Luke 10:1-24 The Sending of the 70

Intro: This morning …….. 1st Who were these guys ?

  1. This event should not be confused with the sending out of the Twelve recorded in (Matt. 10; Luke 9:1-11).
  1. There are similarities in the instructions given, but this is to be expected since both groups were sent by the same Master to do the same basic job.

    2. 1) BUT These were anonymous disciples/ don’t know names

  2. SEE Who they are by name is not the issue but it’s what they are called to do that is what matters here.
  3. I point this out because our tendency is to look at ourselves in light of Peter or John or Paul & say –But they were the apostles
  1. God can’t use me like that – A- TEAM/ DREAM TEAM - WOW
  1. But here we see 70 guys being sent out the same way the apostles were / being used & doing the same things the apostles did-
  1. But there are no names – no one to put on pedestals – Just ordinary guys like you & me – being used mightily by the Lord.

Now last week – we looked at the First 3 verses to gain some insights into our calling as Ambassadors of Christ. QUICK REVIEW

  1. Privileged Calling – God would choose to you us.

    2. Protective calling – Get the Ambassadors out before the war starts

    Productive Calling – Harvest is great –

    Problematic calling – Harvest great …. Laborers few -/ Lambs among wolves - Battle- spiritual warfare – ( In short what we looked at last time)

  2. This morning – we want to look at the rest of this section v.1-24 & focus mainly on 3 things : 1st How sent
  1. / 2nd the seriousness of rejecting the message / 3rd – What Jesus said to them when they came back –

1st HOW THEY WERE SENT OUT . 6 THINGS v.1-9 read

A) 1st They were sent out w/ a Vision : V.2 Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

  1. We touched on this last week in detail / so I will only briefly mention it today Jesus was saying to them & I believe to us
  1. I want you to look at men whole new vision perspective like a field of wheat - that is ready to be picked - or a field of corn – ripe
  1. The Bible says that w/ out a Vision the people perish / Hab.2:2 write the vision & make it plain so that ……. Run w/ it!
  1. Jesus was so good at painting pictures – Ripe fields / Made it very plain

to them & to us !

 

2nd thing to note is that he sent them out w/ a warning - v.3 "Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. ( detail last week )

  1. Their calling was a dangerous one - as they invaded enemy territory - they would be like lambs among wolves
  1. They were entering into a spiritual battle - w/ an enemy- who had held men captive for a long time -
    1. but now they were coming proclaiming the name of the one who could set people free .
  1. It was an interesting picture - that Jesus was Painting - because lambs are totally defenseless amongst wolves - unless they are close to the shepherd
  2. It is a dangerous calling that the Lord gave to them & He given to us but we can be victorious if we stay close to Him/ rely upon Him

3rd He sent them out in Faith - v.4-8 read Bible

  1. He sent them out in faith - they were to go out unencumbered by a bunch

of stuff / He did not want them to be overburdened with extra supplies

1) Travel light – don’t be weighed down by a bunch of STUFF!

  1. But He wanted them to go trusting Him for their provision - and their care
    1. Jesus wanted them to go out in simplicity not bound by a lot of excess baggage .
  1. Go simply & to Simply go trusting that He was going to provide for them – houses were going to open up to them
  1. He tells them to not be going from house to house or thing to thing – looking for a better meal or better situation.
  1. Some people are always thinking that the grass is greener on the other side.

Go in faith trusting me to meet your needs – trusting me to work in you –

Trusting in Him to Provide for You.

  1. Listen it is Ok & normal to feel over your head. If you wait until you feel ready you will be sitting here 10 years from now.
  2. Never feel ready/ not educationally / w/ your family / there will always be something saying Not now / Not Yet / Not YOU
  1. Listen training, equipping, studying are all vitally important but there comes a time where - if God is calling you – Go for it !
  1. Key Quest. Is God calling you /How do you know if God is calling you If you have to ask that question – He probably is not calling
  1. If called you know – there is that constant stirring in your heart – Can’t

see yourself doing anything else - ( try put it aside – keeps coming back)

Next Question is WHERE GO ? Russia / Mexico / Hungary/ London – there are needs all over the place /

  1. In Jan. of 1989 – first felt a stirring in my heart that God was going to move me on from Vista – met Jon Courson that Summer / pray N. West

B) Began to pray - & felt that maybe God was going to call us to OR. –

Talking w/ Jon on the phone – trying to be encourager / come on staff

    1. JUST GO – PICK A PLACE – ABE CALLED & HE WENT

C) I responded by saying – Abe also had a direction – / Now here is what is

interesting had I taken that advice & just went –

    1. I would have picked a different place than where I ended up / I enjoyed where we lived but there were a lot of places I liked better

D) So important to WAIT & PRAYERFULLY ALLOW GOD TO LEAD

 

Now until you know start in VISTA Or OCSD / San Marcos / Carlsbad / Neighborhood / work / school

  1. Listen When God is looking for a Vehicle to use He use those who are already in motion – not those sitting in parking lot.
  1. So He Sent them out in Faith.

 

4th – Back to v. 4 He sent them out w/ an urgency - They were told not to greet anyone on the road

  1. The idea here is not rudeness - but He was instructing them to not get

caught up in idle conversations

  1. There was an urgency about the work, / And the urgency was so great that they were not to get caught up in idle or foolish conversations

C) This is what Paul meant in Ephesians 5 : 15,16 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. URGENCY

  1. And also in Col. 4:5,6 5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

I read a story about a high school teacher in Los Angeles who had a unique way of stimulating her students to think.

From time to time she would write brief messages on the chalkboard that were completely unrelated to the studies in which the students were involved.

One morning, when the students entered the room, they found the number 25,550 written on the board. One pupil finally raised his hand and asked the instructor why that particular number was there.

She explained that 25,550 represented the number of days in the life of a person who lives to be 70 years of age.

Interesting when Reduced to a number of days rather than years, the span of our life on earth doesn’t sound nearly as long -

  1. QUESTION : How are we going to use those days ?
    2.
  2. Noted last week that we are living in the latter days – we are in overtime as it relates to the coming of the Lord.
  1. There should be a seriousness about – how we approach living & ministry - fervently praying – ( Never know how much time we have)
  1. Speaking of that time before the coming of the Lord Paul writes in 1Thes.5

    2. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.

    7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.

    8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.
  2. But remember – sober – doesn’t mean somber – it means alert – ready together . Watching waiting .

Luke 21:28 28 "Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

NOTICE HE DOESN’T SAY LOOK DOWN / FREAK OUT / SAYS LOOK UP – FILLED W/ JOY . REDEMPTION DRAWS NEAR.

5TH NOTE - He sent them out in Power v. 9 "And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'

A)So too the Lord sends us out in power – Zechariah 4:6 'Not by might nor by

power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts.

  1. And we see in the book of Acts that before the disciples were to embark on their ministry after the Resurrection .
  1. Jesus gave them specific instructions to go to Jeremiah & wait for the Spirit to come upon them to empower them to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
  1. With that empowering of the H.S. comes gifts of the spirit – He is Able to

use us as His workmanship.

Read the story of a man who bought a new computer took it home, he carefully opened the box, gingerly took the machine out, studied its manual, and connected the wires. Eagerly he flipped on the power switch -- but nothing happened. Puzzled, the man switched the computer off and rechecked all the connections. He rounded up a screwdriver and fastened the wires more securely. He read again the relevant portion of the manual. Satisfied that he'd followed directions, he flipped the computer on -- and again nothing happened. As his anger rose the man's little girl walked into the room. "Hi, Daddy!" her cheery voice rang out. "What a pretty computer! Can I plug it in?"

ARE YOU PLUGGED INTO THE POWER SUPPLY ?

6TH SENT W/ A MESSAGE V. 9 They were to preach - 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'

A) Now these words implied far more to a Jewish hearer at that time than they convey to our minds today

  1. To a well instructed Israelite these words would sound like an announcement that the times of the Messiah had come........

    2. 1) That the long awaited redeemer and Savior was about to be revealed

    C) NOTE: COME NEAR = to bring near, to join one thing to another

    to draw or come near to, to approach

    D) Now Here is the GOOD NEWS

     

    Jesus not only RECEIVES sinners, He PURSUES them... He draws near to them

    EXAMPLE: Saul of Tarsus - He was NOT pursuing Jesus, yet Jesus went and APPREHENDED Saul on the road to Damascus.

    A) Jesus WAS NOT waiting for Saul to find his way into a Bible study so that he could save him. ( Man at men’s retreat )

    1) Even if you aren't coming to church looking for Jesus, Jesus is out there looking for you.

  2. Jesus said: "I have come to SEEK and save that which is lost" .........

  1. Don’t know Christ – no coincidence you are here today – Jesus has been seeking you / H.S. drawing you – moving on your heart

  1. Opening your eyes to your need of a Savior. – Sins forgiven & Cleansed

  2. All because The one we could never get to has drawn near to us

1) He extends Himself and the wonderful benefits of His Kingdom to us!!

Now I believe It is also important to see the SIMPLICITY of the message

A) So many people do NOT share their relationship with Christ because they feel inadequate..... they have nothing profound to say

B) These 70 people were NOT commanded to declare some thesis

But As they were DEMONSTRATING the power of the kingdom.....

1) As they were HELPING the helpless..... They were to declare that the Savior was drawing near to them

  1. So simple – Kingdom has come near – because the King became a man.

  1. Ask someone tomorrow – ever think about the kingdom of God – the Bible says it has come near because of Jesus.

QUOTE SIMPLE and plain statements coming from a life that has already been impacted by that Gospel have the greatest impact on souls

They are like ARROWS from heaven that can pierce hearts that never would yield to eloquence

So sent them out w/ a vision & a warning / in faith & w/ an urgency / sent them out w/ power & w/ a message .

2nd Main point – Not everyone is going to receive the message – what happens to those who don’t ? v.10-16 (read from Bible)

A) Jesus PREDICTS here that many men WILL reject the Gospel

Hebrews 3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling,

  1. The Bible makes it clear that HEAVEN CALLS to men and yet men will decline the offer- THAT is radical & very sad

1) Bible says that God desires that NONE – should perish – But the truth of the matter is many will perish

  1. Because although The Kingdom which is OF God and FROM God came near to them in the person of Jesus Christ and they rejected it

This passage informs us that there will be severe consequences for those who reject God’s gift of Salvation through – Christ.

A) Said it before say it again – those who ask – How can a loving God send people to Hell ? Answer is He doesn’t

  1. People choose to go there – but over His dead Body – you will have to pass by the cross –

  1. Look at our crucified Lord / see what He did for you / say no thanks- as

Frank Sinatra sang I did it my way / that’s what I will do

  1. ( Wonder where he is at today) If he didn’t Belief in Jesus & trust

Jesus for his salvation – he is in Hell. ( Harsh ? No reality )

  1. Harsh would be going to the doctor who finds out you have Cancer & then tells you / it is just the flu .

  1. Harsh would be a God who knows full well there is the a place called Hell – but really says you will end up at Disneyland.

  1. LISTEN –Where you spend eternity is so vitally important to God – that He is RADICALLY HONEST ABOUT DETAILS

  1. If it didn’t matter He wouldn’t have sent – His ONLY BELOVED

SON – FOR YOU & FOR ME.

 

SEE THE Warning: Unbelief is damning

A) Listen Man is will be eternally lost NOT because God would not draw near..... But because man would reject God

  1. Interesting that in v.15 Capernaum is mentioned in this list because for at least a yr. Of His public ministry – this was Our Lord’s base of operation

    1. He lived there/ spent A whole day & into the night healing the sick

& casting out demons in that city –

  1. He preached the sermon on the plains outside of that city – He preached some sermons at the beach outside of the city / large # rejected Him

I find that fascinating because there are those who can be so close to the things of Jesus. / seeing the working of Jesus in others

  1. Come to Church & hear the words of Jesus –

  2. Married to Someone so in Love w/ Jesus – Yet they themselves will reject Him. SO Sad – to be so close but end up so far.

  3. LISTEN God has no grand Children only sons & daughters – / Doesn’t matter what Your wife believes / or parents – where are you at?

  1. YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO PERSONALLY ANSWER – WHAT DID YOU DO W/ JESUS? Accept – Live for or reject

  1. KNOW THIS THERE ARE Damning consequences of rejecting.

  1. Rob you are going to scare people away / Maybe – but we must

See both sides of the story

E) Yes God is loving / none perish – Heaven is real – but so is HELL

 

Lastly : What did JESUS say to them when they returned – V. 17-24

  1. 1st note it says that they returned w/ Joy – note that

  2. That is what serving Jesus brings is Joy – People look for Joy in so many things – but never lasting / Possessions – grow old

  1. Party scene – gets dull / new drugs / Relationships don’t meet the need or fill the void.

  1. Real lasting Joy is only found in being committed to JESUS / Living for Jesus / & Serving Jesus

Old Acronym is True J.O.Y. Jesus / others/ you

  1. Great Joy being sent out by the Lord – being used in service to the Lord

It is JOY – nothing better –

C) But if I reverse that order – ( And I do at times – leads to misery discouragement & frustration –

  1. Instead of Joy it’s YOJ - meaning less

So they returned w/ Joy because of what the Lord had done through them & Jesus responded in v. 18 said "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

19 "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

  1. Now this phrase I saw Satan fall is interesting/ Did Jesus mean that as they were serving & sharing that Satan was beaten down a bit.

  2. I think that is very true & highly possibly that is what Jesus meant – When we our faithful to our calling to serve Christ

  1. The forces of DARKNESS are beaten back / beaten down.

  1. Is that what Jesus meant- I think so in context

 

But others have suggested that Jesus was giving a word of Warning here against Pride – by saying I saw Satan fall –

A) Referring to when He got kicked out of Heaven – reason was PRIDE

  1. As they come back excited – Jesus says gives them this warning about Pride – I saw Satan Fall

  1. Watch out for those times when ministry becomes more important than me.

  1. I like that also – goes well w/ verse 19 & 20 Because In v. 19 He reminds them of where their power came from – that He was behind their work

And then in v. 20 He says "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

  1. In other words don’t rejoice in the ministry - don’t rejoice in how I am working through you or what you are doing / but in what I have done!
  1. let that be your source of Joy - that you are going to Heaven.

Rejoice that your names are written in Heaven
  1. This life is short - the things we do here are only the icing on the cake - Heaven is where it is at !

  2. It is exciting to rejoice in the things that God is doing / but we shouldn’t just rejoice in what He is doing but what He has done –

  1. Salvation accomplished – Names written in Heaven

D) Written where ? Lambs book of Life ! What about You ?

 

V.21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit

  1. Word rejoiced literally means – jumped for JOY !!!!!

  2. Love that picture Jesus Jumping for Joy over what the Father was doing and God’s plan to reveal these things at this time to these guys

  3. Ever feel like – I wished I lived during the time Moses saw him part the Red Sea or Elijah call down fire from Heaven he flew up into heaven

    4. D) Jesus is saying that all the Prophets are disadvantaged compared to you & to me – because we understand what they were writing about /

    1) what they were illustrations of /

  4. Jesus says they looked forward to what we Know – They longed to see what we Know – Who the Messiah would be

  1. And How God’s Plan of Salvation would be carried out

E) Jesus was leaping for JOY – in seeing the Plan coming about

  1. Jesus declared Happy are you/ blessed are you because you understand what they didn’t / You Know what they couldn’t

  1. It is all focused in and centered around the person of Jesus Christ.

 

Prayer for us – My life this Church – Keep focused & centered on Jesus Christ .