Mark 6:7-13 Called & Sent

Mark 6:7-13

⁷ Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.

⁸ These were his instructions: ‘Take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. ⁹ Wear sandals but not an extra shirt.¹⁰ Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. ¹¹ And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.’

¹² They went out and preached that people should repent. ¹³ They drove out many demons and anointed with oil many people who were ill and healed them.

• What does this passage have to say to us:
• Jesus first of all CALLS the twelve to HIMSELF
• Jesus calls us to himself, that is what it means to be a Christian, to come to Jesus, who has chosen us.
• Jesus said “You did not choose me, but I chose you…” John 15:16
• Jesus calls us to himself, so that we may know and experience his tremendous love.
• Being called by Jesus is not about being perfect, or having our lives all perfectly sorted out. Jesus said “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17)
• After calling the disciples to himself he then SENDS them out.
• Ours is a SENDING God.
• He doesn’t want Christians huddled together in the warmth and safety of a church building, trying to keep the world with all its problems at bay. He SENDS his disciples out into the world to do three things
• Proclaim the Good news of Jesus
• Heal the sick
• Cast out demons
• It’s the same task God calls us to today.  He sends us out to change the world to bring transformation and change to the world through the establishing of God’s kingdom.
• He doesn’t send one or two of the disciples, the most promising ones, the ones who did best in their religious studies exam, he sends ALL of them out, all twelve – including James and John the sons of Thunder, include Peter who would deny Jesus, including Thomas who would doubt the resurrection, and even Judas who would betray Jesus.
• If God can use people like them, then he can use someone like you and me.  We often think our lack of experience or training is a bar in being used by God, it’s not.  What matters is our willingness & availability to be sent.
• WE are the people Jesus has CALLED, are the ones he is SENDING out – to tell others about Jesus, to heal the sick, and cast out demons, to bring transformation and change to the world.
• When Isaiah had a vision of God, he heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’  Isaiah’s response was ‘Here I am, send me!’  What is your response?
• Jesus CALLS us to himself, in order that we may be SENT into the world.

• Jesus calls us: o’er the tumult of our life’s wild, restless sea; day by day his sweet voice soundeth saying, “Christian, follow me.”
• Jesus calls us from the worship of the vain world’s golden store, from each idol that would keep us, saying, “Christian, love me more.”
• In our joys and in our sorrows, days of toil and hours of ease, still he calls, in cares and pleasures, “Christian, love me more than these.”
• Jesus calls us: by thy mercies, Saviour, may we hear thy call, give our hearts to thy obedience, serve and love thee best of all.