JESUS DEBRIEFS THE 72

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Well, the 72 were sent out and returned with great enthusiasm. Remember they were sent out with specific instructions to heal and tell of the kingdom of God, all in preparation for Jesus to show up personally.

The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." NOTE their joy over the fact that they were amazed at how demons were even responding to them and their presence.

Jesus responds with equal excitement for them. He didn't dampen their joy. He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

Jesus said, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven." This was no surprise to Him, since He had given them the power over all enemy forces. He uses a triple negative in describing it by saying, "Nothing, no way, no how will harm you-not even snakes or scorpions" could injure them. Now this isn't the same power He has given His disciples today. This was for a specific task in a specific time. So, don't try it today!

Now, NOTE what Jesus says: "However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

He is saying that they are not to get all excited over demons coming out of people. That is exciting, but there is something much more important than this to be excited about-their salvation-their names written in heaven.

Jesus is so excited about the field trip His disciples had just completed and the results they experienced. The next paragraph says that He was "thrilled with joy" about the whole situation. He was so thrilled that He broke into prayer for His special relationship with the Father.

At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

Then Jesus turns to His disciples: Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."

More than the ministry results, Jesus is thrilled with joy that His disciples "get it". They have been blessed with eyes to see and ears to hear. Then He says that many prophets and kings were eager to see what the disciples now see.

What was it that the disciples were seeing and hearing that had been so anticipated by prophets and kings? I think it was the fulfillment of the mystery of the Kingdom of God and the revelation of the King. The prophets and kings had read about this revelation for centuries and now it had come to pass. Jesus, the King, had shown up proclaiming that the Kingdom was finally here.

Now, this is where we come in. Jesus and His Kingdom was the full revelation of the grand mystery of the ages. What He is looking for today is for us to embrace them both. The Kingdom will always lead us to the King and the King leads us to living the newly empowered lifestyle of the Kingdom. Would you like to get Jesus' attention and make Him thrilled with joy? Focus your life on the unchanging person of Jesus, the King, and the unshakable Kingdom of God.

JESUS SENDS OUT THE 72

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We have come to chapter 10 of Luke's gospel. Each chapter is full of several amazing stories of Jesus in action. This first story in this chapter is one of my favorites. NOTE the fact that we have just finished with some very tough teaching on how costly it is to be a follower of Jesus. And now Jesus appoints 72 disciples other than the 12 and sends them on a mission.

The story is divided into two sections in the first 24 verses. The first is Jesus sending out two by two 72 disciples on a mission and the second section is an interesting time of debriefing. We'll handle the first today and the second tomorrow.

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.

There is a mixture of specific instructions for them in that particular mission and some universal principles for us today. Jesus' instructions not to carry a purse, bag or sandals was for that specific trip. However the sense of going two by two was carried out throughout the spreading movement of the fellowship of Jesus.

There is also an interesting statement about how plentiful the harvest is and yet the workers are few. Years ago I presented a message entitled, "Many Are Called, But Few Get Up." We have a serious addiction within the churches in this country. People are addicted to church attendance with a semblance of guilt if they miss, but participation is not part of the norm.

I think Christians do mission work the hard way, mainly attempting to "convert" people from whatever their culture is to become a member of the Christian culture. In the process we send the wrong message as to what the Jesus movement is all about. The goal of missions is not to set up Americanized churches full of spectators, but to encourage intimate touch and interaction about Jesus and the kingdom. NOTE what Jesus' strategic plan is.

"When you enter a house, first say, 'Peace to this house.' If the head of the house loves peace, your peace will rest on that house; if not, it will return to you. Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for workers deserve their wages. Do not move around from house to house."

This mission is all about "entering a house" and bringing peace with you on that house. Whether the head of the house receives it or not, the peace is still with you. He says something interesting, "Stay there in that house and don't move from house to house." This reminds me of what a friend said to me, "Be a fountain" and let people come to you. If you have brought the peace of God to this household, then it will be evident to the neighborhood and village.

"When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 'Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.' I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town." NOTE what they are to do. Heal the sick and tell the people that the kingdom of God has come near to you. And if they refuse to welcome you and the peace you bring, then shake the dust off your feet. Then Jesus says, "Be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near." In other words, the kingdom of God has come near no matter the response.

Then Jesus curses the three cities in which He had performed many of His miracles. "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths.

When you receive as much light as these cities have received and still are not particularly responsive to the message of the kingdom, you will be held responsible for that rejection.

Then Jesus says something that is most empowering for these disciples and for us, too: "Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me."

You and Jesus are united inseparably when you are on a mission in His name. Whoever listens to you is listening to Jesus and whoever rejects you is rejecting Jesus. You see, the key to appreciating the power of this statement is found back in the early part of sending the disciples out. The harvest is plentiful. There are so many who have ears to hear and eyes to see, because Jesus is the Lord of this harvest. So, we are to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send forth more workers to take His healing touch and the message of the kingdom of God to those who are ready to receive it. It's His harvest, His power, His message and His peace.

I've got one final thought for you. When you are praying for the Lord to send forth workers for His harvest, be sure that prayer includes you as one of the workers. Jesus will handle all of the details of the work. Just raise your hand and volunteer to be one of those workers.

THE COST OF FOLLOWING JESUS

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In the last paragraph of Luke chapter 9 Jesus articulates what the cost factor is to be a follower. Jesus offers three scenarios for us to ponder.

FIRST-A FOLLOWER MUST LIVE AS AN ALIEN-As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

As Jesus walked a whole company of people followed Him, not only the Twelve. And from time to time various people would come up alongside Him and engage Him in conversation as they were walking. A man, moved by Jesus' words and vision, says to Him, "I will follow you wherever you go."

Jesus responded that He didn't have the comforts of a home, but was a constant pilgrim on a mission. What Jesus is saying to this "would-be" disciple is, "Are you willing to be a pilgrim-an alien-in this world, just passing through without too many entanglements? It's a certain self-denial that is required when you are following Jesus.

SECOND-A FOLLOWER MUST BE READY TO FOLLOW NOW-He said to another man, "Follow me." But he replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

Think about it. If the man's father has just died, what in the world is the man doing hanging around Jesus? He should be home making funeral arrangements! It's obvious that his father isn't dead yet. He probably isn't even seriously ill, or the man would be asking Jesus for healing. What the man is saying is this: I have responsibilities to my father as long as he lives. I'm not free to follow you right now. But when my dad dies, then I'll follow you. I just can't follow now.

This reminds me of what I have heard over the years from well-meaning people. They say, "As soon as I get victory over this habit or mature enough to have my act together, then I'll get involved in following Jesus." My answer, "We don't have that much time to wait for you to get your act together. Begin now!"

By the way, NOTE what Jesus was telling him to do for Him. He wanted Him to proclaim the kingdom of God. He is not asking him to get involved in a local church or to tell anyone about his church. He isn't telling him to go out a start a new church or go into the world as a missionary. He wants him to proclaim the kingdom of God to others. We'll connect on this message later.

THIRD-A FOLLOWER MUST BE SINGLE-MINDED-Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

All the man wanted to do was go home and say good-bye. That's all. What's so wrong with that? In light of the immediate mission ahead-the sending out of the Seventy to the villages of Judea-for the man to go home will mean that he will miss out, though his request seems reasonable enough. Jesus clarifies His point when He speaks of plowing a field. You never try to plow while looking over your shoulder. If you do, your rows are crooked and your field is difficult to work. If you try to plow while looking back, you're not fit to be in the field. You'd be fired in a hurry by the farmer. Rather, plowmen fix their eyes on a point at the far end of the field and move steadily toward it, not veering to the right side or to the left. There's no time for long good-bye's or bon voyage parties. It's time to focus on the ultimate purpose of the mission.

Each of these excuses for not immediately following Jesus is reasonable. But here's the point. It is time to take hold of the plow. It is time to put kingdom business ahead of worldly business. Following Jesus may be difficult. It may make your life a little less comfortable, but I can assure you that nothing on this earth is more fulfilling, more joy producing, than being a follower of Jesus. And, Jesus accepts nothing less than your all! Are you a follower of Jesus or are you still throwing out excuses?

THREE CLASHES THAT LEAVE JESUS OUT

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We now come to a second time Jesus predicts His upcoming death in Luke 9:43-50: While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, "Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered over to human hands." But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.

This bad news Jesus is sharing with them was just too hard to take. It was still a mystery to them and they were afraid to ask anything further about it. However this isn't the most important issue in this passage. After all of these amazing supernatural experiences-being sent on a mission to heal people, participating with Jesus in feeding over 5000, seeing Jesus totally transfigured before their eyes, and healing a boy who was demonized, the disciples prove that they are missing the point of who Jesus is and what He came to do. They enter into 3 clashes.

FIRST CLASH-An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For whoever is least among you all is the greatest."

In this 1st clash the disciples argue between themselves about who will be the greatest among them. They are still thinking in terms of a political kingdom. They are missing the point that Jesus, the King, came to bring a spiritual kingdom then and there. And Jesus was the key to any sort of positioning, because the kingdom is wherever the king is.

SECOND CLASH-"Master," said John, "we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us." "Do not stop him," Jesus said, "for whoever is not against you is for you."

NOTE this 2nd clash. Here the disciples are upset with some other followers of Jesus who were casting out demons in the name of Jesus. Now what was it that was bothersome to them? Get this. They were upset because these followers of Jesus "were not one of us". It was driving them nuts that anyone outside of their little fellowship could be following Jesus. Does that sound familiar?

THIRD CLASH-As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them ?" But Jesus turned and rebuked them. Then he and his disciples went to another village.

The 1st clash was between the disciples, the 2nd clash was between the disciples and other followers of Jesus, and then this 3rd clash is between the disciples of Jesus and a group of people from another religious system.

All three clashes shared a few commonalities: 1. Each clash was motivated by the pride of being more "right" than another. This is sure all too common among those who claim to be followers of Jesus today. 2. Each clash was divisive from within the group of disciples to outside the Jesus fellowship. 3. Each clash was missing Jesus as the central figure of their lives and thinking.

You see, if you leave Jesus out of the equation of relationships within the kingdom, you will inevitably experience divisiveness. Here's the principle: JESUS UNITES WHILE EVERYTHING ELSE DIVIDES. And what is Christianity known for? It's divisiveness and exclusivity. So, who pushed Jesus out of Christianity?

JESUS HEALS DEMONIZED BOY

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Just after the transfiguration, everyone must come down from the mountain: The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. A man in the crowd called out, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not."

"You unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here." Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.

This is a seemingly minor incident, yet there is so much to glean from it. FIRST-Jesus and three of His disciples have been up on the mountain-a true mountaintop experience. They could not have been any higher in their enthusiasm. They have seen Jesus in all His glory and there is no doubt that Jesus is the One God has sent to reach the world and to deliver all of us from totally destroying ourselves. Now, they have to come down from the mountaintop and deal with the down-and-dirty real world. Down at this level there is little that shines very bright and certainly not as bright as what they experienced up on the mountain with Jesus. So, they have to feel a bit down and frustrated with what they are facing.

SECOND-Jesus, too, is frustrated with having to come down from the mountaintop. The father of this boy went to the disciples, seeking help and they were unable to do so. I think Jesus was not only disgusted with the disciples, but with everyone who is missing the point of who Jesus is and what He came to give. You see, Jesus has been investing Himself in training His disciples and trying to communicate to anyone who would listen to Him. He has just come down after shining as bright as lightning and now back to seeing the effects of His glory and radiance.

What's most important is that Jesus didn't stay in an upset mood, but moved right into gear to heal the only son of this man. He wasted no time in doing so.

"And they were all amazed at the greatness of God." I love this response. The longer you watch Jesus the more you see in Him. The more you hang out with Jesus and do your best to follow Him around, He will most surely bring you to this same response. NOTE what Luke says here that they were amazed at the greatness of God. It wasn't the greatness of Jesus, but the greatness of God. When Jesus does His thing, those who are watching don't see any difference between Jesus and God.

I've been repeatedly sharing what a friend shared with me about what Jesus demonstrates to us all. As you watch Jesus you will see three most amazing things: 1. Jesus brings you the highest character qualities of anyone who ever lived. 2. When you follow the teachings and principles of Jesus, you quickly realize that you are most fulfilled in your soul. 3. The ultimate result you will discover as you do your best to follow Jesus is that you will find God.

I've come to this conclusion. If God were to take on flesh and become man, you would expect Him to look just like Jesus. Jesus is the God-Man who raises the bar of character qualities for us to emulate, gives you a sense of meaning and fullness as you try following Him and introduces you into a personal relationship with the God of gods.

His name again? JESUS.