Last Sunday, over 4500 women and a few hundred men gathered together for the national convention of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League. Among other things, they voted on where to send $1.8 million in grants throughout the world for missions.  One of the most memorable things I remember hearing was from one of the invited speakers, Rev. Dr. James Lamb, director of Lutherans for Life.  He was speaking to the LWML about the work of Lutherans for Life and how they try to equip normal, everyday people to be faithful witnesses to Christ in life and death issues.  He explained nicely what Lutherans for Life was trying to do: "Get the pious posteriors of God’s people out of the padded pews into the public square with the proper motivation."

There you have it.  That’s what the Gospel reading for today is all about.  Jesus commissions His Twelve Disciples to do just this.  As the Twelve Disciples went out into the world, they had to rely solely upon the good will of the people that they came across and the provision from God. They go out two by two, preaching repentance in the stead and by the command of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is nothing else than the preaching that John the Baptist and Jesus Himself proclaimed concerning the Kingdom of God.  This probably scared them, for at the beginning of Mark 6 we hear of Jesus’ not so warm welcome in his hometown of Nazareth, the offense they took at Jesus, and how He could hardly do anything because of the ramped unbelief of those there.  And now Jesus is telling them to go out with the same word, to do the same work, and to expect the same response. 

Now, our text doesn’t say how they were received as they went out.  It doesn’t give us an idea of who received them and who rejected them.  Most likely, that’s on purpose.  The point is that they were sent out by Christ to proclaim the Word of Christ and to depend upon Him to provide for them in doing this.

The Lord is still doing this. He sends pastors out to serve God’s people with His Word and Sacraments. He sends those wet with Baptism and fed with the body and blood of Christ out into the work place, into the home, into the schools, with the same Gospel. That is why we get our pious posteriors out of the padded pews into the public square because we have the proper motivation-for Jesus’ sake, our sins are forgiven. And what are we to expect as we go?  The same treatment that Jesus received – the cross, and the glory of God.

We live in a culture, in a country, that legalizes sin over and over again.  You, the Church, the bride of Christ, are sent out into the world that is hostile, that is frustrated, that is angry, that is dead in their trespasses and sin, that is lost in despair and hopelessness for this life and eternity.  And the worst part is, so many don’t even realize it!  This is the world in which we live.  This is the culture in which we find ourselves.  Lord, have mercy.  Some will receive you as you go in the name of Christ. Some will reject you as you go in the name of Christ.

But do not lose heart.  We have a word of hope that the world does not have and does not want, but desperately needs.  And though the world will take offense, may shun, chastise, hate, and reject, the Word of the Lord remains forever.  The preaching of repentance will be proclaimed in connection to faith in Jesus Christ.  Repent, for the kingdom of God has come in the advent of Christ. This Christ has been crucified. Christ has shaken off the dust of death, for He is risen.  No matter how great the sin, no matter how evil the heart, Christ died for sinners.  This is the same word that the Twelve were sent out with.  We share that Word with the prayer simply that the Holy Spirit would work through the Word of Christ, to create and sustain faith.

This is the beauty of it all.  The power is in the Word, used by the Holy Spirit, spoken by the lips of sinners to sinners.  The Word brings to the font to the altar into the world to proclaim the Word which brings to the font to the altar and then into the world… This is how it worked for you.  Who was it in your life whom God sent to you with this saving Gospel?  Your parents?  Your spouse?  Your boyfriend or girlfriend? A friend, a coworker, a pastor, a teacher, a student.  Whomever it was, you have heard the preached word of Christ.  The Holy Spirit has called, gathered, enlightened, and sanctified you.

The Lutheran Hour gets this right.  The Lutheran Hour is the longest running religious radio broadcast in the world. Does anyone here remember what their motto is?  “To bring Christ to the nations and the nations to the Church.”  That could be a motto of every Christian.  When you leave this place this morning, you don’t go alone.  Jesus does not send you out by yourself nor ill equipped.  But He sends you out with His Spirit, equipped with His Word. Get your pious posteriors out of the padded pews into the public square because we have the proper motivation—Christ died to save sinners. Christ is risen.