Have you ever gone on an international mission trip? Ever gone to another country for the purpose of telling others about the hope that is inside you because of the God who bled, died, and rose again for you?
Over the years of my life I have been blessed with many ministry opportunities on foreign soil. On those trips, I was able to see God do amazing things. In familiar environments we are tempted to trust in ourselves … when we are playing an “away game” we often have a more acute sense of our need.
At the end of the mission trips I was a part of, we often had a “debriefing.” The debriefing was a time to reflect on the trip with our team, recount the ways we saw the Lord work, and rehearse how to best share these experiences with others when we returned home. A short week-long mission trip may have a debrief that is little more than an organized conversation while waiting at the gate at the airport for the flight home. A longer mission trip may have a debrief that lasts a few days, since there is so much more to process.
But in my experience on mission trips, I have never seen the debriefing be more memorable than the trip! The post-trip meeting never exceeds the mission!
But my experience is not everyone’s experience. Take the mission trip that Peter, James, John, and the rest of the Apostles took in Luke 9:1-6. They went into all the Galilean region proclaiming the truth about Jesus and performing miracles in His name. In Mark 6:12-13 we learn that on their mission trip the disciples “proclaimed that people should repent” and “they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.” This was quite a trip! But beyond that summary statement in Mark, we know of no specific account of how things actually unfolded as they toured Galilee in Luke 9:1-6. Surprisingly, though, ALL 4 GOSPELS (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) record with great detail the DEBRIEF after the trip. As it pertains to the disciples’ mission trip in Luke 9, the post-trip MEETING did (in fact) leave a bigger mark than the MISSION! What makes this even more impressive is that the post-trip debrief is the only detailed scene in Jesus’ life that was recorded in all 4 Gospels, with the exception of events related to His crucifixion and resurrection.
What happened during this debriefing? Well, Jesus fed 10,000 – 15,000 people with just a few fish and loaves!
This Sunday, we will see how this famous event in the Gospels unfolds, and what Jesus was teaching the disciples (and us) through this miraculous display. See you Sunday in our 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 service at Wildwood Community Church as we explore Luke 9:10-17 in the 8th and final installment in the “Feeding the Flock” sermon series. We will worship, pray, study God’s Word, encourage one another, and share the Lord’s Supper together. See you there … and bring friends!