Jesus Sends You Out! Mark 6:7-13

            The devil is a liar. He is the founding father of lies (John 8:44), who lies in order to lead the whole world away from its heavenly Father (Revelation 12:9). That slimy serpent slithered right up to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and hissed out the most destructive of lies: “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4). That is a lie. That untruth snapped Adam and Eve’s openhearted bond with their Creator. That devil dangled money in front of Judas and whispered: “Worldly wealth remains far more valuable than anything Jesus offers.” That greedy lie destroyed him. The devil is a liar. He still lies and he always will lie. He will not stop until he has led every single person away from God.
            And so, the devil lies. He lies because he knows the truth: he has lost; Jesus wins. Jesus promises a life better than the one the devil must suffer. Jesus reveals this truth in his Word, the Bible. He has put his Word in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it (Deuteronomy 30:14) and so that you may have life (John 4:14).
            That Word is not just yours to hold and have. It’s yours to also share. Jesus Sends You Out! With the Word you have received and with the resources God has given you.
 
            The devil knows this. So, he lies. He spreads this putrid untruth to the world: “You are God. You hold the authority to determine what is morally ‘right’ and what is morally ‘wrong.’” Jesus arrives in his hometown, Nazareth. He reveals God’s plan to save the world. Masses marvel. He exposes puffed-up pride and points to himself as the only Savior. Masses devour the devil’s lie. “Nazareth is God. Each citizen holds the authority to determine what is morally ‘right’ and what is morally ‘wrong.’ We do not need you, Jesus.” The devil’s lie pushes them to furiously push Jesus out of the city (Mark 6:1-6; Luke 4:14-30). The devil is a liar, who lies in order to lead the whole world away from its heavenly Father.
            For this reason Jesus enters the world. He comes to reconnect people with their Father in heaven. Jesus went around teaching from village to village (Mark 6:6), telling all people that he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. [They] come to the Father through [his work alone] (John 14:6).
            Jesus even multiplies his efforts in getting this message out. Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two…  He hands them the words to share: “Repent! Turn!” Turn from the lifestyles God calls ‘wrong.’ Turn from the god-less behavior separating you from God! Turn and see that only Jesus can free you from the hell you deserve. Turn and live a God-pleasing life. No, not because you will earn God’s love. Rather, living life shaped by the Word keeps you from death.
            Jesus teaches a truth that breaks the devil’s lie. That truth reveals Jesus living a perfect life in order to give you life. That truth is yours— and it is yours to share. Jesus does not have you bottle up these words for yourself. Jesus Sends You Out with the Word you have received.
 
            That makes you a target. The devil knows his Bible. He knows God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). He knows faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). He knows you are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14-16) pointing to Jesus as the only Way, Truth, and Life to God (John 14:6). The devil knows just how dangerous the Word you carry is to his cause. He knows the best way to keep many separated from God is to lie—and he lies to you.
            He whispers in your ear: “It does not matter what you believe; everyone will enter heaven.”

• “It does not matter if your daughter pours out excuses as to why she has no time Sunday mornings to be with God. Just leave her be.”
• “It does not matter if your brother-in-law has never stepped foot into a church, has no idea who God is. Surely, he cannot go to hell.”
• “It does not matter if your grandson has never worshipped since the day he was baptized as a two-month-old. He was baptized! He obeyed a rule!”

“They will all enter heaven. Don’t worry about what they believe.”
            Those are lies. And the devil knows that if he can get you to believe his lie, then you will stop sharing the Word of God. And if you stop sharing the Word, then many more will never hear of a Savior. And if many never hear of a Savior, then every non-Christian will walk the wide road straight into hell. Do you believe the devil’s lie?
 
            It does matter what lies in each individual heart. It matters to Jesus. It matters so much that he takes on flesh and blood. It matters so much that no insult, no rejection, not even death itself can stop him from sharing the life-saving Word. It matters so much that Jesus dies in order to put an end to the devil’s lies.
            If the devil is still whispering his destructive lies in your ears, repent! Turn to the cross. Turn away from the excuses you create to protect your pride. Turn from the laziness that prevents you from speaking up. Turn from the excuses your heart creates. Turn and see Jesus give his life. See him wipe away your failure to speak up. See him cure a lazy heart. See him rise to tell you, You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9).
 
            Jesus Sends You Out because you are his disciple. He sends you out with the same powerful message that has created faith in your heart. He sends you out with the same powerful Word that works in the hearts of others. Jesus Sends You Out with the Word you have received. Jesus Sends You Out with the resources you have.
 
            Did you catch that? Jesus Sends You Out with the resources you have. Your resources might be you Christian witness. Do you notice that Jesus does not send you out to foreign nations? He does not demand you knock on doors or call strangers. He sends you to share the Word with those who need to hear it. That location might be as simple as your community setting.
            Inside your bulletin is a half sheet. The center of this diagram reads: “FRIENDS WHO NEED JESUS.” Someone who needs to hear of Jesus the Good Shepherd before they are lost forever. Take a moment today (or another day this week) to identify those in your life. A friend, a family member, a [grand]child. A neighbor who used to worship, but no longer does. A fellow member who used to worship with you, but has grown slow in coming. Write their name down—and then place this sheet in a visible location. As you see that name, pray that God brings his Word to them through you. Pray that God fill you with the words to say and the courage to speak. Pray that God presents an opportunity to invite them to worship, to Sunday School, to Bible Class, to Vacation Bible School. Pray that God use your Words to bring the good news into their hearts. Jesus Sends You Out to them.
            Your resources might be financial resources. You belong to the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. “Synod” are two greek words put together meaning: “walk with.” You (and I) cooperate (or walk with) 1,300 other like-minded congregations throughout the world to share Jesus. St. John [Faith] most likely could never pay the $150,000 (each year!) need to start a new church in New York City (with the costs involved) or the $500,000 Pastoral Institute Building in Vietnam. Our financial resources are limited. Yet, when you divide that costs among 1,300 other congregations, the cost becomes much more manageable. Consider how God has blessed you financially. Use your financial resources to “send out” others to regions you may never see. Jesus Sends You Out with the resources you have.
            Remember the reason for sharing the Word. The devil still spreads his awful lie around your town: “World, you do not need help. You do not need a Savior.” Maybe you have a daughter who still lives in a way God would not condone. You may have that son who smirks and shrugs off your invite to worship again. You might have that friend who walks on the other side of the road when they see you or that neighbor who goes outside after seeing you go inside. Some may reject you for the message you bring. The devil will point and hiss: “See, the heartache is not worth it.”
            Do not believe the lie! Jesus instructs his disciples to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in [their] belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. The disciples do not need suitcases packed with weeks of clothing or wallets stuffed with cash. They simply preach and God’s Word would work results. Some would hear the Word and the Word would produce results in the hearts of the listeners. One fruit of faith would be the hospitality for their needs. The disciples would have a room, extra clothing and blankets, as well as a meal provided them.
            Others will not welcome or listen to [them]. If that happened, they would shake the dust off [their] feet when [they left], as a testimony against them.” Shaking the dust off of their feet preached that this household of Jews were no better than the non-believing non-Jews. It powerfully preached: “You are separated from God! Repent! Turn while there is still time!”
            You will face rejection for preaching and teaching— and that’s alright. Jesus tells you to expect rejection. You may even have to “shake the dust from your feet.” No, not literally. Rather, you may have to make it clear to someone close to you: “You are living in such a way that separates you from God.” The devil will try to silence you: “Ouch! Your words are too harsh!” Do not believe the lie! Shaking the dust off your feet demonstrates that their rejection is serious… which, if you think about that for a moment, really stands out in your world today. You, with your words and actions, are calling him to “Repent, turn to God!” That message points to Jesus and to the life he gives. Jesus Sends You Out with the resources you have.
 
            The devil is a liar. He is the founding father of lies (John 8:44), who lies in order to lead the whole world away from its heavenly Father (Revelation 12:9). He still lies and he always will lie. He will not stop until he has led every single person away from God.
            Yet, you know the truth. He has lost; Jesus wins. Jesus promises a life better than the one the devil must suffer. Jesus reveals this truth in his Word, the Bible. He has put his Word in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it (Deuteronomy 30:14) and so that you may have life (John 4:14).
            That Word is not just yours to hold and have. It’s yours to also share. Jesus Sends You Out! With the Word you have received and with the resources God has given you.