Ministry of the Christian believer. Ambassadors for Christ Part 2 Luke 10:1-16
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Intro
Intro
Who this morning hasn’t heard of Mr. Rogers?
He has been popularized once again through the movie that came out in 2019 “A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood” where he was played by Tom Hanks.
Did you know though, that Fred Rogers was an ordained minister?
Born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, Rogers earned a bachelor's degree in music from Rollins College in 1951.
Rogers wanted to enter seminary after college,[17] but instead chose to go into the nascent medium of television after encountering a TV at his parents' home in 1951 during his senior year at Rollins College.[18] In a CNN interview, he said, "I went into television because I hated it so, and I thought there's some way of using this fabulous instrument to nurture those who would watch and listen"
He began his television career at NBC in New York, returning to Pittsburgh in 1953 to work for children's programming at NET (later PBS) television station
That desire to minister never left him though and in
While working on the show, Rogers attended Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1963.
His mission as an ordained minister, rather than a church pastor, was to minister to children and their families through television. He regularly appeared before church officials to maintain his ordination.
You don’t have to go to seminary to be or have a ministry.
The example we see here in our passage from Luke is that at Christians, we are called to be ambassadors for Christ.
Last week we say Jesus instruction to pray.
This week we see his instruction to go.
Next week we will look at what happened when they came back.
1 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. 2 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. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7 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. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘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.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. 13 “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. 14 But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. 16 “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.”
Go
Go
The next instruction that Jesus gives in this passage is for these disciples to go your way.
The Greek means to go
to be on the move, esp. in a certain direction,
Go with a purpose.
Go with a goal in mind.
Jesus gives them some instruction in how they are to go though.
He instructs them to go with caution, go lightly, go without distraction, go bearing peace, go humbly, and go with a purpose.
Go cautiously.
Go cautiously.
English Standard Version Chapter 10
behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.
Jesus first draws their attention to what they are going into.
The word for behold is a forceful statement telling these disciples
"you yourself look, see, perceive”
This is a command emphasizing "Listen up now and pay attention to what I am going to say!"
DO NOT BE NAIVE! DON'T BE SURPRISED at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you, but expect it!
Peter gives a similar warning to believers
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
The first thing Jesus does is warn them that the job is dangerous!
It comes "pre-packaged" with persecution guaranteed!
They are to be gentle like lambs, but not be naive.
Some of the opposition might be violent which is the picture of a lamb not just facing one solitary wolf but wolves plural!
In the midst means the wolves like a hungry wolf-pack are surrounding the sent ones!
This calls for continual trust in and dependence on the protection of the Sender, the Lord of the harvest!
Charles Spurgeon wrote
Defenseless, harmless, into the midst of those who would devour you if I did not send you. It would be foolhardiness to go on your own account; but I send you; and he who sends his lambs among wolves will take care of them.”
We are still lambs among wolves today.
Open doors, and organization that specifically supports persecuted Christians reports that 4761 Christians were killed due to faith related reasons in the last year.
The number may be even higher considering the number that are not known.
We may not face death in America, YET,
but many Christians are harassed and persecuted for their faith in Christ.
We all have been sent on a mission to reach even those who are wolves.
Jesus warned it would not be easy.
Yet, the opposition we face is an opportunity to show strength of character and sincerity of what we truly believe in our heart about the Lord.
We must understand that as ambassadors for Christ, we will also face opposition.
Go lightly.
Go lightly.
English Standard Version Chapter 10
Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals,
Like the 12 before them, they were to trust the Lord for their needs.
He was their Sender and He would be their Provider.
They were to travel light and trust God for the provisions they needed.
They shouldn’t get distracted by the belongings that they were carrying with them, but should stay focused on their mission.
This is extremely difficult for us in our society today.
We have so much stuff.
And the ability to get more stuff easily!
It is difficult but as Christians, we should strive to have contentment with what God provides.
Resisting the temptation to always want more.
This perspective is godly counsel for any believer.
Be thankful for everything you have, not always longing for luxury.
Be easy to please and grateful for what other people offer.
Our attitude about material possessions needs to be guided by the urgency of our mission.
These seventy-two evangelists had a crucial calling.
They were messengers of the King, sent ahead to herald the approach of his kingdom.
They did not have time to prepare for their journey; they just had to get up and go.
Are there things in our lives that we need to shed that we might be more effective ambassadors for Christ each day?
Go without distraction.
Go without distraction.
English Standard Version Chapter 10
greet no one on the road.
A greeting in that culture was an elaborate ceremony, involving many formalities, perhaps even a meal, and long delays.
This is one of the things Jesus condemns the Pharisees of loving more than God
43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.
A person on an extremely urgent mission could be excused from such formalities without being thought rude.
And these disciples are to be on a mission.
Everything in Jesus’ instructions speaks of the shortness of time and the great urgency of the task.
These men were not out to make a social visit, but to preach the gospel without distraction and without delay.
In the words of the English poet Robert Herrick:
Christ, I have read, did to His chaplains say,
Sending them forth, Salute no man by th’ way:
Not, that He taught His ministers to be
Unsmooth, or sour, to all civility;
But to instruct them, to avoid all snares
Of tardidation in the Lord’s affairs.
Manners are good: but till his errand ends,
Salute we must, nor strangers, kin, or friends.
Tardidation is an old word that we no longer use meaning
the act of delaying, delay, postponement; a hindering, retarding
We need to apply this principle in our own service to God.
What Robert Herrick called “snares of tardidation” are things that slow us down in our discipleship.
They may be things that are good in themselves (like extra clothes and nice things to eat, for example), yet they delay us from doing the work that God has for us to do.
The time is too short, and the work of the gospel is too important for us to dilly-dally.
Too many Christians lead divided, distracted lives.
We rush from one thing to the next without ever taking the time to make sure that what we are doing is the best way to fulfill our commitment to Christ.
The people who make the biggest difference for Christ and his kingdom are people who keep their focus on the work that God has called them to do, whether at home, at church, in the workplace, or overseas.
Go bearing peace.
Go bearing peace.
English Standard Version Chapter 10
5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you.
Jesus instructs these men on what to when they entered a home.
They were to pronounce God's peace on that home.
If that person was peaceful, he would enjoy the blessing of peace.
If he was not, then God's peace would rest upon the disciples.
Those who greeted these men had an opportunity to be a blessing or to reject that opportunity.
People who gave the gospel this kind of welcome would enjoy the blessing of God’s peace.
The evangelist would say, “Peace be to this house!” and the members of the household would have God’s peace.
These were not idle words; they were a benediction from God.
But they did not work like magic, as if the words themselves had the power to bring peace.
Like any other gift from God, these words had to be received by faith to convey any real blessing.
Anyone who believed the gospel message had peace with God through Jesus Christ—a peace that would last forever.
The same thing still happens today whenever people receive the good news by faith.
Someone comes preaching the gospel message that Jesus was born to bring salvation, that he died on the cross to pay the price for our sin, and that he rose again to give the free gift of eternal life.
That message may not seem very impressive. Nevertheless, anyone who preaches the true gospel is a royal messenger from God,
and therefore anyone who receives the message by faith receives God himself.
The King of all kings is summoning us to salvation,
and if we welcome his royal summons by trusting in Jesus Christ,
we will have the blessing of his everlasting peace.
Jesus speaks about rejection though as well because he knows there are those who will reject the message.
Those who reject the messenger, also reject the one who sent the message.
This of course means to reject the King who is sovereign Lord of the entire universe.
But more on that at the end of this section.
Here Jesus puts it as the peace that is offered, will simply come back to the messengers and not stay.
Go humbly
Go humbly
The disciples are to act in a certain way as well when they are in place that has received them.
That is with humility.
English Standard Version Chapter 10
7 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. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you.
If the people extended hospitality to these disciples, they were to eat whatever was set before them and be content.
Some of those homes may have included non-Jewish families that did not observe the Levitical dietary laws.
Jesus told them to willingly eat and drink what was before them and not be distracted by their meals.
Jesus also told his disciples to accept hospitality graciously because their work entitled them to it.
Preachers of the Gospel deserve to be supported, and God uses believers to make sure they have what they need.
They were to establish headquarters in a village and not waste time moving around or seeking more comfortable housing.
Go with a purpose.
Go with a purpose.
The final thing the disciples are told to do as the go is to go with a purpose.
English Standard Version Chapter 10
9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.
Healing the sick displays that they have come with Jesus authority.
People knew Jesus was going about healing many.
Luke Original Meaning
The mention of God’s kingdom is central, because these disciples reflect the approach of the new era Jesus brings. God’s ruling power in deliverance is coming.
The message these disciples were to proclaim was that the kingdom of God had come near because the King, the Lord Jesus Christ, was present—
the same message proclaimed by John the Baptist (Matt. 3:2),
Same message that Jesus told (Matt. 4:17, 23; 9:35; Luke 4:43),
and the apostles (Matt. 10:7).
A kingdom is a realm, sphere, or territory ruled by an absolute monarch who functions with absolute authority.
In the kingdom of God, He is the “blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Tim. 6:15).
In a general sense, all creation is included under His sovereign rule in His universal kingdom (Ps. 103:19),
but the kingdom of salvation is the theme of all gospel preaching.
Those who enter that aspect of His kingdom through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ submit themselves completely to His authority and receive all the benefits of eternal life.
The rest of humanity is in the kingdom of the world, under the rule of Satan; there are no free agents.
The gospel is the good news that sinners can be forgiven, delivered from the kingdom of darkness into “the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col. 1:13+),
and thereby be reconciled to God,
Who gives them permanent peace, comfort, and joy both in time and eternity. (HALLELUJAH!)
Jesus anticipates the question what if they don’t accept us and the message we bring.
10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘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.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. 13 “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. 14 But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. 16 “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.”
As Jesus states, the consequences for not accepting Him are quite severe.
These towns that were in the center Jesus ministry, if towns on the outskirts had seen these things, they would have repented.
We know the story of Sodom and Gomorrah as well, fire reigning down from heaven on unrepentant cities.
J.C. Ryle wrote that these instructions
ought to remind us of the necessity of simplicity and unworldliness in our daily life. We must beware of thinking too much about our meals, and our furniture, and our houses, and all those many things which concern the life of the body. We must strive to live like men whose first thoughts are about the immortal soul. We must endeavour to pass through the world like men who are not yet at home, and are not overmuch troubled about the fare they meet with on the road and at the inn. Blessed are they who feel like pilgrims and strangers in this life, and whose best things are all to come!
Application
As Christians we have some important things to take away from this passage.
Every Christian is called to a mission of some sort.
For some it is called to go overseas to be missionaries.
For some it is a call to do missions work at home.
Some are called to be pastors.
All of us are called to share the good news of the kingdom wherever we are.
We are all called to go in one sense or another.
Christian, you have been called to be on mission for Jesus.
You have been called to go for Jesus.
Preparing the way for His kingdom.
How we go looks a little different today.
Before Jesus went to the cross he spoke with his disciples
35 And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” 36 He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.”
There is a major mission field right here in our own country.
A survey by Arizona Christian University on 2020 found that
Roughly half of Americans believe they will go to heaven if they are “generally good” or “do enough good things,” while one-third believe salvation is obtained only by accepting Jesus Christ as savior, according to that survey.
The poll by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University found that 48 percent of U.S. adults affirm the statement that “a person who is generally good, or does enough good things for others, will earn a place in heaven.”
One in three Americans (33 percent) say they consider themselves to be a Christian and affirm the statement that “when you die you will go to heaven only because you have confessed your sins and have accepted Jesus Christ as your savior.”
Additionally, 63 percent of adults believe “having faith matters more than which faith you have.”
This lack of understanding of basic Christian theology is stunning,” with “potentially devastating consequences for individual souls and really for all aspects of American life and culture.”
It serves as a wake up call.
George Barna, director of research for the Cultural Research Center, said has made the statement that Americans are
“in an ‘anything goes’ mindset when it comes to faith, morals, values and lifestyle.”
“Americans appear to be creating unique, highly customized worldviews based on feelings, experiences and opportunities rather than working within the boundaries of a comprehensive, time-tested, consistent worldview,” he said.
“... By abandoning our moral standards and traditions, and replacing them with inclusive and conditional preferences, we are losing the foundations that have enabled the ‘American experiment’ to succeed for more than two centuries,” Barna added. “We can only hope that our critical moral institutions – particularly the family and churches – will wake up and help the nation to get back on track.”
Do you see the need yet?
Do you live and bear witness in light of eternity?
We must be sensitive to people; we can’t grab them by the coat and shout warnings about hell.
But even so, do we have a sense of the urgency of our mission?
“That day” (10:12), the day of judgment, is coming soon.
Our message is not, “Try Jesus and you’ll feel better and have a happier life.”
We must sensitively but plainly warn people that they are sinners who face God’s certain judgment, but they can know peace with God if they will trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
Time is short; we must keep eternity constantly in view.
I close with this story - During the 1981 Byron Nelson Golf Tournament in Dallas, a massive tree limb broke off and fell on a spectator who was killed instantly.
It happened near the third hole where Charles Coody was playing at the time.
Shortly after the accident, he was interviewed on the radio and he said,
“After running over and seeing the accident, I tried to play golf, yet I had no desire to play after that. All of a sudden those three foot putts didn’t seem all that important.”
The suddenness and certainty of death should instill a sense of urgency in us who know what Jesus taught about the judgment to come.
We should pray for openings with lost people.
We should pray that God’s people would be working in the harvest with a sense of mission.
We should clearly proclaim the message, that Jesus is Lord and King, and that people must accept His offer of peace now or face the terrible consequences later.
Christians, we are ambassadors for Christ.
And we can go in His power with His message to where He has sent us, into His harvest which is plentiful, wherever that may be for you.