First Things: Called to Follow Jesus
Mark 1.15-20: The Kingdom of God has come near Jesus arrives announcing God’s rescue mission. He is the…
1. Jesus called men and women to follow him while he did his mission, ’Come follow me I will make you fishers of men’ (Mark 1.14-17).
a. His group includes men (Luke 5.1-11 Simon, James, John; vv. 27-31 Levi) and women (Luke 8.1-3) who follow him.
b. They form a preview community learning to live their lives under God’s generous rule.
2. Jesus showed his disciples both parts of his mission:
a. proclamation – the good news of the kingdom
b. demonstration – healing the sick and driving out demons
3. He gathered a team (Mark 3.14-15) calling them to follow him:
a. …so that they might be with him…
b. …and he might send them out to preach… – a message
c. …and have authority to cast out evil spirits. – a ministry
4. Jesus trained them to do his mission using a ‘Show and Tell’ method.
I do, you watch (Mark 1-5; Luke 4-8; Matt 4,8-9)
I do, you help (John 4.2)
You do, I watch
You do, with someone else learning (Acts of the Apostles)
5. He sent them out in pairs on a training run
a. The Twelve (Matthew 10, Mark 6.7-13; Luke 9.1-6)
i. Authorised to do his mission (Mt 10.1-2)
He gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.
ii. Restricted scope – the lost sheep of Israel in the villages of Galilee.
iii. Doing the mission of Jesus involves:
Proclamation – the message of God’s generous rule.
Demonstration – the ministry that displays God’s generous rule.
As you go, say, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received. Freely give. (Matthew 10.7-8)
iv. Result? They went through the villages, preaching the good news and healing everywhere (Lk 9.6).
b. Jesus’ Mission Methodology: The Seventy-Two (Luke 10.1-12)
i. Sent … two by two (v.1)
ii. Plentiful harvest, not enough workers (v.2) therefore, ‘Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest’.
Where do the labourers come from? …out of the harvest!
iii. Find the person of peace … stay with them, eating and drinking what they provide (vv.6-7). A ‘person of peace’ is a person who is well known within a particular group.
iv. Eat whatever is put before you – don’t use religious barriers to separate yourself from the people you are engaging with.
v. Heal the sick in [the town] and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you’.
6. The Mission of Jesus involves two things – proclaiming the presence of God’s generous rule and demonstrating his generous rule by forgiving sin, healing the sick and driving out demons.