Luke 10
1-20 what the disciples need to rejoice in
21-24 Christ rejoices
The word rejoice means to be cheerful – it’s an action verb and thus requires action. Happiness is a response to our circumstances but joy is a choice. Let us take the instructions today to rejoice that our names are written
1 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also,a]">[a] and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.
There is a lost and dying community right here and you may be the only Bible they ever read; the only Jesus they ever know. Notice above that they are sent out in twos. This is important. Have a co-laborer to share the love of Christ with and to help edify each other. There are strengths to this approach in the missions field (even locally).
2 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 His harvest.
The need is great. How does Jesus want them/us to respond to this need? He says to pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Throughout history you can see the leaders, the laborers that had been brought up by God. These were prayed for. God will be faithful to your prayers. We need to pray even now, and you’ll find an interesting thing happens when you pray for laborers….You become more interested in laboring.
3Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.
Think about the innocent characteristics that come with a lamb… They aren’t coming into territory to take it over by force. They are gentle (they do not attack) and succeed in their purpose. This represents the ministry of Christ to a lost and dying world. Go as a lamb among wolves trusting the Lord. Not your own strength.
4 Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.
We are to limit ourselves in resources of this world so that we can first rely on the resources of God. This ministry isn’t a strength of man but of God. Therefore know where your trust is.
5 But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.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.
This is specific to the missions field. Often when doing missions a local villager will offer you stay with them while you are in that village. Extend peace upon entering.
8Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.
It is offensive to not eat food presented before you. Keeping that in mind while traveling in missions foreign or domestic. Suck it up. This is one of the adventures of the mission field. If you are by now wondering why you have not yet been on a missions trip international or locally, then I encourage you to step out in faith and trust God to work through you (even if it’s just to a neighbor to start).
9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘The very dust of your city which clings to usb]">[b] we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’
Christ is reiterating the instructions here to “shake it off when someone rejects you understanding that they are rejecting Christ and then move on to someone with the heart that is prepared.”
12 Butc]">[c] I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city. 13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
These gentile cities would have repented if Christ were in their midst… But the message here is accountability even unto what you have heard.
14 But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.d]">[d] 16 He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”
If someone receives the message of Christ that you bring, they are even more so accepting Christ. And vice versa. If they reject you, then they are also rejecting Christ. For in the missions field, you are his ambassador.
17 Then the seventye]">[e] returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”
Can you picture their excitement coming back from the missions field sharing stories and such? You may think Jesus would just join the band wagon in excitement but…
18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
When satan fell it was due to pride in his heart. He wanted attention to his own ability and his own status. We, need to be very careful when the Lord begins to work through us that we not begin to build up pride. This can become very perverted in wanting to do works for Christ only so that others attention is on us. We need to be sure that our joy isn’t in what “we” have done for God, but in what God has done.
Isaiah 14
12 “ How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer,a]">[a] son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
13 For you have said in your heart:
‘ I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’
Notice that satan said these things in the heart (verse 13). This is where pride starts. This is the gateway to sin, that you would have pride in the heart. Be so careful of this. Don’t exalt yourself, but exalt God.
15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,
To the lowest depths of the Pit.
Now let’s get back to Luke 10.
19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but ratherf]">[f] rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
So don’t let your joy be from when you are used by God. There will be seasons you go through when you are not being used. If this is where your joy comes from then you will go through peaks and valleys based on how God uses you instead of on who God is. Are you worshiping Christ? Worshiping how he uses you? Worshiping what you do?
We can’t write our name in heaven. Only Jesus can do that. This is something to rejoice in. If your name is written in heaven here are some reasons to rejoice:
1-you are not going to hell
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Eternal life is something that we possess. We have it knowing that heaven is our eternal resting place. We can rejoice in this. Also that we are never going to have to go to hell. We are never going to taste of the gnashing of teeth. this earthly experience is the worst it’s ever gunna get for us.. lol – and this isn’t all that bad.
2-you will forever be with the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 17 Then we who are alive andremain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18Therefore comfort one another with these words.
3- you will see Jesus. You will no longer have to walk by faith, but you will actually see Him.
4- you will be like Him.
1John 3: 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
This means we are going to be glorified. We will no longer struggle with sin or wrestle with the flesh. No longer will sin be a temptation for us. We and all of our brothers and sisters in Christ will be glorified. No more mud slinging or separation of churches. This is great news that brings hope and joy. The consequences of sin here to us are only temporary.
5 – no more death, disease, or disappointment. Christ is going to wipe away the tears. You will be healed.
6-we will reign with Christ.
Rev 20: 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.7- we are joint heirs with Christ.
Romans 8: 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
When was the last time you really had joy in your salvation? The joy of the Lord is something that we know can’t be taken away from us because we are saved. Protect this joy. Do not allow the enemy to take it from you or guide you to misplace it in something temporary. Let it constantly by your strength “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Make the decision to be joyful. It is a choice. Read the book of Philippians if you want to study this deeper. Paul in jail full of joy.’
21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.
Here Christ is rejoicing in the fact that God chose to hide these things from those that were un-teachable and prideful. The Pharisees, Sadducees, etc. He rejoices that the truth was revealed to the disciples (the babes) who were teachable and could be humble. They were used by God because of their weakness. 1 Corinthians 1 talks about God using people such as these and humbling the wise. Read the whole chapter. It’s good. Your inadequacies are what qualify you for the work of the Lord. Duet 6 and 7 say why God chose the nation of Israel. It was because they were the least of all the nations. Let it be a lesson to us to glorify Him and stay humble.
22 Allg]">[g] things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
We see the relationship between the father and son. So it is with us and our relationships (less magnified of course) but some of the same things we can relate in with our own children or parents. Think about it for a while. Do you want the relationship with God that says He is your Father? Do you have this relationship already? Rejoice!
Christ is the revealer. He shows us the father. If you want to know the Father look at Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 1:3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himselfa]">[a] purged ourb]">[b] sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Do we have this relationship with God where we can approach Him and cry out “Abba”?
23 Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; 24 for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.”
We are blessed. The kings and prophets of the old testament longed to experience the presence of God in a way that only we are experiencing today. We are in the new covenant of God’s love. We have access through the Holy Spirit. This is a huge blessing. Be joyful. It’s not always easy to rejoice, but it is a choice we all have to make. We can choose to remember what Jesus has done for us. What it took for our names to be written in Heaven. This is consistent regardless of what valleys or peaks are in our life. For those that believe and have confessed and live as though Jesus Christ died to pay for them and rose again to empower them and lead them and for those that have acknowledged your sin and separation from God and repented and called upon the Lord, you are saved and have every reason to rejoice. Be Joyful Christian. Your name is written in Heaven. Rejoice in the Lord, not yourself.
If however you haven’t done this yet; if you have waited for an invitation and you want to repent from your past and know today that you are forgiven and that the Holy Spirit is with you; if you want you name written in the book of life today, then private message me. You can be saved today and begin rejoicing and sharing with others.
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