LUKE 9:1-17 CALLED TO SERVE Three years had passed since seventy messengers went out to tell the whole nation of Israel the kingdom of heaven was here. During those years the Lord Jesus Christ had served the people both spiritual and physically. Many who had been sick were healed and living healthy and normal lives. Many who had been separated from God because of the wages of sin were now living new lives by "faith in the Son of God who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Now the time was drawing near for the final climactic events of the Lord's ministry on earth. The disciples had been taught the principles of kingdom living. They had seen many times the evidence of the mighty power of the One they were following. They had learned to trust Him and His word. Now it was time for them to go out and serve Him. Now was the time for them to practice what they had been taught. The learning process takes time, but one has not learned a thing until they have put it into practice themselves and have seen results. The Gospel is something we know. It is the message of good news to those who are perishing in their sins. Our first responsibility is to go under the authority and power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Authority gives us the right to speak for God. Power is the capacity to speak for God. To preach the kingdom of God is the objective. Spiritual results are the purposes of going into a nation and presenting the people with the Person and work of Christ. The physical part of the work was to give authority to the truth being presented.
The ones who are heralds, representatives of the king, are to deliver the message they have been charged with, not to discuss the political or social difficulties going on in the nation. The ones charged with doing this work are not to draw attention to themselves as wealthy and successful preachers. They are to identify themselves with the people where they are. In this way they are emphasizing the worth of the One who sent them. The only things they had to offer the people was their message given by the authority and power to them by their Lord who sent them. They had nothing with them to make their journey and work comfortable and easy. Things that people normally have were all left behind as they went from place to place, depending on the people to whom they preached to show hospitality to them. Power and authority over demons and disease gave credibility to the message they preached. The work to which they were commissioned was to preach the kingdom of God and meet needs. Their needs were basic so there were no distractions such as come when preaching a "prosperity Gospel" or trying to recruit numbers for a church. Our work is to prepare the ground, sow the seed and water it. God gives life and increase.
Preaching the kingdom of God emphasizes two things: the fact that there is a kingdom, and the One who is in authority in that kingdom. A wrong emphasis in preaching the Gospel leads people to miss God's salvation and eternal life. "This is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ who Thou hast sent." If people don't come to know Him personally by faith, they do not have the right of entrance into the kingdom of God.
Twelve men preaching every village and city as they go from place to place and give evidence of their authority by casting out demons and healing, did create a stir among the people and even Herod. This is not our call who preach the Gospel to a world of lost sinners. Healing was to give authority to those apostles to open the door to that nation who "require a sign." Yet there are principles of service given here from which we can learn. Some places have open doors to the Gospel and some doors are shut tight. There is not any reason to try to make something happen when God is not working there. People who reject the servants reject the Master. The servants of God did not broadcast the results but told the Lord "all they had done." Our responsibility is to do what He tells us. The results are for His glory. To advertise our needs or the results of our ministry is not something that has any biblical precedent for us to follow. Much dishonor has been done to God's work by self-exalting advertisements in spiritual things.
There will always be needs wherever we go. We can trust God to give us the needed strength and wisdom to meet the needs of people wherever we go. Some will be hungry; some needs are emotional and some are spiritual. The One we serve can guide us to do what needs to be done - whether feeding, preaching or laboring in His work. Much that could be accomplished is hindered by statistics that have been reported. We know five loaves and two fish met the needs of 5000 men. We know the nation of Israel heard the preaching of the kingdom of God. We know some believe and some don't believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. We know some will be saved and some will be lost. Our work is to do what He has instructed. His is to produce the results. His is to bless the people with full provision to meet their needs. Ours is to make sure we don't waste what He has given us to be a blessing to others.
To serve the Lord in any way is a privilege that's of highest worth. Our Lord and Savior has sent us to preach the Gospel over all the earth. In this work to which we're called we should do it with our might. The results will be seen when He saves people turning their darkness into light.
The call to serve isn't complicated, it starts with "Follow Me." By those simple words we know He sees what we can't see. When following Him, the way soon opens and we know what to do. He is with us in that work and will let us know when it's through.
The power to serve is not the skills learned from the worldly men. There are things that are unfolded to us when we simply follow Him. Usually they are made plain to us when we read His holy word. Those words give spiritual guidance to accomplish what we should.
The authority to serve is not our own, it comes from a higher Source. When the call comes to take action in faith, to go forward is our choice. We won't know all the results, those we must leave to Him. For me to claim some right to fame really is an act of sin.
The results of service we may never know, for that is not our claim. We are given opportunity to serve that we might give honor to His name. To speak for God in the world today is far higher than human office. Our Lord knew what would be the results even before He chose us.
May I ever serve with the humility the One who in grace has saved me. May I always use to best ability the gifts that He first gave me. May there never be on my part the desire to claim results that glorify Him. May my motives always be honor for God and blessings for fellow-men.
"Father in heaven, to be Thy servant is the highest honor I can have as I live in this world from day to day. I know the Lord Jesus called those early disciples, "friends" just before He died. To know Thee and be allowed to speak for Thee is such an honor and blessing to me. May what I do and say this day be an honor for Thee. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."