LUKE 9:1-9 SPREADING THE NEWS2012 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Luke 9:1-9 Spreading The News

00:00
You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2012.

00:13
Well, this morning as we look at Luke chapter 9, we're looking at this portion where Jesus is sending out his disciples. And so I titled our message for the day, Spreading the News, because the news of Jesus Christ is being spread by the disciples. And then later on we'll see that Herod hears as this news is being spread about the things that Jesus is doing.

00:37
So spreading the news is what we see today. And there's three points I'd like to highlight for you as we study this passage together. The first thing I want to encourage you in or encourage you to consider is that disciples are sent. Disciples are sent. That's what we see happening here in verses 1 and 2. The disciples are being sent out by Jesus.

01:02
Well, before we dig in and begin to study these verses, though, I need to ask the question, as we look at this idea of disciples being sent by Jesus, the question I need to ask is, are you a disciple? As we consider these things, it's not just about what they did, but also what God has for you and I today. And so you must consider, are you a disciple?

01:28
Now, if this is the first time you've heard me ask this question, I'd like to welcome you to Calvary Chapel Living Water. This is probably your first time here because this is something we revisit often. The need to be a disciple of Jesus. That there's more than just hearing about Jesus, as we'll see later on. There's more than just being religious, but it's this idea of being a disciple that is necessary.

01:54
A disciple is one who hears from the Lord and walks with the Lord. And we'll see that through our time together this morning. And so as we begin, again I ask the question, are you a disciple of Jesus Christ? Are you a follower of him? Well we pick it up in verse 1 and it says, Then he called his twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases."

02:25
So what we have happening right here in the beginning is Jesus calls a meeting with his disciples. He gathers the twelve and he says, I'm sending you out. But before he sends them out, we see what he does here is he equips them to be sent. It says that he called his twelve disciples together and he gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases.

02:59
Before they actually go, Jesus says, here's what you need for the task that I'm entrusting to you. We often say around here, throughout the Calvary Chapel movement, God's calling is God's enabling. That when God calls you to do something, at the same time, he is enabling you to do what he's called you to do. And that's what we see taking place here in verses 1 and 2.

03:29
The disciples are sent, but before he sends them, he gives them power and authority. This word power, it's the idea of strength or ability. So he gives them the ability and the strength that they need to be sent. But then he also gives them the authority. He gives them permission, the right to go forward and preach the kingdom of God.

04:00
Jesus is equipping his disciples with everything that they need to be able to go. They're strengthened, they're enabled, they're empowered, and they have the authority of Jesus Christ, the authority of God to do what he's called them to do. And so right off the bat, we see this enabling that's taking place. He's taught them

04:25
He's showed them by example. We saw in chapter 8 several instances of demons being cast out, people being healed, even people being resurrected from the dead. And as Jesus has been doing these things, the disciples have been watching and now Jesus gathers them together and says, you've seen me do it.

04:46
Here's power and authority. You go do it now. You take these things. You follow my example. And you are being sent to the people all around. And so verse 2 says, He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He sent them. They were sent out.

05:13
They watched him do the work. They were with him. And now he is sending them out. This isn't permanent. They're going to come back to him. But he's sending them out to perform this task of preaching the kingdom of God and healing the sick. Now again, we're looking at what took place in the disciples' lives. But we also want to consider, what does God have for you and I today? And so I would ask you to consider this morning, what are you sent to do?

05:48
The disciples were sent to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. What are you sent to do? What's your mission? What has God called you to do? As we look at the disciples here, this specific instance, the disciples were sent out by the Lord with a very specific direction, with specific parameters for what they were to do.

06:21
In Matthew chapter 10, which is the parallel passage that we're studying today, Matthew chapter 10 verse 5, Jesus tells the disciples, do not go into the way of the Gentiles and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. He's giving them the instruction, they're only to go to those of the nation of Israel. They're not to go to outsiders or Gentiles, to foreign places. They're to stay amongst the people of Israel.

06:50
To preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. And so there's specific things that he's instructing them in. Now this is for a particular season because later on, you're familiar with the Great Commission, I'm sure, Jesus sends them to the outermost parts of the earth. And so that's going to come. But for this season, he says, go minister to these particular people.

07:18
in this particular way. He gives them parameters, the scope of the task that he's giving to them. And so again, I would ask you to consider what are you sent to do? And we can all look at the general overview of the Great Commission and understand that we are sent to make disciples. That's a requirement for all believers. That's what we're all entrusted with. But I would also ask you to consider what are the specific things about your calling?

07:56
What are the specific parameters that the Lord has given to you as he is sending you? Because disciples are sent. And if you're a disciple of Jesus Christ, you are sent by him for particular reasons and particular purposes. With specific parameters, with a scope, with a purpose. What is that for you? What are you sent to do? I always love the example of Paul the Apostle in this.

08:31
You can see as you read his letters, he always introduces himself in the beginning. He says, Paul. And then he usually will add on some descriptions. He will refer to himself as a bond servant or a bond slave. He'll refer to himself in a couple different ways. But just about in every case, he also introduces himself saying, called to be an apostle.

09:01
You can see in Romans chapter 1, he says, Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God. He always says, I'm called to be an apostle. 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 1, Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God. It was ever present in his mind. He had this and he grasped hold of it. This is who I am.

09:31
This is my call. This is what I've been sent to do. I've been sent by the Lord to be an apostle. And this is not just for those who are in the ministry as an occupation. You know, we might think of it as those who are, you know, on staff at a church or on the mission field. But I would suggest to you that you, if you're a disciple of Jesus, you are sent by the Lord to

10:07
And you need to know what he sent you to do. I think it would be really good for you to be able to maybe, you know, attach at the end of your email your signature and say, I'm so-and-so. Called to be this. I'm Harvey. Called by God to be a minister to one sheep. Right, Harvey? Called by God. This is what I've been sent to do. Now,

10:46
Like the disciples, it might be for a certain season or a certain scope. It's not necessarily the only thing that you'll do for the rest of your life. But for right now, this is what God has sent me to do. This is what I'm here for. This is what he has called me to. What are you sent to do? There are some general things I think that we could consider and know. For example, if you're a parent, then you are sent...

11:19
by the Lord to train your children to walk with God. That's your purpose. That's what he's called you to do. If you're a parent, he has sent you to your children to minister to them, to teach them to know him and to walk with him. He's empowered you. He's given you the right, the authority to do so. And so you can know right off the bat part of those things that he's sent you to, part of the things that he has called you to.

12:05
I think it would also be good to consider your occupation. As an employee, as an employer, whatever the case may be, what are you sent to do? Why do you work there? Why do you employ those people? Why do you have that boss? Think about this. Consider this. Do you think that God is primarily concerned about how to get money into your bank account?

12:45
Is that God's biggest concern? I mean, does he just kind of fret at night like you do? Like, man, how am I going to get them that $200 that they need? I just don't know. I mean, well, there's this opportunity. Maybe if I get them into this position or this career or that, well, maybe then I can get them the money that they need. Listen, God's got all the money in the world. I mean,

13:09
He has, that's no sweat for him. He can just give you all the money that you need anytime. That's easy for him. That's, that's no problem. God's not concerned about how to get you money. He's just not concerned about that. That's not a big deal. He can provide. That's why he says, seek first the kingdom of God and all these other things will be added unto you.

13:34
Because that's not His primary concern and He commands you to not make that your primary concern. So what's God's primary concern then? It's not about the money. That's not why you work there. What is God concerned about? People. He cares about people. And He's chosen to use His own people to reach other people.

14:09
Instead of doing, you know, miraculous signs and appearing himself to each person, God's chosen. He said, I'm going to use my disciples to reach other people. And so I would ask you this morning to perhaps radically alter your thinking. Because often we are in a place of employment because our primary concern is the money.

14:41
Because we've got to pay the bills. We've got to provide for those kids that we need to teach to walk with the Lord. And there's an appropriate aspect of that. But that's not the Lord's primary concern. Nor should it be ours. You know, sometimes we get caught up, especially in kind of the intense situations. You know, the person on the other end of the phone, your customer, screaming at you, yelling at you, cussing you out. And we lose sight of eternity many times.

15:20
And we're, well, we're focused on the here and now. Treat me that way. I'll show you what happens if you treat me like that. I don't have to put up with this. But we never, I shouldn't say never, we often fail to consider that that person is someone that, well, God loves. And perhaps, yeah, they're upset. And their life maybe is falling apart. There's much more to the story that we don't know. Maybe the phone call is really not about the issue. Maybe the phone call is about

16:04
God giving you an opportunity to connect with that person and share with them the love of Christ. To shine for them the truth. Just to give them a little sample of what love is like. The same could be said, you know, of the person in the next cubicle that hates you so bitterly and gives you such a hard time. Or the boss who mistreats you or whatever the case may be. We get so affected by those things and we start to live within ourselves

16:42
The reality of here and now and not the reality of eternity. What are you sent to do? To make that person's life miserable? No. What are you sent to do? To bring home a paycheck? That may be a small part. But I would suggest to you that that's just a way that God uses to bring you in contact with people that he wants you to minister to.

17:12
This is not just, you know, for leaders within the church. If you're a disciple of Jesus Christ, you're sent to your children. You're sent into the workplace. You're sent into your family. You're sent into the church. Why are you here this morning? Why did you come to this building, to this place? Did Jesus send you? Is that why you're here? Is that why you attend this fellowship? Well, if so...

17:46
then what did he send you to do? We get mixed up in our minds sometimes. We have this concept of church like church is just, you know, coming and sitting in a service. You come and Jerry, you minister to us. That's what church is. We go to church, we get ministered to, and then we go home. But that's not what church is. This is a part of church that

18:22
But church is really about being the body of Christ. Paul explains this in Ephesians chapter 4. I'm not going to get into it this morning, but check it out. In Ephesians chapter 4, Paul is talking about God's given these different parts to the body. These different roles within the body. These different positions. These different opportunities. And he says in Ephesians 4.16 that...

18:50
You see, the church is about building one another up. It's about these connections and these relationships where we serve one another and we serve alongside one another. And as each of us does our share, as we each do together,

19:19
the thing that God has called us to do, the thing that we were sent to do within this body, then we grow. Then we're built up. Then we're strengthened. Then we're edified. And we're able to walk with the Lord more effectively. And so church is not about just coming and sitting and going. Church is about connecting and serving one another. What are you sent to do? Why do you come here? It's not just...

19:51
To sit for a little bit and then to go. It's not just to be religious or to go through some ritual. What are you sent to do? And you might be thinking, well, I don't know what I'm sent to do. I'm not sure what that calling is, what my role is within the family or in the workplace or here at church. I'm really not certain.

20:25
And some might try to come up afterwards and say, what do you think, Jerry? What am I sent to do? What is my call? But I can't tell you. And the person next to you can't tell you. I can't tell you because you are not my disciple. That needs to be clear. You're not my disciple. If you're a disciple, you're a disciple of Jesus Christ. And Jesus gathered together his disciples and he gave them, here's the instruction.

21:03
Here's what I'm sending you to do. Here's the parameters. Here's the enabling. Here's the equipping. Now go. And you need to have your own relationship with the Lord in that way, where he is speaking to you. He's giving you that instruction. He's the one who can tell you what you are sent to do. I can't tell you that. Only Jesus can.

21:33
What are you sent to do? Now, I can assure you though, whatever it is, he's enabled you. He's given you the power and the authority. Whose permission do you need to ask? Whose permission do you need to get to do what God's called you to do? Whose permission do you need to get to preach the gospel, to pray for somebody, to serve someone in love? Whose permission do you need? You don't need my permission. You need God's permission and he's given it to you.

22:24
He's given you the right and the power to do what he has sent you to do. The word for power, when it says that he gave them power, it's the Greek word dunamis, which you might be familiar with because, well, in Acts chapter 1 verse 8, Jesus is talking to his disciples about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And he says, you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.

22:52
This word power is, of course, the same word, dunamis. And so the Lord enables us to do what He sent us to do by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowers us to do what God has called us to do. It's not in our strength. It's not in our resources. It's in what the Holy Spirit provides. And so you are enabled. You are empowered by the Holy Spirit to do what God has called you to do. And you have His permission to do it.

23:33
Jesus said in Matthew chapter 28, that portion there at the end, which is referred to as the Great Commission. In Matthew chapter 28 verse 18, Jesus says, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Then verse 19, go therefore. Jesus says, look, I have all authority in heaven and on earth, and I'm giving you the authority. I'm giving you the right. I'm giving you permission to

24:05
To go. To go and do what? To make disciples of all the nations. Understand, disciples are sent. If you're a follower of Jesus Christ, it's not just to sit there and hear lots of good Bible studies. I've often said it throughout the years, Christianity is not a self-help program.

24:34
It's not, you know, my life's really a mess and I really need lots of help and I don't feel good about myself. Well, what you need is Jesus. You know, just come to Jesus and then your life will be better and you'll feel better about yourself and just everything will be happy. That's not what Christianity is about. It's not a self-help program. Christianity is an outreach. Why do you think God keeps us here? When we turn to Him...

25:06
And we say, yes, I believe that you died on the cross for me. I receive you as my Savior and Lord. Thank you, Jesus, for what you did because you received the penalty I deserve. What if we just went right up into heaven right there? God said, all right, you got it. Come home. Why doesn't he do that? Why does he leave us here? I mean, life can be pretty miserable. There's lots of pain and hurt and difficulty here because as I said earlier, he's chosen to use us

25:44
To reach out to others who need him. That's why we're here. That's why he keeps us here. And so you are empowered. And you have the right that he's given to you. To reach out. To share his love. To shine his light. To speak the truth. To invite people to know him. He's given you that right and that command. Disciples are sent.

26:28
Well, the second thing we find as we go on in verses 3 through 6 is that disciples go in faith. Not only does he call them out and send them out, but then we see the disciples, well, they go along and they're obedient. They go. Jesus says, I'm sending you, go. And then the disciples go and they go in faith.

26:58
Let's jump down to verse 6. We'll come back and look at 3, 4, and 5 in just a minute. But in verse 6 it says, So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. So Jesus enables them. He empowers them. He gives them the right. He says, I'm sending you. And it says, so they departed. And what did they do? They went through all the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

27:29
Exactly the things that he instructed them to do, they did. They preached the kingdom of God and they healed. They obeyed. Exactly the instruction he gave, that's what they did. I love this phrase right here at the beginning of the verse, so they departed. So they departed. What a great testimony. Jesus said, I'm sending you, go. So they departed. What if that phrase...

28:09
was applied to you every time God gave you instruction. And God said, go, so you went. What if that was the case? Could that be said? The Lord spoke to you and so you went. All believers are called just as all disciples are sent. But not all believers go. Not all believers respond to the instruction that God is giving to them.

28:56
And I would extend that to say, even pastors and missionaries wrestle with this. Paul writing to Timothy in 1 Timothy chapter 4 verse 14, he says, do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Timothy was there in Ephesus pastoring the church and Paul has to write to him and says, hey Timothy, stop neglecting the gift that God has given to you.

29:34
You're kind of putting it aside. You're not being faithful to do what God's called you to do. He's empowered you. He's given you the right, but you're not walking in it. He's gifted you, but you need to stir up that gift and continue on with what God has called you to do. And so we're not alone in this. It's not that, you know, we're the only ones who struggle with going when God says to go or sharing when God says to share, doing what God has called us to do.

30:17
We're not alone, but it is what is required. This is what's required of us, guys. That you hear from Jesus and then you do what he says. That's what's required. And there's some general commands that we can hear from the Lord. As we look at the scriptures, there's plenty of commands that apply to all believers. And we need to take that as an understanding that it's not just a command for somebody else, but

30:56
It's Jesus speaking to me. Hear from Jesus as you read his word. Look for those things that, well, he's commanding you to love your neighbor, to forgive, to flee from sin, or whatever the case may be. There's those commands that are for all of us in his word. And so you're to hear from Jesus, but then there's also the

31:24
Well, the personal, the specific, just like he gave these specific instructions with this particular scope and season for them. This is what you're to do. This is the direction I want you to go. These are the people I want you to deal with. In the same way, we need to hear from Jesus. We need to have that kind of relationship where we allow him to speak to us, where we learn to hear his voice, that he gives us that kind of direction and those specifics.

31:55
Go in this direction. Go to this location. Speak with those people. Share with that person. This is what's required. That we obey the general exhortations, the commands to all believers, but that we also hear from the Lord personally, specifically. And then, the second part of that is, we do what He says. This is how I would summarize what it means to be a disciple. To hear from Jesus and do what He says.

32:33
That's what it means. That's what it's all about. And if you're a disciple, then you are sent by the Lord. As you're hearing from Him, He's going to be speaking to you what to do, the direction to go. And we need to do what He says. And so disciples go because they're sent, but they also go in faith. It's amazing in verse 1, we see the enabling part.

33:07
They have the power, the authority, all great things that God has given to them to be able to preach the gospel, to heal, to cast out demons. But then we also see in verse 3, 4, and 5 that they're missing things as well. What's up with that? They've got power, they've got authority, but it's still going to require faith because there's things that they're missing as they follow the instruction that Jesus gives them.

33:45
Listen, going will always require faith. No matter how many times you do it, going will require faith. Obeying Jesus will always require faith. He enables you. He gives you the power. He gives you the authority. But it's still going to require faith. And that's the part where we get really uncomfortable.

34:11
We would really prefer that everything just be laid out before us. Give me the whole blueprint, the whole plan, all the details. How's everything going to work out? And then I'll think about going. But that's not the way that God works with his disciples. And so these disciples go out with power and authority, but also with need, also lacking. And it's going to require faith in three ways.

34:42
Number one, faith for provision. Look at verse three. And he said to them, take nothing for the journey, neither staffs, nor bag, nor bread, nor money, and do not have two tunics a piece. Try to put yourself in their shoes for a moment. I don't know if you're like me, but when I pack for a trip, I generally pack two to three times more than I need to because I'm thinking about all of the what ifs.

35:18
Well, what would happen if I fell into a puddle and needed a change of shoes and socks? What would happen if there was some kind of storm and I needed an umbrella? Well, I might need these 12 different colored pens. And so on and so forth. And I get caught up in that and so I have a tendency to pack a whole lot more than I actually need because, well, I like to be ready for those surprises that come up. And I try to anticipate those surprises. Or...

35:55
If I'm going somewhere, sometimes I will deliberately not pack those extra things because I know there's a Walmart nearby. And so even if I forget my extra toothbrush, I can go get one at Walmart. But here Jesus says, go. Here's power. Here's authority. Go, but just don't take anything. Don't take an extra jacket. Don't take a bag or bread or money. What are we going to eat?

36:33
If the Lord told you today, I don't think he is, but if he told you today, just whatever you got on you right now, you're wearing what I want you to wear. Now walk to Arizona and preach the gospel. Would you be comfortable with that? This is the position the disciples are in. He says, all right, go. They're like, okay, we're going to go, but don't take anything. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. What are we going to eat? They had to have faith for provision.

37:04
faith that as they were obedient to go, that God would meet their needs, that they would be provided for, that they wouldn't lack. Going will always require faith. They also had to have faith for direction. Look at verse 4. Whatever house you enter, stay there and from there depart. So Jesus says, alright, when you get to where you're going, just whatever opens up to you, whoever first opens the door.

37:38
In those days, that was the common thing, is you would just rely upon the hospitality of the people wherever you were going. There wasn't, you know, the hotels and things like that for you to stay. So he says, look, whoever opens up their home, just stay there. But stay there the whole time that you're there. So don't try to negotiate, you know, like you get there and you're like, this guy opens up his home. All right, thanks. Yeah. But then you get to be friends with the neighbor who's got a bigger house, you know, a little bit nicer accommodations. Hey, well, can I come stay with you?

38:09
Jesus says, no, no, stay wherever you go. Just stay there in that spot. Whatever's opened up to you. And so they would have to have faith for direction. I always love this story Pastor Tom shares about the time that him and Pastor Pule, when they first went to American Samoa. And it was the first of many trips to follow. But the first time they were going, it was just him and Pule and

38:38
Well, they kind of were scouting out the land to see, you know, what does God want to do and what can we do over in this place? And so they made some connections. They talked with Pastor Oscar there in Samoa. And so they knew that, you know, they would be able to connect with him and come alongside him. And they make their arrangements and they go. But they didn't fully understand what was going to be happening. They didn't have it all planned out. They didn't know exactly where they were going to stay. And so they arrive in Samoa and they get picked up from the airport.

39:12
And as they're heading into town, heading to the church, Pastor Oscar was asking them, so where are you guys staying? What's your plans? And they were explaining, well, we don't really know. We were thinking there's a hotel over here. And he says, well, we have this other family. They have an open spot. Why don't you stay with them? And I love the way Pastor Oscar

39:35
Tom explains, you know, how Pule was like so excited, like, yeah, yeah, yeah, we're going to stay there. We're going to stay with them. And later on, he asked him like, why were you so excited? I mean, I was like, we could stay at the hotel. You know, we don't want to burden anybody. But Pastor Pule shared with them, he said, I've only got $75. And Tom's like, what? You came across, you know, to another country for a week and you've got $75. How are you expecting to survive?

40:04
But you know, going will always take faith. And sometimes you got to go even when you don't know where you're going to stay. Sometimes you got to go even when you don't know how it's going to work out. So you have to have faith for provision, faith for direction, but then finally faith for rejection. Verse 5, And whoever will not receive you when you go out of the city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them. So Jesus also lets them know that

40:39
Not everybody is going to receive this message. You've got the power. You've got the authority. I'm sending you. But that doesn't mean that everybody will receive it. And there will be those who reject. There will be whole cities who reject. You, your message, everything. This requires faith. This might be, of the three, the hardest one for us in many cases.

41:12
provision, ah, it's not a big deal. I can just live off very little direction, you know. I can just stay anywhere, sleep on the ground. That's not a big deal. Oh, but to have that rejection, that's more difficult. And sometimes we let the idea, the thought, well, what if people reject? What if they don't throw a parade, but instead they throw stones when I come? And we let that idea, that fear, keep us from going when Jesus has sent us. And so disciples go, but they go in faith.

41:56
It will always require faith. No matter how many times you do it. No matter how many mission trips you go on, the next one will require faith. No matter how many times you go and pray for someone, the next time it will require faith. No matter how many times you get the chance to share the gospel, the next time it will require faith. No matter how many times, it requires faith.

42:25
They have the power. We have the power. They have the authority. We have the authority. But there's also things missing that require us to trust the Lord. And sometimes we wait and we wait and we wait and we're waiting for that perfect time when everything lines up, when there's nothing missing, when we have it all figured out and this is where we're going to stay and this is how it's going to work and this is what they're going to say and this is what I'm going to say and we're waiting for just, you know, that perfect alignment of everything. And so often we don't go.

42:58
Because that perfect alignment doesn't come. We need to go in faith. Trusting the Lord to work out those details when he sent us. Trusting the Lord to give us the words when we minister to that person or share with that individual. Do you ever wish that God would just kind of take over? I know I do. It's like, Lord, yeah, just take over. Wake me up when you're done. You know, I kind of wish that I could just kind of like come to you and be like,

43:35
whoa, I just did those things for the Lord. That's amazing. That'd be so much easier, right? I mean, we saw the guy who is demon possessed. He's doing these things involuntarily and we think, man, if only God would do that. And I'm just like, I'm going to go share the gospel, you know, involuntarily, against my will. No, no, no, no, no. God never forces us anything.

44:01
He calls us to trust in him because it's about that relationship. He wants us to trust him. So it will always require faith because it's about us walking with him, relying upon him, trusting in him. And so if we wait for the perfect time to pray for that person, to share with that person, to go on the mission field, to do whatever that Jesus has sent you to do, you'll never find that perfect time because it's always in faith. Well, as we finish up our portion today, looking at the last portion,

44:39
the last three verses. We're kind of shifting gears a little bit. Jesus here is talking with his disciples. He's sending them out. But now we're looking at the response of one individual. His name is Herod. And from him we learn that hearing about Jesus is not enough. Verse 7 says this,

44:59
Now Herod the Tetrarch heard of all that was done by him and he was 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 old prophets had risen again. Here we find that Herod, who is a ruler of the region at the time, he's hearing about what Jesus is doing. He's hearing reports come in

45:26
Jesus did this. Jesus did that. This miracle happened. This person was resurrected from the dead. He's hearing these reports and he begins to wonder who this is. And the people around him are saying, maybe this is John the Baptist because this is the Herod that had beheaded John the Baptist.

45:56
So maybe it's John the Baptist resurrected and that's why he's able to do these miracles. Other people around him were saying, well, maybe it's Elijah or one of those other prophets of old. Maybe they've come back and that's why this man is able to do these miraculous things. He's hearing these reports about what Jesus was doing and about who people thought that he was. But here as we look at Herod, we notice that there's a difference between

46:28
Between hearing about Jesus and hearing from Jesus. The disciples were hearing from Jesus. Jesus was speaking to them. They were obeying. They were going forward. But Herod, he's not hearing from Jesus. He's just hearing about Jesus. He's learning about him. He's getting to know people's thoughts and opinions about him. But he doesn't know him. He doesn't hear him directly.

46:59
And so it leaves Herod in a place where he is what describes him as being perplexed. That is to be at a loss entirely. He just was like, I don't know who he is. I don't know what's up with this. I don't know why he can do these things. He's just at a loss. Nothing to say. He's perplexed because he only hears about Jesus. He doesn't hear from Jesus. Do you hear from Jesus? Does the Lord talk to you?

47:34
Does he speak to you? Does he give you instruction and direction? Or do you just hear about Jesus? Do you hear other people talk about Jesus? You hear about the things that Jesus does in other people's lives or the things that he speaks to other people. But do you hear him? Does he speak to you personally? Verse 9. Herod said, John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things? So he sought to see him.

48:14
Who's this that I'm hearing about? It can't be John the Baptist. I beheaded him. Who is this guy? You know, there's many today who are in this similar position. They hear about Jesus, but they don't hear from him. Again, to be a disciple of Jesus, it's required. What it means is that you hear from him and then you do what he says. Which one are you? A disciple or a herod?

49:03
Do you hear about Jesus? And there's lots of opinions. And you could say, well, this guy says this about Jesus. And this guy says that about Jesus. And these other people over here say this about Jesus. And I know that he did this. And I know that he did that. And it's great to know about Jesus. But it's not enough to only know about him. You need to cross over from knowing about Jesus to knowing him personally.

49:33
It's not just about hearing about him and letting other people tell you about Jesus, but have you connected with him? Have you heard from him? Now it says here that Herod sought to see Jesus and he will get to see him later on, but this desire to see Jesus is not, well, it's not a desire to know Jesus. It's a desire to see some miracle take place. We'll see that when we get to Luke chapter 23. There right before Jesus is about to be crucified.

50:05
During his trial process, he's sent to Herod. And it tells us that Herod's all excited because for a long time, ever since chapter 9, he'd wanted to see Jesus. But it says that he was hoping to see some miracle done by him. Again, this is the condition of some today. They hear about Jesus. They're excited about the things of Jesus. They're hoping to see some work, some miracle, something to happen, something take place. Oh, that's exciting.

50:39
But that's not enough. It's not the same as hearing from Jesus. Knowing Him. We celebrated last week the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The reason why that you and I can hear from Jesus is because He's alive. He resurrected. He's not dead. He's not in the grave. He's on the throne. And He came. He was crucified.

51:20
He received the penalty for your sin and my sin there upon the cross. He conquered sin and death as he resurrected in order that we might be able to hear from him, to reconcile us. That's restore the relationship between us and God so that we can have a real relationship with God, a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

51:50
That was His purpose. That's what He came to accomplish and He succeeded. The only question remains is will you receive it? Will you hear from Him, not just about Him? If you're perplexed, intrigued, curious, wanting to see Jesus, wanting to see a miracle, it's not enough. It's going to require faith just like going will require faith. Just like doing what He's called you to do will require faith.

52:36
You must have faith to go from hearing about Jesus to hearing from Jesus. Faith to say, yes, I believe that you are who you claim to be. I believe that you died upon the cross for my sin to give me the opportunity of forgiveness and eternal life. Faith to say, I'm going to turn away from the things that are not of you to follow you, to be your disciple. Jesus offers much more to you

53:16
Than just watching some miracle take place in somebody else's life. He offers much more to you than just hearing about him. And learning all kinds of information. He offers much more than something that being religious or following rituals could fulfill. He offers to you a real relationship with God. By faith in him. And so this morning we see here in this passage that disciples are sent. But the question is, are you a disciple?

53:54
And if you're a disciple, then go. Do what He sent you to do. But remember that it's going to require faith. Don't just wait for it all to line up. Trust the Lord to meet those needs, to give you the words, to work in your life. And however He's leading you, be sent. Go. Let it be said of you, so they departed. But today I would also ask you to consider, are you hearing from Jesus? Do you know Jesus?

54:34
That kind of relationship with Him. Because He offers it to us. Not through some great elaborate ritual, but through faith, believing Him. We can receive all that He has for us. Hearing about Jesus is not enough. It's time for you to stop hearing about Him and start hearing from Him. Let's pray. Heavenly Father,

55:14
I pray for all of us here, God, those who are listening to this. I pray, God, that you would help us to hear from you. God, that you would teach us to hear your voice, that we would learn to know as you're speaking to our hearts, Lord, that we would first of all be obedient to those commands that you've given us in your word that apply to everyone, all believers. God, I pray that you would help us to be obedient, to go. It will require faith, but God, I pray that you would help us to trust you

55:49
Strengthen us in our faith, God. That we would be obedient as you speak to our hearts. And as you speak personally and give us that specific instruction. You put that particular person on our hearts. You send us to that specific location. God, I pray that you would help us to be obedient. To go in faith. To trust you. Lord, that we might be faithful to your call in our lives. Lord, that we would be faithful to reach out.

56:32
Because what's most important to you is not money, it's not things, it's not position, it's not power, it's people. And so God, help us to see them as you do. That we would love them, that we would share with them as you give us opportunity. And Lord, I pray for those who really do not know you this morning. They've heard about you, they know what others think about you, they know what others have said you've done in them, but they don't hear from you.

57:17
God, I pray that you would speak to their hearts right now. That they would know how much you love them and that you died upon the cross for them so that they would have the opportunity to know you. God, I pray that you would draw them to yourself. I pray, God, that you would help them to be responsive. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

58:02
We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.