Time to Harvest: The Church's opportunity

Jesus Sends out the Seventy Two

Lk 10:1–24.

10 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.

Woe to Unrepentant Cities 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.”

The Return of the Seventy-Two 17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Jesus Rejoices in the Father’s Will 21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” 23 Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

History

Luke 10:10 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....

The History.… Todays opening verses should sound familiar too you. Jesus did something very similar in Luke Chapter 9

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

9 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. Lk 9:1–6.

Jesus did these things before the 12 and the 72 .… What was Jesus doing during His ministry? He was healing the sick, casting out demons, proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Jesus modeled a lifestyle that as their teacher the 12 apostles and the 72 disciples were supposed to copy. They were in training after all.

His followers should have recognized the sending of the 72… Remember Jesus’s disciples were Jewish. They were well versed and familiar with the first five books of the law, written by Moses, which included both the books Exodus and Numbers. When Jesus gathers 72 disciples, different disciples, together it should have reminded them of two different events in scripture.

Lets look at Exodus...

Ex 24:1–2, 9-11

24 Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. 2 Moses alone shall come near to the Lord, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.” ..… 9 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. 11 And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.

That looks like it was only 70.…but Moses, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu went as well. God did not interact with Aaron and Moses the same as the other Israelites. They were in their own category. But if you add Nadab and Abihu, bam there you go, 72 people.

Lets continue in the book of Numbers…

Numbers 11:16-17

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.

Wait that's still 70 people… The events in Exodus and numbers are different events. At first glance It looks like there were only 70 people there as well. But lets read further into Numbers.

Nu 11:26–30.

26 Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” 29 But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” 30 And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

Eldad and Medad… Well there you go. Now there are two more, we have 72 again.

What’s unique in Exodus… If you look at Exodus 9 they would “worship from afar”, and verse 10 “they saw the God of Israel”

The leaders saw God, worshiped God… They were in a place where they could see God. A place where contact with God should result in them being changed. How could you not be after being in His presence. Remember these are the leaders of the people. They were meant to lead the people. But first God would meet with them. That’s the place where effective ministry comes from, changed by God, changing others through God.

What’s unique in Numbers… Number’s 17 I will take some of the Spirit that is on you (Moses) and put it on them, they shall bear the burden of the people with you

The spirit on you, put it on them… God shared the Spirit that He had given Moses with the leaders He gathered to help Moses.

Bear the burden of the people… The 72 leaders were meant to help Moses care for the needs of the Israelite's. They brought most of their problems to him. Literally the Spirit of God would help them bear the burdens of the people.

What was it Jesus did during His ministry… Healed the sick and afflicted, proclaimed the Kingdom of God in the power of the Holy Spirit.

What did He send the 12 out to do… Heal the sick and afflicted, proclaim the Kingdom of God.

What was He sending the 72 out to do...Heal the sick and afflicted, proclaim the Kingdom of God.

There was a pattern… Do as I do. Jesus demonstrated now they were to follow. Sharing the truth and the hope of the Kingdom of God was a shared honor and responsibility.

He sent them before Him… They were sent ahead of Him, everywhere He was about to go on His way to the cross. He was preparing them to continue thier mission after He finished His.

Its not a pointless repetition... not a needless repetitive narrative in the bible to included Jesus sending out both the 12 and the 72. The significance behind them both groups being included is this, the mission is not just for a select few.

Its no less significant to us… Jesus’s mission, their mission, is every believers mission. It’s our our mission. The way you fulfill that mission probably looks differently that the the disciples did. They way you fulfill it in unique to each individual but there are some things that are common to all us us. Bearing the burdens of others and witnessing to the hope and salvation of Jesus Christ are two of those things.

Circles of Impact… The gospel message is supposed to go out in ever increasing circles of impact.

It started with Jesus.

It continued with the 12.

It expanded to the 72.

And it would continue in greater and greater circles of impact until those circles of impact included you and I.

The question is.… Will the circle continue with us? Will the impact of Jesus continue to expand to those around us in our lives? Will we touch the world around us? We have been blessed with the honor to carry the Hope of the world.

The Hidden Message

There was another message underneath this one… Another message that I think the disciples missed until it was too late.

Who was it the 72 Israelites went up on that mount to worship? It was God!

Who did the Israelites gather around at the tent when they received the Spirit? It was was God!

Follow me here, who did the 12 and the 72 gather around before being sent out ? Jesus

Who granted the 12 and the 72 the authority and power to bear the burdens of the children of God? Who sent them out to heal, deliver and proclaim to? Jesus

Folks when I say He granted them the power and authority to heal what else could I mean but by the Spirit of God?

What was the deeper message? What was Jesus saying to the disciples if they paid close enough attention… I am Jesus Christ, God in the flesh.

They still missed it... All along He was giving them signs and pointing to Himself and still they missed it.

Training

Jesus moves on in His training to prepare them for what they will encounter.… Remember He knows He is headed to the cross. He tells them Here is what you can expect as follow me down my path.

The harvest is plenty, laborers few.… You are going to find a world all around you in need of salvation. In need of God, In need of a Savior. There will be so many you wont be able to bring in all the harvest by yourself. Your going to need some help.

Two by two… Church He sent them out two by two. He knows we are better together. We were created to be in Godly community. Remember what God said after He had made man, its not good that man is alone. It’s going to take Gods community to be effective and bring in the harvest all around us.

He sent them out as sheep in midst of wolves, with no preparation… Why? Take nothing with you on your journey little sheep. The wolves will not get you. The Good Shepperd prepares for you the way.

Greet no one… He tells them not to even greet anyone on their way. This seems kind of strange until you consider it with His marching orders not to take anything with them on their trip. Jesus was telling them more than just that He was leading them.

Jesus was also saying this, Hurry, Don't delay.... Reach the people who need to be reached. Don’t even take the time to stop at home and grab anything. And as you head from town to town don’t stop for the lengthy pleasantries everyone is already used to. Get to where you are going because there are people there who need to receive Jesus Christ.

Why was it so urgent… Why is the message of Jesus Christ so urgent ? Because none of our days are guaranteed.

Jesus knew something every farmer who brings in harvest already knows… The harvest comes at a certain time. And if you don't harvest your crop when that time comes its too late. You wont be able to harvest it. You might be able to harvest the next crop when it comes. But the time to harvest this crop is now and if you delay some will be missed.

Folks there some who will be missed… If we are not faithful to share the hope and mercy of the gospel message there are some who wont find salvation before its too late. Who will depart from this world without being gathered to Jesus Christ the Lord of the Heaven, the Lord of the Harvest.

And if they don't receive you… wipe even the dust of that place off you feet. Jesus is real with them again. Not everyone will chose to receive this message. Not everyone will find salvation. But once you have been faithful and done your part move on. There are others still, who need the message that others have rejected.

Woe to Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum… He made a shocking comparison. The places Jesus preformed the most miracles still largely rejected Him. These were towns full of Jewish believers. The people of God who have been looking for their promised Messiah.

Remember Capernaum is the town He moved to from Nazareth and did so many miracles in. And yet many still rejected Him. But Tyre and Sidon, the two places He ministered in, pagan cities outside of the Nation of Israel, were more likely to make it to Heaven.

Faith in Jesus Christ is a personal decision, regardless of the amount of evidence you have seen. He has provided more than enough evidence. Will you have faith in Him. There will be no excuses to not have believed on that last day.

Right Reasons to Rejoice

72 Return “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!… The first thing they have to report to Jesus on their return was not their joy over delivering the oppressed, but their excitement about having authority over the demonic. Where was their heart to see their suffering brothers and sister delivered? They were excited for the gifts sake and not what the gift was meant for. The purpose of the gift was to show the others the mercy of God and overcome the kingdom of darkness. To set them free. Jesus’s mission after all was to return lost sons and daughters to the Father.

19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.… Why didn’t they examine this statement closer. Who in the History of the world has the power and authority to grant you protection from Satan? Only God. What’s He say to them, behold I saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven. How could He have done this if He was not in Heaven himself.

Consider this, who is the person in the bible the enemy did not have authority over? God

Job 1:6–12.

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and from on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” 9 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” 12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

They enemy couldn’t kill him… I think if the enemy could have killed Job He would have. But He could not. Why? Because God said no!

18 I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven… Lets look back at verse 18. 18 I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. The Greek tense of this verse literally means “I was watching Satan fall like lightning”.

Follow with me here. The 72 return and say Hey Jesus we cast out Demons in your name. Jesus responds I was watching Satan fall like lightning. He was actively watching the disciples in the Spirit as they delivered people from demonic possession. He was watching them in the Spirit as they conquered darkness with the light. This Jesus was God in the flesh. Remember what He said at Caesarea Philippi. On this rock I shall build my church, and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. The church was assaulting the very gates of hell and bringing back the lost from the places the enemy had taken them.

19… your names are written in heaven.… The disciples were rejoicing in the wrong thing. Their names were in that book because the disciples were His. Every born again believers name is in that book, because when we die to self and live to Christ, we become His. He died to purchase us at our price.

Re 20:11–12.

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life

Jesus Christ is the one seated on the throne.

Re 20:15.

15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Your joy shall not be in the power and authority I have granted you..… but in the name which you are called by. The Lords people. Christians. Church, it’s a privilege to be called by His name, the name which we are to know, Jesus the Christ. Its a privilege to Have our name written in that book of ownership. The Revelation of Christ

21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” 23 Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

What is it then? What is it the Prophets and Kings desired to see?.... Jesus Christ, the Messiah, their Savior and God.

What did they long to hear?.... The Gospel message of Salvation. The mercy of God to mankind.

Closing

Appointed...