Good morning. Good morning. It's always very encouraging, having preached somewhere previously, to get invited back.
So thank you very much for bearing with me once again this morning.
Do have your Bibles open at Luke 10. Do be checking that what I say is what God says in the Bibles.
I'm fallible. I'm not God's Word, which is infallible.
Now, as Paul's ready to pray for us, why don't we just get started?
Well, before we properly dig into this passage, there is two things I would like us to see first.
And they're in verse 1. Chapter 10, verse 1.
The first two words in verse 1 is this.
After this, the Lord appointed 72. After this.
Anytime you see it in the Bible, you've always got to go back to what came before to find out the context of this passage.
So clearly, something's just happened.
And let's just remind ourselves where we are in Luke's Gospel.
We've just entered the next section of Luke, which begins at chapter 9, verse 51.
It says this.
As the time approached for him, that is Jesus, to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.
The time is coming for Jesus' earthly ministry to come to an end.
The time is coming for Jesus to be taken back up into heaven.
The time is coming for Jesus to leave his disciples.
But something has to happen first before that comes about.
Where is Jesus heading to?
He's heading to Jerusalem.
And as we know, we know what's going to happen in Jerusalem, don't we?
Jesus is going to be betrayed, arrested, crucified.
Which makes it incredible when you read verse 51, which says that Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.
He knew what was going to happen in Jerusalem.
He knew he was going to be betrayed by one of his own.
He knew he was going to be arrested and eventually die a humiliating death upon the cross.
Yet here he is, setting out, face like flint on Jerusalem.
Knowing exactly what's going to happen.
So Jesus is going to die.
He's going to be raised back to life.
He's going to be taken to heaven.
But he's going to leave his disciples behind.
So right now, there is a need for Jesus to train his disciples.
He needs to instruct them and teach them to equip them for a time after he has gone back to heaven.
And last week, Scott Hamilton was preaching from this passage and he showed us the cost of discipleship.
It was saying in verse 57 and 62, there's no way to lay your head.
Let the dead bury the dead.
There's an urgency to this mission.
Leave your family behind.
There's a priority to this mission.
And this week, we're going to be looking at Jesus as he teaches his followers about going on mission for Christ.
Going on mission for the sake of the gospel.
That's the first thing.
Second thing.
Who is Jesus speaking to here?
Read with me again.
Okay, after this, verse 1, after this, the Lord appointed 72 others and sent them.
72 others.
Why does Luke say others and not just 72?
By the way, some versions might have 70 in some of your Bibles.
It doesn't really matter.
70, 72.
But what does matter is the word others.
Well, we've already seen Jesus send out his disciples, the chosen 12, at the start of chapter 9 on mission.
So when Luke now says 72 others, he is telling us that these are not the chosen 12 being sent out.
These are everyday followers of Jesus.
There's nothing particularly special about them.
They're not professional, full-time gospel workers.
They're regular people who have chosen to follow Christ.
And because they're followers of Jesus, they are sent out as followers of Jesus.
Now, what's the point?
Well, the point is, if you are a follower of Jesus here this morning, then you are sent out by Jesus on mission.
It doesn't matter if you're a full-time gospel worker or if you're a plumber.
It doesn't matter if you're a lawyer, teacher, a binman, retired, unemployed.
If you're a follower of Jesus, you're called to go.
And so the words we read in this passage matters to us.
Because it's Jesus teaching us and instructing us what we should do when we go, when we're sent out by Christ.
Now, I have sat, I've heard many sermons.
I've preached sermons myself.
Who are called to go.
We know the Great Commission, Matthew 28, go and make disciples of all nations.
And quite often I sit there under that teaching or even when I say the words myself, I think,
fine, okay, let's go.
Jesus says, go, let's go.
We better do it with a sense of duty.
We need to obey him, off we pop.
We get to work on Monday morning, might share a gospel conversation with our fellow worker, with a friend, with a neighbor.
By Tuesday, we've kind of gone off it.
We start to feel guilty by Wednesday and forgotten it by Thursday.
But I think if that is our attitude,
if we see this call to go by Jesus as a sense of duty rather than a sense of joy,
then we are missing something quite profound, I think.
We are missing the joy, the blessing, the privilege that is ours to be sent by Jesus on his mission.
There's a hope that as we work those passions together this morning,
we will be captivated by just who it is that sends us, Jesus Christ.
Because the more we're captivated by him, the more we'll have this desire to go out for him.
And that will make all the difference in the world.
Maybe you're here today and you don't think yourself as a follower of Jesus.
Maybe you're just exploring the claims of Christianity, of who Jesus is.
Well, can I encourage you also to keep listening?
Because I believe Jesus has some very profound to say to you this morning as well.
Jesus contains the words of eternal life.
Words that I believe are for you to hear.
So let's keep going.
If you take a note, we're going to do this under three points.
Followers of Jesus pray and go.
Followers of Jesus proclaim the good news.
And followers of Jesus rejoice.
Followers of Jesus pray and go.
Followers of Jesus proclaim the good news.
Followers of Jesus rejoice.
First one, followers of Jesus pray and go.
Now the first thing we see in verse 2 is that Jesus tells his followers
that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
In other words, Jesus is saying, now is a great time for mission.
Now there are plenty of people just ripe to be plucked.
Jesus says in John 4 to his disciples,
I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields.
They are ripe for harvest.
Now Jesus is not talking about corn or wheat to make his bread.
He's speaking about spiritual harvest that is ripe for the picking.
When we look out over Edinburgh, do we see what Jesus sees?
When we look out over the hundreds of thousands of people
who do not yet know Jesus
and are currently running towards an eternity cut off from God,
what do we see?
Do we see a dry and barren land
where it seems that there could be no gospel fruit?
Or do we see what Jesus sees?
A harvest ready to be picked.
And if we do see this harvest ready to be picked,
we'll also see there's the same problem here that Jesus sees.
There's a lack of harvest workers.
Now when I say harvest workers,
I do not mean full-time gospel workers.
Although that is true, there is certainly a lack of them.
But remember the context.
It's the 72 others who are being sent out.
The everyday followers of Jesus.
There's a shortage of everyday followers of Jesus
going out into the harvest field.
So what's the solution?
Well, perhaps surprisingly,
it's not to go.
At least not at first.
What does Jesus say?
Come on in the verse 2.
The harvest are painful,
the workers are few.
Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore,
to send out workers into his harvest fields.
The followers of Jesus
are to pray for more harvest workers.
So as we look out across Edinburgh,
as we see the thousands of people
who are currently lost,
like sheep without a shepherd,
we should pray.
Ask the Lord of the harvest
to send out workers into his harvest field.
Simple enough, isn't it?
But do we do it enough?
Do we remember to pray for more harvest workers
when we pray as individuals,
in our home groups,
or when we gather together as a church?
We may well wonder
why there are so many lost people in Edinburgh
when there are a good number
of decent, Bible-centered,
gospel-centered churches,
but yet we don't pray for more harvest workers.
Pray to the Lord of the harvest
to send out workers into his field.
That's the first thing we are called to do.
But here's a word of caution.
As we pray,
do not be surprised to find out
that you are the answer to your prayers.
Look at the very next words of Jesus
in verse 3.
Ask the Lord of the harvest,
send out more harvest workers.
Go, I am sending you.
See, the first thing Jesus follows to do
is to pray,
but then right away,
Jesus sends the 72 out.
Instant answer to prayer.
Jesus is saying,
you are the answers to your prayers.
You are the harvest workers
that I am sending out.
Let's think about that for a moment.
Jesus asks Jesus 72
to pray to the Lord of the harvest
to send out harvest workers.
Then Jesus says,
go, I am sending you.
What does that tell us?
Jesus is the Lord of the harvest.
Jesus is the one who sends.
Now why does that matter?
Well, because as we go out
as followers of Jesus,
as we pray and as we go,
what happens?
We keep praying for more harvest workers.
Lord of the harvest,
send out more harvest workers.
Lord of the harvest,
send out more harvest workers.
And what happens?
Jesus keeps answering that prayer.
He keeps raising up
more harvest workers.
What does that tell us?
Our mission will be a success
because of him who sends us.
As we go out there,
we are going to see gospel fruits.
As we go out there,
we are going to watch
more harvest workers
be raised up by Christ.
Now we may not see that
in the immediate sense.
I hope that we do sometimes.
God is very gracious
and lets us experience the joy
of seeing that firsthand.
But when we get to eternity,
when we get to heaven,
then we will really see
the fruits of our labors
because of Christ.
Now this isn't going to be easy.
There is going to be opposition.
Look at how Jesus describes them
when they're sent out.
Go, I am sending you out
like lambs among wolves.
Great.
Fantastic.
I'm sending like a vulnerable lamb
to a pack of wolves
so I'll get my club and my spear.
Jesus goes,
no, no, no, no, no.
Forget your club spear.
In fact, forget your purse,
your bag and your sandals too.
Just leave them aside.
Can you imagine
the disciples' faces?
Right.
Leave all that behind,
but I'm going to need money
to pay for accommodation and food.
Jesus goes, no, no, no,
you won't.
No, you won't.
You won't need that.
Leave it behind.
Imagine for a moment
that I came this morning
with three boxes.
One marked purses.
One marked bags.
One marked shoes.
I left them at the door
and said,
Gabriel called to go
on your way out
if you'd be so kind.
Leave your purses,
bags and shoes behind.
Imagine your faces.
What I think
what Jesus is trying to say here
or what he is saying here
is that there's an urgency
to this mission.
Jesus is telling the 72
do not get weighed down
by earthly possessions
when there are people's
eternity at stake.
Get on with it.
Just go.
And we see that
at the end of verse 4 as well.
Jesus instructs his followers
not to greet anyone on the road.
And otherwise he's saying,
don't dilly dally.
Heard that phrase,
don't dilly dally?
When I was younger,
going to primary school,
I used to go in
for one of my friends
at her house.
And she lived
with her grandparents.
And every time
we left the grandparents' house
after I picked her up,
the last words
our granny always said to us,
get straight to school
and don't dilly dally.
Just get straight there.
And that's what Jesus
is saying here.
Don't need dilly dally.
Just go.
Leave behind
earthly possessions.
Don't get distracted
on the way.
Go out there.
People's eternity
is at stake.
There is a great need
so there's a great urgency
to meet that need.
And what Jesus
is also teaching
his followers here
is that
they can leave behind
all this stuff
because he
is the one
who is sending them.
I am all you need.
I will provide
for you as you go.
You don't need money
because I will provide
food and accommodation
for you.
We see that in verse 7
where they're welcomed in.
Verse 8.
They eat the food
given to them.
They've got roof
over their heads.
Yes, Jesus says,
you may be like lambs
sent into a pack of wolves
but do not fear
because not only
will I provide for you,
I will also protect you.
Come with me quickly
to just verse 19.
Verse 19,
Jesus says,
I have given you
authority,
that's I have given
the 72,
authority to trample
on snakes and scorpions
and to overcome
all the power
of the enemy.
Nothing will harm you.
Now in the original Greek,
this nothing will harm you
phrase is emphasized.
It's an emphatic position.
It literally jumps out
the page to you
as you read it.
nothing will harm you.
Now,
does this mean
that as followers of Jesus
we are not going to be harmed
in any way?
No,
it doesn't.
Just look at Acts,
the sequel to Luke's gospel
and that will quickly rid you
of any notion
that followers of Jesus
are left unharmed.
This verse does not teach us
that we can start
jumping off cliffs for Christ
or run into a wolf's enclosure.
I grew up in a small town
called Girvan
on the southwest coast
of Scotland
and there was this lovely,
godly lady
in the church
who refused to wear
a seatbelt
because she said,
Jesus is with me.
It's okay.
When my time has come,
my time has come.
I don't need a seatbelt
to protect me.
I've got Jesus.
Now,
there's something
wonderfully admirable
about her faith
but at the same time,
God gave us a seatbelt
for a reason,
didn't he?
To try and protect us.
It doesn't mean
to be stupid
and just run into fields
of scorpions and snakes
or defy the laws of gravity.
No,
that's not what Jesus
is teaching here.
To find out what Jesus means,
we've got to look
at the context.
Coming to verse 18,
Jesus says,
I saw Satan fall
like lightning from heaven.
Wow.
There's a statement
and a half,
isn't it?
I saw Jesus
fall like lightning
from heaven.
See,
the context of verse 19
is the fall of Satan,
which I think
is more to do
with the defeat of Satan
rather than his actual
fall from heaven.
And Jesus gives
his disciples
the authority
to trample on snakes
and scorpions.
Now,
again,
does this mean
that as followers
of Jesus,
we can go and take on
the racing snakes
in planet Earth too?
Does this mean
that David Attenborough
needs only employ
followers of Jesus
because they're immune
from all nature,
biting them or killing them
or eating them?
No,
it doesn't.
Apart from Paul,
the apostle Paul,
in Acts,
where was it?
Yeah,
Acts 28,
where Paul was bitten
by a snake,
but left unharmed.
Apart from that,
there is no literal
fulfillment of this promise
found anywhere in the Bible.
instead,
the scorpions
and the serpents
represent Satan's power.
They represent
the hostile creation.
And the 72
are now protected
from that
because of the authority
of Jesus
that he has given
to them.
Nothing will harm them
because I have authority
over all things.
Nothing will harm me
because I've given you
this authority
to trample on
Satan's power
and hostile creation.
Can we see that?
So the Lord of the harvest
has not only sent us,
but he'll provide for us
and he'll protect us
as we fully depend on him.
And at the end of the day,
if we truly believe
in the sovereignty of Christ,
then we can afford
to take the unavoidable risk
when we go out on mission.
Rather than spend
our earthly lives asking,
well, what if this happens?
What if that happens?
What if that thing happens?
We can say,
it doesn't matter.
Jesus is with me.
He'll protect me.
He'll provide for me
as I go on mission for him.
Let's just get on with it.
That's the first thing.
Followers of Jesus
pray and go.
Second thing,
followers of Jesus
also proclaim the good news.
What are the 72 to do
when they're sent on mission?
Come with me to verse 8.
When you enter a town
and are welcomed,
eat what is offered to you.
Heal the sick who are there
and tell them,
the kingdom of God
has come near to you.
The kingdom of God
has come near to you.
What does that mean?
Well,
the kingdom of God
is when God's people
enjoy God's blessing
under God's rule.
The kingdom of God
has come near.
The kingdom of God
has come near.
The kingdom of God
has come near.
Kingdom of God
has come near.
How has that come near?
How on earth?
What does that mean?
Well,
again,
the context will help us out.
The 72,
we're sent ahead of Jesus.
Remember where Jesus is going
to Jerusalem?
His betrayal,
arrest,
death,
resurrection,
exaltation.
And see,
Jesus,
if I do know this,
is the one who's going
to bring in God's kingdom,
God's people
enjoying God's blessing
under God's rule
because he is God's
chosen king.
God's rule and power
and deliverance
is coming.
That does not mean to say
it has arrived
in its fullness now.
No,
there's going to be
a further fulfillment
to come.
But what it does mean
is that the rule of God
through Jesus
as his king
has begun.
So when the disciples say,
look,
the kingdom of God
has drawn near,
what they're actually saying
is, look,
he is near.
Jesus,
the one who's going
to bring in God's kingdom
where God's people
enjoy God's blessing
under God's rule
is near.
Look,
here he comes now.
He has drawn near.
That's what they are
to proclaim.
The good news
is that Christ
has come.
God's chosen king
promised from the
beginning of time
has arrived.
The good news.
And you also noticed
that 72
are to heal the sick.
And we don't have time
to get into
a discussion about
whether the gift
of Merax's healing
still happens today,
whether this is a mandate
for us to go
into royal infirmation
and heal the sick there.
That's for another time.
But what I want us to see
is a purpose
of healing the sick.
Why are they
to heal the sick?
Well, the healing
backs up the message
that the kingdom of God
has drawn near.
The healing
is a representation
of the blessings
experienced by those
in God's kingdom.
No suffering.
No pain.
No illness
in the kingdom of God.
One of the many blessings
that we have.
The healing
is a physical sign
of the compassion
that God has
for these people.
It gives an authority
and authenticity
to the message
of the 72.
But one thing
we must note.
Healing
in and of itself
does not save.
Only spiritual healing
can do that.
No amount of healing
or miracles
will bring salvation
to those
who reject the message.
because only
in the message
which is God's word
can we find life.
Jesus says,
the words I've spoken
to you
they're full
of the spirit
and life.
His disciples
say to him,
you have the words
of eternal life.
Healing does not save,
God's word saves.
So when we proclaim
God's word
and if we show
God's compassion
in a concrete
physical way,
this word
takes on a dimension
that it otherwise
might lack.
It attracts people
to the gospel.
It attracts people
to Christ.
That's why I think
as followers of Jesus
we should be engaged
in, for example,
helping the poor,
food banks,
alleviating the suffering
of those around us.
But we must always
remember that
as we do so,
we must always,
always,
always back up
our actions
with our words.
We must always
tell people
why we do this.
We must always
tell people
of the good news
because if we don't,
we may as well
be a good Muslim.
We may as well
be a compassionate
atheist.
We may as well
just be a friendly
neighbor.
We must always
back up our words,
back up our actions
with our words
because if we fail
to share the gospel,
we may be soothing
their immediate
suffering,
but we are doing
nothing to alleviate
their eternal
suffering.
And that is a tragedy.
Now Jesus is very
upfront with the 72.
He tells them
that when they go,
they are going
to face opposition.
They are going
to be rejected.
Notice,
in verse 8 and 10,
there are no
ifs and maybes,
but only whens
and ours.
So when you enter
a town and when
you are rejected,
here's what you do.
It's not if or maybe,
it's when.
Jesus tells them
what to do
in verses 8 and 10.
The first time says,
go on the streets
if you're rejected,
a very public place.
Shake the dust
off your feet
and move on.
Notice the message
doesn't change.
They start to proclaim
the kingdom of God
has drawn near.
So it doesn't matter
if we accept
or reject
the message.
The message is still
the same.
It's not dependent
on what we do
with that.
God's kingdom
is going to come.
The shaking of dusk,
symbolic.
This city now
stands alone
against God.
And that's not
a place you want
to be.
Jesus gives us
examples of what
fate awaits
the towns that
reject God's message
in verse 12 and 15.
Come with me
to verse 12.
I tell you,
it will be more
bearable on that
day for Sodom
than for that town.
Now,
Sodom was one
of the most
wicked towns
in the Old Testament.
And it was a town
that got turned
to dust
because of its sin.
But it will be
more bearable
for Sodom
than for these
towns who reject
your message now.
for Tyre and Sidon
as well,
two towns
in the Old Testament.
They would have
repented
if the miracles
had performed
there that are now
performed in your
towns and cities.
So woe to these
cities that reject
Jesus' message.
Woe to them
on the day of judgment.
That's what it means
by on that day,
on the day of the Lord.
Healing does not save
because word saves.
If we reject
God's word,
then that is very
serious indeed.
Because the message
that the followers
of Jesus proclaim
is a matter of
life and death.
If you're not
a follower of Jesus
here today,
can you hear
the warning
of Jesus?
You do not want
to be
standing alone
against God.
You do not want
to,
Jesus say to you,
woe to you
on the day of judgment.
Capernaum,
lift you to the heavens,
no,
cast down to hell.
If you're
sitting today
and you're rejecting
this message
of the wonderful
message of the
kingdom of God
has drawn near
in Christ,
oh please,
repent of your sin
and run to him.
Hell is not
a place you want
to be.
Stand alone
against God
is not a place
you want to be.
Do you see that?
Can you hear
the warning
of Christ?
See,
to reject
this message,
you're not
rejecting 72.
You're not
rejecting those
who tell you
the gospel.
You're rejecting
Jesus Christ himself.
And if you're
rejecting Jesus Christ,
you're rejecting
the Father.
You're rejecting
God when you
reject this message.
You are aligning
yourself with
the enemy of God,
Satan.
There is no
middle ground.
There is no
sitting on fences.
There's only two ways.
You're with God
or you're against him.
I hope that you
see that and you
run to Christ
to find salvation.
Because see,
to accept the
message is to
accept Jesus
and therefore God.
To accept God's
decept eternal life
and that's to
become permanent
citizens of heaven,
which brings me
to my third point.
Followers of
Jesus rejoice.
72 return
ecstatic from
their mission
in verse 17.
And they are
joyful because
even demons
submit to us
in your name,
Lord.
How amazing
is that?
Oh,
to experience
the power,
the authority
that you have
and even demons
submit to us.
Oh,
fills us with joy.
But notice
what Jesus
says next.
Let's go to
verse 17 together.
In return,
even demons
submit to your
name.
Jesus replies,
I saw Satan
fall like lightning
from heaven.
It's almost like
he's playing a game
of top trumps,
isn't he?
Demons
submit to your
name?
I saw Satan.
The head of demons
fall from heaven.
From heaven,
I've given you
authority to
overcome scorpions
snakes.
We've looked at
that.
Nothing's going
to harm you.
Verse 20,
however,
do not rejoice
that the spirit
submit to you,
but rejoice
that your names
are written
in heaven.
That is a
greater joy
than demons
and spiritual forces
submitting to you
in Christ's name.
That your name
is written
in heaven.
Now,
the Greek
used here
means that
when your name
is written
in heaven,
it remains
written in heaven.
It is recorded
forever.
When your name
is up there,
you are now
a permanent
citizen of heaven.
Nothing
can take that
from you.
That is our
reason to
rejoice.
We are to
keep on
continually
rejoicing in
our salvation
because our
permanent
citizenship
means that we
will one day
dwell with God
in a place
where there is
abundant
blessings.
We will see
our Lord and
Saviour Jesus
Christ face
to face.
We will be
transformed into
his likeness.
We will reign
as co-heirs
with Christ.
Yes,
it is a
privilege to
be used by
God in
mission and
to have
access to
his power
and authority.
That is
exciting.
But the
real cause
for us to
rejoice is
that we have
the sheer
privilege of
entry into
the kingdom
of God.
And as
a 72
rejoice,
so too
does Jesus
rejoice.
In
verse 21,
we have this
wonderful picture
of a triune
prayer.
The Son,
filled with the
Holy Spirit,
praying to
his Father.
Now,
what's it
they're praying
about?
It's the
free,
electing love
of God,
to hide
things from
intellectual and
reveal them
to babes.
Verse 21,
I praise you,
Father,
Lord of heaven
and earth,
because you
have hidden
these things
from the
wise and
learned and
revealed them
to the
little children.
Yes,
Father,
for that is
what you're
pleased to do.
This does
not mean
that your
educational
attainment
matters.
It does
not mean
that if
you've got
a doctorate
then somehow
you're
hidden from
seeing these
revealed
things.
No.
Jesus is
thanking God
that he's
revealed these
things to
those who
come to
God in
humble
dependence,
just like
a child.
It's wonderful
being here,
by the way,
because there's
hundreds of
kids.
See,
you must
have had a
baby boom
like two
years ago,
by the way.
So many
toddlers
going about
right now,
it's wonderful.
But notice how
needy,
how dependent
these toddlers
are.
They need
you as
parents,
as grandparents,
as aunts,
uncles,
as friends,
to look after
these kids.
Without you,
they've got no
hope whatsoever
of surviving.
They need
you.
And that's
what Jesus
is saying
here.
He's rejoicing
the truth
got to the
ones who
recognize their
needs,
that recognize
they're like
little children,
rather than the
wise and
learned who
think that
they're good
enough,
that they're
intellectual
enough,
they're wise
enough for
salvation.
No.
Rock of
Ages,
that great
hymn,
nothing in
my hand I
bring,
simply to
the cross
I cling,
naked,
come to
thee for
dress,
helpless,
come to
thee for
grace,
foul I
to the
fountain fly,
wash me
savior,
or I
die.
Can't get
more needy
than that,
can you?
And we
also see Jesus
rejoice that he
is a revealer
of the
father,
verse 22.
All things
have been
committed to
me by my
father,
no one
who knows
the son,
no one
knows the
son except
the father,
and no one
knows who
the father
is except
the son,
and those
to whom
the son
chooses to
reveal him.
It's a bit
bit of it,
isn't it?
But the
point here in
this verse,
notice that
the father and
son are
mentioned three
times here.
What's in
show is the
intimate
relationship between
the father and
son.
Okay,
and this
shows us
that the
father's
authority,
sovereignty,
and revelation
are all tied
to and reside
in Jesus
Christ,
the father's
heir.
The father
reveals the
son,
the son
reveals the
father.
What does
this mean?
This means
that Jesus
is everything
for salvation.
Not only is
Jesus our
king,
not only is he
the redeemer,
the saviour,
the keeper,
Jesus is
also the
revealer.
Without
Jesus,
we have
nothing.
With
Jesus,
we have
everything.
And remember,
this is a
Jesus who
sends us
out into
his mission.
The time
is almost
up,
but I've
been talking
a lot about
how we're
called to
go,
and I
began by
thinking we
may have
this feeling
of a sense
of duty
after hearing
a sermon
like this.
like we
go because
in the same
way we
think about
going and
doing household
chores,
we have to
do it,
so therefore
let's do
it.
But I
hope that
we can be
captured by
the beauty
of Christ,
our
revealer,
our
redeemer,
our king,
our saviour,
our keeper,
because there
is a great
joy,
there is
incredible
blessings,
and it's a
wonderful
privilege to
be sent by
Christ on
mission.
Ask yourself
this question,
does God
need you?
Does God
need you to
go for him
to make
disciples of
all nations?
No,
he doesn't.
God's God,
creator of all
things,
the almighty,
everlasting God,
the sovereign
God,
he can do
all things.
He doesn't
need you.
What do we
bring to the
table?
Nothing,
except what he
has already
given to us.
God could
easily have
chosen a
different way
to do
things,
but he
didn't.
He chose
us to be
sent by
him to
go and
proclaim the
good news.
Have you
ever thought
about that?
See,
I think that
when we
pray,
when we
go,
when we
proclaim the
good news,
not only are
we giving
glory to
God,
but we
also get to
experience the
joy,
the blessing,
the privilege
as being sent
for us of
Christ.
Other than
your name
being written
in heaven,
can you
think of
a greater
joy than
seeing someone
pass from
death to
life before
your very
eyes?
From
whence in
someone going
from dead
in their
sins to
life in
Christ,
without hope,
to be filled
with hope,
to be under
the wrath of
God,
to be filled
by the
presence of
God.
It's a
great joy
when you see
that happening.
And we
get to
witness the
blessings of
the eternal
kingdom of
God being
worked out
before our
very eyes.
We see
God working
at building
his eternal
kingdom.
That's why
Jesus says
in verse
23,
blessed are
the eyes
that see
what you
see.
You're
blessed because
of what you
see.
You're blessed
because of
what you
hear.
See,
the disciples
are witnessing
the culmination
of God's
salvation plan
that began
before time
itself.
And ever
since the
creation of
the world,
kings and
prophets have
seen glimpses
of God's
salvation.
They have
seen shadows
of a coming
Messiah.
They have
seen shadows
of a coming
king.
But now,
the disciples
see these
shadows
becoming
reality.
Satan is
defeated
before their
very eyes.
God,
a Christ,
the Messiah,
the Son of
God is
standing before
them.
They are
soon to
see his
death,
resurrection,
exaltation.
They are
soon to
see the
coming of
the kingdom
of God.
They no
longer see
shadows,
but they
see the
light
himself.
Jesus
Christ says,
I am the
light of
the world.
No more
shadows.
I am
here.
As
followers of
Christ,
that's what
we see
today.
We've
seen Jesus
come.
We know
he's died
for us upon
that cross.
We know
he's raised
back to life,
exalted to
heaven.
We know
Satan has
been defeated.
We know
the kingdom
of God
is coming
near and
has come
near.
What
privilege,
what blessing
to see that,
to see the
light himself.
And we
get the
privilege of
being used
by the
almighty
creator God
in his
redemption
plan.
Brothers and
sisters,
what a great
joy,
what a wonderful
blessing,
what an
incredible
privilege it
is to be
sent by
Christ.
Jesus
says,
the harvest
is plentiful
but the
workers are
few.
Ask the
Lord of the
harvest,
therefore,
to send
workers into
his harvest
field.
Go,
I am
sending
you.
Let's
pray.
Our
loving,
glorious,
heavenly
Father,
oh,
what joy
is ours,
what blessings
are ours,
what privilege
belong to
us as
being followers
of you.
Father,
we thank you
so much for
sending your
son.
We thank you
that he died
upon the
cross for
our sins,
so that
whoever may
believe in
him may
have life
in his
name.
And we
thank you
that that
same Jesus,
our saviour,
our redeemer,
our Lord,
is the one
who now sends
us into the
mission field.
And Lord,
that makes
all the
difference.
We thank
you that he
provides for
us, that
you will
protect us.
And Lord,
we pray that
you will raise
up more
harvest workers
as we go.
Lord, the
harvests are
indeed plentiful.
And Lord,
we long to
see Edinburgh
save for
Christ.
We long to
see that when
we look out
upon Edinburgh
and see the
thousands of
people who
are right
now lost,
that they
will be brought
near to you.
That they
would accept
the message
of Christ.
They would
accept the
gospel and
therefore have
their names
written in
heaven along
with our
names.
Father, help
us keep an
eternal perspective
on our lives.
Father, help us
to focus on
what is to
come.
That one day
we will stand
there with
every tribe,
tongue, and
nation, glorifying
and honouring
your name before
your throne as
we see you
face to face.
Christ.
Oh, Father, may
that motivate us
today to go
out to make
even more
disciples so
our friends,
our families,
our work
colleagues, our
neighbours can
stand with us
as we worship
your holy name.
Help us, we
pray, to do so,
Lord, not out of a
sense of duty, but
of a love for you
and of a sense of
great joy that you
have given us.
we ask this in
Jesus Christ's
precious name.
Amen.