Community Group Discussion Guide
Mark – Sending Out the Twelve
Icebreakers:

1. How would you describe the mission of the church in three or less sentences?
2. How is the declaration of the Gospel crucial to the over-all mission of the church?
3. What would be some of the characteristics of a “ministry” that was totally dedicated to the mission?

Scripture: Mark 6:7-13 NASB95
And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; [8] and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belt— [9] but to wear sandals; and He added, “Do not put on two tunics.” [10] And He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town. [11] Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.” [12] They went out and preached that men should repent. [13] And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.
 
Digging Deeper:  In this passage of scripture we see a foreshadowing of the Great Commission.  In Mark’s narrative, this is the first time Jesus sends his disciples out into the harvest to do the work of the ministry.  Jesus was already preparing them for the time when the spreading of the Gospel would rest on their shoulders. 
Read verse 7: [7] And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.

• Why was it important for Jesus to extend His authority to cover the ministry of the disciples?
• Read Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
• Jesus has been given all authority.  How does that authority extend to the ministry efforts of the church?

 
Read verses 8,9: [8] and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belt— [9] but to wear sandals; and He added, “Do not put on two tunics.”

• Why do you think that Jesus instructed His disciples to travel so lightly?

• How can a focus on logistics actually slow down the work of the ministry?

Read verses 10-13:  [[10] And He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town. [11] Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.” [12] They went out and preached that men should repent. [13] And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.

• Those who proclaim the gospel will face rejection.  Why do we hate to be rejected?
• Read: Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [11] “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. [12] Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
• How could persecution be considered a blessing?

Wrap-up: The disciples went forth in teams of 2, and they preached repentance, cast out demons and healed the sick.  This same pattern would once again surface after the Day of Pentecost, when the Church was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Community Group Discussion Guide: The Mission
Read: Matthew 28:18-20 “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Icebreakers:

• What age were you when you accepted Christ and how did it change your life?
• It has been said that "becoming" a disciple of Christ is a life-long process, in what areas of your life do you see transformation taking place?
  
• Could you, without reserve, declare, "Follow me as I follow Christ?"

Big Idea: When the Elders were pondering about how to determine and then articulate our Mission Statement as a church, we prayed about it and consulted scripture.  We asked the question, "Since Jesus is the head of the Church, what instructions did He deliver to us?"  The answer (for us) centered on a passage of scripture commonly referred to as the Great Commission from Matthew 28:18-20.  The Elders are convinced that Jesus' statement supplies us with our marching orders.  There was a second scripture that also impacted our Mission Statement.  Deuteronomy 6:4-9 details the greatest commandment and then emphasizes the importance of passing down this value to our children.  After carefully considering these two scriptures our Mission Statement reads as follows:  "We are dedicated to developing fully devoted followers of Christ in every generation."

Scripture Exploration:
Matthew 28:18-20 “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

1. What is the significance of Jesus declaring His authority before giving "us" the command to go and make disciples?
2. How can the local church involve itself in making disciples of all the nations?  (How can you personally get involved in world missions?)
   
3. Why is the "teaching them to observe all that I commanded you" portion of the Great Commission so crucial and important to the discipleship process?
   

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! [5] You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. [6] These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. [7] You shall teach them diligently to your children (sons) and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. [8] You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. [9] You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

1. How do we know that "loving God" is the greatest of all the commandments?  (Refer to Matthew 22:36-40)
2. What advice would you give a new convert as to how to put the greatest commandment into action?  (What does it mean to love God with all your heart, soul and might?)
3. ​There seems to be an extravagant effort that is required in passing down our spiritual heritage to the next generation.  What does the idea of "teaching them diligently to your children" mean to you?
   

Wrap-up: It is common for an organization to state what their mission is without walking in that mission.  At Believers Church, we sincerely want to organize around our stated mission and keep it in the forefront of our thinking as we organize and plan.  Please pray for the leadership of our church, and when needed remind us of the mission.

• What are some of the distractions that cause church organizations to veer off course?
• ​How can you actively involve yourself in the mission to make disciples?