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ORDAINED
Jesus had a weird way of doing things. He sent people out to proclaim the kingdom and heal the sick, though they had no training. They’ve hardly begun to follow him and already he’s sending them out.
That’s dangerous. How can he be sure that one of those green disciples won’t make a terrible mistake? What if someone asks a question they can’t answer? You’d think one of those guys would have the sense to object. “Lord, you can’t send us out yet. We’re not ready!”
But no, out they go, praying the Lord of the Harvest to send out laborers. No extra cash. No extra clothes. Saluting no one on the road - going straight to the job. Two by two they went . They’d find someone to stay with and they’d bless the house, “Peace be to this house!” They’d heal. They’d cast out demons and they’d announce to the crowds that gathered, “The Kingdom of God has come near you!”
When they were rejected, Those men simply shook the dust off their feet as a testimony of judgment and moved on to the next town.
They were preparing the way for Jesus. They knew that wherever they went, Jesus would come behind them and confirm their words.
And you know, never in their lives had these men had such a good time. They returned with tears of joy, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”
“And he said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’ “
When you think about it, that was a crazy way to evangelize. To use a bunch of greenhorns, (most of these guys couldn’t even read) and to send them out, as Jesus, himself said, as lambs in the midst of wolves.
Too bad Jesus never thought of doing it the way we do it. We make sure that anybody sanctioned by the church to preach the gospel is properly prepared. Four years of undergraduate work in a university. Four more years in a seminary including a year of internship. Now they’re ready. Now they have the answers. With all that education behind them they’re not going to make any mistakes!
There’s just one little problem… Those 70 ill-trained, illiterate disciples got results. Whereas our theologically grounded, well-educated experts so often seem to be spinning their wheels.
Let’s face it, our system is having difficulty breaking through the apathy out there and making an impact.
Take your church for instance. No doubt you've seen growth. But, chances are, that growth is only a fraction of what it should be.
If we were making an impact for the Kingdom of God on our communities, it would be evident. People would be shaking off their apathy and coming alive. Folks whose minds were tied up in knots would be set free. People would be having such a good time in among us on Sunday mornings, they’d never miss.
So what did these guys have that we lack? One thing they had that we lack is “simple faith”. I don’t mean being naïve and gullible. I don’t mean faith in this or that creed. They didn’t know anything about creeds. They weren’t up on this or that doctrine. These men centered their faith on one thing - Jesus, himself. Somehow they were inspired to believe that this man… who looked like they did, talked like they did, dressed like they did, knew how to work like they did, was the Messiah.
Words coming from his mouth were like nothing they had ever heard before. They were moved, inspired, convicted by his words…
So, when Jesus said, “Come”, they came. When he said, “Go”, they went. When he said, “Pray for the harvest”, they prayed. If he said, “You can heal the sick”, they believed it. “You’re going to cast out demons”, they didn’t question it. If he said, “Prepare the way for me. I’m coming right behind you” , that’s what they did.
“Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was your gracious will.”
In other words - there are things we will never know unless God reveals them to us. And God has a habit of hiding these things from the wise and understanding and revealing them to babes - men and women who have learned to turn around and become like children.
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matthew 18:1)
Is it Billy Graham? Is it the Pope? Is it Martin Luther?
“And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:2)
He’s not telling us to be childish, gullible or naïve. He’s calling for child-like trust. Unless you turn and become open, receptive, willing to learn, like a child, you’ll never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Here’s what happens when we do that, when we turn and become like children, like those 70 greenhorn disciples… right away He puts us to work in his vineyard and we learn - not by sitting at a desk taking notes, but by getting out there and doing what he tells us to do.
And what he tells us to do is basically what he told those 70 greenhorns to do… start praying for laborers and then get out there. Work together - don’t be a lone ranger. Travel light - you don’t need all that stuff to get the job done. And understand that wherever you go, I’m going to come in behind you and confirm your words. Wherever you reach out to somebody and spend time listening serving sharing what you have, you will be given power to do what I’m sending you to do.
Simple faith trusts Jesus when he says, “Whoever believes in me will do the works that I do.” “Whatever you ask in my name - I will do it.”
Simple faith goes out there into that sea of humanity and starts fishing. We reach out to people. We offer a helping hand. We share our bread and our money. We speak an encouraging word. And when the time is right, we have the guts to tell them who’s really running the show.
And like those 70 greenhorns, we too will start having fun as we discover that people are actually responding to us. They want to hear more. They love it when we stop and pray for them. Why even the demons are subject to us in Christ’s name! “I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was your gracious will.”
For too long our churches have been stifled by the wisdom of the wise and understanding, whose eyes are blind to the redemptive power of God. It’s time for us to loosen up and join the ranks of those 70 greenhorns - those babes - to whom the Lord always reveals his glory. Time to start taking our orders from Jesus in simple faith when he says,
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” (John 15:16)
If you are a follower of Jesus, you are an ordained minister. The Lord himself ordained you. So get out there and minister. You don’t need a pulpit. You don’t need a choir. You don’t need a congregation. All you need is faith that you’ve been sent into the exact circumstances where you find yourself. Faith that there in those circumstances where you are, somebody’s going to come along who needs a touch from God, a sustaining word, a sign of hope. And you’re the one that’s going to give it to them.
Long before you bring them to church, you bring the church to them. You’re the church. You’re the Body of Christ in that man’s garage, that woman’s kitchen, that parking lot conversation.
Believe it.
Act on it.
And you will be amazed at the things that God will do through you!
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