The Journey of Joy
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Psalter
Psalter
A Psalm. A Song at the dedication of the temple. Of David.
1 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up,
and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
3 O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol,
restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.
4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a moment;
his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
6 As for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I shall never be moved.”
7 By your favor, O Lord,
you had established me as a strong mountain;
you hid your face;
I was dismayed.
8 To you, O Lord, I cried,
and to the Lord I made supplication:
9 “What profit is there in my death,
if I go down to the Pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me!
O Lord, be my helper!”
11 You have turned my mourning into dancing;
you have taken off my sackcloth
and clothed me with joy,
12 so that my soul may praise you and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.
Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
O God of cleansing waters,
center our hearts on healing.
Messenger of peace,
instruct us in your ways.
Spirit of gentleness,
make of us a new creation.
Amen.
Pastoral Prayer
Pastoral Prayer
Patient and Loving God, we have just come through a national holiday in which we have celebrated freedom and independence. We have heard the mighty strains of marching bands and seen the banners unfurled. Our hearts have been moved by the events. Yet you have called us to remember that it is you who gives true independence and hope in your healing and restoring love. The oppression of disease, poverty, terrorism pours into our lives and lays claim to our spirits. We feel as though we are again in bondage. Free us, O Lord. Open our hearts to receive your healing words of comfort and hope. Enable us to be people who offer compassion in the presence of sorrow; hope in the presence of desolation; light in the presence of darkness. Walk with us and strengthen us. Give us spirits of eagerness to serve and witness to your love. As we have brought names of those near and dear to us to this time of worship, asking your healing mercies and blessings, help us to remember that we stand in need of those blessings as well. Help us to receive the blessings and to use the gifts which we have been given to serve you in all that we say, think, and do. We pray all of these things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who taught us to pray by saying...
1 After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. 2 He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ 6 And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; 9 cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’12 I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.
13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But at the judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum,
will you be exalted to heaven?
No, you will be brought down to Hades.
16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” 18 He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 19 See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
The Journey of Joy
The Journey of Joy
Roy Clements, a pastor in England, tells the story of his decision to go into the ministry. He was earning a lucrative income in the science industry, but knew God was calling him to preach the Word. One day as he shared this desire with one of his coworkers, he heard the typical response: "It seems a bit of a waste." Why would anyone in his right mind leave a good job to tell others about Jesus?
When Christ says, "Go, I am sending you," one does not argue. Just begin the journey of joy and watch in wonder at all that God can accomplish through you.
In , Jesus commissions the seventy-two apostles ("sent out ones") to go before him and tell the local villagers that the kingdom of God is near. As the messengers leave and return, their journey reveals four key insights about sharing the good news of Christ.
I. Pray for More Workers
I. Pray for More Workers
1 After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. 2 He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.
The first truth Jesus discloses about missionary work is the great need for more workers, Christians willing to sacrifice the comforts of home to go into the world and tell others about Jesus. Thus, he exhorts these disciples to pray for more people willing to participate. One of the problems churches confront is the unwillingness to go and tell. They expect unbelievers to come, sit, and listen. Jesus places the proverbial shoe on the other foot. It is the responsibility of Christians to take the message to the lost; not to pray that they find the front door of a worship center.
9 So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.
The first truth Jesus discloses about missionary work is the great need for more workers, Christians willing to sacrifice the comforts of home to go into the world and tell others about Jesus. Thus, he exhorts these disciples to pray for more people willing to participate. One of the problems churches confront is the unwillingness to go and tell. They expect unbelievers to come, sit, and listen. Jesus places the proverbial shoe on the other foot. It is the responsibility of Christians to take the message to the lost; not to pray that they find the front door of a worship center.
The first truth Jesus discloses about missionary work is the great need for more workers, Christians willing to sacrifice the comforts of home to go into the world and tell others about Jesus. Thus, he exhorts these disciples to pray for more people willing to participate. One of the problems churches confront is the unwillingness to go and tell. They expect unbelievers to come, sit, and listen. Jesus places the proverbial shoe on the other foot. It is the responsibility of Christians to take the message to the lost; not to pray that they find the front door of a worship center.
II. Go in Faith
II. Go in Faith
3 Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.
Jesus makes sure the apostles know what to expect. They are not embarking on a leisurely vacation through Samaria. Rather, Jesus reminds them of the hostility waiting along the way. The essential component in accomplishing anything for God is the realization that you can't. God will accomplish what he desires through you; never the other way around. To show an understanding of this fact, the apostles are told not to take anything with them: no money, not even an extra pair of shoes! Why? God will provide for all their needs, food and lodging included. It's one thing to say it. But to leave home without your traveler's checks demonstrates total dependence on God.
15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. 16 The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Jesus makes sure the apostles know what to expect. They are not embarking on a leisurely vacation through Samaria. Rather, Jesus reminds them of the hostility waiting along the way. The essential component in accomplishing anything for God is the realization that you can't. God will accomplish what he desires through you; never the other way around. To show an understanding of this fact, the apostles are told not to take anything with them: no money, not even an extra pair of shoes! Why? God will provide for all their needs, food and lodging included. It's one thing to say it. But to leave home without your traveler's checks demonstrates total dependence on God.
Jesus makes sure the apostles know what to expect. They are not embarking on a leisurely vacation through Samaria. Rather, Jesus reminds them of the hostility waiting along the way. The essential component in accomplishing anything for God is the realization that you can't. God will accomplish what he desires through you; never the other way around. To show an understanding of this fact, the apostles are told not to take anything with them: no money, not even an extra pair of shoes! Why? God will provide for all their needs, food and lodging included. It's one thing to say it. But to leave home without your traveler's checks demonstrates total dependence on God.
III. Anticipate Success—and Failure
III. Anticipate Success—and Failure
16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with proclaiming the word, testifying to the Jews that the Messiah was Jesus. 6 When they opposed and reviled him, in protest he shook the dust from his clothes and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 7 Then he left the synagogue and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God; his house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the official of the synagogue, became a believer in the Lord, together with all his household; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul became believers and were baptized.
The third truth seems obvious: some will accept the message and some will reject it. No middle ground exists in the response to Jesus. Either one accepts him wholeheartedly or one rejects him altogether. What surprises us is the direct link between the message and the messenger. When the lost reject Christ, they reject Christians (and vice versa). In other words, as believers share the message of hope, they represent Christ himself. Jesus says, "When you speak, they hear my words." This factor removes all the pressure. If someone accepts Christ, praise God! If they refuse to listen, it is God they refuse to hear.
Acts 18:5-
The third truth seems obvious: some will accept the message and some will reject it. No middle ground exists in the response to Jesus. Either one accepts him wholeheartedly or one rejects him altogether. What surprises us is the direct link between the message and the messenger. When the lost reject Christ, they reject Christians (and vice versa). In other words, as believers share the message of hope, they represent Christ himself. Jesus says, "When you speak, they hear my words." This factor removes all the pressure. If someone accepts Christ, praise God! If they refuse to listen, it is God they refuse to hear.
The third truth seems obvious: some will accept the message and some will reject it. No middle ground exists in the response to Jesus. Either one accepts him wholeheartedly or one rejects him altogether. What surprises us is the direct link between the message and the messenger. When the lost reject Christ, they reject Christians (and vice versa). In other words, as believers share the message of hope, they represent Christ himself. Jesus says, "When you speak, they hear my words." This factor removes all the pressure. If someone accepts Christ, praise God! If they refuse to listen, it is God they refuse to hear.
IV. Bring Home the Joy
IV. Bring Home the Joy
17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!”
The final truth of this passage is found in the last section (vv. 17-20). In this age of financial security, one cannot imagine the utter joy available to those who live day to day on pure faith in God to supply material and spiritual resources. As Christians submit to God's calling, they soon discover the greatest reward in life: being used by God to accomplish his purposes. The apostles experienced the call, the provision, the power, and the product. To lead someone to Christ and witness the transformation brings the greatest feeling of joy ever known. To be used by God, to bring glory to God, to lead others to God—these are the incomparable rewards for abandoning the temporal enticements of this world.
5 May we shout for joy over your victory,
and in the name of our God set up our banners.
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.
The final truth of this passage is found in the last section (vv. 17-20). In this age of financial security, one cannot imagine the utter joy available to those who live day to day on pure faith in God to supply material and spiritual resources. As Christians submit to God's calling, they soon discover the greatest reward in life: being used by God to accomplish his purposes. The apostles experienced the call, the provision, the power, and the product. To lead someone to Christ and witness the transformation brings the greatest feeling of joy ever known. To be used by God, to bring glory to God, to lead others to God—these are the incomparable rewards for abandoning the temporal enticements of this world.
The final truth of this passage is found in the last section (vv. 17-20). In this age of financial security, one cannot imagine the utter joy available to those who live day to day on pure faith in God to supply material and spiritual resources. As Christians submit to God's calling, they soon discover the greatest reward in life: being used by God to accomplish his purposes. The apostles experienced the call, the provision, the power, and the product. To lead someone to Christ and witness the transformation brings the greatest feeling of joy ever known. To be used by God, to bring glory to God, to lead others to God—these are the incomparable rewards for abandoning the temporal enticements of this world.
The next time you feel the Lord calling you to share him with others, do not hesitate to begin the journey of joy. You may encounter resistance, rejection, even satanic hostilities, but God will provide the necessary resources for accomplishing his goals. One should not underestimate the possibilities, because one thing is guaranteed: when the Lord calls you to serve him, it will never be "a bit of a waste."
Benediction
Benediction
Lord, as we go from this place, surround us with your peace and love, that we make take healing and hope to others in your holy name. AMEN.