Mission Sunday 2023: Devoted to Missional Discipleship

Thought: Being devoted to discipleship MUST include missions

We cannot say that we are devoted to discipleship and be disconnected from Missions.

Intro

Something that I have enjoyed studying for several years now, is war history.

Learning about the events that led up to the conflict, what the major turning points were, and how they were concluded are absolutely fascinating to me.

connection between teenagers in the olden days wanting to fight - given a reason to fight

Thomas - The Patriot

Jacklyn H. Lucas - 13 year old who enlisted in the Marines in

Today, is missions Sunday at Restoration Church Bryan.

I think that it is the tendency of some to check out when we hear that it is missions Sunday at our church.

The reason is that most of us are not called to sell all of our stuff, move our family overseas, and start finding ways to make disciples of indigenous people.

For most Americans, I would dare say, we would describe a missionary as someone who lives in the middle of no where, in a mud hut, with no air conditioning, and who has taken a vow of poverty.

Which makes sense why many would check out when we

Passage

Luke 10:1–6 ESV

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.

Context

This passage comes on the heels of Jesus talking about the cost of following Him.

You want to follow me, well, foxes have holes, birds have nests - I have nowhere that I call home.

You need to bury your father first? Leave the dead to bury their own dead - you proclaim the kingdom

You want to say goodbye to those that you are leaving behind at home - no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom.

So, there are some hard words that Jesus has for them - and then the next word that Luke records are these words from Luke 10...

I want to start our time out this morning with the crystal clear point that following Jesus is going to cost you something.

Jesus is not an accessory that you simply add on to your life.

For the car guy, he isn’t the turbo charger that you bolt on later

For the high fashion girl, he isn’t the new Chanel or Gucci handbag that you paint your nails to match.

Jonathan said this a couple of weeks ago - for some of us, Jesus is our messiah, but He isn’t our Lord.

Sermon Points:

1. Sent together (v. 1)

I want to draw our attention to a couple of words here.

Appointed - It means to assign a duty, responsibility or obligation to someone.

Unpack this - Jesus didn’t suggest that they go - He told them to.

Sent - Apostello - to dispatch - to send away towards a designated goal or purpose.

There was intentionality and an assignment that Jesus gave to the 72.

Ecclesiastes 4:9 ESV

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.

Story of Jonathan and Stacy

2. Open eyes and prayerful hearts (v. 2)

Harvest - if we had an apple tree and it was heavy with fruit, it would be foolish to simply let all that fruit fall off the tree and rot, right?

3. Comfort will kill our (vv. 3-5)