Study in Mark’s Gospel

1. Study in Mark’s Gospel Presentation 18

2. Engaging In Mission Chap 6v6-13 Presentation 18

3. Introduction Evangelism does not enjoy a good press in many parts of the world. In the minds of many, it conjures up images of strident, perspiring preachers, or smooth-talking tele-evangelists, or of strange characters standing at street corners urging passers by to “repent and meet your God”. In the eyes of many Evangelism seems to be something which no self respecting person would want to be involved in. For this reason evangelism is something that needs to be rehabilitated in our day for it is the principal method through which the church is intended to grow. Presentation 18

4. A Delegated Ministry It is worth noting that the original impetus for the first evangelistic trip of the disciples was rooted in the rejection of Jesus by the people of his hometown of Nazareth. Rejection far from discouraging Jesus and causing him to dive in a tailspin of despair spurred him on to even greater activity. Having been rejected in the town he went around the villages preaching. Sadly, townspeople often speak of the villages with scorn as though they are insignificant and not worth bothering about. This is clearly not a view entertained by Jesus. Presentation 18

5. A Delegated Ministry When I ministered in a village, on numerous occasions I met with the look of pity on the faces of those who heard where I was ministering! Villages are often viewed with contempt. But we learn from the gospels that there was a much more positive response to Jesus in the villages than in the towns and cities. Indeed, so favourable was the response and so vast was the work that Jesus simply could not cope with it all by himself and so his disciples were commissioned for the task. Jesus multiplied himself by sending them out in his name with his message. Presentation 18

6. A Delegated Ministry By doing so, Jesus was doing no more than fulfilling his original objective, 'He appointed twelve designating them apostles that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach’. 3v14They had spent time in his school. They had sat at their master’s feet and absorbed the blessings of his ministry. They has been disciples in order that they might become apostles. The word 'apostle’ means, ‘one who is sent out'. This is the object of our learning and this is a truth that requires to burn its way in to the consciences of many Christian people. We learn, in order to teach. We are called to be disciples in order that we too might be sent out with the gospel. Presentation 18

7. A Delegated Ministry In church we often sing, ‘O teach me Lord that I may teach the precious things thou woulds’timpart’, but do we realise what we are asking! We are often critical of what we call ‘professional students’. People who do one course after another, moving from college to another. We ask, ”Are they are ‘work-shy’ and seeking to escape from the pressures of the real world. But in the context of the church, many of us have been learners for years without putting our learning to practical use in the service of the kingdom. Not that we all are to be teachers and preachers in the technical sense but we are to share what we have learned with others. Presentation 18

8. A Delegated Ministry How can the church grow if we are content to remain in Christ's school all our days. Are we receivers rather than givers, listeners rather than communicators? When was the last time we took the opportunity to speak to someone about Jesus? Are we also work shy in the kingdom? When Jesus sent out his disciples he established a church priority. His church was to be a missionary church and not a holy huddle or a complacent club! It was not to be a swinging social centre! It is an army, its task is to reach out to meet the physical and spiritual needs of men by giving witness to the saving purposes of God. This mandate has never been withdrawn. Presentation 18

9. A Delegated Ministry The disciples were learning to be “ambassadors for Christ”, Cor.5v20. An ambassador communicates and makes known the views of his sovereign and is often engaged in a ministry of reconciliation. An ambassador does his work knowing he has the authority and power of his sovereign behind him. He doesn’t speak and act as a private person. Note: Jesus gave his disciples power and authority for their task v7. Hand in hand with the delegated task comes the promise of empowering. If we lose sight of the importance of this delegated ministry the church will begin to atrophy and become introspective. This appears to have happened to the Orthodox church in Iran after the successful invasion by Islamic forces in C7th. Presentation 18

10. A Definite Ministry Secondly, the disciples were given a definite ministry. Luke tells us they were to preach the “Kingdom of God'. Does that seem very limiting? They were not to engage in political propaganda or in the promotion of moral platitudes. They were to minister to men’s spiritual and physical needs in Jesus’ name with a message that would fill the God-shaped blank in people’s lives. Many people today would think this inadequate. They are far more interested in hearing about, just government, fair wages, decent housing, a reasonable standard of living and a plentiful supply of food ,than they are of hearing about their relationship with God. Jesus sent his disciples out with a definite messagethat still holds good for today. Presentation 18

11. A Definite Ministry What was the message of the kingdom? Mark tells us in v12… They called upon men and women to repent. Literally to change their thinking about God, which in turn would change the direction of their lives. Man has deposed God as the rightful ruler of his life and has become estranged from him because of his sin. All men need to be confronted with a lively sense of their sins that they might sorrow over them. They need to be challenged to give them up that they might receive God’s pardon. 'There are no impenitent men and women in the kingdom of heaven. All who enter in there have felt, mourned over, forsaken and sought pardon for sin. This must be our experience if - we hope to be saved.’ Bishop Ryle Presentation 18

12. A Definite Ministry Repentance lies at the very root of the gospel. John Calvin said, 'There are three important elements associated with the gospel; The first is repentance, the second is repentance and the third is repentance!' Some years ago during the Olympic Games, a magazine carried an amusing cartoon which showed the celebrated runner from Marathon arriving in Athens, falling exhausted on the ground and mumbling, 'I have forgotten the message'. Sadly that has often been the case with the church. We have lost sight of the place which repentance had in the ministry of Jesus and his apostles. Whenever, that is the case when we communicate with the world, we cannot describe our activity as evangelism. Presentation 18

13. A Definite Ministry The ministry of the disciples went beyond preaching repentance, it held an element of warning; 'if people do, not welcome you...’ Jesus knew the resistance in men's hearts. This act would have startled the Jewish community because it is precisely what an orthodox Jew would have done when returning home from a visit to a Gentile country. He symbolically shook off any contamination that he might have contracted during his visit. By this action the Jew was saying that the foreign country was outside of the sphere of God's grace. By encouraging this practice towards the villages of Israel that rejected him, Jesus was saying that it is possible to profess to be one of God’s people and yet to be a stranger to his grace. Quite simply to reject the gospel is to reject God! Presentation 18

14. A Definite Ministry This instruction of Jesus was further intended to enable the disciples to keep a proper balance between fearless perseverance and foolish persistence. They were to be prepared to discontinue their ministry in situations, where they were not welcome. And this because there was an urgency associated with their message therefore they needed flexibility of movement. “When we, lose this sense of urgency we also by and large lose this willingness to be flexible. We all can allow ourselves to be engaged in Christian activities because we have always done things in that way in that place. Recognising the balance between perseverance and mere tradition is never easy but it is necessary if the kingdom is to advance.” Presentation 18

15. A Dependant Ministry Thirdly, the disciples engaged in a dependant ministry, 'take nothing for the journey...’ How marvellously Jesus understood human psychology. Whenever we are given a job to do which is demanding or a bit frightening what do we tend to do? We put off doing it, arguing that we are not ready. We talk of spending time preparing for the task, of accumulating the resources but sub-consciously we are attempting to push into the distant future. There is a sense in which we will never fully be prepared. But that is no bad thing for what it does is, it makes us dependant upon God! Presentation 18

16. A Dependant Ministry When Jesus said, "Take nothing for the journey..." has he a second lesson in the mind? Their first priority was not their comfort. We can so easily become overly concerned with all our own needs as individuals, or as a church fellowship, that we lose sight of the priority of mission. Very legitimate things can stand in our way or become a crushing burden to carry. Some congregations can sink all of their time and energy into improving their buildings that they have no time for evangelism. And if the truth be told, we feel far safer and far more comfortable engaged in fundraising for some of these secondary issues than we do when seeking to press forward the boundaries of Christ’s kingdom. It was this danger of losing sight of our God given priority and being distracted by daily concerns that cause d Jesus to say, ‘Seek first the Kingdom of God...' Presentation 18

17. A Dependant Ministry How easily are we side-tracked? Are we afraid to trust God not only to provide for us materially but to open up opportunities for service and create situations, where we are able to speak for him? Jesus tells the church in what spirit his mission is to be undertaken. It is to be conducted without anxiety and in dependence upon God's providence. The complaint often made today is that , “We don't have the resources for mission! We are ill equipped and under-funded and therefore cannot yet do the task.” But Jesus says, "You are the only resource I require, everything else I can provide," Our willingness and availability is all God is looking for. Presentation 18

18. Conclusion How do we go about rehabilitating evangelism? Surely by recognising that ours is a delegated task. To be called to Christ is to be called to serve him and that means involvement in sharing the good news. Nor has Jesus left us in the dark concerning the message we are to share. The message of repentance and faith may not be popular but it is safe. We dare not try to dilute it to do so is to endanger our hearers. Nor is the task beyond us due to a lack of resources. A famous Tamil proverb says, “A blade of grass is a mighty weapon in the hand of God”. Will you place your life in dependant faith into the hand of God for mission? What then might he achieve? Presentation 18