“The Training of the Twelve” Pt. 1
Luke 9:1-11
December 14, 2025
It’s Christmas season. And there is a common question being asked these days: “Do we have enough?” E.g.,
- Do we have enough food?
- Do we have enough cookies?
- Do we have enough gifts?
- Do we have enough decorations (lights on the house, tinsel on the trees, etc.)?
- Do we have enough cash (to pay for everything)?
- Do we have enough time?
And the obvious answer to all these questions is an obvious, “No!” “We need more!” (like good Americans). A few days ago Raye Jeanne reviewed some of our Christmas gift purchases. She asked, “Is that enough?” “No” was my immediate reply. And then we talked about what more needed to be purchased.
There is a corollary question as we think about church and ministry — “do we have enough ______ (skill, endurance, wisdom, Bible, the Spirit) to do what God has called us to do?” And we are tempted to say, “No!” As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, we are aware of our inadequacy to preach the gospel to a dying world (2 Cor. 2:16)? But as Christ demonstrated to the disciples…
When the Son of Man sends His people on a mission, He gives them what they need for that mission.
As the title to my sermon indicates (and I borrowed it from A. B. Simpson), this passage is about Jesus training the Twelve (most of the chapter is about training). The disciples have been with Jesus for 1½ or two years and these are the first times that they are given tasks to do (Jesus is preparing them for His departure by giving them OJT). But even more, this chapter and this story is about the One who sends the Twelve on a mission; it’s about the nature and the character of the Sender, the Son of Man, revealed in three ways…
- The Mission of the One Who Sends (vv. 1-6)
- The Identity of the One Who Sends (vv. 7-9)
- The Results for the One Who Sends (vv. 10-11)
Download the rest of this sermon on Luke 9:1-11.
The audio will be posted on the GBC website by Tuesday.
Words of Grace 