When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going!

8th Sunday after Pentecost, 7/15/18
Mark 6:7-12


When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going!
I. Under the care of the Father
II. With the power of the Son
III. Blessed by the working of the Holy Spirit


There was a time not too long ago when General Motors had a dominate presence in the Miami Valley. Thousands upon thousands of area residents made their living in one or more its plants scattered throughout our region. Not any more. Not a single GM or Delphi plant is left. Times got tough for GM and GM got going. It left.

Same thing with NCR. One hundred years ago it was known as “The Cash,” dominating the cash register market. But cash registers began disappearing 40 yea
s ago. Times got tough for NCR and it got going, all the way to Atlanta.

Most recently, something similar happened with Elder-Beerman, which had its roots in downtown Dayton. Not anymore. Times got tough in the retail business. Elder-Beerman got going…right out of business.

But that’s the way things are. Things get tough at times.

Even in kingdom work. Even in Christianity. But in Christianity, tough times mean the tough get going, during kingdom work.

This morning’s text is from Mark 6. How familiar are you with that chapter of the Gospel of Mark? Let me help you. The little breath of fresh air we have before us in this morning’s account is sandwiched by two brutal kingdom-work accounts. Tough times indeed. Just before our account, Jesus preaches in the synagogue of his hometown and these people, who have known him for decades, thoroughly reject him as the Messiah. Tough times.

And immediately after this account? We listen in horror as Herod decides to honor his sinful oath and beheads John the Baptist. On hearing of it, Jesus was crushed. Tough times.

If you were Jesus, what would you have done? Closed up shop and moved to Mexico or China? Relocated your base of operations to Atlanta? Run an announcement in the Galilee Gazette declaring that you’re going out of business?

Maybe we would, but not Jesus. Instead, he multiplies his efforts times 12. He did that knowing full well what he was up against and who he was up against. Because that’s what Jesus does. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Jesus doesn’t leave his ministry behind; he redoubles his efforts. And wonder of wonders, Jesus uses us to do that very thing. He calls us into his service. Let’s see what that’s all about.

Part I.

It’s the time of year when people take trips. Have you taken one? Are you about to? If so, how do you prepare to take one? Well, you might hold your mail, ask a trusted neighbor to keep an eye on your property, and then begin packing what you’ll need—usually some luggage crammed with clothes. If you plan to go to a remote place, you might even need to purchase and transport a week’s worth of food. It’s just the smart thing to do.

But notice Jesus’ instructions to his disciples. “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town.”

First, he tells them what to take and what not to take. No extra clothes. Just one pair of sandals. No money. No money? That sounds foolish, even for Bible times. What if you need to buy something, even something essential? Jesus said, “No money.”

And he also instructed them about their accommodations. Enter a town, accept the hospitality of a generous, caring resident and stay there the entire time. Why? Jesus didn’t want them hopping around town looking for the best accommodations. That would bring shame to their kingdom work.

But isn’t this rather reckless? The disciples had no idea what they would face and what they would need. But their Father in heaven knew. Just as Jesus trusted his heavenly Father every day of his work on earth, so he wanted to teach his disciples that they, too, needed to trust their Father in heaven for everything. Even in tough times.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going, under the care of the Father.

Raise your hand if you have never worried about anything in your life. At least we’re all honest. Not proud, but honest. Truth is, we worry about all sorts of things, even some of the small things in life. We worry, even though our Father in heaven has commanded us to put our complete confidence in him for everything. That doesn’t mean we don’t use our God-given brains. Nor does it mean we can be reckless. It simply means that we need to trust him. But we don’t. Not the way we should. In fact, because of our sinful nature, we can’t, not even when doing the tough work of kingdom work. We doubt our Father even when it comes to doing the work of sharing his gospel with others. But that’s what makes us so qualified to do his work. We know what it’s like to sin, and we know what forgiveness is all about. It comes from our faithful God through our Savior, Jesus Christ. So let’s get going, under the care of our Father.

Part II.

It seems to me that the busier we get, the more we gravitate towards the amazing. Am I right? You have your mobile device in your hand. If what’s in front of you at the moment doesn’t grab your attention, you give the screen a swipe, hoping to land on something amazing. You don’t have time to watch the ordinary.

I don’t think the people living in Bible times were any different. Listen to what Mark wrote: “Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.” Jesus sent his disciples out to do the amazing. They were confronted with demon possession, but simply spoke the name of Christ and commanded the demons to leave and they did! They met people afflicted with diseases and sicknesses for which there were no cures at the time. They spoke the name of Christ and healed them. Amazing!

But don’t miss the source of power. In speaking the name of Christ they were invoking the almighty power of the Son of God—the very One who had called them to be his disciples and sent them out. The power was not theirs inherently; it came from Christ. In other words, as he sent them out, they went with his power.

Sure these were tough kingdom times. But when the going gets tough, the tough get going with the power of the Son.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if, in our tough spiritual times, we had the ability to do amazing things like the disciples did? Imagine the kind of attention we could draw. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could do a healing or two once in a while among us? Imagine how much that would encourage us. But don’t forget this: there are Christians who claim to do the miraculous and they draw derision not acclamation. Bottom line: we don’t need to do the amazing to accomplish what is difficult in our world today. We only need the word of our powerful Savior, Jesus Christ. But too often we don’t think that’s enough. We look for something more, something else. People of God, that word changed your heart and mine. It announces our forgiveness in Christ and brings us into an eternal relationship with him. Trust that word! Cherish it! Share it. That’s what the tough do when the going gets tough. They realize that they are going with the power of the Son.

Part III.

There’s an old saying: You only get out of it what you put into it. Whether that’s a personal project, a team sport, a musical or theatrical endeavor, or your schoolwork, that saying holds true. You only get out of it what you put into it.

But that’s not true with kingdom work. And when the going gets tough in kingdom work, it would easy for us to wave the white flag if it weren’t for the truth that we’re not the ones responsible for the results.

That’s the work of the Holy Spirit. These were tough kingdom times. Jesus faced rejection by his own townsmen and now one of the most powerful rulers in that part of the world just ended the ministry of one of the kingdom’s greatest workers. It would have been understandable if the disciples had told Jesus, “This isn’t worth it. Find someone else to help you.”

But they didn’t. And as the tough got out there and worked in tough times, their work was blessed by the Holy Spirit. In a later verse of Mark 6, we read, “The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught” (6:30). Their efforts met with kingdom success because of the blessing on the Holy Spirit.

That’s what the tough do when times get tough. They go out with the blessing of the Holy Spirit.

Too often it seems to us that we’re pretty much alone in this spiritual battle and we’re losing, not winning. It seems like things are getting tougher, not better, for Christians. Maybe so. I’m not sure. But I do know that when we go out into these tough times, we do so with the same blessing that these disciples had—the Holy Spirit. Ultimately, only he can change sinful hearts. We aren’t called to do that. But we are called into his service. He wants to use us. He will use us. Even in tough times.

So, how’s that going for you? Are you out in front, waving the Christian banner as you live your life and interact with your loved ones and friends? Or, are you invisibly waving a white flag of surrender at times—surrender to your sinful flesh that tries to wrestle you to the ground every day and beat you into submission? It’s easier that way, you know—to simply give in to tough times. But that’s not what we’re called to do and that denies what we’re empowered to do by Christ. Be assured of your forgiveness in him and find your comfort and strength in him—the One who went to Calvary’s cross in the toughest times of all.
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Let’s get out there, people of God! Amen.