Don't Major on the Minors (Luke 10:1-24)

Jesus sends out seventy two disciples to do a specific job:

“…tell them: ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you”

A very specific message: “God’s power and authority are CLOSE!”

Same message the Baptist preached

same message Jesus Himself proclaimed (He sends these 72 BEFORE He comes to a place)

No matter HOW the message is received by the townspeople, it DOES NOT CHANGE (v. 11b)

If a town ACCEPTS Jesus’ messengers, they are to stay, heal the sick, and preach the Good News

If a town REJECTS the messengers of the Good News of God’s Kingdom, even the dust from the feet of the messengers will testify against the people of that city on judgement day

A rejection of the Good News is a rejection of Jesus Himself which is a rejection of GOD!

Jesus gives His messengers POWER to do miracles

“Heal the sick”...”....the demons are subject to us”

The miracles were to BACK UP the message of the Kingdom (vss. 13-14)

A display of SPIRITUAL POWER to authenticate a SPIRITUAL MESSAGE!

The seventy two return from their mission trip with JOY

“The spiritual world obeys us in Your Name!”

That’s totally understandable! Put us in their shoes.

Their joy was misplaced.

Jesus says: “I was there when Lucifer was kicked out of Heaven. Yes, I gave you authority over spiritual darkness. But that shouldn’t be the reason you rejoice.

The real reason for your joy should be that my Father chose you to belong to Me and I have revealed My Father to you.

Let’s focus on verses 23 and 24

“Many PROPHETS and KINGS desired to see and hear what you are seeing and hearing”

They AWAITED the coming of God’s Messiah, and here you have been blessed to KNOW Him!

Instead of rejoicing over the awesome things you SEE and DO, rejoice over the AWESOME ONE who has chosen you to be His!

APPLICATION: Are we MAJORING in the minors of our faith?

Are we rejoicing in Christ?

The fact that He was been revealed to us and we have access to the Father through Him!

Or are we moping because we don’t see the things the apostles saw or did?

Healing, exorcisms, other miraculous things?

Let’s go back to the truth in vss 23 and 24.

If you know Christ, you are blessed beyond all measure!

That should be our message!!

If God chooses to bolster our message with miracles, we will praise Him for it!

But we must be so careful not to change the message to “God can do miracles”.

He IS the Good News.

The Kingdom of God has come near to you. Yes, the king can heal and deliver from demonic oppression. But the real question is: Have you become a citizen of His Kingdom?