Our Sermons

Bible Passage: Mark 6:7-13
Pastor: Pastor Schlicht
Sermon Date:  July 18, 2021

When we were packing for a vacation with our extended family earlier this month, I was surprised at how much stuff we ended up taking with us. Our minivan was chock full, I was squeezing in freezer bags, toys & a bike. Suitcases and sleeping bags. We were going for 5 days, but I felt like we had enough food for a month. I found myself debating whether to bring the banjo or the baby stroller. The usual packing dilemmas… How much do you take when you go on a trip? Do you pack up everything but the kitchen sink? Or maybe you are someone who likes to fit everything in a single suitcase. But what if I told you, the next time you begin packing for a trip that you couldn’t bring anything except your Bible? You can’t take the marshmallows, you don’t need the suitcases with the expandable zipper thing, you don’t need those bottles of sunscreen, you don’t even get the travel snacks. In fact, you won’t even need your cellphone or your wallet… Do you think you could do it? And how would that change your trip if you did? 

Today in our gospel lesson Jesus tells us to pack light. In Mark chapter six, Jesus sends out his 12 disciples with nothing but his Word. But this isn’t just about 12 men 2,000 years ago. Jesus sends all of his disciples to carry out his Word. That includes you and me. You may think that you aren’t ready. You might think that you need to take a lot of things along to help you. But Contrary to Popular Belief Jesus says that God’s Word is all you need.

7 Jesus called the Twelve and began to send them out two by two. He gave them authority over the unclean spirits. Jesus sends out his disciples on their own for the first time to teach and preach. He wants them to put their faith into practice. You know that we have this same command as well, right? Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…and teaching them.” You may not think of yourself as a missionary, but Jesus does! He hasn’t given you faith just for yourself. He wants to send you out! He wants you to share, to speak, to be his light in a dark world.

You know I was in a chess club for a short while at seminary. But I didn’t usually try to work that into conversations. I didn’t say, hi my name is Peter Schlicht, a member of the Port Washington Chess Club. One reason was because I wasn’t that great. (I remember one blitz tournament where I got beat by a 13yo kid with his dad sitting right behind him, clapping after each move.) But the other reason I didn’t usually try to bring it up was that it just usually wasn’t relevant. There are not many situations in life where I found that aspect of life worth sharing. And I think, unfortunately, that’s how people imagine Christian faith in America today. It may be something you’re passionate about, but that does not mean that it has any meaning or consequence for anyone else. It’s just your truth, not mine.

The problem with that, biblically speaking, is that Jesus said “I am the truth”. He used the definite article. His Word holds authority over all things. That’s the authority with which he commissioned his 12 disciples, and it’s also the authority with which he sends you. My friends, know that believing in something absolute and exclusive, like Jesus as your Savior, will no doubt offend some people. Don’t be surprised. But know that the message you have about Jesus is of eternal consequence to them, whether they know that or not. God’s Word is all you need because it’s the one thing this world needs to hear. He is sending you out, with your specific experiences, into your specific relationships, with your specific voice. God’s Word speaks the truth about Jesus. That’s all you need to start talking.

Notice here also, that Jesus doesn’t send his disciples out all alone. He sends them in pairs. Partners are great for encouragement, accountability, and even credibility. And we have that blessing with one another here. Are you unsure of how to witness to someone? Ask a Christian friend at Eastside, talk to Pastor Berg or myself! Jesus sent out his disciples in pairs and I can think of more than a few times that I have been so thankful to have someone to talk to.

8 He instructed them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their money belts. 9 They were to put on sandals but not to wear two coats. 10 He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that area. This part of the account really sticks out. Jesus doesn’t let them bring anything except the shirt on their back and staff for walking. NO possessions, NO food, NO money. Even the requirement for the disciples not to move from house to house serves this purpose. It prevents the disciples from choosing between which family to stay with. They cannot base their decision on the quality of the hotel, so to speak. It also prevents bad feelings among hosts who might be embarrassed if the disciples left their home for better accommodations.

But the question is how does this apply to us as Jesus’ disciples today? Does Jesus require this same freedom from possessions of us? On the one hand, we can say no. Jesus gave these instructions to disciples engaged in a particular, short-term ministry. Also, their environment was quite different—Jewish hospitality demanded that villagers receive and provide for travelers. They could expect that. No such custom exists today in most places, so we must be prepared to provide for our own needs. On the other hand, we can say “Yes”. Jesus’ instructions called for the disciples to focus on mission rather than personal comfort. Jesus called them to a great purpose, and they were not to be distracted by materialistic dreams or their earthly reputation. That emphasis is timeless. 

Gauge your spiritual temperature here… How caught up are you in material comforts? Do you dream about doing great things for God? Or about doing great things for yourself? Do you dream about having a lot of stuff, and status? Or do you want to be used for God’s purposes no matter the cost? Do you say, “Your will be done”? Or do your own terms and conditions apply? Sometimes I think people are more concerned with avoiding a potentially awkward moment in a conversation than they are concerned about someone’s eternal soul. Certainly, we shouldn’t throw pearls before swine and we shouldn’t beat people over the head with our Bibles. But there is a wide margin between talking about your faith and forcing your belief upon someone. God’s Word is all you need because when it is all you have to rely upon the Word alone, you realize that everything else pales in comparison. You realize that God’s Word is more important and more worthy of your life than comfort.

11 Any place that will not receive you or listen to you, as you leave there, shake off the dust that is under your feet as a testimony against them.” Traditionally, Jews returning from foreign lands would shake off pagan dust as a gesture of cleansing and contempt. When the disciples shake off the dust of an unreceptive village the gesture serves as a warning to the people who have rejected God’s Word and frees the disciples to move on to the next place. Their responsibility is faithful proclamation, not necessarily success. This is important for us to understand as well. If we speak the truth in love, then we can rest in peace knowing that the success of the message is not on our shoulders. Now, this isn’t an excuse to simply post a Bible verse online and say that you did your duty. Remember that your love and care for God’s Word should drive your careful preparation and presentation of that Word. But ultimately remember that when you speak God’s Word, you do not control the outcome. And in this way, our gracious God protects us from despair or pride in either outcome. God’s Word is all you need because, by the Holy Spirit’s working, the Word itself converts hearts, not you or any other person.

So how did it go for the 12 disciples? 12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They also drove out many demons. They anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. It was a rousing success! But let’s not get the idea that’s always the way it goes. Mark certainly doesn’t want to give us that impression. Mark doesn’t order his Gospel in a chronological way like Luke. And that means that he chose to order the events of Jesus’ ministry for a different reason. Just before this account, Jesus visited his own hometown of Nazareth where he was rejected! And right after this account of Jesus’ commissioning of the disciples comes the sobering, distressing story of how John the Baptist gets beheaded for telling King Herod and his wife to repent. The very same message the disciples carried. The fact that Jesus himself was rejected and the reality of a faithful disciple losing his head because he dared to share God’s Word drives home the truth that participating in Jesus’ mission is not always easy. In fact, the journey that Jesus sends us on will be filled with sacrifice and opposition.

But in the end, we don’t do it because it’s easy or comfortable. We do it because it is eternally worthwhile. We do it because Jesus has sent us out with his authority. The same authority which healed the sick and drove out the demons. The same authority with which Jesus would lay down his life and take it up again for our sake. The same incontestable authority he wields when he says to you today, “Your sins are forgiven.” The same authority with which he will come one day to judge the living and the dead. God’s Word is all you really need because God’s Word holds the authority of our Savior Jesus Christ. His command sends you, his power protects you, his love sustains you, and his promises propel you. God’s Word isn’t just all you need, it’s more than enough now and forever.

Amen.