Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two
Notes
Transcript
Opening Illustration
Opening Illustration
One day Hudson Taylor was traveling on a Chinese junk ship from Shanghai to Ningpo.
He had been witnessing to a man named Peter who rejected the gospel but was under deep conviction.
In the course of events, Peter fell overboard, but no one made any effort to save him.
Taylor sprang to the mast, let down the sail, and jumped overboard in hopes of finding his friend.
But no one on board joined Taylor in his frantic search.
Taylor saw a fishing boat nearby and yelled to them to help, but they wouldn't do it without money.
Finally, after bartering for every penny that Taylor had, the fishermen stopped their fishing and began to look for Peter.
In less than a minute of dragging their net, they found him, but it was too late.
They were too busy fishing to care about saving a drowning man.
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We can easily condemn the selfish indifference of those fishermen, but by indicting them, we may condemn ourselves.
Are we too busy with our jobs and other activities to take the time to share a message that would rescue those who are perishing without Christ?
As you ponder that question...
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Please turn your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke.
We will conduct our study in Chapter 10 and focus on verses 1 through 12.
Our message this morning is titled, “Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two”
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This message today will focus on the urgent necessity of evangelism.
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So, this morning we will cover three main points:
1) The Laborers
2) The Instruction
And...
3) The Warning
Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
Before we consider our text, please join me in prayer...
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Heavenly Father...
You are so great and mighty!
You are the author of salvation!
And You are like no other!
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Thank You for sharing the only path to salvation in the Word of God...
Help us, your followers, to take that message to our community...
Help us to take that message to our nation...
And help us to take that message to the farthest corners of the world!
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Forgive us for our lack of urgency in spreading your Good News...
Give us hearts like Yours that cry out to the lost...
Give us the boldness to share your truth with all that we come across for the glory of Your name!
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And it is in Jesus’s name we pray all these things...
Amen.
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Let’s turn to our text for today:
Reading of the Text
Reading of the Text
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.
So, let’s look at our first point...
1) The Laborers
1) The Laborers
Verses 1-2: 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. 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.
This passage take place right after Luke records Jesus’ encounter with a few would-be disciples...
Two weeks ago when we were last in our study on the Gospel of Luke we studied Luke 9:57-62 which said:
57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.”
62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
So, it is only appropriate to now cover Jesus’ commission to those who indeed follow Him.
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Likewise, as you may recall this commission is very similar to the one given to the Twelve disciples back in Luke 9:1-6 which says:
1 And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases,
2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.
3 And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics.
4 And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart.
5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”
6 And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
Jesus has now appointed another group of seventy-two followers to go and prepare the way for His arrival in the many towns that He plans to visit...
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So, as we dive into our text let’s start by looking at a point that may differ based on the translation you hold in your hands...
Some translations state that our Lord appointed seventy followers for this mission...
Other translations state that Christ appointed seventy-two followers...
So, which is it?
As the ESV Study Bible says:
“Many very old and reliable Greek manuscripts have ‘seventy-two’ here and in verse 17, while many other old and reliable manuscripts have ‘seventy,’ and all interpreters agree that it is difficult to decide about which number was in the original of Luke’s Gospel.
Most modern translations have decided in favor of ‘seventy-two,’ based on basic principles for determining manuscript readings.
In any case, no doctrinal issue is at stake, and the number probably has symbolic significance representing the number of nations in the world.
Sending them out two-by-two fulfills the Old Testament requirement for two witnesses.”
So, although I personally lean toward the seventy- two followers...
The evidence is nearly divided in half...
Additionally, there is no doctrinal issue is at stake at all here...
So, don’t let this be a hill to die on.
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Whether it was seventy-two or seventy we do know that they were sent out two-by-two...
The reason for this is found in the reliability of multiple witnesses as found in Old Testament passages like Deuteronomy 19:15 which says:
15 “A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.
The requirement of two witnesses to take or preserve a human life may carry the added significance that the mission of the seventy-two is a matter of life-and-death importance...
Sharing the Good News with others is the most loving act you can do for any individual...
And it is even more important that saving their physical life...
For the soul will live for eternity.
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The seventy or seventy-two that are appointed also represent the number of the nations of the world as found in in Genesis 10...
For in the Hebrew text seventy names are given for the nations of the world while the Geek text has seventy-two names...
So, this mission represents and foreshadows the reversal of God’s judgment of the world’s nations by scattering them throughout the earth in Genesis 10 and Genesis 11.
By the time we get to Acts in the Word of God the ministry to the gentile is in full swing and here we see a pointing to that ministry.
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The seventy or seventy-two that are appointed also represent the elders of Isreal as found in Numbers 11:16-17 which says:
16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you.
17 And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone.
So, if the original account found in Luke said that Jesus appointed seventy followers then the seventy elders are in view...
However, if the original account found in Luke said that Jesus appointed seventy-two followers then the seventy elders along with Moses and Aaron are in view.
The point is that like the Twelve disciple represented the twelve tribes of Isreal, the seventy or seventy-two also represented something significant from Israel's history and the future ministry to the Gentiles.
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Next, Jesus says, “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.”
Imagine a field ready to harvest...
But only having a few laborers!
As Jesus says in John 4:35:
35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.
How many people in your network do not know the Lord in a saving way?
How many people in your neighborhoods and in this very community do not know the Lord in a saving way?
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Who is going to share the Good News with them?
Who cares enough to get out of their comfort zone and share the hope that is in you with those that are lost?
As 1 Peter 3:15 says:
15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
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What are you waiting for, Beloved?
The urgency in Jesus day to hear the Good News is just as urgently needed today!
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These pews are not going to fill themselves...
We are not called to be saved and just sit around...
We are called to get in the fields and work!
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Every...
Single...
One of us!
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Every believer needs to be working on sharing the Gospel message with others...
And although it may not be easy...
It is necessary...
For the Kingdom of God is at hand...
And this takes us to our next point.
2) The Instruction
2) The Instruction
Verses 3-9: Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 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. Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
The first word of verse 3...
A single word...
Has profound meaning in relation to this passage.
Beloved, consider this note as found in the MacArthur New Testament Commentary on Luke regarding the word “Go.”
“The present imperative form of the verb “hupagō” (go and keep going) reflects the urgency of the Lord’s command.
There was no time for delay or extensive training;
The cross was only a few months away and there were many villages that needed to hear the message and be prepared to receive Jesus when He came.
Since the seventy were themselves part of the kingdom of salvation, they knew enough to tell others how to be as well.
While specific training in evangelism and apologetics is helpful, the lack of it is no excuse for believers, from the moment of their conversion, not to bring to other sinners the gospel truth they have believed.”
If you are a believer then you already know enough to share the Gospel with others...
Remember the Samaritan woman?
Once she believed she wasted no time to tell others about Jesus as is recorded in John 4:28-29 which says:
28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people,
29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”
The same is true for everyone listening this message right now who is a genuine follower of Christ.
Go, and tell others about Jesus...
Tell them about the One who change your life forever!
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Next, Jesus says, “I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.”
The term “lambs” implies that the disciples should not attempt to gain converts by force...
The spread of the Gospel is to come through preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ...
The spread of the Gospel is to come through the inviting of hearers to respond willingly.
You see Beloved, the principle that genuine religious commitment cannot be compelled by force sets true Biblical Christianity in clear contrast to significant segments of Islam, Hinduism, and many tribal religions.
In fact, even works-based religions like Catholicism and Orthodoxy have, in their history, used force to make converts and that simply is the opposite of what God wants us to do!
Consider Emperor Theodosius the Great, who reigned from 379-395 AD...
He issued the Edict of Thessalonica in 380 AD and that made Christianity mandatory...
This greatly increased the already growing number of nominal Christianity in the Christian world at that time.
“Nominal” meaning existing in name only.
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Yet, we are not to be about converts by name alone but to pray for genuine born again believers...
Those who are willing to suffer for Christ’s Name...
And as lambs who are fully dependent on God...
We will suffer persecution from wolves.
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As the Pillar New Testament Commentary on Luke says:
“The mission is not only discouraging, it is also dangerous.
‘I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.’
This is a graphic and violent simile.
A lamb is not simply the weaker of two antagonists, but utterly defenseless before a wolf.”
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So, expect to be persecuted for the Name of Christ...
But don’t let that fact discourage you...
As John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim's Progress and the pastor who spent 12 years in prison for the “crime” of preaching God’s Word, once said:
“Therefore, I bind these lies and slanderous accusations to my person as an ornament;
It belongs to my Christian profession to be vilified, slandered, reproached and reviled, and since all this is nothing but that, as God and my conscience testify, I rejoice in being reproached for Christ’s sake.”
So Beloved, count it all joy as James 1:2-4 says:
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
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Next, let’s look at the fact that as Jesus had previously done with the Twelve, He did not allow the seventy-two to take any extra provisions for their journey, such as a money belt, bag, and shoes.
In fact, they were not to greet anyone on the way.
These was similar to what is found in 2 Kings 4:29 which says:
29 He said to Gehazi, “Tie up your garment and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not reply. And lay my staff on the face of the child.”
You see Beloved, a greeting in that culture was an elaborate ceremony, involving many formalities, perhaps even a meal, and long delays.
A person on an extremely urgent mission could be excused from such formalities without being thought rude.
Everything in Jesus’ instructions speaks of the shortness of time and the great urgency of the task.
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Now, despite that fact that the seventy-two followers where told to bring no extra provisions, they never lacked anything as Luke 22:35 records:
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.”
So, we can see that Jesus was teaching His followers that they should depend on Him for their needs...
Likewise, they should depend on Him while they venture out and serve Him.
This truth is meant for us today, too.
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Beloved, learn to depend on God more and more everyday...
Trust in Him more...
Lean on Him more...
As Jesus Himself said in Matthew 6:33:
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
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Now greetings, which go beyond mere formality, are to be reserved for the hosts of the seventy-two.
“A son of peace,” as mentioned in verse 6, is one on whom God’s favor rests, and who therefore is receptive to the good news of God’s peace that Jesus’ messengers are bearing.
In other words, a son of peace is, a believer.
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Luke then says, “Remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages.”
So, the seventy were to establish headquarters in a village and not waste time moving around or seeking more comfortable housing which could also be seen as an insult to their current hosts.
Likewise, we can see that Jesus makes it clear that those who labor for the Gospel deserve their wages...
The people of God are to support the preachers and teachers of God’s Word.
Paul in his letter to Timothy reminds him of this truth as recorded in 1 Timothy 5:17-18 which says:
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.”
Furthermore, John the Beloved says that Christians are obligated to support the Lord’s messengers who, unlike the other itinerant preachers of the first century, sought no help from unbelievers but trusted in God alone...
We know this from passages like 3 John 1:5–8 which says:
5 Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are,
6 who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God.
7 For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.
8 Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.
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Next, Jesus instructs His followers to, “Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”
The “Kingdom of God” in this verse is this present age which is not an earthly, military, or political kingdom...
Instead it is a Kingdom that is the rule and reign of God in people’s hearts and lives...
The Kingdom of God is manifested both in people following Jesus and His teaching...
And the Kingdom of God is manifested in the miraculous healings that God brought through the disciples...
This gives a foretaste of resurrected life in the age to come...
And that is what we need to be telling people about.
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However, for those who reject this message of hope...
A grave warning is issued...
And this takes us to our third and final point.
3) The Warning
3) The Warning
Verses 10-12: But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘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.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
Consider this reality, Beloved...
Understanding the Good News of the Gospel is predicated on understanding the bad news about what happens to those who reject it.
So, to be faithful to the Word of God, a Gospel presentation must include not only the promise of Heaven, but also the threat of judgment and Hell.
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Remember that Sodom the entire surrounding region were judged without warning, and with the utmost severity.
As Genesis 19:24–25 says:
24 Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven.
25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
So, the fact that Sodom would face a lesser judgment than any city in Israel was an incomprehensible idea.
Yet, this is the truth...
For when Jesus says “I tell you” He is indicating the importance of following truth He is about to share...
That “ it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.”
So, cities and individuals that reject the Gospel message will have a more severe judgment, because more and greater revelation has come to them, making their sin worse.
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These remarks in verse 12 also set up the next section we will cover in our study next week regarding the woes of Luke 10:13–16 which says:
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.”
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It is imperative that we do not neuter the the Gospel message...
We can’t pick and choose the parts of Scripture we like and ignore the parts we don’t like...
We are not call to make people feel good...
We are not called to make people happy...
We are called to tell people it is more about being holy than being happy!
We are called to tell people that they must repent and believe in Jesus Christ!
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If you love people...
If you care about their eternity...
Then you need to let them know what Jesus says in Matthew 12:36–37:
36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,
37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
To not share this with others is to let them drown even though you have an extra life jacket in your hands...
To not share this with others is to let see a person in a burning room and refuse to use the fire extinguisher on the wall that is just a foot away from you...
To not share about the day of judgement is the cruelest thing we can do to someone who is lost.
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At any moment anyone of us may draw our last breathe...
And at any moment the Son of Man, Jesus could return...
And it would then be too late.
As Matthew 24:36–44 says:
36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,
39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left.
41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.
42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.
44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
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So Beloved, be ready...
And tell other to be ready!
Closing Illustration
Closing Illustration
So, as this message comes to a close...
I would like you to consider this:
Writing in Moody Monthly, Carl Armerding recounted his experience of watching a wildcat in a zoo.
“As I stood there,” he said, “an attendant entered the cage through a door on the opposite side. He had nothing in his hands but a broom.
Carefully closing the door, he proceeded to sweep the floor of the cage.”
He observed that the worker had no weapon to ward off an attack by the beast.
In fact, when he got to the corner of the cage where the wildcat was lying, he poked the animal with the broom.
The wildcat hissed at him and then lay down in another corner of the enclosure.
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Armerding remarked to the attendant, “You certainly are a brave man.”
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“No, I ain’t brave,” he replied as he continued to sweep.
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“Well, then that cat must be tame.”
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“No,” came the reply, “he ain’t tame.”
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“If you aren’t brave and the wildcat isn’t tame, then I can’t understand why he doesn’t attack you.”
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Armerding said the man chuckled, then replied with an air of confidence, “Mister, he’s old--and he ain’t got no teeth.”
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Well Beloved...
The situation is a little different for us...
We have an enemy who has teeth and is not tame...
As 1 Peter 5:8 says:
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Furthermore, Jesus does call His followers to be brave...
As Joshua 1:9 says:
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
So, I implore you...
Stop living in fear...
Trust in the truth of the Word of God...
And be strong and courageous as you walk out these church doors...
Be strong and courageous as you invite others to church...
Be strong and courageous as you tell someone about Jesus...
Be strong and courageous as you share the life saving message of the Good News.
Closing Prayer
Closing Prayer
Let’s pray...
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Heavenly Father...
If anyone hearing this message right now does not know You in a saving way...
I beg you to shatter their wall of unbelief around their heart...
Clear the fog from their mind...
Pull back the veil over their eyes...
And bring them to the point of repentance and genuine belief.
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I appeal to Your Name’s sake!
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For those hearing this message who already know You...
I beg you to empower them to be faithful servants...
Guide their feet to walk to the lost...
Guide their hands to minister to the lost...
And guide their tongue to speak your precious truth to the lost.
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Again, I appeal to Your Name’s sake!
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It is in Jesus’s name we pray all these things...
To God be all the glory.
Amen.
