The Servant's Disciples
Book of Mark Chapter 6
In the time of Jesus upon this earth every teacher had his own company of disciples.
There were two types of disciples who followed the Lord Jesus Christ.
1) A disciple of Jesus Christ would be someone who believed in Him though they remained where Jesus found them, but they confessed their allegiance to Him and testified of His Grace.
2) Then there was the inner circle the Twelve whom the Lord Jesus later called the Apostles.
These were called to forsake their old lives and follow Jesus wherever He went and aided Him in His ministry and they were also trained to carry on His work after He was gone back to Heaven.
The Lord Jesus had been in His ministry for a little more than a year when He again came to Nazareth, His hometown, the place where He had been raised.
The Lord Jesus had not attended any of the Rabbinical schools that were available at that time and the elders of Judaism were astonished at His doctrine, His wisdom, and especially His mighty works, His miracles.
They all knew He was but the stepson of a Carpenter, and His mother was Mary, whose fidelity was questioned, and that He had four stepbrothers and more than one stepsister all fathered by Joseph.
Joh_8:41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
Mat 13:55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
Mat 13:56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
They rejected the Lord because He was not from their own inner circle!
The Lord Jesus stated: Mar 6:4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
The Bible says: Joh_1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
Not only were the towns people rejecting Him, but His own brothers and sisters were rejecting Him.
His mother knew the truth!
Luk_2:19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
All the town of Nazareth turned their back on Jesus the Messiah!
We know He soon left never to return again because these things hindered Him from doing any mighty work.
He did lay His hands on a few sick folks and healed them.
The Lord Jesus marveled at their unbelief.
What is the truth? The sinner cannot understand nor endure the saint of God, not then and not now!
It is obvious that there is no room for Jesus in the places where Satan rules!
God's greatest blessings cannot come without "faith"!
There was in fact no excuse for their lack of faith because many had known Him from a child and that He had been a perfect child.
They should have at least listened to what the Lord Jesus had to say, but they were too caught up in their own sin!
This is the way of the world today.
The world's people are afraid of the Gospel because they might have to give up their sin!
Those that heard Him teach had heard the truth of the Scriptures and had witnessed His wisdom and His moral authority.
Jesus was right down the line with the Word of God, as we would say.
Because there were some questions in His family, of His origin, and the fact that He had not attended rabbinical schools, they just rejected Him.
Jesus just went to other villages and towns and taught there, anywhere where people would listen.
They could then make their own choices.
It is fatal to reject the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ!
The Lord Jesus had prepared the chosen twelve disciples for their first mission assignment.
The Lord Jesus did not send them out unprepared.
*****Mar 6:7 And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;
These men are those whom the Lord had called to walk and associate with Him, to live with Him, to constantly be in His presence.
This is what Jesus expects of us and all the Church today!
We will one day live in His presence evermore!
By being with Him, they could see how the Lord Himself walked with God!
This is the only way we can be like Him.
We must walk with Him.
We must associate with Him.
We must live with Him, Spiritually.
We must constantly be in His presence by gathering with others who walk with Him.
Mat_18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
At the first, the Lord Jesus had taught only to the Jew and this is whom the Lord would first send His disciples.
The Lord wanted His disciples to feel comfortable with people of their own nationality, rather than first send them to the Gentiles.
The Lord sent them out two by two so they did not have to travel alone.
This is an idea still used by the Church.
This was not necessarily for their protection for He would protect them.
This again, was to keep them in their comfort zone to travel with someone they knew pretty well.
There was another important reason; "Every word was to be established"!
Mat 18:16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
They also were sent out with a dose of the power of God.
Mat 10:1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
You see, no one can have this power unless given to them by the Lord Jesus Christ!
You cannot go to some school to learn these things!
They were also given the power to preach the Kingdom of God.
They were not to preach any other message!
Luk 9:1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
Luk 9:2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
Why did Mark not mention these other things?
It seems that Mark is writing to the Gentiles about God's true Servant to them.
The Gentiles needed to be aware of the unclean spirits that lived amongst them, and their need to be cleansed in the eyes of God.
Thank goodness the Lord included the Gentiles in His ministry.
What is the central purpose of our Lord Jesus Christ?
To conquer our spirit of evil by giving us His Spirit? To destroy the works of the Devil that is within us!
1Jn 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Each disciple was to follow the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ, just as we are today!
The Bible is not a book of suggestions, it is a book of commands!
*****Mar 6:8 And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:
Mar 6:9 But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.
What Jesus was saying was "just go as you are".
We are never to try to be something that we are not!
We can see the words, humble and simple, proclaimed in the words of our Lord.
1) They could take their staff, which was a shepherd’s staff which did allow them some protection, but it was also a symbol of a hardworking and simple people.
2) They were to take no scrip "or we would say a wallet", no bread, and no money to buy bread.
They had to have faith that the Lord would provide these things as needed.
3) They were to wear sandals to protect their feet and provide some comfort. The wearing of those sandals also meant they had not been deprived of the simple things of life. To be barefoot would mean they were in search of gifts to help them.
The Lord says He will provide all our needs. We should never appear that He has not done this!
4) They were not to wear two coats.
The Jews in the days of Christ wore two principle garments. An interior coat, sometimes called a tunic and a more costly exterior coat or a cloak. This cloak was used not only as a jacket or overcoat, but also as a covering to sleep under at night if they had to spend the night outside.
As a rule a Jew had at least two complete suits in his possession that he might be able to change often.
As missionaries for Christ, to have this second suit of clothing could display extravagant and wasteful spending.
The whole idea is that a servant of God is to live a simple and humble life just most as ordinary people live.
Why? We are to be heavenly minded!
Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Heb 11:14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
Heb 11:15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
Heb 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
As the servants of God, our minds should be centered on the "preaching of the Gospel" and telling everyone we see about the love of Christ Jesus.
We must show that we are dependent on the Lord Jesus Christ to provide our needs!
*****Mar 6:10 And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.
Mar 6:11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
The disciples were not to show they were desperate. In whatever place that accepted them, they were to remain with that host until it was time to go to some other town.
They were not to seek more comfort or luxury. There are always those of good reputation and those of bad reputations in every place.
A worthy host would have good morals. Living with someone who did not have good morals, would jeopardize the message of the Gospel.
2Pe 2:6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
2Pe 2:7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
They were to reach out to these people but not stay with them.
Christians should always be careful in choosing close friends!
A worthy host was a person who had the fear of God!
A worthy host would be hospitable.
1Pe 4:9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
1Pe 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
Simply put, the disciples were not to seek out the wealthy or the leading citizens as host.
They were not to seek out the best accommodation.
The good people in any town are usually known, especially in the time of Christ when most people traveled by foot.
We know the things that happened to Sodom and Gomorrah are true or they would not be mentioned!
This period in the time of Abraham teaches many things that we see today.
People who will use violence to have things their way at the cost of all others are not good people!
We see today, where a small percentage of people try to dictate the rules for all of society.
We see an industry that is filled with this sort of people and they have great influence on a government, who also have low morals and immoral leadership and councilors.
This is the standard of our nation today!
Remember the Bible uses the people of Sodom and Gomorrah was an example of the worst sinners throughout God's creation.
It all boils down to God creating human beings for higher goals than these sinful things!
The example of the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah is an example of suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Those people are still burning today because the fire of God never goes out!
How can we expect God to be different in His treatment of America or at least in the places where these things are taking place?
Jesus says with authority, that it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for these places doing the same thing today.
All I can say is that we have been warned!
So, these twelve disciples went out and preached repentance, a word that sinners want to ignore and still say they are believers.
*****Mar 6:12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
Mar 6:13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
A missionary's work is to break up the fallow ground so the Gospel Seed can be planted!
What we see is, that no servant of God is to have his own message!
We are all called to repent!
Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Act 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
Repentance is necessary for receiving the Holy Spirit!
Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
We have seen many who have prayed the sinner’s prayer, but they never repent of their old lifestyle, which means the Holy Spirit did not move in to them.
The Holy Spirit will not live in such a person who is not sincere. Remember God sees within the heart of all!
This was the Apostle Paul's message:
Act 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
Failure to repent will lead to the "Judgment" of God!
Rev 9:20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
Rev 9:21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
We should be ashamed if we cannot change our lifestyle and walk with Jesus Christ!
2Co 7:9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
2Co 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
We must repent to be in the family of God!
The Holy Spirit will help us to repent and be Born Again, but the Holy Spirit will not move in unless God looks into our heart and sees the faith that is required in the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is not complicated!
While preaching this message in those cities, the disciple also ministered to the people and cast out evil spirits.
They ministered to the body and the soul!
They ministered to those who were sick and also to those who were suffering and hurting.
When we see "Oil" in the Bible it is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit has all the power of God and there is no sickness He cannot heal!
The Holy Spirit allows us to concentrate on the truth of the Scriptures.
Those who are hurting and suffering with pain do not have good concentration. The Holy Spirit can solve this problem, but these things are in our hands and it is called "FAITH"!
Oil is also a symbol of God's care, God's comfort, and God's joy, of His "mercy" on us.
Heb_1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
The fame of Jesus began to spread and even some of those in government became afraid.
King Herod was stricken by his own conscience.
How did King Herod see his guiltiness?
1) Herod had a guilty conscience because of an inadequate religion. He did want to hear the preaching of John the Baptist, but he never yielded to his conscience. He had kept John locked up for over a year, without hearing his message of repentance.
2) Herod had a guilty conscience because of his partying and his drunkenness, along with suggestive and passionate dancing.
3) Herod had a guilty conscience because he would seek social approval, above honoring God and respect for the Word of God.
Remember all Jewish Kings had a copy of the Word of God.
4) Herod had a guilty conscience because he was afraid of what people might say.
We can see these same things in Washington D.C. today and in many other governments.
We need the fame of Jesus to spread in our government today!
We need our government to read the Word of God and not just talk about a few passages that they use and do not understand.
It seemed that everyone had an opinion of the Lord Jesus Christ just as they do today, but not many seek the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ!
John the Baptist was murdered because of a woman's vengeance!
John the Baptist stood firm on the Word of God and it cost him his life!
It could happen to any of us or all of us today, but we must stand firm on the Word of God no matter the situation we find ourselves in.
If we have work to do God will save us!
If our work is complete, we can go on to Heaven where none of these things can ever happen!
*****Mar 6:30 And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.
Mar 6:31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.
Mar 6:32 And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.
The disciples returned and gathered to the Lord Jesus Christ.
They reported what they had done and what they had taught.
Jesus knew the first thing they needed was rest, but the rest they needed could not happen where they were.
The Lord Jesus took them to a deserted place where they should rest physically.
We know this is true because our own pastor cannot find rest at home with his family and he and his family have to travel to places where he is out of contact range.
Even if some people knew where he was going, they would make sure to be there before he got there and he would then get no rest.
We have to make sure our pastor gets the rest he needs!
There is great danger in not taking time to rest for every one of us!
We may never understand all of God's creation, but the earth spins upon its axis to bring the stated seasons, but also because it gives us a time to rest.
Our minds need to take time to look away from things we are doing and to things that do not occupy our minds for more than a moment!
It is not the work of God's servant alone that makes us tired, we must make sure to take time to be alone with God, and sometimes other people will not allow us this time.
We need to have a good reason to disturb the man of God who is busy with the work of the Lord, especially in his times of rest!
We should be able to see how the Lord will care for His children!
We must know that while we try to do the work God has given us to do, we must still take the time to sit down at the feet of Jesus in a quiet place!
A wise man once wrote: "The flame of devotion will not burn very long or very bright, unless you have oil in your vessels with your lamps".
Without rest, the body slowly dies and we shorten our life spans or we reach a point where we can just no longer go.
God said we are to enjoy our lives and we will not without taking time to rest!
Our journey from Earth to Heaven need not be a dull life, but a life of joy and excitement.
We can also fine refreshment in Bible reading if we stick to it!
True rest does not come if there is no true work!
Overall, we must put God first and overwork takes away from us being able to serve God with all our heart so, it is then sin not to take time to rest so, we can be at our best!
Amen
