Allen Jackson - Disciples With Authority and Power - Part 2
You don't have a message until you establish in your heart who Jesus is. It's not about joining a denomination or finding a worship service you like or a preacher that you enjoy or the translation of the Bible that's easier for you to read. Our faith is founded on a conviction that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the anointed Son of God, the incarnate Son of God. Everything emerges from that. Nothing's too difficult for him. He can feed a multitude with a Happy Meal. He can speak to the wind and the waves. He can be the result of a virgin birth. He'll conquer death before we're done with the gospel.
That's my Lord and yours. That's the message we have for the world. There's a power and authority that transcends all the power and authority that's available to us. And there's a great deal of things available to us. There's economic power and military power and political power and all sorts of... they're all real and legitimate, I'm not diminishing that, but there's a power that causes all of those things to pale in comparison. All of those things are linked to time. They will fade away. They will come to an end. There's a conclusion. This present age will be rolled up like a scroll, like a book that's closed. But the power of our Lord and King is eternal. That's our message for the world we're in.
Luke's not done. Chapter 9, verse 28, "About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter and John and James with him and he went up onto a mountain to pray". He didn't treat all the disciples the same. No equity with the disciples. I know it's fashionable in some circles to say equity is a biblical proposition. It is not. I could give you many examples when Jesus gave out talents to the servants. They didn't all get the same thing. He took Peter, James, and John; and Bartholomew and Andrew complained. "And he went up on a high mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem".
This is a fascinating event to me. We don't know exactly where it took place. If you visit Israel, there's two or three places. And at the end of the day, it doesn't matter, but it made it into the narrative. Jesus goes up on a high mountain and while he's praying, Moses and Elijah appeared. I've always wondered how they knew it was Moses and Elijah. Facebook was just new. Do you think they had laminated lanyards with name tags? Because the disciples, Peter, John, and James, seem to understand who it is. I've always been intrigued that Moses and Elijah had something with which they wanted to speak to Jesus.
See, when you're done with time you're not done. We don't have a full presentation of that. We're limited in the insight we have and the understanding. But I can give you multiple examples when you step out, when your earth suit stops, folks, you're not done. You are working for something so much more enduring, so much more valuable, so much more significant. The great diminishment of your faith is to think that your faith is only about getting all you can and canning what you get and sitting on the can while you're here. We are in preparation for something.
Jesus came to this earth, but when you read his story, you don't imagine his goal was an applause line while he was here. It's very clear he was on an assignment for something far more significant, far greater, and so are we. I think it's worth noting, at least in passing, that Ahab and Jezebel didn't show up to talk to Jesus. Moses and Elijah. It's the last verse, I think, that is, perhaps, most significant in this 9 chapter, though. It's gonna become a theme in this chapter. It's the introduction of something that is new to us. It says Moses and Elijah spoke about his departure. Well, if it stopped right there, we might think he was taking a trip.
"About his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment in Jerusalem". Moses and Elijah are talking about his Crucifixion, his burial, his Resurrection. We're looking at the game plan again. Luke has introduced something new to the narrative. And Jesus took Peter and John and James with him. They're gonna be central figures when we get to the book of Acts, Luke's explanation of how the church found its footing after Jesus's ascension. And Peter and John and James will be right in the center of that narrative.
Same chapter, verse 37. "The next day," next day from what? The next day after the Transfiguration. "When they came down from the mountain," this is pretty intensive training. They've been feeding large crowds, they've been acknowledging in public that Jesus is the Christ. Up to this point, only the demons have been saying it. Now they've seen the Transfiguration, now they come down from the mountain, "There's a large crowd that met them. And a man in the crowd called out, 'Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, he's my only child. And a spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; and it throws him into convulsion so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and it's destroying him. I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.'"
It's another learning moment for the disciples. Peter, James, and John weren't with the larger crowd. The others are still ministering. Remember, they've been commissioned in those first two verses. Jesus said to them... remember what he said? "You've got it". He gave them power and authority to drive out demons and to cure diseases. Jesus expects them to be prepared to address demonic activity. He gave them the authority in verses 1 and 2. And here's a father saying, "Your disciples are useless"! And I didn't put it in your notes because I don't have enough room. Do you remember what Jesus said to them? "What is wrong with your faith"?
The expectation is his disciples would be prepared to engage demonic activity. We're prepared to have a seminar. Just saying. The young man is delivered. Verse 43 is the follow up. "They were all amazed at the greatness of God. And while everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, 'Listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you.'" Again, Luke is telling the story, so the words he chooses, the quotes he gives us, are significant. He has Jesus looking at the disciples, "'Listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.' But they didn't understand what he meant".
Now, Peter, James, and John had just had the preface of this on the Mount of Transfiguration. But now all the crew, all of them, are read into the story. "Jesus says, 'Listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you: the Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.' But they didn't understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they didn't grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it".
Within the same chapter, now, this is the second mention of Jesus's Crucifixion, his Resurrection, his redemptive work, and Luke's not done even in this chapter. But I think it's worth noting as disciples, as Jesus followers walking close to him, fully engaged with him, there's no suggestion here that they're engaged in immorality or some carnality that is separating them from the purposes of God. It's simply, they're trying to grasp what is unfolding in front of them and they are struggling to do it.
Verse 46, "An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest". Are you kidding me? Jesus just said, "When we get to Jerusalem, they're gonna nail me to a cross". And Luke says, rather politely, "Well, the disciples didn't understand". But then he gives us a little narrow window into maybe why they were a bit confused, because the very next sentences they were arguing about which one of them was the greatest. Your boss, the guy that fed a multitude a few verses ago with a Happy Meal, the one that gave you authority over demons and sickness and disease, just told you he's gonna be betrayed and all you heard was, "I think I'm better than you".
And Jesus doesn't hesitate. He doesn't flinch. I'd have probably fired the whole crew. "Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand in the midst of them. Said, 'Unless you change and become like a little child,'" unless you become a learner, unless you learn how to develop trust, unless you learn how to accept authority, "you will never see the kingdom of God". That's not the invitation we give to people that we're inviting towards the kingdom of God. We tell them other things. Jesus gave them some pretty clear instructions. He's speaking about his Crucifixion and the disciples are arguing about who's the greatest. Is it safe to say they missed the moment?
So may I make a suggestion? If you sign off to help people get to know the Lord, you're gonna lead a small group, you'll teach a class, you'll volunteer with teenagers. You go to your neighbors, you invite them to come to the Fall Festival. You decide you're gonna get engaged. If we use the Bible as our pattern, there's some things we should be prepared for. We should be prepared for some opposition. We should be prepared for some people that say yes and some people that say never. We should be prepared for some pushback from authorities. It could be at work, it could be an HOA, it could be whatever. We should expect, that seems to be a part of the deal. And we should expect that we're not always gonna just understand fully.
Luke's not done. Verse 51, "As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven," this is Luke chapter 9. We got lots of chapters to go. This is the third time in chapter 9 he's talked about Jesus and the fate that awaits him in Jerusalem. See, by this point in the narrative, the disciples aren't beginners. This isn't like month one or month two. They've been with Jesus for months and months now.
In three years of public ministry, they're in the final lap, the home stretch. "And as the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there didn't welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem".
Galilee is in the north, Jerusalem is in the south. If you take the most direct route over the mountains of Israel, that's where the Samaritans lived. And Jesus has taken the most direct route this time, so they stop at a Samaritan village. He's done it before, you know, the parable of the good Samaritan. There's a number of places, but in this instance, the Samaritan village didn't welcome him. The woman at the well that Jesus told had been married multiple times was a Samaritan village, and that village did welcome him that day, but not this day.
Again, Luke doesn't let us get very far away from the rejection that Jesus has to process. "Jesus, you healed on the wrong day. We don't like your message. We're afraid of who you are and your message is too disruptive. You go away". This time, it's a Samaritan village and they don't want him to stay. "When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked the Lord, 'Do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them"? What a happy lot they are. "But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village".
Now, again, I think it's significant. This is the third time in Luke chapter 9 that there's been mention made of Jesus ending his time on earth as time approached for him to be taken up to heaven. It doesn't describe that Jesus's life was almost over. It isn't described as if his existence is about to stop. It's very clearly being presented that Jesus has a certain amount of time, a finite amount of time, for his journey under the sun. But when that's done, he's transitioning back to where he had come from. We've been talking all through the Gospel of Luke about his presentation of these more than one dimension. We live pretty flat lives. We get so caught up in here and now, and Luke says, "He's just about done here".
And they're hurrying to Jerusalem where he's got this horrific fate. And the disciples have this kind of bad experience with the folks in Samaria. What intrigues me is they understand judgment by this point. They've listened to Jesus pronounce judgment on towns and communities. They've seen his judgment come up on people and they've been given, at the beginning of this chapter, power and authority and they've been praying for the sick and casting out demons and they turned to Jesus and said, "Should we call some fire down"? Wow. And Jesus said no.
They're changing verse 57, very next verse, "As they're walking along the road, a man said to him," to Jesus, "'I'll follow you wherever you go.'" We're about to be introduced to three individuals. Either asked to follow Jesus, or are given an invitation to follow Jesus. The man approached Jesus in this case. "'I'll follow you wherever you go.' And Jesus replied, 'Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.'" It isn't stated directly, but it seems to me that the implication is this man didn't choose to follow. Jesus said, "It's more difficult than you know. It's not simple".
Please don't give the gospel away as if it's something that's simple. If you're gonna follow Jesus with your life, it will take all you have. It'll take the best you have. It's free, but it's not cheap. It's available to everybody. It's not about your IQ or your bank account or your education or your social status, how sophisticated you may be or may not be. But if you choose to follow Jesus, there's no half measures. There's no lukewarm. That's the book of Revelation.
Jesus just says it flat out in Luke. He said, "If you're gonna follow me, you have to take up your cross every day. My disciples are cross carriers". And he's reiterating that theme here in chapter 9. He says, "Listen, you can follow me if you want to, but it's not a stable thing". But he's not done. "He said to another man, 'Follow me.'" This time, Jesus extends an invitation. "And the man replied, 'Lord, first let me go and bury my father.' And Jesus said, 'Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.'"
Gee, that wasn't very nice. "Would you teach a small group for me"? "Well, I've gotta do my father's funeral". "No, skip your father's funeral and come to my group". "Oh, pastor's is a little intense". Not exactly what's happening here, but the message is very similar to that. Again, it isn't stated explicitly, but it seems to me, at least my opinion, it's not clear if this man followed, but it doesn't seem that he did. Too engaged, too enmeshed in the things that were happening. Verse 61, "Still another said, 'I'll follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.' And Jesus said, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the service in the kingdom of God.'"
Again, it isn't stated explicitly, but it isn't clear, but in my opinion, doesn't seem this person followed either. Three different sets of reasons, somewhat slightly different circumstances, some initiate the request, others are invited. Clearly, no one's being rejected. They're just being, it's being acknowledged to them it isn't simple and you don't follow the Lord on your terms. You can't choose commandment one, three, and eight. We either submit to his Lordship in full, or he's not Lord at all.
Now, we grow up into that. Again, Luke is telling us the story. There are many interested, many may be even invited, but often they're unwilling to fulfill the commitment. When we get to Luke 10, it's gonna begin to change again. This time, the Lord appoints 72 and they're off to the races. They're gonna come back, excited and rejoicing. He said, "Even the demons submit to us in your name". Yeah, that's why I gave you power and authority back there. The 72 seemed to get some outcomes that the 12 struggled with. This grand adventure we're on, being the people of God, is not about sitting in church to fulfill a religious obligation so we can get on with the important things of our life, the things that we wanna do, the things that we look forward to.
What we're being invited to is to participate in an eternal kingdom that transforms our journey through time. And I think it begins by our willingness to say, "Lord, I wanna, I'm in," to raise our hands, "I'm willing to be changed. I'm willing to be different. I'm willing to walk a new path. I know everybody won't do this. Everybody won't go with us". It's very clear in the Gospel of Luke everybody's not going and it's very clear there are consequences when you question God and withdraw. Zechariah said, "How can this be"? And Gabriel says, "You just hush," for nine months.
So I wanna close with an invitation. What if we took seriously the beginning of chapter 9 where Jesus called his disciples and he gave them power and authority to do the business of the kingdom? No, it's not given to the casual inquirer, or the occasional visitor, but if you're willing to be a disciple, there is authority and power available to you. But I think we should begin by saying, "We're not really sure we've been that interested, we just wanna go to heaven". Because if you accept the authority and the power, then you've got to be willing to take that message to the people.
It's very clear the disciples don't understand. Jesus didn't say, you know, "I'll give you authority and power when you can pass the 600 question test". It's very clear they're having trouble processing what he's saying. They're in the midst of it, very much learning as they go. It's how adults learn. I'd like to pray for you. If you'd be willing to follow Jesus in a new way with a little different cadence, if you'd be willing to say, "I'll receive your authority and power into my life, not on my terms, on yours," for some, there will be some leaving behind required.
Some of us have stayed engaged in some things that we don't need to stay engaged in. But if you're willing, I'd like, if you'd be willing to say, "I'm in for that," well, just stand with me. We're not gonna put the cameras on. You don't stand if you don't want to because I believe the Lord takes you at your word. Those 12 changed the world. Imagine what would happen if the few 100 of us that are here tonight did? Wow. Let's use that little Quaker prayer. With our palms down to give to the Lord the things we need to give him, and then we'll turn them up to receive what he has for us.
Father, thank you for your Word, for its truth and power and authority. Lord, forgive us tonight. We come to lay down the pride and the arrogance, Lord, the self-righteousness, the ambivalence, the indifference. Lord, forgive us. We've had so much we haven't really had to depend on you. And, Lord, we come tonight to acknowledge it, but we want to be different. We wanna give you a place in our lives you've never held before, a place to your Word and your authority, to your spirit and our hearts. And we turn our hearts to you and our hands to you to receive the power and authority you said you would give as your disciples, as your followers, Lord. To not minister in our wisdom or our strength or our understanding or our insight, but to minister in the authority and the power of the living kingdom of God. May it be made evident in our hearts, in our homes, and our lives. Give us discernment and boldness, courage and wisdom. Lord, may we see expressions of your power in our generation. May you be glorified. May your name be exalted. May your kingdom be extended. Give us understanding beyond ourselves. We thank you for it. In Jesus's name, amen.