Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

 ³  And He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money;  and do not even have two tunics apiece.

 ⁴  “Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that city.

 ⁵  “And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”

 ⁶  Departing, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.”  Luke 9:1-6. 

It is amazing that the twelve disciples, with no provisions, could go out and preach the gospel “everywhere”.  It reminds me of the parable of the mustard seed.  “And He said, “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it?  “It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil, yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR can NEST UNDER ITS SHADE.”  Mark 4:30-32. 

Thus, not only were the twelve disciples proclaiming the kingdom of God, they were presenting it.

If the twelve disciples carried great provisions, then it could be argued that their success was based on their provisions.  But, if the twelve disciples carried no provisions, then their success would more likely be attributed to the power of the kingdom of God.

“And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.  For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.  I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.”  1 Corinthians  2:1-5.

So, we preach the kingdom of God based on what Jesus Christ did on the cross:  “limited atonement”.  And, we don’t try to make up for it by great provisions and a great (but fabricated) story that Christ died for everyone and that, in effect, the kingdom of God is ultimately based on man’s free-will.  

So, we present the kingdom of God as “the wind blows”.  “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”  John 3:8. 

So, we present the kingdom of God as “the seed grows”.  “And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil;  and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows–how, he himself does not know.  “The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.  “But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”  Mark 4:27-29.

The examples of “the wind blows” and “the seed grows” not only illustrate the fact that we don’t know whom will be saved, those examples illustrate “irresistible grace”.  

This is God’s kingdom.  This is God’s work.  Yes, as Jesus sent out His disciples, we are sent out into the field to preach and present the kingdom of God.  And yes, we are called to faithfully and skillfully preach the Word of God.  But, let us keep first in mind God’s sovereignty and power in accomplishing His purpose.  “Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?”  Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”  John 6:28-29.