584. Gospel of Luke - Chapter 10 (#1) - Jesus Sent them out as Lambs among Wolves - June 27, 2024

[00:00:06] and I'll be your host. Do not boast about tomorrow for you do not know what a day may bring forth. Let another man praise you and not your own mouth, a stranger and not your own lips.

[00:00:56] A stone is heavy and sand is witty but a fool's wrath is heavier than both of them. Wrath is cruel and anger, a torrent that who is able to stand before jealousy. Open review is better than love carefully concealed.

[00:01:18] Faithful are the wounds of a friend but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. A satisfied soul loads the honeycomb but to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. Like a bird that wonders from its nest is a man who wonders from his place.

[00:01:42] Oitment and perfume delight the heart and the sweetness of a man's friend gives delight by hearty counsel. Do not forsake your own friend or your father's friend nor go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

[00:02:07] My son be wise and make my heart glad that I may answer him who reproaches me. A prudent man for sees evil and hides himself, the simple pass on and are punished.

[00:02:24] Take the garment of him who is surety for a stranger and hold it in pledge when he is surety for a seductress. He who blesses his friend with a loud voice rising early in the morning. It will be counted a curse to him.

[00:02:45] A continual dripping on a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike, whoever restrains her restrains the wind. And grasps oil with his right hand as iron sharpens iron so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

[00:03:08] Whoever keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit so he who waits on his master will be honored. As in water face reflects face so a man's heart reveals the man. Hell and destruction are never full, so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

[00:03:32] The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold and a man is valued by what others say of him. Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain yet his foolishness will not depart from him.

[00:03:54] Be diligent to know the state of your flocks and attend to your herds. For riches are not forever nor does a crown endure to all generations. When the hay is removed and the tender grass shows itself and the herbs of the mountains are gathered in,

[00:04:16] the lambs will provide your clothing and the goats the price of a field. You shall have enough goats milk for your food, for the food of your household and the nourishment of your made servants. Friends today I'd like to take a closer look at verse 1.

[00:04:38] And proper 27 verse 1 says this, do not boast about tomorrow for you do not know what a day may bring forth. Friends today we are going to continue in our study of the gospel according to Luke.

[00:05:00] And yesterday's podcast we talked about the cost of discipleship and the fact that many people are not willing to do what God has called them to do. It's very easy to put it off until it is a time that is convenient for you and fits into your schedule.

[00:05:25] But that is not how God operates. If he asks you to do something, he probably is going to provide for the funds in order to say that you get that done. Today we'll be beginning chapter 10 so let's begin in verse 1.

[00:05:46] After these things the Lord appointed 70 others also and sent them to by two before his face into every city and place. Now friends, one thing I really like about the gospel of Luke is this particular story.

[00:06:08] Now I am reading out of the Nelson study Bible but listen to the commentary for verse 1. The account of Jesus calling 70 disciples is unique to the gospel of Luke. The instructions that Jesus gave to these disciples are similar to the instructions he gave to the 12 in chapter 9.

[00:06:35] Now friends, I am going to elaborate on what I just said but Luke includes a number of things in his gospel that are not found in any of the other three gospels.

[00:06:50] So I kind of feel at times that if you do not read the gospel of Luke or listen to commentary such as mine, then I think you're really missing out because all of the gospels are important.

[00:07:08] And yet they all serve a certain purpose but if you really want to know everything about what Jesus did while he was on earth, you really owe it to yourself to read all four of the gospels. Now let's go to verse 2.

[00:07:28] Then he said to them, the harvest truly is great but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into the harvest. So friends, my first point today is the harvest truly is great but the laborers are few.

[00:07:55] Listen to the commentary for verse 2, the picture of a plentiful, hardest, suggests that a positive response awaited the laborers even in the face of much rejection. Now while Jesus was on earth there were many people who followed him and friends that is what this story is about.

[00:08:24] If that were not the case, Jesus wouldn't have sent out 70 additional people to share the good news of the kingdom. Now what I like about this is that he actually sent them to places that he was going to be visiting soon.

[00:08:46] And this reminds me of the ministry of Billy Graham. It was called the Billy Graham Evangelical Society and what these people would do is Billy Graham would be having a crusade in a certain city. Let's say eight or ten months from this particular date.

[00:09:07] But what Billy would do is he would send a force of people prior to his coming into the city to prepare that city for his message.

[00:09:21] So when he came and had this great big revival, the people were ready for him to come and they were prepared for the message that he was going to be bringing. Let's go to verse 3. Go your way. Behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.

[00:09:43] So friends, my second point, Jesus sent them out as lambs among wolves. Now let's look at the commentary for verse 3. The image of lambs among wolves was popular in Judaism. And it is derived from the book of the prophet Isaiah in chapter 40.

[00:10:09] So what I'd like to do is go to that chapter. And what I'd like to do, we are now in the book of the prophet Isaiah. I'm going to begin in verse 10. Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand. And his arm shall rule for him.

[00:10:31] Behold, his reward is with him and his work before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom. And gently lead those who are with young. Now friends, listen to this commentary for verse 11.

[00:10:58] In the ancient Middle East, the ideal king was often depicted as a shepherd. And an example of that is Psalm 23, a very favorite song for most people listening today. Gather the lambs with his arm is a description of the father's love for his people.

[00:11:25] And friends here, we are talking about the father God. God loves you so much and we go back to probably the most famous verse in the Bible, found in the gospel of John chapter 3 verse 16.

[00:11:44] For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that who so ever believe in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Jesus tells us on a number of occasions in that gospel of John that he did only what he saw his father due

[00:12:10] and he said only what he heard his father speak. Let's go to verse 4. Carry neither money bag, nap sack nor sandals and greet no one along the road. But whatever house you enter first say peace to this house and if a son of peace is there,

[00:12:37] your peace will rest on it. If not, it will return to you. And friends that is such a vital concept. In other words, when you knock at that door, the people will either receive you warmly or they will reject you and close the door in your face.

[00:13:04] And that is what Jesus is telling his disciples. Be prepared for either one of these. Let's go to verse 7 and remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give. For the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house.

[00:13:29] Whatever city you enter and they receive you eat such things as our set before you. In other words, do not turn your nose if they give you something that you would prefer not to eat. Friends you are in their home.

[00:13:50] They are giving you a place to stay and they are providing you with a meal. Do your best to be gracious and to be kind even if you don't particularly care for the food.

[00:14:06] And that is the example that Jesus gave us when he is sending his disciples out. Now friends, we are to be doing the same exact thing today. We are to be sharing the gospel and going and talking to people as they come into our lives,

[00:14:26] whether it be at Wal-Mart or 711 or getting gas or on the golf course or playing basketball or if you are a student and going to college. We need to be prepared to talk to people all the time. Let's go to verse 9 and heal the sick,

[00:14:48] and say to them, the kingdom of God has come near to you. But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say. The very dust of your city which cleansed us, we wipe off against you.

[00:15:14] Nevertheless, no this that the kingdom of God has come near you. Now friends, my third point for the day is Jesus sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal them. Now friends remember earlier in Luke when he originally sent out his 12 disciples.

[00:15:41] He gave them the power to heal people. So friends, that was their mission. So Jesus' mission was preach the kingdom of God in other words, repent and turn away from your sin and follow me. And he always healed those who were oppressed,

[00:16:04] whether it was a disease or an illness or whether they were blind or whether they were deaf, or whether they were mute, or whether they were lame, or whether they were demon possessed. He gave them the power to heal the people.

[00:16:24] So let's look at the commentary for this verse. Kingdom near to you. This text shows how aspects of kingdom authority accompanied Jesus' earthly ministry. They healing Jesus brought pictured what the kingdom offered. Jesus' ministry was the arrival of the initial stages of God's rule,

[00:16:55] which Jesus will consummate at his return. God's kingdom comes in stages. When Jesus came the first time, he was rejected. In his second coming, he will establish his complete rule over all. And friends, we do not know the day or the hour of Jesus' return.

[00:17:21] So we need to prepare ourselves for whenever it is. Whether it is tomorrow, next month, next year, two years from now, ten years from now, but whenever it is, we need to be ready. Let's close with verse 12.

[00:17:39] But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city. In other words, do not reject the Son of Man, meaning Jesus and His message. Before we close today, I'd like to go back to our verse of the day,

[00:18:04] and I believe it corresponds with what we're talking about today. Now we are in chapter 27, and verse 1 says, Do not boast about tomorrow. For you do not know what a day may bring forth. Listen to the commentary as Jesus did in his teaching,

[00:18:28] the wise of ancient Israel warned about a concern for tomorrow that over shadows the needs of today. So friends, let's review our three points today. The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few. And friends, we all have been called to further advance the kingdom of God.

[00:18:54] We can do that in any number of ways. If you have no idea what God has called you to do, I suggest you seek Him in prayer and ask Him. Number two, Jesus sent them out as lands among wolves.

[00:19:13] Friends, if we claim to be a Christian and go out into the world and try to give the message of God, we are going to be ridiculed, and we are going to have adversity, and we are going to have persecution. Be ready for it.

[00:19:36] Number three, Jesus sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal them. And friends, we are to do the same thing today. But what I'd like to do in verse number one is that Jesus told them stay in the moment. Verse one of Robert 27 says,

[00:20:00] don't boast about tomorrow. Do not make plans. And that is what Jesus was telling the 70 additional disciples. He says, go into the city. And basically if they receive you, stay with them until it is time to go. And when it is time to go, you will know.

[00:20:26] So basically do not plan to just be there one night or two nights or three nights, just live in the moment. And friends, we can do the same thing today. So my call to action is this. Ask yourself, are you living in the moment?

[00:20:50] Do you live basically day by day? Just doing what God has called you to do. Take it one step at a time. If he asks you to do something, begin to do it. And as you do, what he has called you to do,

[00:21:09] he will make things clearer and clearer as to what the next step is. Friends, I will never end a podcast without giving anyone an opportunity. If you receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior, if there is anyone listening today and you've never taken that step,

[00:21:30] I ask that you repeat this simple prayer. Jesus, I'd like to thank you for coming to earth and dying on a cross for me. I believe that you are the Son of God, you came to earth, you died on that cross and you were buried.

[00:21:47] On the third day, you rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, and now sit at the right hand of God the Father. Jesus, I invite you to come into my heart. I want you to lead me and guide me from this point forward in my life.

[00:22:06] I make you my Lord and Savior. Now, may the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make us say, shine upon you and be gracious to you. Lord, lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. Friends, please join me in tomorrow

[00:22:27] as we close out the week with wisdom today.