We're going to turn to Luke 9. Now, during the ministry of our
Lord, while he was here in the flesh, he was continually demonstrating
his authority and his power. We believers know, we see and
know that in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And we see this and understand
he is our sufficiency. He's all that we need to stand
before holy God and be accepted of him in perfect righteousness. But the wicked and those yet
in darkness, they don't know this. They don't understand what
we see in the Lord Jesus Christ. And so his works, the miracles
that he did, were in demonstration that he has the authority and
the power to say the things that he was saying. concerning God
and concerning man's need for God to save him, to see that
man cannot save himself and provide a righteousness for himself.
And so these works that our Lord did made evident that he is indeed
sent of the Father for the salvation of his people, that he is indeed
the promised seed spoken of by God in the garden, when he declared
that promise of our hope and our salvation. Now the Lord had
been doing many wonderful works, many wonderful miracles among
the people. He healed any that were sick
with diseases. We see him healing those that
were vexed with unclean spirits. We see him healing people in
the synagogue with withered hands, or if they were in a house of
a Gentile centurion, he would heal them too. He would heal
the servant that was sick. And so he's demonstrating all
this time that he is indeed the Christ of God, sent of the Father
to save his chosen elect people, given to him of the Father before
the foundation of the world, scattered throughout the world.
Scattered throughout the world. And because he is God, manifest
in the flesh, his word is living. and full of instruction for the
church throughout all ages. Everything we're reading here
and seeing here is instruction and a word for us. It's not just
a historical word. Oh, that's nice to see what happened
then. No, this is for us and for our
learning and instruction. And so what we're going to see
here is our Lord send out his 12 disciples to preach the kingdom
of God and to heal the sick. And not only is our Lord preparing
his disciples for the ministry of the word, this is instruction
for the church today. This is for our learning and
our instruction. This is useful and needful for
us in every way as it was for them back then. So let's begin
in verse one. It says, then he called his 12
disciples together. Now Luke says it this way because
we had just been told at the end of chapter eight that he
had raised a damsel, a girl of about 12 years of age, from the
dead. And at that time, he brought
only Peter, James, and John into the house with him. But now he
calls all 12 of his disciples. And it uses the term there, disciples,
rather than apostles. He's worthy apostles, but he
says here, his 12 disciples. And I take that to mean that
this was not instruction just for them, but for us, his church
today, who are disciples of the true and living God. So verse
one, then he called his 12 disciples together. and gave them power
and authority over all devils and to cure diseases. And so
it's the Lord here that gives his disciples, he gives his church
power and authority over all devils, meaning all kinds of
devils, all kinds of trouble that the people have back then
and in our day. Whether they're mental struggles,
physical struggles, spiritual struggles from devils and being
troubled by an unclean spirit, it doesn't matter. All kinds
of devils, they had authority over them and to cure diseases. And so they went out being able
to do the works of the Lord. Those incredible works that Jesus
of Nazareth did in demonstration that God had indeed sent him
and that God had anointed him with the Holy Ghost, doing all
those works, he now gives that same power and authority to his
12 disciples. And that shows us, again, his
Godhead, that he can give this power. to whomsoever he wills. He can give salvation to whomsoever
he wills. Now today, what these disciples
were able to do, when we look at that and we read that, we
think, that seems very foreign. Or that would be great if we
had that kind of power and authority to cast out devils and and heal
people of their diseases. But the truth is that this power
and authority is still given to the church this very day,
as it was done back then, so it is right now. Now, we may
not see devils being cast out of people in the form and manner
that they're described here in the scriptures, or that diseases
are being taken away before our eyes. and that the lame are walking
and people are being healed right away before our eyes in that
manner. Some things, understand, these
things were necessary because the New Testament was being established
then. All things were being new. God
was making very clear to the people that he was bringing in
a new covenant. He was manifesting and declaring
and revealing how that God saves by grace, and that he's always
saved by grace and the giving of his spirit, that we've always
been redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
how all of God's disciples are saved from the beginning of time
until now. And so he was demonstrating that
this was of God. Nicodemus said, we know. that
you are of God, because no man could do the things that you're
doing except God was with him. And that's why they were listening
to him, because he was doing things in demonstration of the
spirit and of power. He clearly had the authority
to say the things that he was saying. And so as he was establishing
the church, and the apostles did these same works in the establishing
of the church, because that's what was needed. People needed
to hear this word, to stop what they were doing, to stop trusting
in their vain dead works, thinking that this was their acceptance
with God, be turned from that to hear the word of the true
and living God. And so as you read the scriptures
and you're seeing the churches be established throughout the
world, you begin to hear fewer and fewer things about these
healings and these miracles. There was less and less of a
dependence leaning on those physical healings and those physical deliverances
before everyone's eyes. And what you start hearing more
and more of is a greater leaning on the power and the authority
of the word. That's what you begin to see
more clearly. You see this dependence on and this boasting in the power
and the authority of the word of God, that word preached. Isaiah
said this, the grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word
of our God shall stand forever. And then Peter added this, saying,
and this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. The word. The word. And with that in mind, let's
read Luke 9, verses 1 and 2. Then he called his disciples
together. and gave them power and authority
over all devils and to cure diseases. And verse 2 amplifies, further
explains verse 1, and he sent them to preach the kingdom of
God and to heal the sick. That's the same thing. And he's
explaining that the authority and the power over unclean spirits
and devils is through the preaching of the kingdom. What is the preaching
of the kingdom? Look down at verse six. And they
departed and went through the towns preaching the gospel and
healing everywhere. It's the preaching of the gospel.
That's what our Lord has given his church. to preach, to proclaim
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, to this day,
the church has this power and authority from her Lord over
all devils, all kinds of troubles, whatever your trouble is. Christ
is the answer. Christ is the one who heals.
Christ is the one who saves. Christ is the one who delivers
his people regardless of your trouble, regardless of the devil,
the unclean spirit, your sin, your darkness, your bondage,
whatever it is, Christ is the answer. He's the one who heals
his people of all their diseases. He's our God and Savior. Don't
trust in man. Man can't save you. God in God
alone saves his people from their sins and all their troubles.
He gives this power and authority over all devils and curing the
diseases of the people, and it's accomplished through the preaching
of the gospel. Meaning, Christ is sufficient
for you that believe. Regardless of whether your physical
ailments change, Regardless if a limb grows back or not, we
are satisfied in the Lord Jesus Christ for what he has done for
my soul. This is a brief vapor of a life. And the troubles we have today
can't be compared with the glory of the Lord that we have in him.
And it's a demonstration of His grace and power, that even though
we still suffer and struggle with the sufferings of this flesh,
and the diseases, and the persecutions, and the ailments, and everything
else that troubles us, that even though these things are so, yet
by faith and grace and His power, yet I praise Him and glorify
Him. Not because I'm something, but
because His grace through the Lord Jesus Christ is everything,
is everything. So that you, who yet suffer in
the flesh, yet rejoice in Christ, are a trophy of his grace, a
demonstration of his power and authority over you. And you say,
it's fine, Lord. If this is the lot you've given
to me, so be it, Lord. Only keep me by your grace, and
don't let me go. Because that's the thing most
needful. and what I need right here. So this is the business
of the church. This is what Christ is saying.
Make this your business. You preach the gospel. Wherever
you go, you lift up and exalt the Lord Jesus Christ, the light
of men, preach the gospel because that's your business. That's
what I've given you my church to do. Proclaim me. This is the
commission which Christ gave to his church. just before he
ascended to the Father, where he sits now at the right hand
of the throne of God, in session right now as our king, our sovereign,
our all. He rules over heaven and earth
right now, right now. Now turn over to Acts chapter
1. I want to show you that this is our business. This is the
commission. This is what he's given to the
church. Acts 1, verse 6. When they therefore were come
together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this
time restore again the kingdom to Israel? So here it is. Our Savior has risen from the
dead, and they still don't get it. They're still looking for
an earthly kingdom. Their eyes are still fixed on
this earthly kingdom here of Israel, where they would rule
over the Gentiles. And Christ says to them, verse
7, he's so gracious, he said unto them, it is not for you
to know the times or the seasons which the father hath put in
his own power. That's for the father to decide. That's for him to do and work
out howsoever it pleases him. That's in his power. But here's
what I'm giving you to do as my church. This is the power
and the authority I'm giving to you. He says, ye shall receive
power. After that, the Holy Ghost is
come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me. You're my witnesses. This is
your business, not setting up an earthly kingdom for Israel,
but to preach and proclaim me and what I've done to save you.
You're witnesses of me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea,
and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. So that's our business. That's our calling. That's what
the church is here in the earth to do, to be witnesses of the
Lord Jesus Christ through the preaching of the gospel. All right, so what does that
look like? What are we witnesses of here? How are we Christ's
witnesses in the earth? Turn over to Luke 24. This is
the last chapter in Luke. This is detailing the great commission
which Christ gave to his church. It's after he's risen from the
dead and appearing to his disciples, and he's about to ascend to the
Father. And this is what he says to them
in verse 44. He said unto them, these are
the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you,
that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law
of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms concerning
me. Concerning me. He's saying this
book, from beginning to end, has one message. And that message
is the Lord Jesus Christ and his redemption. What he does
to save his people from their sins, it's all in Christ. And this whole book, from beginning
to end, is testifying of Christ's redemption. Now you might say,
well, what do you mean? I can go in here and this tells
me how I'm supposed to live, what I'm supposed to do, what
I'm supposed to not do, how I'm supposed to be a good person,
how I'm supposed to get myself saved. No, it's not. It's testifying
of Jesus Christ and what he did to accomplish the salvation of
his people, the whole thing. Then, verse 45, opened he their
understanding that they might understand the scriptures. When you open this book, wherever
you are, and the Lord shows you Christ's redemption, that's understanding
the scriptures. When you open this book and you
see a how-to manual, how to get yourself saved, that's not understanding. That's wicked works. That's unrighteousness. But when it all testifies of
Christ, now you have understanding of what God is saying to us throughout
the whole book. whole book that's that now you
have the key to the whole book of the scriptures oh it's testifying
of Christ right the scriptures Galatians 322 the scriptures
hath concluded all under sin that's why when you read it everyone
it records their sin whether you're looking at Adam or Noah
or Abraham or David we see these men are sinners just like me,
that we might hear faith, that we might hear Christ and stop
looking to what I'm doing and start beholding and seeing what
has Christ done. That's the salvation I need.
He's saved his people from beginning to end. And so So he says, this
is your witness here. Look at verse 46. And said unto
them, thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer
and to rise from the dead the third day. And that repentance
and remission of sins, forgiveness of sins, should be preached in
his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses
of these things. This is what we're witnesses
of, of what Christ did. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son
of God, came into the world in the likeness of this flesh. God
manifest in the flesh. Why? Because in Adam, all died. We're all sinners. Every one
of us is a sinner in Adam. And we therefore cannot work
a righteousness under the law, or in religion, or in good works,
whatever it is. We can't work a righteousness
that reconciles us to holy God. We can't do it. And so the Lord
is testifying of that fact throughout his word. And it's only in Christ
that we see and understand, I can't save myself. Lord, save me, help
me. Look upon me, Lord, help me,
because I cannot work a perfect righteousness. I try, I strive,
I labor, I spend, I sacrifice, and I can't save myself. Lord,
have mercy and save me. And he does through the Lord
Jesus Christ. So Christ came as the Lamb of God. John the
Baptist said, behold, the Lamb of God which taketh away the
sin of the world. That is, his people scattered
throughout the world. He, that means he's the surety.
He said to the Father, Put them in my hand. If I don't come back
with all whom you gave to me, put it on my account. Hold me
responsible. And the father committed the
whole church into the hand of his son, and he came and accomplished
our redemption. He accomplished our salvation. He went to the cross, not for
his own sins, but because we are sinners. And he paid the
price. As our shorty, he bore the sins
of his people on the tree and propitiated the wrath of God
which was against us. Meaning, that just wrath of God
which was against us for our sins, he turned it away from
us by bearing our sins. And God's wrath was poured out
on him. On him. And so he settled our debt. He
paid the price. to set his people free in his
life, in his power, rejoicing not in what I've done, but what
Christ has done for me graciously. And so he made peace between
God and his chosen people, who are the redeemed of the Lord. And God raised him from the dead
on the third day, justifying, declaring, all who trust him,
you're right. You are righteous. holy and you
stand before me without fault in the blood of my son and he
makes the salvation effectual in the hearts of his people through
faith how faith isn't of the flesh faith is a gift of God
he gives his Holy Spirit who forms Christ in us and we were
born of Adam's corrupt seed this corrupt seed this flesh can't
do anything But we are born again of Christ's incorruptible seed
so that we are new creatures. And in that new man, that's how
we believe Christ, in the work of God, to the praise and glory
of his name. This flesh can't glory in anything. Adam hasn't
done anything. Christ, the last Adam, he's done
all to save his people. And that's what he says here.
And he does that through the preaching of the gospel, taking
the things of Christ in the word, showing them unto you and making
them effectual in your heart. So that while another hears the
same thing, it does nothing for them, doesn't move them at all.
But to God's chosen seed, he makes it effectual in their hearts
and delivers them from bondage and death in Adam. takes us out
of that body of sin and makes us members of Christ's body as
new creatures in Him. And that's what he says in verse
49, last verse there. And behold, I send the promise
of my Father upon you, but carry ye in the city of Jerusalem until
ye be endued with power from on high. And so this power and
authority over all devils and to cure diseases is accomplished
in our midst through the preaching of the gospel in which God is
pleased to take of the things of Christ and make them effectual
in your hearts. Now, let me show you an example
of this preaching by the Apostle Paul in Acts 13. In Acts 13, and we're going to pick
up in verse 35, but if you're reading it later, you can go
back to, say, verse 22, or even the whole chapter, if you will.
But Paul's there declaring to the Jews in the synagogue, he's
saying that this Christ, this Jesus of Nazareth, came in fulfillment
of the promised seed of God. But he was rejected by the Jews,
who then took him according to God's will and purpose. But they
did it in wickedness, with wicked hands, and they crucified the
Lord, the Lord of glory. He died and was buried, but God
raised him from the dead. Now regarding that resurrection,
he goes to the Psalms and shows them that the Psalms are writing
of Christ. He says in verse 35, wherefore
he saith also in another psalm, thou shalt not suffer thine holy
one to see corruption. That's from Psalm 16, verse 10. David wrote that psalm. But he's
showing David wasn't writing of himself. He was moved by the
Holy Ghost. to see Christ and Christ's suffering
and Christ's resurrection. And so in verse 36, for David,
after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep
and was laid unto his fathers and saw corruption. David saw
corruption. So how could he write this? But
he whom God raised against saw no corruption. He's saying he
saw. He had understanding. He was
led of the Spirit, and he wrote of Christ, testifying of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Be it known unto you, therefore,
men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you
the forgiveness of sins. We're not talking about Moses. We're not talking about what
you need to do to save yourselves. We're talking about what God
did in sending his darling son who obtained our forgiveness,
who reconciled us to God and atoned for our sins by the death
of himself. And by him, all that believe
are justified from all things from which he could not be justified
by the law of Moses. And so, like the testimony of
scriptures reveal, the church faithfully, continually preaches
this gospel because this is what our Savior has given us to do,
to be witnesses of Him, to proclaim Him, to speak of what He's done
and is doing in saving His people from their sins. And that's how
the devils are cast out. All the false ideas we have of
God, that's false devil, that's unclean spirits. Thinking that
we save ourselves by our works, that's a lie. Trusting out, having
confidence in his flesh, trusting that, well, I did my best and
God will accept it and he'll make up the rest. No, all of
salvation is by the Lord Jesus Christ. And without Him we cannot
be saved and it's all of Him. And through the preaching of
Christ that's how these walls and towers and ideas and bulwarks
of the flesh are torn down and brought to nothing. And we stand
before God naked in ourselves but clothed in Christ. clothed
in his righteousness. And so it's through the preaching
of Christ. It's a word, it's a work of our
God's grace given through the gift of the Holy Spirit to reveal
and manifest in us those that were given to Christ before the
foundation of the world. He manifests faith in us. That's
why Paul said, we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto
good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk
in them. He bears that fruit. Now, just
quickly, let me read the, get through the next couple of verses,
and that'll, we'll close. Verse three. He said unto them,
take nothing for your journey. Neither staves nor scrip, neither
bread, neither money, neither have two coats apiece." And the
sense here is that he's breaking his disciples' dependence on
the flesh for our success. He's saying, you don't need these
things in the flesh. I'll give you everything that
you need. Everything. Take nothing for
your journey. And he's saying, I'll provide
for you. So he's saying, you only need one walking stick,
right? That was common. There was nothing wrong with
having a walking stick to help you on your journey. But he said,
don't bring staves. You don't need two, because if
they had multiple, it was for defense and their protection.
He's saying, you don't need to protect yourselves. I'll protect
you. He said, don't bring a script. A script was a bag. It was like
a shepherd's bag in which you could put things that you would
need for the journey. He said, you don't bring a script.
You don't need that. I'll provide the things that
you need on your way. Don't bring bread, because Christ,
the bread of heaven, will give you all that you need. He'll
satisfy you. He's all the righteousness you
need. Declare him. Show him. I'll deliver my people
out of death. Neither money, neither have two
coats apiece. In other words, it's not your
impressive looks. It's not you looking like you're
something or somebody or have some wealth, that there's something
that can be gained if, oh, maybe I'll follow him, and I'll be
like him. And I'll have two coats, and I'll have the things that
I need. No, that's not. If you lean on the flesh, you're
going to attract the flesh. If you do all the things, the
gadgets and the gizmos of the flesh, you're going to attract
the flesh. But if you come poor in spirit, having no confidence
in the flesh, You're going to attract those that are broken
and weak and poor and cast off by this world, those whom the
father gathers and is pleased to reveal his son in. That's
who's going to come, people that are hungering and thirsting for
righteousness in Christ, because they have no righteousness of
their own. And so our Lord said, my sheep
hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And that
brings us to verse 4 and 5. Luke 9, 4 and 5. Whatsoever house
ye enter in, there abide, and from there depart. And whosoever
will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off
the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. In other words, it's not your
business to make people believe, you just Preach the truth. Don't
alter the gospel. Don't change it. Don't massage
it. Don't make it so it fits better for them or try to make
it more palatable to a sinner. You can. Trust God to make it
effectual in the hearts of whom he will save. Trust him. He'll make it plain, them that
are his. And the way you'll know it is they'll believe. Because
that's how he manifests those that are his. He gives them faith.
And they come out of darkness and bondage. And the rest are
left in dead and trespasses and sins. He makes it known. And
so having been instructed by Christ, verse 6, they departed
and went through the towns preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. It's a very simple construct.
It's just preaching the simplicity of Christ, trusting God will
make that word effectual. By his power and authority and
demonstration of that power and authority, he calls sinners out
of darkness into light. And I close with what Paul said.
To the Corinthians, he said, I, brethren, when I came to you,
came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto
you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know
anything among you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified. We're witnesses of these things,
brethren. This is our business. This is what we're called to
do, and I pray that God is pleased to demonstrate his power and
authority through the world. Amen.