Bible Text: Luke 10:1-24 | Preacher: Pastor Steve | Series: Abiding in the Lord
Our Ministry Priority is TO GO!
Luke 10:1 The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit
Our Ministry is Challenging and Necessary
Luke 10:2-4 These were his instructions to them: The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields. Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves. Don’t take any money with you, nor a traveler’s bag, nor an extra pair of sandals. And don’t stop to greet anyone on the road.
Our Ministry ALWAYS Involves Building Relationships
Luke 10:5-9 Whenever you enter someone’s home, first say, May God’s peace be on this house. If those who live there are peaceful, the blessing will stand; if they are not, the blessing will return to you. Don’t move around from home to home. Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay. If you enter a town and it welcomes you, eat whatever is set before you. Heal the sick, and tell them, the Kingdom of God is near you now.
Our Ministry Involves Reconciliation and Rejection
Luke 10:16 Then he said to the disciples, anyone who accepts your message is also accepting Me. And anyone who rejects you is rejecting me. And anyone who rejects me is rejecting God, who sent me.
Luke 10:17-20 Then the seventy 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 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. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.
We have Authority and Power
I give you the authority and power
Christ has given us “defensive power” as well as “offensive authority.” And when we ABIDE IN HIM there is JOY!
Luke 10:21 At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.
Have you ever wondered, did Jesus laugh?
What made Jesus smile?
Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit
His disciples, followers were ABIDING and they were SERVING and they were SHARING and not just sitting, watching but PARTICIPATING!
I have told you this so that My joy will be in you.
I also want your joy to be complete. Here is my command.
Love each other, just as I have loved you.
We can have that same joy that is the result of being relationally connected to Jesus and to one another; the delight of watching God’s work unfold in each other; working together for the sake of the Message of Jesus, the WORD of Salvation, the WORK of the Holy Spirit according to the WILL of our Heavenly Father!