At Gateway Austin we continued our series through the life of Jesus called Homecoming.
Jesus didn’t call perfect people with perfect résumés—He called ordinary people with ordinary struggles to carry His extraordinary mission. In Luke 9, we see His invitation to go “all in” for the Kingdom of God: to live with courage, sacrifice, and faith that He is more than enough. In this message, we unpack:
- Why the Kingdom of God disrupts how the world measures value
- How God empowers everyday people to live on mission
- What it means to travel light and trust Jesus one more time
Whether you feel disqualified, overlooked, or not enough—this is your reminder: God can use you, right where you are. 📖 Scripture: Luke 9:1–6
Digging Deeper
Work through the discussion questions with your community group, your roommates, or your family.
Message Video:
Message Notes from Dr. Marcus “Goodie” Goodloe:
“When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, And he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: “Take nothing for the journey- no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them. So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.” – Luke 9:1-6
One of my favorite blockbuster movie franchises is Mission: Impossible. The most recent installment, The Final Reckoning, has grossed over $588 million worldwide. The movies are based on the 1966 television series, which follows a fictional secret government agency (Impossible Missions Force) undertaking high-stakes missions—it is spy craft and intrigue at its best.
Every movie’s daringly creative opening scene features the lead character, Ethan Hunt (played by world-famous actor Tom Cruise) as he is recruited and presented with an opportunity: to save the day, to make the world better, to be of service to his nation, to make a difference.
Chapter 9 of The Gospel According to Luke features a similar invitation to save the day and make the world better. But there is more on the line than box office receipts. Jesus is fully engaged in His mission, the most significant undertaking in human history: to bring salvation and hope to a world desperately in need of both. Jesus invites his followers, should they choose, to join this mission—to advance the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God is not just a spiritual realm off in the future, something followers of God can look forward to after they leave this earth; it is also physical and present. Jesus repeatedly spoke about the Kingdom of God to those he encountered along roadsides, in villages, on mountains, in marketplaces, and in local synagogues. His message: whatever your preconceived notions about power, authority, generosity, faith, fasting, and prayer—change your way of thinking; change your way of living. In the Kingdom of God, the last are first, and the first are last; the greatest is the servant of all.
The Kingdom of God is where God’s ethics, heart, and desires are revealed—not just in theory but lived out in real life.
The Kingdom of God is present not only in heaven but also on earth, where people face hopelessness, hardship, and chaos. In a place where bloodline, wealth, and citizenship determine one’s value, Jesus disrupts the relational ecosystem because everyone has value in the Kingdom of God, and that value does not fluctuate based on who is the most prosperous or well-connected.
The phrase “The Kingdom of God” [or “Kingdom of Heaven”] appears 162 times in the New Testament.
As Pastor and author John Ortberg states:
“The Kingdom of God…[is] the range of God’s effective will. It is where God wants something to be in some way, and that’s the way that it is.”
-John Ortberg
In Luke 9:1-12, Jesus offers a standing invitation for his followers to be carriers of the gospel, the good news, and to advance God’s will on earth as it is in heaven.
The Kingdom of God is part of the good news Jesus gave his entire adult life to proclaiming and living out during his time on earth. John Meacham, in his book His Truth Is Marching On (2020), noted that the Kingdom of God [The Beloved Community] is the place where Jesus has made love the mark of sovereignty.
When religion gives way to authentic relationships between individuals and God, as well as among people, that’s the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is where a posture of humility, rather than bluster and bravado, is the path to greatness. The Kingdom of God is where we look out not only for our interests but the interests of others. It is where retribution gives way to forgiveness; it is where we are “justified through faith and have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1).
Two thousand years later, Jesus’ invitation remains for all who become followers of his teachings and surrender their lives to his leading. Jesus says, “Be my witnesses, my disciples, my ambassadors, proclaimers of the gospel (the good news) to all those you encounter.”
God has made a way for us to be right with Him, to find purpose, and not just to have life, but to have it more abundantly. For disciples to make disciples. Jesus invites us to discover that the blessings of that decision to follow Him continue not in isolation but in community, particularly in local communities of faith, where we grow in grace and in the knowledge of the scriptures, where we worship God through giving, song, sacrifice, and prayer, where service to God is an honor, and where we serve one another not out of obligation, but from a desire to be more like Jesus, who came “not to be served, but to serve, and give His life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28).
Here are a few insights for us as we consider Jesus’ invitation to advance the Kingdom of God—should you choose to accept.
Jesus empowers ordinary people.
Jesus sent out the twelve with limited resources, but full of authority. You don’t need to be perfect to make an impact. God, through the Holy Spirit, is actively inviting us to consider what we can be and become when we place our lives in the hands of the one who knitted us together in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:14).
One of the key characteristics of Luke’s Gospel is that it highlights Jesus’ interactions with everyday people, including those often overlooked by society: women, children, and people with physical disabilities.
The sharing of the gospel (the good news) and advancing God’s will on earth, as it is in heaven, is not relegated to worship leaders on stage, ministers with seminary degrees, missionaries in foreign countries, or those with extensive training in Christian counseling. Jesus did not reserve his invitation exclusively for the wealthy, the well-connected, or those with the most clicks on their local first-century media platform. Instead, the most essential requirement for being recruited to Jesus’ team is that you have yielded your life to align with His, knowing that nothing can separate you from God’s love, which is in Christ Jesus.
No spy craft is required, no running over hilltops and mountains or parachuting out of burning airplanes, no defusing destructive devices in the nick of time. Just an astounding admission consistent with the song of the redeemed: “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I am found; was blind, but now I see.”
You may be thinking, “Goodie, how can God use someone like me?”
How can he not? Listen, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. God has called you out of darkness into a marvelous light. You are a king’s kid, accepted in the beloved, forgiven. You have been, in the words of the Psalmist, lifted out of the mud and mire; he has set your feet on a rock and given you a firm place to stand. (Psalm 40:2)
God did not show up in your life, nor did He bring you into this house of worship today for a random encounter. He did not touch you with His mercy so that we could just go through the motions this morning; no, I am convinced it is His desire for us to leave this room differently than we came in: with an acute awareness that we have been given an incredible opportunity to join God in bringing people into a loving relationship with Him, through the person of Jesus. He has shown up in my life in ways that are nothing short of miraculous. The same can be said for many of you. It is our honor to be invited to share this good news of the gospel with all those who cross our paths.
The writer and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson argued
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it [life] make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
It is Labor Day weekend. As of today, there are 122 days left in the year 2025: that’s 2,928 hours, or 175,680 minutes. The prayer I have for all our lives is that we use the time we must become more like Jesus and share with others that accepting Him as Lord and Savior is the most transformative decision they will make.
May our collective prayer be: Your Kingdom come, your will be done, Lord—in my home, my extended family, my circle of friends, at my job, at my school, from Gateway Austin’s Campus Serve to City Serve, from North Austin, South Austin, Buda (Shout-Out to The Taco Team), to North Burnet, Crestview, to Allandale, Circle C. Ranch, Oak Hill, Maple Run, Lakeway, Round Rock, Cedar Park, to West Lake Hills.
The Mission Requires faith, not flash.
“Take nothing for the journey.” God calls us to rely on Him, not our own strength or supplies.
Traveling light made the apostles dependent upon God and the generosity of others. Practically speaking, what does that mean for us as followers of Jesus? It means relying on God and being open to share with those He places in your life.
It means to “Trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not towards our own understanding. In all our ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct our paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6). So often, we carry things in our faith journey, only to discover they are not essential for abundant life, or for growing in the knowledge of God.
Encountering Jesus and fully embracing His mission and message will prompt us to reconsider what is truly necessary to make a difference: not our education, career, or significant wealth. It is worth noting that a skill set, ability, or insight is something that should be celebrated. But gifts and accomplishments should never be elevated over making room for—or relying on—Jesus. Look to God, rely on Him—having faith in Him is more than enough for the journey.
Gateway Church, when we place our strengths, skills, talents, minds, and heart’s desires in the hands of God, what seems impossible becomes possible with Him. In other words, travel light; God is taking Gateway Austin places.
May 28, 2025. For frequent travelers using Southwest Airlines, that date marked the announcement of their plans to end their long-standing “bags fly free” policy. I dreaded that date but soon realized this change at my airline of choice wouldn’t be that drastic for me.
I’m not a big fan of carry-on bags. I’ve also had my share of bad experiences with checked baggage. The agony of waiting, the fear of my bag being lost or damaged—I still get emotional thinking about it. When I’m on the road, I have committed to leaving behind those items that would make me wait or worry.
So, it is in the life of faith: we often wait, wonder, or worry over things that do not advance us toward knowing God and making Him known. We often get preoccupied with the things we carry and trivial matters that ultimately don’t matter.
The most important thing we will carry in our lives is the message of faith, hope, and love—to friends, colleagues, associates, near and far who need to know God loves them…this much. The most crucial item on our resume is not the completion of a certified course in executive coaching, or a degree with honors from a prestigious college, but the realization we are not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, because like the apostle Paul, we are convinced “it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile” (Romans 1:16)—and that we share this truth with others, as God gives you wisdom.
What God gives us is more than enough. The mission requires faith, not flash. Our mission, if we choose to accept it, is to share our faith and be used by God. What is it that God is asking of you and me at this moment? Who is He inviting us to befriend? Who can we advocate for, and be a voice when they are overlooked or marginalized? To whom can we show compassion when they feel marginalized? To whom can we say not just hello, but welcome home? This mission requires faith, not flash.
I am reminded of what the scriptures say: “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is trusting God and taking the first step, “even when you do not see the whole staircase.” (MLK). Faith is trusting what Jesus is inviting us to be and become in this moment, and for a lifetime to come. Faith is having the audacity to believe that God is always up to something. Are we willing to trust Him again?
There is a scene in Mission: Impossible where the lead character, Ethan Hunt, invites his team into an extraordinary mission. It is nothing short of epic. I give the scene a 97% Rotten Tomato rating, a five-star rating. The enormity of that moment is only overshadowed by the events that unfold in the very next scene. I will not give it away (in case you’re one of the only 227 people who have not seen the movie).
With his team looking on, realizing what is expected of them, Ethan Hunt looks at each team member and says, “I need you to trust me once more.”
Jesus is inviting his followers to trust Him (one more time). Throughout his ministry and in the final 2 years of His life, they have seen Jesus: baptized and affirmed by God, this same Jesus who grew in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and others. His followers knew the miracles and healing Jesus performed. And now he extends a call to go to places and spaces that are void of hope, to offer hope. Jesus is inviting them to make a difference, to alter the course of others’ lives, to be vessels of hope to helpless friends.
God is looking for His followers to trust Him, one more time: To love again, serve again, sacrifice again, risk again, and listen to His leading when He says: go and be my ambassadors for good, bring care and compassion and a message to others: God sees you even in moments of great uncertainty, fear, hardship, and pain.
The question is, are we willing to be of service for God, following His leading and prompting, regardless of what He asks us to do? This requires faith, not flash. The simplest of steps may appear mundane but can prove monumental when we move in faith toward the purposes of God.
“Orange faith.” The day was September 21, 2006: my wife was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma—cancer. With two small children, ages 4 and 2, and a husband (me) in postgraduate school, our lives quickly went from being carefree to fearful. Our faith community rallied around us.
One day, my wife sat home, exhausted from the onslaught of radiation and chemo; she had little strength to move, bathe, or even summon up an appetite. Still, on this day, she was craving oranges; but not just any oranges: Navel Oranges.
A leader from our church, whom my wife had only known for a short time, showed up unannounced on our doorstep. She said, “I apologize in advance—I should have called, but God led me to drive over here. I was contemplating what to say or even bring, and strangely enough, He told me to stop and pick up these navel oranges. They are not flashy; I am not sure if they are even organic. I know it sounds strange, but I wanted to follow and do what God was leading me to do.”
“It was the one thing I thought I could eat, and the only thing I was craving,” my wife said to that leader. That woman was Deborah Bryant, the wife of the South Austin campus pastor.
The mission requires faith, not flash or fanfare, just a willingness to say, “I am all in” when it comes to advancing His Kingdom, even if that means ministry through navel oranges. It’s an all-in posture and mentality when it comes to investing in the lives of others, not just in times of joy, but in times of uncertainty, fear, anxiety, or disappointment; speaking life into situations that appear to be void of life.
Discipleship means cost (sacrifice). Luke 9:4-5 (“Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”)
Discipleship means sacrifice, and it could cost you time, effort, and disappointment when people do not respond in the way you think they should when you share your faith, or more importantly, live out your faith.
Shake it off (Jesus’ words precede that debut single of Ms. Taylor Swift’s album, “1989”): There will be times when you’re disappointed. Jesus makes that clear in his admonishment to His followers. Shake the dust off your feet when you leave a home or a conversation where the message of the kingdom of God is not received.
Shake the dust off your feet: Jesus’ words carried deep cultural significance. Pious Jews leaving a Gentile community would often dust the dirt off their feet, symbolizing a separation from Gentile practices. However, Jesus’ warning to his followers was not about rejecting other cultures; it acknowledged the harsh reality that not everyone would accept their message. How do we respond? Our courage isn’t just about having the correct arguments or counterpoints; it’s also about sharing our faith with others and, if necessary, using words.
Discipleship means cost. It means laying down our comfort, status, and control to step into God’s plan and purpose. It’s being an instrument of His peace. It’s providing a meal for a person who is homebound, volunteering your time at a local women’s shelter, or recognizing what matters most: faith, family, and calling.
Discipleship means to “take up our cross daily and follow Jesus.” (Luke 9:23). This takes courage. Courage and risk are about living a life of faith so compelling that it provides a tangible example for others to observe and compare with their own. It takes courage to show peace during the storms of life, to find joy in the face of long struggles and disappointments, and to have confidence not in ourselves but in the one who declares, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” May we have the courage to live sacrificially, always mindful that it’s not about our will, but about God’s will being fulfilled.
I visited a restaurant in DC, looking forward to conversation and connection, catching up with my friends. When the server described the dinner specials for the evening, half of which did not make sense, I was already settled on a dish that sounded familiar. I was comfortable with my preemptive choice. That was until I saw two people’s meals arrive. Both had been there before. I saw their glee and enjoyment as their five-course menu arrived, dish by dish.
Before I knew it, I took a risk—I leaned over and inquired. Without skipping a beat, this woman began to describe what she had ordered; she talked about the restaurant and its history, what it was known for, including how to order—the size, the taste, and what came with the meal. And for a moment, I wanted to ask her for a sample of what was on her plate, but I held off. Here is what I knew: the options I was considering, and my whole temperament and mood were swayed by her and her friend’s order.
What if we dared to live for God in such a way that it compelled other people to reconsider what they were settling for, what choices they were making, and what direction they were headed?
As a reminder, Monday is Labor Day. In 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed this holiday into law to recognize the role laborers have played in our nation’s prosperity and growth—in making our country better.
There is another workforce that must be honored and celebrated: the laborers who have accepted the invitation Jesus offered some two thousand years ago: to be on mission, to be followers of the way, to share the good news, to advance The Kingdom Of God. And so, let tomorrow (even as we enter this Fall) serve as a reminder to all those who are followers of Jesus, of the work that remains: the mission Jesus invited us to be a part of: making Disciples and making a difference in others’ lives.
If this mission seems more impossible than possible, that’s because it is—but this mission is vitally important. Remember, God has empowered us; we are ordinary people, not perfect people. There’s no flash or fanfare required; faith is a prerequisite. We must rely on God, not our strength or might. And, we must be willing to sacrifice, for this is the cost of discipleship. May we choose this mission “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6).
