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Luke, 9:1-9, "Those Who Need Jesus" · Clifford Baptist

• 0:00
  Welcome to the September 20th sermon from Clifford Baptist Church, 635 Fletcher's Level Road in Amherst. Today's scripture is Luke, chapter nine, verses one through nine. And the sermon is entitled those who Need Jesus, delivered today by Pastor Jeffrey Campbell.
• 0:17
  Grab your Bibles, go to Luke chapter number nine, Luke, chapter number nine. As we meet together today, as we think about the question of the day, and that question is simply this.
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  Who needs Jesus?
• 0:31
  As I sat around and prayed with the deacons this morning, my prayer was, every one of us need Jesus.
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  And how do we see that from Scripture? And then how do we convey the message of Christ to this world and that the church is called to do that?
• 0:47
  And so we come to a critical point in the book of Luke. Those of you that have been faithful to study with us, we have completed eight chapters. That's only one third of the book that we are through.
• 1:00
  And as we open chapter number nine, we see a change as Jesus is going to now begin to involve the disciples in the ministry and the work that he is trying to do while he is here on the earth.
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  The biggest part for Jesus is now he is beginning to trust these men to do the work.
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  And there comes a time when. When God called men step up and go.
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  And I want to say this church, there's a time to be fed and ministered to, and then there's a time where the rubber meets the road that we're called to go. And we're called to put into action our faith.
• 1:43
  And so we're not called to just be a sponge for 20 years.
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  We're called to put into practice what we have been taught.
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  And that's what we see at the beginning of chapter number nine.
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  God still asks his people to share the good news, the gospel message to a world of people that are searching and starving for the news of Jesus.
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  When we consider our workplaces and our community and our families and our world, there are people in all areas of our life, including our own selves, that need Jesus.
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  And so we don't sit here today. As I've already accepted Jesus, I've got Jesus. I'm good. That's the wrong attitude.
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  It's the attitude, yes, I know Jesus. Jesus is my Savior, but I desire myself and my life to be more like him every day I of my life.
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  And so today we begin chapter number nine by watching Jesus begin to orchestrate ministry to the world.
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  Look at the first three verses with me. Luke, chapter number nine, verse number one.
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  Then he called his 12 disciples together, and he gave Them power and authority over all devils and to cure diseases.
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  And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. And he said unto them, take nothing for your journey, neither staves nor scrip, neither bread, neither money, neither have two coats apiece.
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  When we consider the question this morning of those who need Jesus, the first group of people that need Jesus, that I want you to see today.
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  The 12 who are sent, or who were sent, the 12 who were sent need Jesus.
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  Luke shows us why Jesus brought these men along with Him. He would need them in the work of ministry. Now, let's all get on the same page in this. It's not that we can do anything apart from God. Amen.
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  And God uses us in his ministry. And we are privileged to be a part of his work. God doesn't need us, but he uses us. And what we see here is God really doesn't need these 12. He could do it all Himself.
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  But God chooses to use these men to pour into their life and then to send them out into the world, knowing they are going to reach people for the name of Jesus. And we, with God's glory, He knows that his time on earth is going to become Limited. Chapter 9. We will get there. And so as Jesus is going to be rejected and he's going to suffer through the cross and he is going to be raised on the third day, he no longer will be on earth. There must be a remnant of people that will carry out the work of the Lord.
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  We're guilty of looking at our TVs and looking at our world.
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  Do we realize, Clifford Baptist, that we're the remnant?
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  We are the people that the Lord wants to use in our communities to touch their lives with the hope of Jesus Christ.
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  As Jesus gathers these disciples together. It's not a committee meeting.
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  You know, Baptists do meetings very, very well.
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  We got a committee for everything.
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  If we want to solve a nursery problem, we put together a committee.
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  If we want to fix the kitchen, we assign a committee to fix the kitchen.
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  Well, this is not a committee meeting.
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  View this as Jesus is bringing these 12 disciples in. I want you to view it as a commissioning service.
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  And here's what I want to tell you. Church. Maybe you need to view your committee assignments as a commissioning service as well.
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  When you see no matter what committee or what area you serve the Lord in the church, God is commissioning you in that area to serve him and to serve him faithfully.
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  As God calls this meeting together.
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  You see in verse number one, it's more than a calling Together, it's grouping of the 12 to get them on the same page and more understandably, with the same mind and the same heart. Not only does he call them, he gives them power and authority over devils and to cure diseases.
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  How many of you would like to say, lord, sign me up for that?
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  All right, now listen.
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  I've been a believer since I was 15.
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  I'm knocking on 30 years of being a believer.
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  And I'm going to tell you from the pulpit, I've never cast out a devil and I've never been the one to heal anybody.
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  But through prayer, we have a God that can do this.
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  But here I want you to see on scripture, these 12 have the power and authority from Jesus to tackle some of the things that they have already been dealing with, the disease and the demons. Now they have the power and the right ability to use that power in the name of Jesus.
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  Now we want to sign up for that. We think that sounds cool. Jesus used me in that way. But here's what happens. Jesus doesn't give us that power because he knows we would misuse that.
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  But these 12, they're given the power and authority that whatever comes along, that through their faith they can meet the needs of the people.
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  So these disciples are now able to cure disease. They have the power to drive out the demon. And we understand that this is a wonderful thing that Jesus has done. He's commissioning them to do this.
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  I want to share a verse of scripture that we're going to get to later on. From Luke 12, verse number 48.
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  To whom much is given, of him much shall be required.
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  That verse scares me to death because we have been trusted with so much.
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  We have been blessed with so much.
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  We live in a country that we don't have to worry about the freedom of religion. We're given that we can walk into a church and we can worship openly with other believers. Do you realize around the world there are people in homes filled fearing for their life but gathering because of the name of Jesus.
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  These 12 have been given a great power.
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  And Jesus expects them to use the power and authority in the right way to minister to people's lives.
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  But this isn't the most important thing that has happened in the meeting as Jesus continues on. Look at verse number two. It says he sends them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
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  He calls them, he equips them, and then from there he sends them out to do his work.
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  Maybe the most important thing that happens out of this meeting is he is sending now these 12 to preach the good news of Jesus Christ and to share that with the world.
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  And not only that, they are to heal the sick.
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  And so they are being sent out.
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  And when we understand that these disciples have an assignment that has been given by God, they have a God given ability and now they are sent out to do his work. But the last thing he says is don't take anything with you.
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  You don't need a staff, you don't need a bag, you don't need food or money. You don't need to take an extra change of clothes.
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  Can you imagine what they're thinking? Jesus, we've already left everything to follow you and now you're telling us we don't even need anything else.
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  And that's what Jesus is telling them.
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  I will take care of you, I will equip you, I will give you everything you need.
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  Nothing can stand in the way of these 12 as they depend on the Lord to provide their every needs.
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  They now become messengers.
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  Church. How do I translate that to us today?
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  No, we're not part of that close knit group of 12. But I believe that we are all disciples of Jesus Christ if we have faith in him.
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  And God has equipped us and gifted us in certain ways that we can minister to those with the hope that the gospel offers.
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  In doing that, in doing that, God is sending us out.
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  Have you ever viewed your life, your responsibility as not to continue to soak up and learn, but then translate that into ministry and go and tell what a message that we have.
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  There are people that need Jesus.
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  And I'm going to tell you this morning the closest people to Jesus needed him.
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  And I'm going to tell you today, the closest people to Jesus that I know, many of them sit in this room today. We need Jesus.
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  We need this direction.
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  We need his leadership on our life. We need him to open our eyes to see those who are lost and hurting that we can share the hope of Jesus with.
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  Today we don't sit in a place that we ask people to come to listen. The rescue squad. God bless our EMT workers.
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  The rescue squad does not go to work on the given day. They don't unlock the building and say, okay, swing the doors. Everybody who is sick, come on in now. They'll take you if you show up at the door.
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  But their job is to respond to the call.
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  They go out this morning at 5:30. When I unlocked this church, I didn't unlock it for you just to come in, I unlocked it that after we meet and after we worship, that we Respond with the gospel to the world.
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  Who needs Jesus?
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  I will stand at the front of the line and raise my hand as your pastor and say, I need Jesus.
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  We need Jesus, as we are believers in Jesus Christ, for him to lead us and to show us the way. But there's a second group in this passage that needs Jesus. Look at verses four through six.
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  And whatsoever house ye enter into there abide and thence depart.
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  And whosoever will not receive you when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. And they departed and and went through the towns preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
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  The second group of people that need Jesus are the towns who were seeking the towns who were seeking.
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  As Jesus sends out these disciples, he is sending them to villages.
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  And Mark tells us in his account that he is sending them in groups of two.
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  As they enter a town or they enter a village, someone will often show them hospitality, different day than what we live in. As they enter the town, there will be someone that greets them, offers, come and stay with me. Live here while you stay. Come and I'll take care of you. I will feed you.
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  And Jesus says, if someone offers you, receives you in that way, stay there.
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  And by staying there, you're saying this. You're not looking for a better place.
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  Now, I also know some of you probably been to some bad hotels before, right?
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  And in your mind, you know of that place, you won't go back. Now, that's not this account.
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  Jesus is saying, trust me. Remember, you're going. I'm sending you out. You're not taking anything extra. You're going to depend on me. I'm going to open doors of hospitality to take care of you. When you go into these villages and someone meets you, consider it done it for you.
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  Don't look for anything better.
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  And I know even in our culture today, we always want to look for the better.
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  We want to look for a better church, a better place to serve.
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  We want a better pastor. I want to be a better pastor.
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  But we got preachers that are church jumping churches because they want something better.
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  Don't take offense. We've got people that are jumping churches into pews because they want something better.
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  Jesus didn't call us to better.
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  He called us to faithfulness.
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  And here's what I want to tell you.
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  If God has planted you here, you be faithful here.
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  If God is taking you somewhere else, you better go and you better be faithful where the Lord is going to plant you.
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  Just because it's Bigger doesn't mean it's better, and it doesn't mean that's where God wants you.
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  And so today there are towns. And Jesus says, as you go into these villages with the gospel message, don't look for something bigger and better. You go and you stay where I put you.
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  Then in verse number five, he just says this. There are going to be some that when you go into their towns, they're not going to receive you. And here's what you need to do when you encounter that situation.
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  You dust the dirt, dirt off your shoes, and you continue on.
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  You don't have to stay there.
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  But in a sign, you dust that dust off and you keep moving as a testimony against them. What does it mean to shake the dust off your sandals?
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  Maybe you live in a house like mine. My wonderful wife is over there.
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  She taught me when we first got married, your shoes come off at the door in my house.
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  21 years later, my shoes come off at the door. Right. She trained me well. Why? Because there are things from the outside world she doesn't want inside her house.
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  And some of that could be grass and leaves and the. The dog mess or whatever.
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  She doesn't want to have to clean that stuff up.
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  Well, in biblical times, here's what happened.
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  When the Jews went into the gentile areas, they didn't want to bring that dust back to their city, so they would dust it off.
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  Jesus is not saying, turn your back on those that unbelieve. Turn back unbelievers.
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  Jesus is saying this. If you are met with rejection, that doesn't mean you stop and you run back home.
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  It means, I'm going to take care of you.
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  Even in rejection, even when people don't want to receive or hear what you have to say, I'm going to take care of you. You just dust the dirt off of your sandals and you move on.
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  Because there's work to do.
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  We see in Luke, chapter 10, verse 11. Flip a couple chapters real quick with me. I want to read Luke, chapter 10, verse 10, 11. He just says this.
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  But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say even the very dust of your city will, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you. Notwithstanding be sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
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  It's a message of this.
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  No matter when people don't want to hear what you say, there's a message to still tell people. There's a message to still preach in that city or to those people as you move along.
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  When we understand that the towns need Jesus, how many people are in Amherst County?
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  Roughly 32,000.
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  How many people are in Nelson County?
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  Roughly 15,000.
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  And here's what I want to say.
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  As we understand that our county, our village, our town, does our county need Jesus?
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  We can say yes, but listen, we can't say it standing in the church.
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  Y' all need Jesus and swing the doors open.
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  We are compelled by the Lord to go, to go and share the hope of Jesus with him.
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  Yes, we can understand that. Many in our community need to hear about Jesus. Many of them here is the fact. Many of them will not darken the door of a church.
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  Many of them are not going to open the Bible and read it.
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  But if you.
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  And if I walk with them in life, they are able to hear and to learn to understand about this Jesus.
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  That's how our life should operate.
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  And that's what he has prepared these 12 to do. To go to the towns to preach the gospel and if it's not received, move on. There are other people there.
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  Can I tell you a pastor's heart, and maybe you've experienced this as a believer.
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  It's hard when people don't want Jesus.
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  You cannot view that as a personal discouragement.
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  I don't want you to stand in front of somebody and start beating your shoes, okay?
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  But just make a mental note.
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  God, you're gonna have to work here.
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  You're gonna have to do a miracle here because I'm moving on.
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  Because there's other people that need to hear the message of Jesus.
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  Don't let one negative, no negative response or no stop you from doing what God has called you to do.
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  Not only do the 12 need him, not only do the towns need him, but the tetrarch needs Jesus as well. Look at verses seven through nine.
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  And Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him.
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  And he was perplexed because that it was said of him, of some that John was risen from the dead, and of some that Elias had appeared. And of others that one of the old prophets was risen again.
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  And Herod said, john, have I beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?
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  And he desired see him.
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  The third group that needs Jesus is the tetrarch who searches.
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  This is a buzz.
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  And I love this thought that the buzz around the town, the disciples are doing what they need to do. The town are hearing about Jesus. And that word reaches Herod.
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  Now, as we understand Herod, we understand or we address him as a king, but really he is a ruler over a quarter of his father's kingdom.
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  And that's why the Tetrarch name is there. He is, he is ruler over this area. And Herod, it now hears what's going on in his territory. He is hearing about this Jesus.
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  And as he hears about Jesus, he only hears about Jesus not because somebody mated into the palace or into his rank, into his area. It's because the disciples were faithful to do what God had asked them to do, what Jesus told them to do.
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  And so word reaches Herod now.
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  And as he hears, I want you to understand his emotions. Number one, I want you to see the word in the King James. Perplexed.
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  He's perplexed.
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  I want you to see in verse number nine that he's pondering a question.
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  Who is this?
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  Now he's on the search.
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  He wants to know as he's heard all the good things and all the good stories and the miracles and how great of a teacher and how great of a man I. I want to know who this is.
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  As Mark six records, Herod's troubled. He's perplexed.
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  He's trying to figure out, is this John the Baptist, is this Elijah, or is it another great prophet of God, who is it?
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  You know why John the Baptist kind of rubs him the wrong way here. He says, john, I have beheaded.
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  Now, what we know of Herod and John is Herod respected John the Baptist. The only reason that John the Baptist lost his life is because Herod went after his brother's wife.
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  His brother's wife's daughter wanted his head on a platter.
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  I don't believe that Herod really wanted to kill John the Baptist. Personally, I don't believe that. But he did it because that's what the daughter wanted.
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  That's what she asked for for her birthday present.
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  And so now the talk is going around and can you imagine Herod saying, it can't be John, can it?
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  I beheaded John.
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  It can't be him coming back, can it?
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  I would use the word paranoid here as he's trying to wonder, who is this man? What I am hearing is all good things, but who is behind it? The guilt is weighing on him. The trouble is weighing on him. And he says at the end in verse number nine, I desire. I want to see who this is.
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  Well, very quickly, here's what I want you to know.
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  The Gospel can go places you may not physically be able to go if you're faithful to share the Gospel. The good News, it will go far beyond your limitations because God is at work in it.
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  God took the work through the disciples to the palace.
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  Praise be to God.
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  But also I want you to see that the King has heard about Jesus and he desires to know more.
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  Here's the one thing that we need to understand. Once you hear about Jesus, you become responsible for for what you have heard.
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  I am what they call a mandatory reporter because of my job.
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  My job states that if I hear something that would endanger somebody's life, I've gotta tell them. I've gotta tell the authorities.
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  I'm a mandatory reporter. When you became a Christian, you became a mandatory reporter for Jesus Christ.
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  You need to report not only the good things that Jesus has done for you, but you need to report that to to the world.
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  When people hear about Jesus, you're not responsible anymore.
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  I'm going to say that again. When you do your part and when you share the gospel, you've done your part.
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  And I'm ashamed to tell you today that I believe there's blood on my hands because I have not spoke when God told me to speak.
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  I'm responsible for that.
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  I can't change that.
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  And there are some situations that when I stand before God, I just plead the blood because it's going to be his forgiveness that gets me through.
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  I know I should have and I didn't. I'm responsible.
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  But when I deliver the good news, God is at work and the people are responsible for what they hear.
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  King Herod on the pages of Scripture is now responsible for the good news of what he's hearing about Jesus.
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  The third thing I want you to see is he's confused. He has questions.
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  He's perplexed.
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  He's trying to figure out who this is.
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  Now, I want to say this. Maybe you're here today and you're not faithfully following the Lord Jesus as your Lord, as your savior. Listen, it's okay to have questions. It's okay to try to figure out the right answers. It's okay. But you've got to ask them.
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  You can't sit there and have those questions and expect them to go unanswered.
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  If you're here today and you have questions about Jesus being your savior, poke somebody neck beside you and say, what can you tell me about this?
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  If you can't answer that, you run it up the chain. You come to me, you come to some other trusted teacher or leader in this, we will get you an answer.
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  It's okay to have questions before you make a decision. But once you hear about Jesus, you. You are now responsible.
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  We leave our sermon today with the King, Herod, wanting to meet Jesus.
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  Can I tell you something he does, you know the day that he meets Jesus, the day that Jesus is crucified, he longed for it.
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  He desired.
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  He wanted to meet the man.
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  And Herod got his opportunity. Face to face with Jesus.
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  And you know what he did?
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  He made fun of him.
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  He scorned him.
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  And so today, when we are confronted with the reality of Jesus, there's some people that we've learned from Scripture today that are just going to brush him off.
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  Don't take that as an offense.
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  How do you need Jesus today?
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  That's my question. It's not a question of if you need Jesus, it's how do you need him?
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  Believer today you need him in a time of encouragement, of direction, of leading your life.
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  But how many of us today will understand as believers that it's not our responsibility now to be messengers of the good news of Jesus Christ as we leave this place?
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  Will believers, will you pray for the Herods in your life?
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  The people that are searching, the people that have questions, the people that want to know more?
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  Will you be the messenger to those people today? If you are here and you don't have Jesus Christ as your Savior, I can't set the table without inviting you to the bread of life.
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  And that is this.
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  Jesus Christ indeed loves you.
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  He loves you enough that God Almighty would put the sin of the world upon his shoulder.
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  God of the world would crucify his only son to bear the punishment and the penalty of your sin and of my sin that we can be forgiven in the eyes of a holy and righteous God.
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  And when you look before God and you say, God, I understand that I'm a sinner.
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  I'm turning from that and I'm turning to you to lead my life. Forgive me and allow me to follow you faithfully all the days of my life.
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  The Lord will save you. He will change your life today.
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  If you need Jesus in that way, you are now responsible for my prayer. Is the Holy Spirit will work in your life that you know that. Yes, I need Jesus.
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  Praise God today that we leave this place together, knowing we need Jesus. This is our benediction.
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  Verse Number six.
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  And they departed and went through the towns preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
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  Jesus can do those things through us.
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  Let's pray, Father. Today as we come to a time of invitation, Lord, we know that this is not in our own power, on our own strength, but by your Holy Spirit. Lord's leading we pray that you guide these moments Lord I pray Lord that you will minister and speak to the hearts today of the believers that are holding on to a message of Jesus holding on to the good news and not sharing it not living it out not proclaiming it with their life.
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  God through conviction will you bring us to our knees understanding Lord that we've fallen short Lord we depend on you for opportunities to share that good news God today will you minister to the hearts of those that are hurting Lord that Jesus is the answer the ones that need you as Savior God go before and minister to those hearts and as well God we give you this time of invitation God minister to us directly we pray through your Holy spirit Meet us here we pray in Jesus name Clifford Baptist Church invites you to join us for worship every Sunday morning at 11am for more information about our church please call our church office at 434-946-6055.