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Luke 10:1-16

Keep the Christmas Bells Ringing

  • Samuel Wilson
  • Weekend Messages
  • December 22, 2014

Pastor Samuel Wilson speaks on how it is our duty, as Christians, to go out into the world and make disciples. The world needs Jesus and we need to be the ones to spread the Word of God.

  • Sermon Notes
  • Scripture

Keep the Christmas Bells Ringing

Luke 10: 1-16 

Illus. The Christmas Season

Let’s Read Luke 10:1-16

I. Your World Needs the Savior

  • In these scriptures, Jesus is sending out 70 of his followers to go in pairs to every city and place where He Himself was planning to visit.
  • He gives specific instructions as to the urgency of their mission and how they should approach the people they encounter.
  • In verse 16, Jesus says, “The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
  • The disciples were living in times where the world needed to hear the good news of Jesus, we too live in a world in great need of the Savior.

A. The laborers are few.

Illus. – Two years ago I went to my dads house and visited his in-laws who own a farm. They sell product at their local farmers market. The day we visited, none of their workers had shown up.

  • Jesus says in verse 2 “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest”
  • To beseech is to ask urgently, to fervently do something. We should call upon the Lord fervently to send out laborers into His harvest.
  • There is an urgent need for Jesus today as His people, we should continually pray that the Lord will send out laborers into His harvest.

Illus. – When we were in the beginnings of planting Calvary Beaverton, a prayer I prayed often was that the Lord would bring people who are laborers in His harvest; I prayed these things before we ever had one service.

  • Jesus is sending his disciples out in these scriptures. They are on a mission. Do not pass go, no $200, get to where I am sending you and remain there.
  • The 70 were being sent out ahead of him, to prepare the way for him. It was crucial that the disciples get to where they were being sent.

Luke 10: 3-4 “Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way.”

  • These verses are specific to the urgency of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ.
  • We are coming out of this shopping season where there are seemingly many urgent needs. Shopping lists, family gatherings, gatherings with friends. There is a great deal going on.
  • It is not difficult for us to think of urgency within our own lives between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Illus – You will see a great deal of urgency while out in the stores shopping…You will also experience a great deal of urgency when the sample line opens up at Costco.

  • Jesus is stressing the urgency of His message to the disciples. He is sending them out, all the while pointing them towards the urgency of the call.
  • You live today among many who are in need of the Savior, what might the Lord be pointing you towards in 2015?
  • The Lord has placed you in a specific neighborhood, family, school, position or situation. Regardless of the season, remember, you live with a purpose. 
  • As you live out your life in faith, it is important to remember that the Lord likely has you right where you are in order to make a difference in your world.

Psalm 37:3 Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

  • In these various places or seasons… you may not feel ready or equipped, but; remember, our world needs the Savior.

B. The Lord will equip you

  • The disciples were not unique in their qualifications. They were not better educated, more capable, or of higher status than other followers of Jesus.

Hebrews 13: 20-21 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

  • Certainly there is a need for preparation. Many of us have been prepared but aren’t mobilized; others need more preparation.
  • While we don’t know much about the 70 outside of being sent, we do know about the 12 apostles, we know some of their story, how they were called and equiped. In Luke 9, the 12 were sent out in a similar way to the 70.
  • When you see who the apostles were, what you see is how Jesus equipped them.
  • The list of 12 always begins with Peter.
  • He said the wrong things at wrong times
  • He tried to correct Jesus to which Jesus said to him, “Get behind me Satan.”
  • He was clumsy with the sword and took off a man’s ear; then Jesus had to put it back.
  • Later, he denied the Lord three times.
  • But this is also the same one of whom Jesus said, “Your name will now be called Peter, which means, ‘Rock.’”
  • James and John were brothers and called, “Sons of thunder.”
  • In Luke chapter 9 we see James and John traveling through a village in Samaria with Jesus, the people there wouldn’t receive Jesus because he was traveling toward Jerusalem. James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans.

Luke 9:55-56

  • Matthew was a tax collector.
  • Simon the Zealot was a Zealot. These were revolutionaries who were patriots and Zionists who plotted actively against the Roman oppression.
  • With the exception of Judas Iscariot, the 12 apostles were radically transformed into great men of God and God has used them to make a difference throughout the world.
  • They were called in the frailty of human weakness, but their strength was in being with Jesus.

Acts 4:13, Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.

  • These 12 Apostles walked with Jesus and learned from Him. He called each one to come and follow Him.
  • Just as Jesus brought about confidence and change in the 12 apostles and the 70 disciples, He will also bring about change in our lives.
  • In our lives, it would be easy to feel like we don’t have enough training, or we don’t know enough. These disciples are those Jesus chose to walk closest to Him; Jesus did a mighty work in each one.
  • The apostles were making mistakes right up until Jesus’ death.
  • Remember always that the Lord will equip you as you continue to share the good news.

Matthew 28:18-19, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…”

II. Go and Make Disciples

  • God has a message for this world and He has entrusted that message to us.
  • When Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me… I will be with you always, even to the end of the age…” He was saying that He had the authority to speak God’s Word of eternal hope.
  • Jesus has also given His word to us by His authority.
  • We must realize that God’s word goes out into the world through His people.

Romans 10: 14-15

  • This opportunity to share the good news with the world is incredible. God has a message for you to give, He is calling you to “Go therefore and make disciples.”
  • You do this by sharing Jesus with others.

A.  Don’t be an undercover believer

 

Illus – When I attended school at Portland State, I took a sociology class dealing specifically with family values. Almost everyone in that class disagreed with me on nearly every topic of faith.

  • It is important to live as those who represent Jesus, remaining covered by Him, not under a cover.
  • We may not have the title apostle in the sense that these did, but we do understand that we are called of God and sent of God to make a difference in this world by proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ.

B. Be an agent of peace 

 

Luke 10: 5-6 “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.”

  • What Jesus says to the 70, is important for you today.
  • Not everyone will agree with you, not everyone will remain peaceful towards you or peaceful toward our God…some may be quite the opposite.
  • I want to challenge you, however, as it relates to peace. Regardless of how another approaches you, let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. Col. 3:25

If you bring peace and others don’t, remain peaceful. There are people living in our world today, who are in desperate need of The Savior. God has a message for you to bring in your world today. Make 2015 a year in which you pray for more laborers into Gods harvest, while reminding your world that the Savior was born.

Luke 10:1-16    NASB

1 Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. 2 And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3 Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ 6 If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house. 8 Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you; 9 and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city.
 
13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will be brought down to Hades! 16 “The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
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