On the Job Training

INTRODUCTION
I have been told that baby eagles don’t necessarily want to learn how to fly. They are very content staying in the nest and dining on whatever mom or dad eagle brings back for them to eat. There comes a time, though, when mom eagle decides that she’s had enough of that lifestyle and that the eaglets are big enough to fly and hunt on their own. In order to get them out of the nest, mom eagle has to teach her children how to fly. She demonstrates take offs and landings, and flies around the nest to demonstrate some of the basic flight techniques. She then literally pushes the eaglets out of the nest. As they fall toward the earth, they either spread their wings and fly, or meet their impending doom.

The gospel story for today tells us of a similar time in the lives of Jesus and his followers. The time has come in Jesus’ ministry and in the faith walk of the disciples and followers that they need to spread their wings and fly. They have been around Jesus for almost three years. They have heard the message that Jesus has preached and have witnessed the miracles that he has performed. Jesus, now, commissions them to go out ahead of him, and prepare the way for him by doing the same thing that Jesus has done.

TRAVELING INSTRUCTIONS

Jesus sends the seventy followers on ahead of him with specific instructions.

His first instruction is that they are to go in pairs. Christianity and Christian service were never meant to be individual, private enterprises. Jesus always calls us into the people of God. The world and the forces of evil will destroy us if we go alone, but together we can overcome the forces of evil and transform the world. Our Christian brothers and sisters hold us accountable, encourage us in our faith and remind us of God’s steadfast love. It is absolutely vital for us to be reminded of God’s love for us.

Christians enter the world as lambs traveling in the midst of wolves. They would be foolhardy if they traveled by themselves or even as a flock of sheep. Only when the shepherd is with them are they safe from the wolves. Only when we are held firmly in the love of God are we able to enter the world, reach people and change lives.

We walk, even in service, by faith. Jesus instructed his followers to travel light. He wanted to make sure that they did place their faith in the fact that they were prepared for anything and everything. Jesus wanted their focus placed on God as the provider of their needs and the protector from all evil.

THE MESSAGE

Jesus told his followers that they were to bring peace to the households, cast out demons and heal the sick, and proclaim that the kingdom of God had come near. These instructions of Jesus may need to be expressed in a more modern manner.

The Bible tells us that we should be prepared to make an accounting of our faith—in other words to know what to say when people ask us why we are Christians and how to become a Christian.

The center of Jesus’ teaching is that God is a God of love and that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son Jesus to suffer and die so that we might have new life. Those sent out on this first mission trip were to proclaim to all those they met that God is a God of love.

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are invited to share how we encountered God’s love and the difference that God’s love has made in our lives.

Disciples of Jesus Christ who are sent in mission and ministry are challenged to share with all those they meet the awesome truth that God loves them. They are to demonstrate God’s love to the people around them in word and deed, Disciples demonstrate God’s love by healing the sick, providing for the needs of the needy and reminding them that difficult times do not deny God’s love, but are opportunities to experience God’s love.

During its history, that Church has a mixed record on ministry. Often Christians have preferred to proclaim God’s judgment, and anger. Calamities have been declared as acts of God’s righteousness rather than opportunities to demonstrate love and minister to needs.

REJOICE IN GOD’S LOVE

When we are true to God’s directions and boldly proclaim God’s love to those around us and demonstrate God’s love, great, fantastic and wonderful things will happen. When they returned, those who had been sent out expressed amazement at what the Holy Spirit had done through them. They had healed the sick, and cast out demons. People had responded to God’s love and to the proclamation that the kingdom of God had come near.

When things go great, it is easy to become self-righteous and proud. We all know of the struggle.

The cure to self-righteousness and pride is not false humility. Nor is it in denying or avoiding what God has done through us. The cure lies in focusing on God’s grace and love. God loves us, forgives us, and saves us. This is the greatest news that we hear, and it is the only news that we need to hear.

CONCLUSION

Desert Streams was named because people lead desert like lives and need streams of God’s love to break in upon them. The vision that we have is that Desert Streams be known as the congregation that demonstrates and lives out God’s love.

Our summer challenge enables us to make love a reality in our lives and to touch the lives of others with God’s love as we share our riches with others.

We also can carry out the ministry of Jesus Christ by sharing God’s love with those people who are a part of our everyday lives. Who do you know who needs to hear that God loves them? How can you share God’s love with them in word and deed?

Such love will change the world and our community.

Amen
\\