Luke 10

Jack Radcliffe

Luke • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

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Transcript

Introduction

Adventure

an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks

Venture: to expose to danger or loss

The Adventure: There is Work to Do

Luke 10:1–24 ESV

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

I’m sending you on an adventure to do it

Harvest is plentiful - There is work to do.

Get to work and pray for more workers

Disciples: Lambs Among Wolves

Context

Unsafe travel

Teachers not part of the synagogue were viewed suspiciously.

Investigations - viewed as threats

In some way always at the mercy of their environment.

Forced to cope with situations they’re not prepared for.

Jesus surely will equip them, coach them, make sure they are ready, setup for success.

Go Lean

Don’t take anything to defend yourselves.

Get after it.

Find People of Peace

Pick a house to stay and if they receive you

Context: common for travelers to stay with strangers when traveling.

Give them a greeting of peace (shalom). A blessing.

If the owner is a person of peace and you are received (you, your message and the grace of God) - your peace will rest on the entire household.

Receiving is equivalent to faith/trust.

In relation with God we can only receive.

In hearing the good news we are free to receive it.

More than hospitality - there will be a sense of welcome.

People of Peace Today

Those who return your blessing.

Blessing - when you encounter people. Be a blessing (show them what God is like) and look for who blesses you and serves you back, leaning into relationship with you.

They know who you are and want to be around you.

You haven’t been weird about your faith. Stick with them.

Intentionally show them what God is like, who Jesus is (introduce them to him), Invite them to life in the kingdom, what the good news is.

How to identify People of Peace

Natural bond and chemistry Are they leaning into relationship? Do they look to serve you and be with you? They see interested or at least not turned off by your faith and lifestyle.

If He’s Not A Person of Peace

If he isn’t, your greeting will come back to you.

Won’t want to hang out with you.

The point: You won’t be trying to people to do something they don’t want to do; to receive something they don’t want to receive.

Don’t stay longer than appropriate (the mission calls for)

You’re going to foreign countries that don’t observe your faith practices. Let it go.

Main thing: heal, tell people the kingdom of God has come near you. This is your time.

What if They Say No?

Some already had - entire nations - regretfully (that’s what woe means here - deep regret).

Some will again.

Don’t take it personally. Not about us.

How we make it about us:

Trying to convince people to make decisions

Care more about people making a decision than we do the person.

Feel like we’re being persecuted.

Jesus authorizes his disciples to speak good news with authority and accreditation - a big responsibility.

authority (the word points to the right to exercise power rather than simply to power.

Because of that, we can relax. We don’t need to push, force, etc.

Rejection - to set aside, disregard, ignore.

Isn’t always harsh. Can be polite and as simple as a no thank you.

Rejecting the one who sent the messenger is rejecting Jesus as well - for now. As we know, people get many more opportunities.

Debrief

Joy.

The real source of joy isn't in defeating the evil spirits in the power of Jesus. The people they inhabited would die.

The important thing is that their names are permanently written in heaven (in the presence of God).

Jesus saw the defeat of Satan

I was watching a defeat to the forces of evil while you were out on this mission adventure.

Exercising the power I gave you to choose to act.

After his prayer Jesus had a word for the disciples. He spoke to them privately

Jesus says that they are really blessed in seeing what they see. Many prophets and kings desired to see and hear what they saw and heard, but without doing so.

Want to See and Hear These Things?

Say yes to the risky adventure of relationships with people who don’t think or believe the same way you do.

With a few other believers, find people of peace. Do it in community. Stick with them. Make friends.

Share God’s Good news with those people of peace that God is near them. Don’t make them make a decision. Invite them to move from not trusting to trusting Jesus in every area of life over time.