Luke 10:3-9 (3)

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-Let me invite you to turn back to Luke 10.

And, we’re going to be picking up...

…back in Verse 3, this morning.

Last week we spent the majority of our time, looking at the...

Similarities...

Differences...

…between the commissioning of the 70, here...

…and the commissioning of the 12 Apostles...

…back at the beginning of chapter 9.

The most notable of those differences was...

…the clear expansion in the scope of their ministry.

(elaborate)

-In addition to that...

…we saw in Verses 1-2:

The sheer enormity of the harvest that was beginning...

The inherent difficulty in the reaping of that harvest...

The necessity of divine provision...

…in order to ensure that the full harvest would come in.

-This morning, we’re going to begin...

…by taking a closer look at Verse 3...

And then looking at the...

…instructions regarding methodology...

…that Jesus gives them in Verses 4-9.

Well, alright...

Let’s read our text...

…and ask for the Lord’s help.

We’ll begin reading back in Verse 1.

Luke 10:1–9 (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.

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.’

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Pray

-As I mentioned to you before...

…I'd like to begin...

…by taking a closer look at Verse 3:

Luke 10:3 (ESV)

3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.

You see, there’s a sobering reminder in that, to us, that...

…No one in the world is neutral...

…when it comes to Christ and his Kingdom.

And, if we’re genuinely doing the work of Christ...

…we can expect to face hostility...

…FROM THE WORLD! … (Not the Church).

Jesus had warned the 12 of the same thing:

Matthew 10:16–22 (ESV)

16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues,

18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake...

21 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death,

22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake...

And that’s what it all boils down to.

Hatred of Christ.

Consider:

John 15:19–21 (ESV)

19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you...

21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name...

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Just be aware of this reality, brethren...

Be...

Innocent as a dove

Wise as a serpent.

-Alright, look at Verse 4.

It begins Jesus’ instructions...

…regarding the methodology of this mission.

(excepting, of course, the two-by-two reference in Verse 1)

And, let me remind you that this was a...

Very particular...

Very short...

...”dispensation” of ministry...

…and as such, we need to be careful...

…to only apply the principles...

…and not necessarily all of the particulars.

Let me prove that to you...

…before we even read the verse:

Later on, Jesus would tell the Twelve:

Luke 22:35–36 (ESV)

36 . . . “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.

So, bear that in mind...

…and look for the over-arching principles.

Luke 10:4 (ESV)

4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals...

This is almost the same thing...

…that he had told the Twelve.

It was meant to convey two things:

The urgency of the task

Their dependence upon the Lord of the Harvest...

…to provide for, and sustain them...

…in the task.

He probably wasn’t telling them...

…to give away all of their...

Money

Food

…that they had on their persons at the time...

…and go barefoot!

The point was for them to just GO!

Take what they had on them...

…and GO NOW!

-And, there’s actually an increased sense of urgency...

…here with the Seventy...

…that we didn’t see with the Twelve:

Luke 10:4 (ESV)

4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road.

-Now, please don’t take that...

…and use it to justify your mistreatment of others...

…in the name of “ministry.”

He wasn’t telling them to be rude.

He was just telling them to be diligent.

Sproul explains:

It doesn’t mean that the seventy were called to be curt and impolite, refusing to greet people they met,

but according to eastern custom, if you met somebody on the way it was considered polite to spend a lengthy time in chatting about the weather and so on.

Jesus calls on his disciples to dispense with those formalities: there is no time for trivia. — Sproul

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This is how urgent their mission was.

No time for...

Packing

Preparation

And certainly no time for...

Empty platitudes.

The Harvest was too plentiful for all of that.

They had to be focused on their evangelism...

…and had to leave it up to the Lord of the Harvest...

…to work out all of the logistics.

(There’s principled applications in that for us)

Chiefly, it is this...

Deuteronomy 8:3 (ESV)

3 ...that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

-Now, look at Verses 5-6:

Luke 10:5–6 (ESV)

5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’

Something of a benediction

“Shalom, Y’all”

As we say, “God bless you!”

6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you.

This reminds us of the Lord’s command to Joshua:

Deuteronomy 20:10–18 (ESV)

10 “When you draw near to a city to fight against it, offer terms of peace to it...

12 But if it makes no peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it.

Now, let’s be clear, here:

Matthew 26:52 (ESV)

52...all who take the sword will perish by the sword.

Christianity isn’t Islam...

And, the Great Commission isn’t Jihad!

We wage spiritual warfare...

…on behalf of Christ!

And our preaching and evangelism...

…will be used as instruments of Judgment, if...

We are doing it biblically...

It is resisted and rejected.

But… Jesus calls us to engage the opposition...

…with terms of peace!

Why?

Because that’s what our King...

…has accomplished...

And as such, that is what we are called to proclaim:

Ephesians 2:13–17 (ESV)

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility

15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,

16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.

This is our calling, brethren...

To call on men to be reconciled to God!

And when that imperative...

…falls upon the ears of a “son of peace” . . .

…the peace of God will rest upon him.

If it is refused...

…we simply go on to “another house”

…and leave the judgment up to God.

And, make no mistake… He will judge!

(We can see that in verses 10-16)

But, that’s his prerogative.

We don’t live by the sword...

We wield the sword of the Spirit.

We are messengers of reconciliation:

Paul said:

2 Corinthians 5:17–21 (ESV)

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

That is the “Shalom” that we’re to lead off with!

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-Look at Verse 7.

It too, contains a transcendent principle...

…for the Kingdom of God.

Luke 10:7 (ESV)

7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide . . . Do not go from house to house

Now, the context here is sustenance.

The provision of sustenance...

…for those that labor in the Harvest of souls.

Now, I didn’t say “surplus” . . .

…I said sustenance.

There’s a big difference between those two.

Remember, that Christ had told these folks...

…to leave without...

A bag of money

A bag of food

Any extra clothes/shoes.

They were to rely on Him for their NEEDS.

Well, this is how he is going to do meet those needs.

Through those “sons of peace” ...

…that they are going to encounter along the way.

And he tells them that...

...when they’ve found such provision...

…they’re not to move around from house to house, trying to...

Improve their accommodations

Get surplus money

Get surplus food.

(The Gospel Ministry is not a means of gain)

They were to be content with...

The Lord’s provision

From the Lord’s people.

-Now, that’s the burden of gospel ministers.

But we also see...

…a burden given to those that “receive their peace” . . .

And, it is to ensure that their needs are met...

…in order that they may continue on...

…in that ministry of reconciliation.

-This too, is a transcendent principle for God’s people.

And, we can see that...

…in the reason that Jesus gives...

…to support what he’s just said.

He says:

Luke 10:7 (ESV)

7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages...

That’s really familiar language, isn’t it?

It brings to mind statements of Paul, like:

1 Timothy 5:17–18 (ESV)

17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.

18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”

We tend to be pretty familiar with...

…Paul’s many applications of that text...

But, not so much with...

…its Old Testament origins.

As far as I know...

…it comes (primarily) from:

Leviticus 19:13 (ESV)

13 “You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning.

In the context of day laborers

“Hand-to-mouth” economics

Now, this is in the context of secular vocation.

But, look at the particular instruction given...

…regarding the Levite (the priests).

Deuteronomy 14:27–29 (ESV)

27 And you shall not neglect the Levite who is within your towns, for he has no portion or inheritance with you.

And the principle, here, is timeless.

It wasn’t delimited to the Old Covenant (proper)

For example, Consider Abraham...

…giving a tenth of his spoils to the priest, Melchizedek

That was centuries before the Mosaic Law was written

Paul carries the same principle...

...into the New Covenant as well:

1 Corinthians 9:7–14 (ESV)

7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?

8 Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same?

9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned?

10 Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop.

11 If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?

13 Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings?

14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

Let me clarify, again...

He said “their living” . . .

Not, “their luxury!”

The Gospel Ministry isn’t to be made merchandise of...

Jesus also said:

Matthew 10:8 (ESV)

8 ...You received without paying; give without pay.

-Alright, Look at Verse 8.

It’s kind of surprising:

Luke 10:8 (ESV)

8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you.

Why would he say that?

I can see two possibilities:

1.) He’s extending the call to ministerial contentment.

Don’t complain about the provisions.

Don’t be hard to please.

Don’t be petulant and demanding.

Be content and thankful for what you ARE given.

2.) (and maybe it’s both and?) He’s telling them not to...

…be a stumbling block to the gentiles...

…over kosher foods.

In other words...

…it’s similar to Paul’s exhortation in...

1 Corinthians 10:24–28 (ESV)

24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.

25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience.

26 For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”

Does the earth belong to Jesus?

Does he possess the right to decide?

27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience.

28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience—

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Many times, we are called to set aside our preferences...

…for the spiritual good of others.

Because, the reality is...

…it’s not ultimately about...

US!

Our preferences and desires

Our happiness and satisfaction in life.

It’s ultimately about...

The King

His Kingdom

In other words...

…the priority in the Christian ministry...

…as well as the Christian life, is...

The Glory of God

The Good of others.

The benefits to self...

…are incidental to those.

-Look at Verse 9.

It sums up their work.

And there’s nothing new in it from the Twelve...

Although, it is worth noting that...

…those attesting miraculous signs...

…weren’t exclusive to the Twelve.

Luke 10:9 (ESV)

9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’

That’s the sum and substance of...

Missions

Ministry

Loving God and Loving neighbor.

Helping the physically destitute

(We are called to that, Reformed brethren!)

Evangelizing the lost

Discipling the found

Proclaiming the power and coming of our King.

May the Lord so burden all of our hearts.

Amen?

Let’s pray