What do I Do

Going with the spirit

Good evening youth group. I’m so glad to be here with you guys this week. Last week i went to Texas to attend a conference. The entire conference was focused on Youth Ministries and how I can serve you guys better.

Lot of interesting conversation and classes. The church I was at felt like the biggest building i had ever walked into. (not really) but it was huge. The worship team was great and so were the speakers.

One of the classes there went over some general statistics that came out of Baylor university talking about statistics. They stats pointed out that most youth age students do not feel like they belong. The other pointed that students didn’t feel spiritually close to God. They believed God was real but they didn’t feel close.

Just by a show of hands has there ever been a time that any of us haven't felt like they belonged? Or have we ever felt like we were spiritually distant from God?

If that is you that's okay. I have also gone through periods in my life where i was like, I don’t really like the environment I'm around. Or that I'm no good and God cant use me or wants to even talk to me.

But that's what we are going to talk about today. We are going to be picking up in ch.10 vs 1 in the book of Luke.

Before we go through our scripture i want to go over a couple things here.

You were made by God you are not a mistake. God said the world needed you and you have value. The other thing is that God is not far from you but he is with us every second of every day.

The Bible says so. Look here what king David had to say,

Psalm 139:1–16 ESV

O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

David said that before a day was ever created he thought about all the people who would come to be. Before Adam and Eve were created he thought of you.

When time came God formed you in your mothers womb. He made all of your inward parts and outward parts. You are all beautiful creations of God. All made in the image of God.

The other thing to note about the Psalm here is that David is saying Gods spirit is always around. Paul makes the statement that can be clearly seen through all the things God made.

The point I'm making here is that you know Gods spirit is there because life is there.

Take a tree for example. The Tree just grows. It doesn't work for it it doesn't read its bible to grow. It just Grows. God causes the rain gives it good soil and the tree grows.

David in the Psalm is saying that there is no where, Not in this life or the one to come where he isn't visible to God. His spirit is everywhere.

so the two things i want us to know about God before we jump in is that he created us with purpose and with value. The second is that Gods spirit is always present.

With that lets jump into our text today Luke 10:1-12

Luke 10:1–12 ESV

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. 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.’ 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.

So Jesus is sending out 72 people. 72 people who have been listening to him and witnessing miracles.

These people are given purpose through a ministry Jesus is calling them to. How are they to know though where they are supposed to go?

Jesus starts by saying pray over the worker of the harvest. Who is the worker of the harvest? That’s us. Anyone who is willing to do the work of Jesus.

So many times i know i have been looking to make a decision. I have been looking for direction. To be honest I've made some crazy choices off a whim and they just don't pan out. Some times they did most.

That probably where most of us are. We are faced with life choices every day. For the most part we can make easy choices like what to eat and clothes to wear things like that. But big life choices we tend to make just like that. Well that sounds nice in the moment ill move over here or ill work here or ill take this class here and these moments impact us. We make these decisions without praying first. Seeking God first.

But right here Jesus is saying Go pray over the worker, Yourself and the people around you. Jesus says then you will go with the spirit of peace!

That's a good thing to cause look how Jesus describes the road ahead. He said the road ahead is full of wolves. The question is who here would love to have the spirit of Peace going before them in a world that is hard to navigate?

Well how do i know what decision I'm supposed to make? Jesus says the spirit of peace stay where you need it to stay or come back to you and tell you to Go.

The presence of God is that spirit of peace. Remember another name for Jesus was the Prince of Peace. His spirit is always around you and will go before you. The thing to remember for us is to seek it. Jesus says seek it through prayer first.

What does Jesus tell his people to do once they have found where to go?

To be present there. To live there. To gather around people, help people to eat with people.

I used to think that everyone was called to go out and be a missionary if they were a christian. I feel like my life changed when I read this passage. You can Be a doctor or a lawyer or a police officer, or a cook, or a carpenter, a tax agent… You can be anything you want in your community.

Jesus says that the spirit of peace will be with you. Remember in all we do though we prepare the way. We get the opportunity to share Jesus in all that we do. In how we Love and how we speak.

Jesus has called us to be the Salt and the light of the world.

Salt preserves and gives flavor to things. Light shines bright in the darkness. And you have a purpose and a light to shine. Each one of you. You have a light inside of you because Jesus lives in you with all of his love.

To touch on the last part of the Jesus says he is sending us out in the midst of wolves. In my experience I can agree that the Jesus did not miss speak. The world is hard.

Maybe you share your faith and your totally rejected by your peer group. Maybe your made fun of . Maybe you get fired from your job. What does Jesus tell you to do.

DUST your feet. Jesus is saying not even the dust from this group of community or town is worth carrying with you.

And I just want to echo what Jesus is saying to you right now. You are of so much value. Don’t hang out with or make your self something your not because people reject you.

Dust your feet. Pray for wisdom and for Jesus to give you the peace to move forward.

On that note I want you to know that this is a safe space here for you to grow and practice praying and seeking after Jesus. And we as a team pray for you. We also would love to pray along with you specifically as you walk through life.