Sermons

Introduction

Let me open our time in a word of prayer.

[Prayer] Father, thank You for this morning. We love Sunday and we long to be here and to be together to worship You. And, God, I pray for our time this morning that it would be worshipful to You and that it would be beneficial to us, to our faith, to our soul. God, I pray that You would help us to be equipped for the work of ministry that You have for us today and in the week ahead. And, Lord, we pray that You would be exalted this morning, that Your word would be clear. And we ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen. [End]

I wonder if you ever feel like everyone in life just seems to be doing better than you. It's a common occurrence, I think, considering the advances of technology with the Internet and social media; it's easy for us to get caught up in the comparison game. We start off, I don't know, just wanting to check on our friends or maybe see what our family's up to, and before long, after a few minutes of scrolling, we sort of feel like, I don't know, our life is lacking something. In a matter of just a few minutes, everyone's baby is cuter and smarter than yours. It doesn't take long to feel like your house is too small and not organized at all. Feel like, I don't know, clothes aren't in style, children aren't as accomplished as they should be. Maybe your questioning your barbecue technique; I do.

And it's not just social media. As a student, maybe you felt this way. You have those moments where everyone in class just seems to be, like, so locked in, like, they get it, and you're wondering, like, "What have I missed? Did I miss a class?" Everyone's talking about how easy the test was, and you're wondering if you had the same test because yours was so difficult.

At work, it's easy to have those weeks where you feel like, "I just can't do anything right." Missed a meeting that you didn't know was on the schedule; you failed to hit a deadline you didn't know was yours; forgot to wish your boss happy birthday. All of those make us feel like maybe we're not living the way that we're supposed to. Moms can feel that way, overwhelmed like every other mom's just crushing the mom game. And dads aren't immune from this. They feel like their grass isn't what it should be compared to the other dads on the block. "You don't even have your Christmas lights up yet, Dad. What are you doing?" Mine aren't up yet either.

Easy for us to feel like this. Not limited either to our physical lives; all of us, no matter how old or young or what events might occupy our days, all of us are susceptible, feeling like everyone around us is just doing better spiritually. Spiritually, they're locked in, or they're doing something that maybe we just feel like we're missing or we don't understand what that is. And the reasons are numerous for why we might feel that way.

A brother or a sister in the Lord maybe feel like they're doing better spiritually than we are because they have a deeper knowledge of the Scriptures than we do, or we see them have a display of love for serving that we just don't have. Maybe it's a spiritual gift they possess that we wish we had, or a relationship they have that causes you to feel inferior. It's the way they live, it's their marriage, it's their parenting, or could be the long line of people wanting to be discipled by them. Regardless of the reason, you may be tempted to wonder, "What's wrong with me? Am I living the way I'm supposed to live? Am I doing what God expects me to do?" Easy to be confused.

This morning, feeling spiritually superior or spiritually worse than others, it's really far from the point of our text. And the point for us this morning is that we could all use some motivation for the ministry that Jesus calls all who follow Him to engage in. We need some help. Our text in Luke 9, it isn't just for pastors, it isn't just for deacons or people who are in the worship team. It's for all followers of Christ. It's for everyone who's in the kingdom of God. And we all need encouragement to serve the Lord well no matter what capacity that might be. We need to live faithfully for Him no matter where that might be.

We could all use the reminder of what it is that Jesus wants us to do, what He expects of those who belong to Him in His kingdom. How you live for Christ here in Dallas, how you serve Him here at Trinity Bible, both of those are about one thing, and it's not you. Both of those are a piece of the main mission to which Christ calls you to. They're an aspect of the great work, the Great Commission that Jesus expects you to be actively engaged in. Your life, if you're indeed a Christian, is now repurposed.

Jesus leaves His disciples with these closing words. They're familiar, Matthew 28:19, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations." Jesus expected that those who would follow Him after His ascension that they would go out and make more disciples, that they would go out and tell the truth about the gospel, the truth about His kingdom.

Since we're working through the gospel of Luke, we always want to highlight Matthew, but Luke mentions the Great Commission as well. Luke 24:47, Jesus says, "Repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations. So that's what believers were to be engaged in from the very first disciples all the way to the most recent convert.

All of the followers of Christ are to be engaged in this, no longer your kingdom that matters. No, it's His kingdom, the kingdom of God that now matters most. So then our lives, how we live, what we think, what we say, what we do, all of that is meant to be a reflection on the kingdom of God. It's a ministry for the Lord, and our new purpose is aimed at growing the kingdom. Not just how we live either, but how we serve others here in the local church, that too is a ministry. It's meant to bless other believers, and it's meant to have a rich impact on growing the kingdom of God.

As we return to the gospel of Luke this morning, we have before us, I believe, the very help that we need, the motivation that we're lacking, that we require to live faithfully for the Lord Jesus and to serve Him well, as one of His disciples, as one of His disciples called to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. This morning as Jesus commissions the twelve apostles, we get a great look at some of the earliest gospel ministry; but for us, some incredibly helpful principles, helpful motivation for living for Christ in light of the Great Commission. That's what we're going to look at this morning. It's a great passage. We'll read it together.

Luke 9:1, "And He" – that's Jesus – "called the twelve together, and He gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing. And He said to them, 'Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; do not even have two tunics apiece. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that city. And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.' Departing, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

"Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was happening; he was greatly 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 prophets of old had risen again. Herod said, 'I myself had John beheaded; but who is this man about whom I hear such things?' And he kept trying to see Him."

You know, so often in a church, Christians, they can become territorial over their little spot in ministry, their little slice of service. They forget who equips them and who empowers them for the way they're called to serve others. I'd say it this way: they forget the source of ministry. And it's not unusual for Christians to forget the reason why they serve, the main motivation for why we live the way we do and serve the way we're supposed to. It's not the man that matters, but the message. They neglect the message. We're to live our lives that others might be drawn to the truth of the gospel, source of the ministry and message of the ministry we're to engage in.

And followers of Christ, also, they forget the attitude that we're meant to have as well. We're to live for Him in this world both in the church and outside of the church. And it's common for Christians to lose trust in the Lord and what He's doing, especially during trial or moments when things aren't going according to your script. It's easy for believers to lack contentment, to want things to be easier, to want things to be better. And as those happen, love and care for self go up – love for the big "I." That kind of attitude, it abounds more and more, so Christians need an attitude adjustment as they engage in ministry.

And also it's sad, but it's true, that Christians diminish the impact their lives can have for the kingdom of God. They forget and they neglect to live the way they should and to be the example that they're supposed to be and to be bold for the gospel because they lose sight of the big picture. They forget what they're meant to be living for. They fail to remember the impact that their life could actually have.

The Source Of Effective Ministry

It's those four lessons that Jesus is trying to teach His apostles here and us today through His word. How do we think about living for Christ? How do we think about effective ministry? My life, how I live, how I serve, how can I do that the best way? I have four principles for us this morning. We have to remember "the source of effective ministry," "the message of effective ministry," "the attitude for effective ministry," and lastly, "the impact of effective ministry." And we'll start with the first one, the source, "the source of effective ministry."

Verse 1 begins with, "And Jesus, and He, called the twelve together." Who are the twelve? Well, as we turn the page here in the gospel of Luke to chapter 9, something significant is happening in the ministry and life of Christ. He's about halfway through His three-year ministry and He's had so many disciples along the way. Not really sure of the total number, but we know that there's a lot. But for the disciples, though, their main task has been as an observer. They've just been sort of watching, listening, learning from Jesus, seeing Him do incredible things, miraculous healing, and powerful authoritative preaching. But up until chapter 9, it's all just been Jesus, right? It's been Jesus alone. He's the sole source of ministry, the only miracle worker, the only preacher of the kingdom of God. It was His hands and His words. The disciples were just sort of watching, observing this one-man ministry.

Now chapter 9, we see the full plan of Jesus unfold. He didn't intend to continue in this solo ministry, especially not after His death and resurrection. The disciples and specifically the apostles are going to play a key role. They're going to have a huge part. His plan was to use them, and He wanted these apostles, these twelve that He called to this special role to turn the world upside down with the message of God's kingdom.

It's in Luke 5 where Jesus calls some of these men to follow Him in discipleship and really where we get the first hint of a unique task, that they'd be more than disciples, is Peter and James and John in Luke 5:10. They're all amazed at that huge catch of fish after Jesus had gotten done teaching. And what does Jesus say to Simon Peter? He says to him, "Do not fear, from now on you'll be catching men, you'll be fishers of men."

And then He distinguishes the twelve a little more clearly in Luke 6:12.  verse 12, "It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. And when day came, He called all of His disciples to Him, and He chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles." They're set apart for this ministry. And here they are, Luke 6:14, "Simon, who's also named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who's called the Zealot, Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor."

Twelve men, twelve apostles, and it's really clear from all the gospels that none of these men have anything to do with the Jewish religious establishment. They have nothing to do with it at all. There's twelve of them and it's symbolic of the twelve tribes of Israel. These men are representative of the reminder of the judgment rather that Israel's spiritual leadership was bankrupt. They were all apostates. They had traded in the real God for their own man-made religion, wanting nothing to do with God at all. They offer nothing to the kingdom of God. So we're not surprised that Jesus has no problem skipping over them, not choosing any of them, any of the Pharisees. None of the scribes make His list of twelves. twelve men, ordinary men, most of them fishermen.

They represent the tribes of Israel. They represent God's people. And as we think about what's happened in Luke up to this point, those twelve men, we know Jesus saved them. He calls them to follow Him, to discipleship. He moves them, sets them apart as apostles, and now sends them out here in our text as a dress rehearsal. He'll do it again at the end of His ministry. Jesus will send these men out with the greatest purpose ever, the Great Commission.

So, what principles for gospel ministry can we learn from the dressed rehearsal of these apostles, pre-Pentecost moment that will prepare them for when Christ is gone? What can we learn from them? What benefits are there for us who are still engaged in the Great Commission? Well, verse 1 makes clear effective ministry, its source is Jesus. The source of ministry that we get to do, any ministry, it has but one source, and it's never us, although we're tempted to think that sometimes. We're tempted to think that "my skill here, my gifting here, my ability here, it's causing this ministry to work out so great." But it's never us, it's always Jesus.

Verse 1, "He calls the twelve together, and He gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases." Jesus gives the twelve power, He gives them authority. "Power," it's a word for "force," "capacity," "ability." But it's not just muscles, it's a word that implies that "you're able to work wonders." It's an interesting word. And the twelve are given something; this power, it's not theirs. It wasn't something that was in them already that had to be woken up, it was completely given to them. Not just power, but they're also given authority. They could control it and command it. They could use this power as they saw fit.

Just a few days ago in the Lennington home, we had one of those rare days where no one had anywhere to go, no place to be. It was a sweet moment. The breakfast table was full and there was no rushing to school or practice. Of course, that lasted for about two minutes. And then the echoes of, "I'm bored," just bouncing throughout our house, "I'm bored." So I came up with two solutions. The first was that we all do yardwork – I was voting for that one – or that we would do a family puzzle together. Of course, we did the puzzle.

But anyway, we're all around our kitchen table and we're working on this puzzle. Makes my family sound really boring, I don't know. We were into it, and we're all doing it and it's great and working on it for a couple hours, and we're getting close to finishing it. I have four kids. Three of them are in high school and the youngest is eight years old, and she loves to be in the middle of the action. And I noticed she had kind of pulled back a little bit; and the high schoolers are busy putting the pieces together. And there's only a couple of pieces left on the table, like, five, now four and three. And as I'm looking at it, I'm like, "Oh, wow, I think we're short a piece," like a puzzler's nightmare, "Are we seriously going to do this whole thing and be short one piece?" And then I looked over and I saw her little hands clutching this piece. She had given herself the power and authority to be the one who got to finish the puzzle.

Now listen, the apostles here, they're given power and authority, but it's far beyond controlling who gets to put the last piece into a family puzzle. This was power and authority over demons and disease. Again, this is power, strength that works wonders. It's the kind of power that Jesus just displayed in chapter 8, power to calm storms, power to silence wind and waves, power to free a man who was tortured by demons and free him from demonic power and to leave him clothed and in his right mind. It's power to heal illness that seemed impossible to cure from a human perspective, just like Jesus healed that woman who'd been suffering for twelve long years. The apostles now have this power, but it's clear: it's not because of them. It has nothing to do with them. This power was not dormant inside them, it's given, and its source is Jesus. He's the one who gives it.

So, why would He do this? Why would Jesus give them this kind of power? Why the healing, why the power over demon-possession? Why couldn't they just go straight to telling people about the gospel? Well, it's the same reason Jesus didn't. In order for His message of the kingdom of God to be believable and validated, Jesus came with divine power to confirm what He was saying was also true.

They could see miraculous healings from Christ, and through that, they could also certainly know that God was at work among them. If Jesus could heal them physically, then His promise of forgiveness and salvation seemed way more likely: "God is at work. God can do this amazing miracle. God can also forgive me of my sin." That's why Jesus came that way, and the power given to the apostles, it's the exact same. It's simply to confirm, to validate the truth they were sent to proclaim. The message was not theirs, its source was divine, and the proof they offered that their message was true, that the kingdom of God was real, well, it's connected to the power also given them by God to do the miraculous. Matthew records these words of Jesus from this very same scene, Matthew 10:7. He says, "As you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give."

How could people believe the apostles' message? It's simple, just had to look around. It was the same with Jesus: the lame walk, the sick are cured, lepers are healed, blind see, the dead are raised, demons are cast out. Clearly this is a divine work, a divine work that perfectly reflects the love of God and compassion of God and the care that God has for the lost. Pastor MacArthur says, "Of the many ways the Lord could have shown His power through His apostles, He chose to have them, just as He himself did, perform healing miracles that relieved human suffering," those miracles, again, that reflect God's compassion, God's care for the needy, God's love for the afflicted, demonstrating His saving nature, and that God is a deliverer on not just the spiritual level but also the physical level as well. This is kingdom power given by Christ to the apostles, to these unworthy men, that they might demonstrate the realities that God's kingdom is at work among them. God is the source of ministry, of effective ministry.

Trying to imagine what it would have felt like for those apostles to heal somebody. I mean, I've given my kid Tylenol, but it's not the same thing. They were relieving them of illnesses that couldn't be dealt with on a human scale. It would have felt like to free someone from demon possession, it would have been something credible. Maybe in comparison, the opportunity the Lord might give us to be a part of someone's conversion to faith, to share the gospel with them and have them respond and give their life to the Lord, that too is something, isn't it?

But rather than grow puffed up, rather than think that that has something to do with me, my knowledge of the Bible or my ability or my skill, we should realize, like the apostles do here, that this work, this ministry, it's not sourced in me; this is all Jesus. Its source is Christ. He is the one that gives every ability, the one who gives kingdom power to live obediently to His word, gives the ability to serve in His church. And to what end? Well, that some might come to true, saving faith in Him. What a joy it should be for us to get to reflect same way that the apostles did imperfectly; but still, nonetheless, we get to reflect God's love and compassion and care for the lost.

The Message Of Effective Ministry

It's so important we never forget the source of effective ministry that we're all called to: to live in such a way and serve in such a way that people would know God's work is on display in our lives. God's done something amazing. And that gives us a chance to vindicate, a chance to confirm His gospel. A message, that serves as our second point this morning, "the message of effective ministry."

Look at verse 2: "And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing," are greater than any miracle the apostles performed, certainly their message, far more important. Of course, the people needed healing. They were suffering, hurting, in desperate need for relief. That was not their greatest need. Far more beneficial than to walk again or see again or to be relieved of leprosy or demon-possession, what they needed most was the message that Jesus sent His apostles to proclaim.

Verse 2 says, "He sent them out to tell of the kingdom of God." This is at the heart of what Jesus wanted His apostles to do because it's at the heart of what He came to do. We read in Mark 1:14, that "He came into Galilee," – Jesus did – "preaching the gospel of God." What is that? Well, verse 15, He was saying, "The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." Jesus came with the good news. He sent His apostles out to declare that same good news to all, good news that the kingdom of God was at hand – it was near, it was there, it was available, it was accessible.

How do we get in? How do you access that kingdom? By turning from sin, by repenting of sin and believing in that good news, trusting in Christ to save you from your sin, trusting that His death on the cross pays for what you rightly owe. The Father's wrath is satisfied against you, His judgment satisfied, because you are given Christ's righteousness. Just as 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." That's incredible news, isn't it, our sin taken, credited with the righteousness of Christ. Amazing. Good news to know that we can live at peace with our Creator, knowing we're forgiven and redeemed from our sin, knowing that we bear the righteousness of His Son; that's amazing.

And what do we see the apostles do? Verse 6, "They left and they began going throughout the villages preaching the gospel." It's synonymous with preaching the kingdom of God. It's the same thing. It's the same for Jesus, it's the same for the apostles. They were to proclaim the kingdom of God which is proclaiming the gospel. That's the message.

Verse 2, that word "proclaim" reminds us this is the task of a herald, of somebody who was sent out, a messenger purposed to announce a message that's not his own but of somebody of far greater importance, far greater standing: "I'm here to deliver his message, not mine." And that's what they were called to do, to bring that formal, authoritative message. And just as chapter 8 began with Jesus, verse 1, traveling from one city to the next, traveling from one village to the next, look at this: His apostles follow the exact same pattern. They learn from His example. They proclaim the same message in the same way that Jesus did. Similar manner: "The kingdom's open, it's available. Let's tell people the same way Jesus did."

It's pretty clear what the Lord expects of us, isn't it, not to necessarily travel from city to city and village to village. But what do you think your lost neighbor needs from you the most? What do you think that that coworker who rejects God needs from you? Or that lost family member, or maybe a child in your home who's not quite sure about this Christianity thing, what do they need from us the most? They need the same message of the kingdom of God, the same message that Jesus gave, the same one He instructed His apostles to proclaim – no alterations, no modifications, the same message.

Pastor MacArthur again says, "Our message is not a social one. It's not a message of politics. It's not philanthropic or a moral one. It's a message of sin, salvation, and forgiveness, which, without being changed, has been explained and enriched throughout the New Testament." We know what the message is. We must live with lives committed to that same message: sin and salvation and forgiveness. We live it, we demonstrate it by the way that we choose to live, by the way our life has changed, and we look for every opportunity to share that same message with those who badly need it. We need it more than any other message.

The Attitude For Effective Ministry

The source of effective ministry is Christ. The message of effective ministry is also Christ. And this ministry comes with a required attitude of dependence on Him. It's our third point this morning, number three, "the attitude for effective ministry."

Verse 3, here's Jesus' instruction to the apostles: "Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; do not even have two tunics apiece. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that city. And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them."

At first glance, first read of that, it seems like Jesus is asking a lot of His apostles, doesn't it? "Take nothing for your journey." I mean, I came here for just 24 hours, and I had a bag and a carry-on thanks to Southwest. Thank you, Southwest. We can't go anywhere without, like, five bags, right? And here is Jesus asking them to take absolutely nothing. This is way more than traveling light.

Luke chapter 22, Jesus will send His apostles out again, but this time to go with the things that they need, verses 35 through 38, we read that there. So we know that this moment, then here in chapter 9, it's unique. This is not the model for gospel ministry. I can't use notes in His commentary that the reason Jesus ordered the apostles to travel light this time was to avoid looking like other false missionaries in the ancient world, those false teachers who would make a profit from their message, a profit from their teaching. That's helpful. Of course, Jesus wants His messengers, His people, those who belong to Him to be distinguished from the world, of course. But you know what's also helpful is for us to consider the obvious and immediate dependence on Jesus that the apostles would have to display if they chose to leave and live this way. They'll have to trust the Lord, not just for some things, but for everything – no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, just the shirt on your back.

You know, it's interesting to note, in Luke 22 – you don't need to turn there – Jesus has a conversation with His disciples. Listen to what He says in verse 35: "When I sent you out with no money bag, no bag, no sandal, you did not lack anything, did you?" And they said, "No, nothing." The apostles learned in their ministry that they were to trust Jesus, trust Him for provision, for care, for protection, trusting in the One who sent them, who called them to this ministry in the first place. They trust in Jesus to provide what they need when they need it. They trust in His care, His endless supply, His endless goodness and grace.

That's such a helpful attitude we need for ministry, isn't it, the way that we live and serve the Lord. Don't we need an attitude like that? Otherwise, how easy it is for us to be discouraged and to say, "I give up, it's too hard; can't do it, I'm out. I don't have all the things that make me feel comfortable. I don't have all the stuff that's going to make me do this with ease. It's not my way, it's not following my exact script here." No, we need to learn to trust the Lord, to remember to have this attitude of trust.

And there's more the apostles would need, not just an attitude of trust, but one of contentment. Look at verse 4: "Whatever house they entered, just stay there." Can't leave, run off to some Holiday Inn Express or whatever. No room with the view. That's how they operated. This is the way that they traveled, they would stay in someone's house. "Don't like the way it smells? Too bad; stay. Not comfortable enough for you? It doesn't matter. You were to stay in the house that you landed and don't look for a better one, an easier one, one that's more comfortable for you."

How easy for us to grow discontent. I mean, we live in the most insta-satisfaction culture, like, it's right now, all the time. We get so used to that, having all the things we want right when we want it. Attitude of discontentment, attitude of looking to make it easier and better, and just not liking the way this thing is shaped and the way it looks, that kind of attitude, it'll pull you right out of effective ministry. You won't last long enough to see any impact, you'll be too busy bouncing around, looking for a better thing, easier thing. You're likely going to be long gone before you ever have the chance to see God work, long before you have the opportunity to see God do what He planned and purpose to do.

Don't grow discontent. Trust, contentment. I think proper expectations is a helpful way to think about verse 5, another attitude that we need for effective ministry. Here's what to do when you get rejected – just real expectations. These are things that God expects, tells us to expect, tells us to anticipate. "Don't live in La-la land. Don't just think everyone's going to like you and love you and love your message of the gospel." If you've ever shared it, you know that that's not realistic anyway. But Jesus, He warns us all throughout Scripture, "Have real expectations. You're going to smell like death to some people. Some people are going to hate you because they hated Me," John 15. Have real expectations, biblical ones for your life; know what to expect; respond accordingly. Those who reject you, give them a clear warning – that's what verse 5 is: give them a gracious warning. Tell them with kindness and love they've rejected the kingdom.

Can't help but notice there's nothing in here about knowing ahead of time what sort of situation you might find yourself in. The apostles didn't know. There wasn't a sign above each city or village that said, "This is a village of rejection." They had no idea. They didn't know what kind of scenario they were walking into. They couldn't tell before if they'd be accepted or rejected, they were just to trust. They were to be faithful. They were to know that some people will accept their message and some will reject it, and they couldn't tell who was who. They just needed to be where they were, to be faithful, to trust God's timing and God's purposes, to serve how they could, to proclaim the truth in the opportunities that were given to them. And if they were rejected, they were to shake the sand or the dirt from their feet or their sandals.

It's weird. What is that? We don't do that today. I don't. If you do, stop. I think you could do it, whatever. But the point is, what is that? Well, it's the same way we would say to someone that we love and care about, that we've spent time explaining the gospel to them. Maybe it's been days or weeks, maybe it's been years that you've prayed for them and you've shared the gospel with them, and they've said, "No, I just – I can't. It's not for me." Shaking the dust from your feet, it's the same as saying, "You're making a terrible mistake. You're making the worst decision. I'm not trying to condemn you, I just want you to know, I beg you to reconsider. What you're doing is so foolish." And even that comment, similarly to the apostle's action of shaking the dust, there's a chance that it leaves a strong impression on that person that maybe they come back from, maybe that they reconsider and think about where they stand with the Lord.

But this attitude, it's helpful. It's necessary for effective ministry. All of those together, do you not see the sense of urgency that's there as well, the urgency, the need to reach the lost; we could use more of that. It's an attitude of trust, contentment, not being flustered by rejection. Church, it shouldn't be even a worry of ours at all that someone might reject the gospel. We shouldn't think that way as we talk to someone or as we engage with someone with good news evangelistically. We shouldn't care how they respond, we're just called to do it. We're called to be a part of this ministry of God's kingdom, just like the apostles.

And just like them, we're to be faithful. We're to be content: "I'm right here, we're here. I'm in Dallas, I'm in this church. I'm talking to this person at a coffee shop or wherever I'm at, this is where I'm at. This is where God has me. I just need to be faithful to do it, to live my life in such a way and to demonstrate what God has done, and trust His timing and His purposes. I just want to do what I can and faithfully proclaim His truth." Imagine how your day might change if you thought, "The next conversation I have, it might be someone coming into the kingdom. It might lead to someone professing faith in Christ."

Makes me think of Matthew chapter 6 where Jesus says, "Don't worry then, saying, 'What do we eat? What do we drink? What are we going to wear for clothing?' For the Gentiles, or the godless, they eagerly chase those things. Your heavenly Father knows that you need those things, But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; all these things will be added to you."

The Impact Of Effective Ministry

The kingdom of God, it needs to take a higher place on our priority list. We think about the way that we live; how much better to be focused on his kingdom. We live for Christ, serving Him in the hopes that we get to share the message of the good news that someone would be struck with the personhood, with the work of Christ, kind of like Herod in verse 7. Our last point this morning, a short one: "The impact of effective ministry. The impact of effective ministry."

"Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was happening; and he's greatly perplexed." – his confusion about who this is – "Some are saying John the Baptist reincarnated. Some are saying Elijah's appeared again. And Herod says," – in verse 9 – 'I myself had John beheaded; but who is this man about whom I hear such things?' and he kept trying to see Him," trying to see Jesus.

The apostles were so effective that what they were doing, it made its way all the way to the ears of Herod. It's awesome. Made him pause and wonder and question, "Who is this man? Who is this Jesus guy? Oh, maybe it was resurrected Elijah." I mean, it makes sense. First Kings, Elijah there, the miracles and raising people from the dead and all that he did; it kind of matches. But it had a bigger impact on Herod. Some think that here he's saying that he had John the Baptist beheaded, not as a bragging statement, but more as a guilty conscience. He was worried that it was John, worried that John had come back; was trying to figure it out. And it's not the example of Herod that we're using here, but it's the impact of the ministry of the apostles that I want to highlight.

Herod doesn't respond well to Jesus in the Gospels, but it's enough that he wanted to see Him. It's enough that he wanted to get close. He wanted to figure it out: "Who is this Jesus fella?" And that's the ultimate question and the one that was clearly answered throughout this gospel, and the rest of them. On the cross, the resurrection, Jesus proves precisely what Luke's arguing throughout his whole book, wanting you to ask the same question: "Who is Jesus?" and proves it. He is the Son of God.

Conclusion

I think as we live for Him and as we serve Him, this is the kind of impact that we should want to have on the lost, that they would look at our lives, and by God's grace, they would say, "Wait, Jesus did this for you. Jesus has done this work in your life. I need to know who this Jesus is. I need to figure it out. I need to get close to Him, too." That's the impact that you can have. That's the impact you can have on someone in just a matter of minutes. Maybe it's a couple of years, but it's the kind of impact that we should want to have either way.

Effective ministry. All believers are called to live for Christ. We're called to serve Him and serve in His church. We're called to engage in the Great Commission. But we won't be nearly as effective as we should be if we don't learn from the example of Christ here. He is the source of ministry. He is the message of ministry. His attitudes are the ones that we want to display as we live for Him, as we serve Him. And it's Jesus that we want to showcase to the lost that they might desire be drawn near to Him. Amen.

[Prayer] Father, thank You for this text this morning. What a helpful passage. God, what a needed reminder of how we should desire to serve You. And I pray for these people here at Trinity Bible, Lord, Your disciples, God, would You give them effective ministry like this? Would You help them to live for You and serve You in such a way this week that many would be added to Your kingdom? And we pray that in Jesus' name. Amen.