Treasure You Cannot Lose • Luke 9:1-9

1:01:34 Teaching begins

Notes

Today Jesus’ disciples take the next step of development that He has for them.

Jesus called them to be with Him, to learn everything He has for them and to learn His life. They’ve watched and listened. Now He requires that they put this stuff into practice.

Some people might see a life of serving Jesus as a waste. My friend visited relatives in Germany who asked them, “Why would you leave productive jobs in the United States to become missionaries?”

We see waste today but it’s when a person stays where he’s at. He doesn’t do anything and he becomes nothing.

The only valuable life is the one lost for Jesus.

I’m reading Luke 9 from verse 1.

1. Jesus enables and authorises the Twelve.

A. Up to now they’ve been with Him on tour and watched Jesus do what He does.

1. He proclaims the kingdom of God is upon you. We’ve seen Him read Isaiah in the synagogue, put the scroll down, and say, “Today these words are fulfilled in your hearing.” The scriptures point to Jesus as the Servant of God, the Messiah, the King of the kingdom of God.

2. Jesus heals people according to the Scriptures. He draws the conclusion later on in Luke 11:20 But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

3. The point is that people should repent and believe the gospel, the good news that the kingdom of God has come.

4. It’s wonderful to be in the kingdom of God. Jesus talked about John the Baptist, that no one born of a woman is greater, but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John. Jesus is calling people to real life!

B. Now Jesus wants the Twelve to do the same things He is doing. He is commanding them to enter into His work and His life.

C. First He gives them power and authority.

1. The power and authority is not inherent in them, like suddenly they become superhuman.

2. Jesus as the Servant of God says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me.” Now the same Holy Spirit is upon them. They serve Jesus as Jesus serves the Father. They depend on the Holy Spirit to work through them. Jesus pointed to the Father in Him doing the works. The Twelve point to the Spirit of Jesus in them, doing the works.

D. They also are to go out behaving like Jesus.

1. They are to trust in God to meet their needs as they obey Jesus. He said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Is that practical? It works for Jesus, does it work for me? Am I going to die? Well, they are going to live like Jesus lives. God’s will comes first. God provides, that’s the commitment of God.

2. That means as God provides you accept it. He says don’t move from house to house. That means if a better offer comes up, don’t take it. Then you are looking to improve your situation. You are content with what God provides. The bed may not be all according to your taste. The food might not be just like your mother made. But you will get all you need. Otherwise you send the message you are out for yourself, and this isn’t about you, it’s about the kingdom of God.

3. Their measure of success is obedience to Jesus. Notice that He says what to do if they don’t receive your message. This is just like Jesus: He preaches, He heals, and they don’t receive Him. So the basis of success is not how well I spoke, how many I healed, how many converts. Success is obeying Jesus, doing what He says to do, leaving the results to Him. Obedience is the true success, nothing else.

2. The disciples go throughout the villages.

A. You could imagine the Twelve feeling inadequate to do the job and anxious. Me, do what Jesus does? I’m not like Him. This might hurt. I don’t like rejection.

B. But they deny themselves and do what Jesus told them to do. And they find that God is working through them.

1. It’s scary. What if God doesn’t show up? And they come to this conclusion: if I die, I die. That’s a biblical way to define faith, trust in God. He really needs to show up or I’m dead.

2. God does show up and it’s exhilarating. He helps them speak with clarity and authority just like Jesus. He heals through them. They cast out demons by the Spirit of God.

3. It’s fabulous and humbling for you to work for Jesus in the power and authority of the Holy Spirit.

C. God shows up in other ways, too. He provides for all their needs.

1. Notice they go throughout the villages, one after another, and they keep going. God was providing for them so they could always go a little further. Then they could go a little more.

2. They realise God is faithful. We can do this for the rest of our lives! Hah!

3. It may not be exactly to their taste. Kind of a tough bed. That flatbread tasted like oven mitts. But is God providing? Yes, He is. Sometimes it’s so amazing they say, “O God, I’m sorry for complaining.” They stay with people who are the finest they’ve ever met. They are open to Jesus and the love of God. That’s like heaven on earth.

4. Do they get rejected? Of course they do. Just like Jesus. Now we enter the fellowship of His suffering. We know what it feels like to seek God and His kingdom and people just don’t get it. There’s comfort in that suffering.

D. Overall, this is amazing. This is the kingdom of God. I’m on the inside. I get to work with God! There are major ups and downs. But this is a great life!

3. At the other end of the scale of life, Herod is conflicted, he does nothing, and lives like a potato, vv. 7-9.

A. This is Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. Born about 20 B.C., came to succeed his father around 4 B.C. This is around 30 A.D., so he’s been on the throne 34 years. He’s the one who killed John the Baptist.

B. Herod must have informants and observers, acting as his eyes and ears, to find out what’s going on in his kingdom, what the people are doing and saying. This is a movement that Herod thought he had brought to a halt, and he’s hearing that it isn’t so. A guy who is influencing thousands is obviously news he wants to know about.

C. These reports are conflicting. Herod doesn’t know what to make of them.

1. Some people report that it’s John the Baptist. I know you killed him, but people swear it’s the same message, repent, kingdom of God, bla bla bla.

2. Some report that it’s Elijah. Sounds crazy, I know, but there are reports of miracles so many that it’s like something out of the Scriptures. Don’t laugh at me, this is what people are saying.

3. Others report it’s like prophets of old, like the Scriptures again. It’s the same message, repent, turn to God or else there will be judgment. It’s the kingdom of God they all spoke about only they’re saying it’s here and now.

D. What’s it all mean? Herod is conflicted.

1. I don’t think it’s John, I mean, I beheaded him for sure. But he could be raised from the dead, I guess. Does that mean he’s sore at me for cutting off his head? Am I in deep doo doo now? Is he going to get me with that raised from the dead thing? What can he do now? I don’t want to be looking for trouble.

2. On the other hand, what if it’s someone else with some kind of power and stuff? Actually, miracles would be cool, I wouldn’t mind seeing some real miracles. Hmmm.

E. He tries to see Jesus, it says here.

1. How do you try to see Jesus? How hard is it? Just pinpoint his location with your informants and then go there. How hard can it be to find the guy in the centre of a crowd numbering thousands? Find the crowd, then you find the guy.

2. And yet, there’s a part of Herod that doesn’t want to see Jesus.

3. With conflict in his heart Herod makes no move. We know that Herod doesn’t see Jesus until the day of His crucifixion. And then it’s too late. Herod asks Jesus questions, says, “Hey, heard all kinds of good things about You. Can you do a miracle?” Nothing. Herod thinks, this is a nothing. He’s relieved. He doesn’t know for him it’s all over. When Jesus doesn’t want anything to do with you, you’re not going to be saved.

F. The point here is that Herod wants to see Jesus, doesn’t want to see Jesus, and the conflict renders him inert. No movement, no action, no life.

4. So what?

A. The last thing you need in life is a conflicted heart. A divided heart goes nowhere and accomplishes nothing. It can’t do anything because there are opposite movements that cancel each other out.

B. Here is the potential of life in the Spirit of God. Everyone in the kingdom gets to be led and enabled by the Holy Spirit of God. You have to use what God gives. He gave you muscles, you still have to practice with those muscles. There is no better life. It has the highest highs and the lowest lows. It is life in every sense.

C. But to live it you need a united heart.

1. In any case you need a united heart. If you’re not going to follow Jesus, then don’t follow Him all the way. Have some fun before you lose your life forever. Live a degraded life, go get addicted to drugs, go get a sexually transmitted disease, get in debt so deep that the mob sends a hit man to kill you.

2. But don’t go to church and stick your toe in the water of serving Jesus and say, “It might not be enjoyable. I don’t want to be that good.” Don’t become a potato like Herod and lose your life.

D. Do you want an undivided heart? Receive Jesus’ death to your life. Deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow Jesus. You really have to lose your life.

E. When you lose your life for His sake you will find what is most valuable. Living with higher purpose is amazing. God providing for your needs is really cool. Coming through difficult trials is cool. Living for Jesus doesn’t waste your life. Your very life becomes treasure that you cannot lose.

Let’s pray.