the disciples entered a village, and they and their message was rejected, they were to leave that village and shake the dust off their feet. This is a practiced of pious Jews who carefully removed the dust of a heathen land before re-entering Jewish territory. A gesture of dis association from the pagans and the pollution of their land. Jesus told His men to do this as a sign that those who rejected the gospel would face a harsh judgment someday for rejecting His offer of salvation.

 

The primary message of the disciples was a message of hope and salvation, and it remains true to the church of today, we carry the same message to the world. We are to point the way to Jesus Christ, His free offer of salvation.

 

Now no one likes this kind of message. We are ridiculed for sharing about Jesus, let us share Jesus to them anyway, and let the people accuse us of being out of mind or out of step of this world. Let them mock us for proclaiming that Jesus is the only way for salvation, & that they need to repent of their sins & come to Jesus. Let them say what   they will, but the truth of God’s salvation be proclaimed, that  the only way to heaven is through the Lord Jesus Christ, JOHN 14:6 Jesus said,” I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” The only way to avoid hell is through the Lord Jesus, JOHN 5:24, Jesus said,

 

” Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My Word and believes in him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”

 

III. THE MESSAGE OF THE TWELVE. VERSE 12

 

^12. So they went out and preached that people should repent.

 

The message of the twelve was simple it could be understood by everyone who heard it. They preached that people should “repent”. The word means to change one’s mind for better. It refers to a change of mind that leads to a change of action. Literally, it means converted. When genuine repentance takes place, the change in a person’s life is radical and powerful. Repentance says, I will stop doing the things I should not do, and I will begin to do the things I should do. I will stop living a life of sin and I will start to live a life of holiness. It really involves our will to choose which way of life we are to take. One of the characteristics of the new birth is a changed life (2 Corinthians 5:7). If you can live in sin without seeing the need to turn from it and repent, most likely you are not saved by the grace of God, 1 JOHN 3:9 says whoever is born of God does not continue on sinning.

 

IV. THE MINISTRY OF THE TWELVE. Verse 13

 

¹³. And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who are sick, and healed them.

 

The disciple went out in the power of Jesus and they experienced Him move and work in power and glory. In their time, the people did not have the complete Word of God as we do, so they needed proof of the message by working powerful miracles among the people.

 

In our present time, God still confirm His Word in us and through us in powerful ways. He will manifest His power as he confirms His message, MARK 16:15-17. We will see the Lord confirm his Word by changing lives. When the gospel is shared in His power, He draws people to himself. The greatest miracle the Lord Has done in the lives of people is the salvation of one’s soul and the transformation of one’s life. Amen!

 

·         To think that Jesus could take us, hell bound sinners & make us into a child of God is MARVELOUS beyond words.

·         To consider that Jesus would love us & reach out to us in grace is AMAZING.

·         To think that Jesus would die on the cross to redeem us from our sins is WONDERFUL beyond beliefs. ISAIAH 53:4-6

·         To think that Jesus would save us who are trapped in our sins is a MIRACLE the mind can hardly comprehend.

 

Praise the Lord that God has been mindful of us, and has thought about us even before the foundation of the world. Hallelujah for His Great Love for us that He rescued us from eternal death and gave us eternal life in His Son Jesus. So it’s now our responsibility to reach out and share the love of God to those people that God send across our path, could it be in our homes, in our workplaces or wherever God places us. Amen!

 

Conclusion:

 

Today Jesus is still in the business of saving souls and transforming lives for His Glory. Now what have we been doing with the salvation that we received from God, did we pass it on or share it to others? If we have not yet done it, let us ask God’s forgiveness for our neglect and His Holy Spirit to empower us.

 

Did we realize that of all places in the world God purposed us to be here, not only to earn money but God wants to use us to accomplish His purpose that is to establish His kingdom where we are  right now.

 

Have we been living a life of total submission to His WORD, a life of Worship and Prayer, and by doing so our lives then are an impact to our homes, our workplaces and to our community we’re living?

 

Are we living our lives that radiate the character of Christ, bringing forth the fruit of the Holy Spirit, especially in times of testing, trials and temptations?

 

Mga kapatid, the task remaining is so great, we need the empowerment of God’s Holy Spirit to do the Great Commission of the Lord in this end times.

 

The question is, are you willing to be part of it. Don’t ever listen to Satan’s lie that you are weak and inadequate ‘cause God uses ordinary people to do His extra ordinary work, just be willing and be available for HIM. It’s my prayer that, may we open our hearts to the Lord’s leading as He speaks to us, as we study His WORD and as we  commune with Him in prayer.

 

GLORY TO HIM ALONE WHO IS OUR SAVIOUR, MASTER AND KING BOTH NOW AND FOREVERMORE!

 

Sis. Lilia Cabatbat

The Spirit of Unity (1 Cor 12:12-28) by: Ptr. Edward Vincent Barcial

The UAE has just celebrated their 40^th National Day last Dec. 2, 2011.  They had chosen the theme “SPIRIT OF THE UNION.” Wikipedia.org has an article of the history of this nation and states the following:

Prior to independence in 1971, the UAE was known as the Trucial States or Trucial Oman, in reference to a 19th-century truce between the local sheikhs, hereditary rulers of the territories, and the United Kingdom. The term Pirate Coast was also used by some to refer to the emirates from the 18th to the early 20th century, owing to the preponderance of pirates operating from emirati ports.

The Trucial States (also known as Trucial Oman, the Trucial Coast, and the Trucial Sheikhdoms) were a group of sheikhdoms in the Persian Gulf.

The sheikdoms included: Abu Dhabi (1820 – 1971) Ajman (1820 – 1971) Dubai (1820 – 1971) Sharjah (1820 – 1971) Umm al-Quwain (1820 – 1971) Ras al-Khaimah (1822 – 1972) Dibba (1871 – 1951) Hamriyah (1875 – 1922) Fujairah (1902 – 1971) Kalba (1903 – 1952) Heera (1915 – 1942)             

The sheikdoms permanently allied themselves with the United Kingdom by the Perpetual Maritime Truce of 1853, until in 1892 they entered into "Exclusivity Agreements" with the British - following on from Bahrain in 1880 - which put them under British protection. This was an unclear status which fell short of a formal protectorate, but required Britain to defend them from external aggression in exchange for exclusive British rights in the states. Until 1969, the Indian rupee remained the de-facto currency of the Trucial states as well as the other Gulf States such as Qatar, Bahrain and Oman until these countries introduced their own currencies in 1969, after the great devaluation of the Indian rupee. In 1952, the Trucial States Council was established to encourage co-operation between the seven remaining sheiks.

The Treaty of 1892

Primarily in reaction to the ambitions of other European countries, the United Kingdom and the Trucial Sheikhdoms established closer bonds in an 1892 treaty, similar to treaties entered into by the UK with other Persian Gulf principalities. The sheikhs agreed not to dispose of any territory except to the United Kingdom and not to enter into relationships with any foreign government other than the United Kingdom without its consent. In return, the British promised to protect the Trucial Coast from all aggression by sea and to help in case of land attack

End of the Trucial States

The United Kingdom announced its intention to end its protectorate over the Trucial Coast in 1968. The sheikdoms attempted to establish a federation with Qatar and Bahrain, but it ultimately failed to materialize. The British government terminated its treaty relationship on 1 December 1971, leading to the independence of the seven states. The next day, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain united to form the United Arab Emirates. Ras al-Khaimah joined on 11 February 1972.  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trucial_States)

If the Arabs were able to unite in spite of their differences, how much more we, The Body of Christ, are able by His Holy Spirit to come together as one.  All we have to do is to believe what the Bible has already told us who we are in Him.

1 Cor 12:12-14

     ¹² For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. ¹³ For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. ¹⁴ For in fact the body is not one member but many.

We need to uphold the unity of the Church. There is a difference between union and unity. You could tie the tails of two cats and have union but definitely no unity between them.

There are three things the Spirit of Unity can bring in our lives:

1.    The Spirit of Unity Defeats the spirit of inferiority that brings meaning and purpose (1 Cor 12:15-18)

¹⁵ If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? ¹⁸ But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. ¹⁹ And if they were all one member, where would the body be? ²⁰ But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.

If you feel you are less than a Christian compared to others, don’t separate yourself from the body but rather join the fellowship of those who are stronger and better than you. You will then be one with their strength. Realize you have a purpose and function that nobody has and you will see your value. You have something to offer on the table. God is well pleased to set you as a member. Just discover how you could contribute your talents and gifts for the glory of God and for the building up of the Church.

2.    The Spirit of Unity Defeats the spirit of superiority that leads to honor and modesty (1 Cor 12:21-24)

²¹ And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." ²² No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. ²³ And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, ²⁴ but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it

The opposite could happen to the Body. Some of us may feel so gifted that pride comes in and in the process disregard other believers. By uniting ourselves to others who seem to be less honorable, we become modest and learn to acknowledge other believers as essential. No one is a do-it-all and a know-it-all.

3.    The Spirit of Unity Defeats the spirit of division and solitary suffering that leads to solidarity care and joy (1 Cor 12:25-26)

²⁵ that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. ²⁶ And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

One great test to see whether we are one in Spirit or not:  If one suffers, all should feel it. If one is honored, everyone rejoices (no jealousy in anyway will take away our joy). Unity is reflected by the care we share to someone within the Body who is suffering. Exercising care for each other actually brings greater unity in our midst.

Conclusion: How do we maintain the Unity of The Spirit Within the Body of Christ?

Now that we know the benefits of the Spirit of Unity, how then could we establish this? Is it through organization? Is it through politics, or intimidation?  God has already have the blueprint in His Word:

1 Cor 12:27-28(NKJV)

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.²⁸ And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.

Eph 4:11-13 (NKJV)

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³ till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

The fivefold ministry is established in the Church today to bring about unity of the faith among Christians. The Apostle Governs and brings order. The Prophet Guides us with the revelation of His Word. The Evangelist Gathers lost souls and brings them in the church. The Pastor Guards over them and provide care and fellowship. The Teacher Grinds the sheep with discipleship and training so they can function properly and be of great use for the Master. When they are united, they build up the Body until they have the fullness of Christ.

The five fingers in one hand represents the fivefold ministry. Separeted they are vulnerable, but folde together to form a fist, they become a powerful weapon to strike anyone with a blow.  This is best illustrated by a comic strip called “PEANUTS”   by Charles M. Schultz

In a Peanuts cartoon Lucy demanded that Linus change TV channels, threatening him with her fist if he didn't. "What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?" asks Linus. "These five fingers," says Lucy. "Individually they're nothing but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold." "Which channel do you want?" asks Linus. Turning away, he looks at his fingers and says, "Why can't you guys get organized like that?" 

Both Lucy and Linus are children in the cartoon. They always have sibling rivalries.  The Bible says that unity should bring us to maturity, growth and love:

Eph 4:14 (NKJV)

¹⁴ that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵ but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ—¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Let us pray that the Lord will raise up Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers in our midst. It is unfortunate that not all Churches believe in the fivefold ministry. Until that day that the Lord will establish them in our midst, the Body of Christ will continue to suffer divisions. Let us pray for the Church’s restoration.   Let me end by quoting from a verse from Haggai:

Hag 2:1-9 (NKJV)

In the seventh month, on the twenty-first of the month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying: 2 "Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying: 3 'Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing? 4 Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,' says the Lord; 'and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,' says the Lord, 'and work; for I am with you,' says the Lord of hosts. 5 'According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!' 6 "For thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; 7 and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,' says the Lord of hosts. 8 'The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,' says the Lord of hosts. 9 The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,' says the Lord of hosts. 'And in this place I will give peace,' says the Lord of hosts."

The Book of Acts is a record of the glory of the former Church. Before Jesus returns, we will see the greater glory of the latter Church of Christ doing great things in our day.  May it be so, Lord. Amen

Pastor Edward