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Good morning, my name is Melissa Orsoniega, and I'm part of the El Cerrito Kensington Community Group and Oikos Group, and I'm a deacon.
Today's scripture reading is from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 10, verses 1 to 20, as printed in your liturgy.
A reading from the Gospel according to Luke.
After this, the Lord appointed 72 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.
When you enter a house, first say,
Peace to this house.
If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them.
If not, it will return to you.
Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages.
Do not move around from house to house.
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.
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.
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 to the heavens?
No, you will go down to Hades.
Whoever listens to you listens to me.
Whoever rejects you rejects me.
But whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.
The 72 returned with joy and said,
Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.
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.
However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you,
but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.
This is the gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Well, let's go to the Lord in prayer as we open up his word.
Father, we want to hear from you.
We want to receive your gracious invitation to follow the ways of Jesus.
And we also want to heed your challenge to us,
to deny ourselves and take up our crosses
and follow him wherever he leads,
knowing that he's our good shepherd
and he only leads us to green pastures,
even though we might walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
Help us to trust you.
For your son has shown us that he is trustworthy.
So would we behold him this morning in the preaching of your word.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Amen.
You know, a few years ago, I'm not exactly sure when,
but my wife and I, we were actually at Kylie and Jensen's house,
the Aang's household,
and I'm not sure why.
I think we were picking up Lindsay or Aaron, maybe both of them,
to go to some church thing.
I don't remember the details at all,
so why am I telling you the story, right?
But I don't remember those details,
but what I do remember distinctly is as Lindsay,
or maybe both of them, were hopping into our van,
as they were leaving the house,
I distinctly remember Jensen raising his hands toward his daughters
and saying,
the Lord be with you.
Just like we say here,
every single week before communion,
he said,
the Lord be with you,
like he was sending his daughters out of his home
with a blessing,
and to be a blessing.
And that made such an impression on me
that I try to do the same thing now
with my girls in our home
when we're getting them out of the house,
every morning off to school or to whoever they need to go,
I say,
I love you,
and then I say,
go in the name of Jesus to love and serve this world, right?
And I've trained them to say,
thanks be to God, right?
Just like we do here,
every Sunday,
you hear me and Jonathan say this,
every Sunday,
go in the name of Jesus to love and serve this world.
We call this what?
We call this the benediction, right?
The benediction,
this idea that yes,
we gather to worship
and to commune with one another
and to commune with God,
but we don't just gather to gather,
we gather to be nourished for when we scatter.
The benediction,
this closing exhortation
to go in the name of Jesus
to love and serve the world
is a reminder
that we gather in order to scatter.
Every Sunday,
we speak God's words of blessing
and benediction over you
to remind you that you are ambassadors
and representatives
of the kingdom of Jesus Christ.
We're wanting to be intentional.
We're wanting to say,
that's what our worship is for.
It's not an end in itself.
It's for us to go out
and love and serve this world.
So thank you, Jensen,
one of our deacons,
for sharing this practice with my family
because, you know,
I so want my girls
to be going out of our home
and into the world,
not just to do what they gotta do, right?
Not just to jump right back in
to the rat race
to fulfill their academic
and extracurricular obligations.
No, I want to be a family on mission,
a family on God's divine mission,
a family that goes out of our home
with clarity in our minds
and clarity in our hearts
that we've been sent by God
to fulfill His purposes
for us and for His world.
And, you know, I share all this
because I think for so many of us,
we live more by society's
distracted default
than by God's deliberate design.
I think the temptation
for so many of us,
me and my family included,
is just to get out of the house
for either self-preserving survival
or, if we're a little bit more privileged,
for self-defined success.
I really think that that's the default
most of us live by,
self-preserving survival
and or self-defined success.
For so many of us,
our first thought in the morning
as we get out of bed,
hop into our cars,
it isn't,
what is God sending me out
into the world to do?
How can I be God's workmanship,
His masterpiece today?
What are the good works
He's prepared in advance
for me to do
to bless the world today?
No, for far too many of us,
our first thoughts
are probably more like,
how can I keep my head
above the water today?
Right?
Or maybe,
for the more privileged of us,
again, it's like,
all right,
what's the next step
I'm gonna take
in my empire building endeavors,
right?
For so many of us,
we send ourselves out,
we send ourselves out
into the world
pursuing self-preserving survival
or self-defined success.
But what God's word
has to say to us this morning
is that Jesus calls His followers
to something better,
something higher,
higher than self-preserving survival,
higher than self-defined success.
If you are a follower of Jesus,
you are called
to self-giving,
spirit-filled service.
If you are a Christian,
if you confess
that Jesus is your Messiah,
your Maker,
your Lord,
and your Savior,
King,
God's word to you today
is that we aren't just called up
and in to a relationship
with God and His kingdom,
but we are called out
to go in the name of Jesus
to love and serve this world.
So today we're in chapter 10
of Luke's Gospel,
and you know,
for the first eight chapters
of Luke's Gospel,
the question that he's trying
to answer is,
who is Jesus
and what can He do?
Who is Jesus
and what can He do?
But starting in chapter 9,
which we looked at last week,
we find Luke shifting the focus
from who is Jesus
and what can He do
to how then shall we live?
If Jesus really is the Messiah
who heals the sick
and casts out demons
as the Son of God,
as the true King
of the entire world,
how then shall we live?
So last week,
Jonathan,
he opened up chapter 9 for us
and we heard Jesus
challenge His followers
saying,
whoever wants to be
my disciple
must deny themselves
and take up their cross
and follow me.
Basically,
if Jesus is the Messiah,
King and God's Son,
then we should be His disciples,
His followers,
His diehard entourage,
following Him
in every aspect
of our lives,
even taking up our crosses
and denying ourselves
for His sake
and for His agenda,
just like He did for us.
But now today,
we're in Luke chapter 10,
and what we'll see today
is that being a disciple
isn't just about following Jesus
as a student follows a rabbi,
but it's also about being sent out
by Jesus as an ambassador,
as a representative of the King.
We're not to gather
into this little insular enclave
of religious disciples
who just stick to ourselves
and hope people will come in
to join us and join our tribe.
No, Jesus sends us all out
as His disciples.
And the key word is all,
not just some of us.
He sends us all out.
Look with me at verse 1.
After this,
the Lord Jesus
appointed 72 others
and sent them two by two
ahead of Him
to every town and place
where He was about to go.
Now, in case you're wondering
what this after this refers to,
it refers to chapter 9
where Jesus first sent out
the 12, right?
The famous 12.
Jesus says to them
in chapter 9, verse 1,
He gave them power
and authority
to drive out all demons
and to cure diseases,
and He sent them out
to proclaim the kingdom of God
and heal the sick.
But in case some of us
might be tempted to think,
well, of course,
they're the 12 apostles.
Of course they were sent
because that's the clergy's job
to be sent out by Jesus
as His ambassadors
to preach and to heal
and to cast out demons
in case we're thinking
that Jesus only sends
some of His disciples out.
Our passage this morning
tells us otherwise.
Jesus sends out another 72.
And this number 72
indicates fullness.
It's the same number
of all the nations
that were established
after the flood
through the sons of Noah,
Ham, Shem, and Japheth.
It's also the same number
of elders that God appointed
to help Moses lead
the people of Israel
in the wilderness.
The same number of elders
that God anointed
with His Spirit
to empower them
to go do all the work
that needed to be done
in addition to all
that Moses was able to do.
Jesus is leading
a new and better exodus here
as He's sending out
these 72.
And yes, He's the central figure.
He's the Messiah.
But He's also a king
who delegates His authority
and involves His people
in the marvelous work
of His Holy Spirit.
So this is what Jesus
is doing here.
He's sending out
not just the 12
but an extra 72.
We don't even know
their names
but they go out
just like the 12
preparing every town
and place for the coming
of the Messiah
and announcing to each town
that the kingdom is near.
Now we're gonna go through
this passage from verse 2
all the way to verse 20.
And while Jesus' words here
are specifically
to this group of 72
and not explicitly to us
living here in 2025.
There are many things
to glean and to notice
and to apply
as Jesus' disciples
living today
in the 21st century.
And I hope to pause
and bring these things out
as we go.
So let's start with verse 2.
Look at Jesus' first words
to these 72 disciples
in verse 2.
It's not,
it's not, listen,
it's not,
hey,
go and be super eloquent.
Go and work hard
and do your best
and remember everything
I taught you
because this is a really
important job
and hey,
good luck out there.
No.
He says the harvest
is plentiful
but the workers are few.
Ask the Lord of the harvest
therefore to send out workers
into his harvest.
And this is the first thing
about being sent.
It's not a maybe mission,
all right?
It's a guaranteed one.
Jesus is sending them
into a field
where they're already guaranteed
to be successful.
The harvest is plentiful,
he says.
And this is a word for us
to those of us
who are hesitant
to go out
and to boldly engage
the world
in the name of Jesus.
To those of us
who are hesitant
to share with our coworkers
and our peers
and our colleagues
how Jesus inspires us
towards excellence
and non-anxiousness
and graciousness
in the workplace
and in the classroom.
To those of us
who still haven't
mustered the courage
to invite our friends
to Alpha
or to tell them
why we love following
Jesus as our Lord
so much
and why we highly recommend it.
To those of us
who think that
no one could possibly
believe this Christianity thing.
To those of us
who believe that
everyone's just going
to be hostile to us,
everyone's going
to be uninterested
and think we're crazy,
Jesus reminds us
the harvest
is plentiful.
That there are people
outside these walls
starving
for some good news
and eager
to be harvested
and brought into
the family of God.
Do we realize
that there are
outside these walls
prodigals
all the way out there
tired
of their muddy
pigsties?
Jesus says
that the soil
has already been prepared.
We just need to go
and discover it.
Also notice here
in verse 2
Jesus' word
to them
is not to be diligent
but to be dependent.
The first thing
he tells them to do
is what?
To pray.
To ask the Lord
to produce more workers
for the plentiful
harvest field.
He's already putting
multiplication
into their minds.
He's sending these 72
out to go
and roll
and grow a snowball
of more and more
disciples
into his kingdom.
Now this
plentiful harvest
it doesn't mean
that their road
is going to be smooth
and safe
and easy
and that they're
going to be met
with acceptance
completely at every turn.
Jesus continues
in verse 3
and he says
go
I am sending you out
like lambs
among wolves.
Jesus is fully
acknowledging
that there is
a vulnerability
that we will experience
when we go
as his sent
ambassadors.
And not everyone
is going to be
sympathetic to the
kingdom of Jesus Christ
particularly those
whose empires
are doing just fine
dominating the rest
of the world.
But Jesus calls us
lambs
but when he calls us
lambs
it's also meant to
highlight our dependence
on him
as our good shepherd.
He's the one
who's going to
protect us.
He's the one
that we can follow
even in the midst
of wolves
who might push back
and who might
even bite.
And for us
living on this side
of the cross
and the resurrection
we know
Jesus has already
proven this
to be true.
At the end of the story
the lamb
triumphs over the wolves
even if it involves
the suffering
and the slaying
of the lamb.
And this is all
the more reason
for us to go out
and to make Jesus
known there is no
better story
there's no better king
there's no better
kingdom
the king
who is both
a lion and a lamb
you can't make
this stuff up
it's the greatest
story of all time.
He offers us
a kingdom
where you don't
have to be a wolf
to win.
We have incredible
news to share
with the world.
The next thing
Jesus says
to the 72
in verse 4
is do not
take a purse
or bag
or sandals
and do not
greet anyone
on the road.
What he's telling
them is to be
completely single minded
and to have
absolute clarity
about their mission
and the mission
is this
it's to speak
and offer
God's peace
it's to speak
and offer
God's shalom
to anyone
who is willing
to accept it.
Look what he says
in verses 5
to 7
when you enter
a house
first say
peace to this
house
if someone
who promotes
peace is there
your peace
will rest on them
if not
it will return
to you
stay there
eating and drinking
whatever they give you
for the worker
deserves his wages
do not move around
from house to house
you know I think
so many of us
we get anxious
about engaging others
even our friends
even our families
even these colleagues
that we see every day
even our neighbors
we get so anxious
when we talk about
engaging them
and talking to them
about Jesus
because we think
of these
missionary encounters
as battles
and arguments
to be won
and we think
of these people
as opponents
to be persuaded
but look
Jesus doesn't tell us
to go and win arguments
or to go and make converts
Jesus is simply telling us
to speak his shalom
his peace
this is the person
of peace principle
he doesn't say
go and convert
go and proselytize
he says go and speak peace
so the question really is
why wouldn't we want that
why wouldn't we want
the shalom of God
for every person
we encounter
do we not believe
that we have
the best thing
the best person
in the world
to offer
everyone
we come across
in Jesus Christ
it's not up to us
to change people's hearts
God does that
but like loving
like a loving father
wanting to involve
his children
into his work
to know his joy
and to be a part
of the process
he invites us
to invite others
to experience
his peace
his shalom
the wholeness
that every broken
person desires
healing for the hurting
the wounded
and the afflicted
honor and glory
for those who are
filled with shame
justification
and forgiveness
for those who are
filled with guilt
satisfaction
and security
for those who are
hungry
everything we love
about Jesus
and what he's done
in our lives
and what he promises
to us
this imperishable
imperishable inheritance
hope that cannot be stolen
grace upon grace
fresh new mercies
every morning
a peaceful
purposeful
way to follow
abundant
eternal
resurrection
life
communion
with the living God
the maker of our souls
Christians
we've got the goods
and how dare we not
share them
with the world
as Christ's
representatives
there are tons
of people out there
tons of people out there
and Jesus is saying
these people
are eager
to receive this peace
that we have in Christ
so eager for it
that they will feed us
and care for us
and support us
as we share it with them
and others
we're simply called
to go
to take our sentness
seriously
and really just
just be human
and love
others
I love
how the first thing
Jesus tells them to do
when they're welcomed
into a town
in verse 8
is to
just eat
eat what is offered to you
it's so basic
it's so human
it's so organic
just go
and see who will accept you
and your message
and then stay with them
and eat with them
and love them
and be human toward them
verse 9
heal the sick
who are there
and tell them
the kingdom of God
has come near to you
bind up their wounds
care for their bodies
as much as for their souls
just love them
and make it clear to them
that whatever peace
and healing
that they experience
because of Christ
in you amongst them
that that is a sign
of the kingdom of God
breaking into their lives
breaking into history
coming near to people
who for far too long
have been afflicted
by alternative kingdoms
of darkness
and you know
there's a ton
I would love to say here
about healing
and how we go
and do that
I think for some of us
we hear this
and we're like
alright
well I'm gonna pursue
the gift of healing
and you know
we can over spiritualize it
and turn healing
into some kind of
religious formula
where if you get
the rightly worded prayer
and just the right amount
of faith
you get healing
that's the equation
right
whether spiritual
mental
emotional
social
economic
or physical
that's what it takes
to get healing
right
that religious formula
and then for others of us
we can kind of
under spiritualize this
and seek people's healing
just through pragmatic formulas
take your medicine
get your exercise
eat right
see a therapist
see a doctor
and then you'll be healed
hopefully
right
but what I want to say
is that we should always
be seeking people's healing
of every sort
and we should seek it
by every God
ordained means
possible
so how this works
in my own family
in our house
is like when my girls
are sick
they have a headache
a cold
Leah had a canker sore
this week
what I do is
I remind them
that God doesn't
ultimately want them
to be sick
and hurting
I remind them
that God can heal them
instantly if he wants to
and that Jesus promises
to heal them eventually
even if not
immediately
because he's coming
to make all things
new
that they can take
to the bank
and then what I do
is I pray for them
and I ask God
to show them his love
and his power
by removing their sickness
and removing their pain
and we thank God
for his assurance
that even if not now
their sickness
will be removed
by the power of Jesus
and I make them
take their medicine
and drink their water
and go to sleep
and listen to me
and mommy
because we always
know best
right
and when my daughters
are healed
and they always are
I make sure
to remind them
that whether it was
the medicine
or the prayer
or both
we can't ultimately know
I make sure they know
it was God
who healed them
just the other day
my youngest
again Leah
she had a canker sore
and she was whining
about it
and I prayed over it
with her
and the next day
when it was gone
as I expected it to be
she didn't say
daddy it finally went away
because we all know
canker sores
don't last forever
no she said
daddy God healed
my mouth
and she wasn't lying
she wasn't lying
because even if she was
healed by the natural
process of her body
who made that natural
process
and is that natural
process not also
supernatural
because it is held
together by the hand
who made and sustains
all things
I want my girls
to have an enchanted
view of the world
an enchanted view
of reality
rather than a godless
purely materialistic
view of the world
and I also want us
to be a church
that has an enchanted
view of the world
and that goes forth
in the name of Jesus
in faith
and in boldness
for the healing
of all things
even the most broken
things that we have
a hard time believing
can be healed
our neighbors
our communities
our colleagues
our friends
our systems
and institutions
as well
we are not fools
to seek this
from the Lord
to beg him
for this
during the prayers
of the people
and to lay hands
on people
and to believe
that God can do
things right now
to call the elders
to anoint people
with oil
to seek people's
health and wellness
our God loves
to write
unbelievable testimonies
of his power
he raised Christ
from the dead
so even for those
illnesses and afflictions
and areas of brokenness
that seem impossible
to heal
your cancer
your debilitating
back pain
your marital challenges
your mental health
disorders
your anxiety
your crippling depression
systemic injustice
homelessness
poverty and addiction
there is nothing
too hard
for the hand of God
and Jesus himself
said very truly
I tell you
whoever believes in me
will do the works
I have been doing
and they will do
even greater things
than these
because I am going
to the Father
and I will do
whatever you ask
in my name
so that the Father
may be glorified
in the Son
you may ask me
for anything
in my name
and I will do it
this is God's word
and promise
to his ambassadors
we are invited
to bring him glory
and to pursue
the wholeness
and the health
of those around us
because God
wants this world
to be healed
and he is at work
toward that end
even if we can't see it
we simply are invited
to participate
and to point people
to this kingdom
that Christ wants them
to experience
this kingdom of light
and health
and wholeness
now for the sake of time
I am going to have to go
more quickly
through verses 10-16
and in these verses
Jesus basically
lets these 72
know that hey
not everyone
is going to be
receptive though
and I want you to notice
how he doesn't tell us
to push the issue
or to linger in argumentation
or to condemn
and curse these places
and people
who aren't receptive
no he makes it very clear
that judgment
is in the hands
of the Lord
and all are going to be
held accountable
before him
those who have been
exposed to Christ
and the power
of his kingdom
and yet do not welcome him
and his messengers
Jesus says
they are on the path
to death
rather than life
and it will be more bearable
even for what the Jewish people
consider to be
the most sinful cities
Sodom and Tyre
and Sidon
because according to Jesus
the worst thing you could do
is not simply break God's laws
but break God's heart
by rejecting his one
and only beloved son
and by denying
his authority
and power
so Jesus says
to Chorazin
and Bethsaida
and Capernaum
all these towns
where he performed
tons of miracles
yet all these towns
that did not fully
receive and embrace him
he says to them
woe to you
which is not a curse
listen
woe to you
is not a curse
woe doesn't mean curse you
it's an expression
of sadness
and distress
and grief
and regret
on behalf of others
it's incredible
empathy
and broken hearted
compassion
that Jesus feels here
this is what Jesus feels
for everyone
who is far
from him
and this is also
why we
his followers
must go out
to those
who he sends us to
how can we not have
this same
broken heartedness
for those who have yet
to welcome Jesus
into their lives
the stakes of not
embracing Christ
are high
judgment is real
and if people
reject the one
who is the resurrection
and the life
if they reject
their maker
and their sustainer
only rejection
and death
are left for them
that's why Jesus
says in verse 16
whoever listens to you
listens to me
whoever rejects you
rejects me
but whoever rejects me
rejects him
who sent me
this is the word
of the Lord
alright so now
you've just listened
to me talk
for almost
25 minutes
about what it means
and what it looks like
to be sent out
by Jesus
it's not being anxious
it's not being awkward
it's not being argumentative
it's being human
it's visiting people
with compassion
and love
and goodwill
in our hearts
it's eating with them
and offering the shalom
of God
to them
and bringing them healing
and announcing
that all of this
is a sign
of God's
way better kingdom
and my question is
really what's the downside
then
of going out
in the name of Jesus
to love and serve
this world
what's the worst
case scenario
and even if you
can't imagine it
being pretty bad
how does that
downside compare
to the upside
look at verse 17
just as Jesus predicted
the 72 returned
with joy
and said
Lord
even the demons
submit to us
in your name
so they've come back
and the harvest
was indeed plentiful
just as Jesus said
and they're filled
with joy
because they've gotten
to go to work
with daddy
and do the big boy
big girl things
that make an eternal
impact on the world
and even the demonic
spiritual forces
that they once feared
they've discovered
that these powers
have less authority
than they thought
that they in Christ
have far more authority
than them
and their faith
and their joy
and their excitement
have only grown
because they take
their sentness
from Jesus
seriously
and Jesus celebrates
with them
and confirms their authority
and their success
verse 18
Jesus replied
I saw Satan fall
like lightning
from heaven
yes guys
I'm aware
of your wins
on the spiritual
battlefield
verse 19
I have given you
authority
to trample on snakes
and scorpions
and to overcome
all the power
of the enemy
nothing will harm you
but look at what
Jesus tags on
to all this
at the end
in verse 20
however
do not rejoice
that the spirits
submit to you
but rejoice
that your names
are written
in heaven
and do you know
what Jesus
is saying here
do you know
what Jesus
is doing
right here
he's saying
yes guys
great
I saw Satan
fall like lightning
from heaven
as you went out
in my authority
to battle
the demons
but guys
I also
saw Satan
the prideful
arrogant
power hungry
one
fall like lightning
from heaven
and you must beware
of the same
you see
hopefully
we've come to the end
of the sermon
and you've received
at least a few more
motivations
to go out
in the name
of Jesus
to love
and serve
the world
to tell people
about him
because the harvest
is plentiful
and God wants
to use you
to demonstrate
his power
and his power
is real
and it's ready
and it's in you
to share God's
shalom
with the world
this is incredible
stuff
incredible motivation
to go out
on behalf
of Jesus
and his kingdom
but
if that
is our highest
joy
if our highest
joy
is our experience
of God's power
and that demons
submit to us
and that we can
heal the sick
and that we can
bring peace
to the afflicted
if our highest
joy
is in what we do
and accomplish
for God
then we've missed
his heart
we've missed
the gospel
and we've missed
the central feature
of his kingdom
if our highest
joy
is God's power
coursing through us
and us having
the dominating
authority
of God
over every other
power
then we will
become what
everyone hates
about so many
Christians
throughout history
and rightly so
we will become
domineering
antagonistic
hostile
arrogant
imperialistic
proselytizers
with a superiority
complex
and we will only
ever go out
imposing God's
power and
authority
over all
of our select
enemies
but if our
highest joy
is simply
that our names
are written
in heaven
hey that changes
everything
now in case
you're unfamiliar
with this concept
of a name
being written
in heaven
you see among
the ancients
particularly amongst
the Jewish people
most of them
believed
that when judgment
day would come
the books would
be opened
and in them
would be written
all the things
you've ever done
good and bad
and if you had
enough good deeds
if you lived
a righteous enough
life
then your name
would be written
in the book
of life
rather than
the book
of death
but here
Jesus is offering
us a far
better narrative
about the books
on judgment
day
everyone thought
that you had
to wait
till the end
to know
according to
the logic
of the ancients
we could only
rejoice at the
end
when we've done
enough for God
because that's
what will bring
us security
and peace
and blessing
but according
to the logic
of the gospel
according to
the logic
of Jesus'
kingdom
it's quite
the opposite
instead of
rejoicing in
what we've
done for God
Jesus says
to rejoice
in what God
has done
for us
Jesus says
to rejoice
in the fact
that our names
are already
written
in heaven
before the
ends of our
stories
are completed
and they've
been written
not by us
or as a result
of our
good works
our good deeds
but by the
loving
nail pierced
hand
of God
securing
our peace
and our
blessing
and our
security
forever
you know
earlier
I said
that Jesus
by sending
out the 72
he was showing
himself to be
the new
and better
Moses
right
well that
wasn't the
only way
that he's
the new
and better
Moses
you see
in Exodus
chapter 32
when the people
of Israel
who had just
been rescued
from Egypt
they're at
Mount Sinai
and God's
about to make
a covenant
with them
call them
his people
what do they
do
they end up
making that
golden calf
right
and they bow
down to it
and God's
anger
burns
against these
people
and he even
proposes to
Moses that
he should wipe
out the
whole nation
of Israel
and just make
a new nation
out of Moses
instead
God
but also
what happens
is Moses
he begs God
to show mercy
and he looks
for a way
to atone
for his
people's
sins
and so what
he suggests
to God
is that instead
of God
wiping out
all of Israel
Moses offers
himself
as an atonement
even though he
had no part
in the golden
calf
and he says
to God
please forgive
their sin
but if not
then blot me
out of the book
you have
written
did you hear
that
he offers
to be blotted
out of God's
book
instead of
his people
now ultimately
God doesn't
blot Moses
out of his
book
in the place
of his
people
and he
still shows
mercy to
Israel
and allows
their nations
to survive
because you
know Moses's
life
Moses's
righteousness
could never
atone
for all the
wickedness
of the people
of Israel
but someone
else's life
someone else's
righteousness
could
the greater
Moses
of the greater
exodus
Jesus Christ
who though
completely innocent
and without
sin
bore our
sins
bore our
shame
bore our
curse on the
cross
to secure
for us
life
and glory
and blessing
by his
resurrection
and this
is how our
names are
secured in
heaven
not by our
righteous deeds
but by trusting
in him
and in his
righteousness
on our
behalf
and this
is the gospel
the good news
that changes
everything
about how we
show up
and move
toward the
world that
God sends
us to
we dare
not dominate
our neighbors
and morph
into wolves
because the
way of our
Lord is the
way of the
lamb
and yet we
dare not
fear or
shrink back
from the
wolves
because our
lamb is
also a
lion who
triumphs over
the wolves
at the end
of the story
Jesus reminds
us that while
the empires
of this world
rejoice in
power
the power
to secure
for ourselves
glory and
honor and
blessing and
peace and
joy while
these empires
say rejoice
if you're a
wolf
in Jesus's
kingdom we
don't rejoice
in power
but in
humility and
grace and
mercy and
love in
Jesus's kingdom
we rejoice in
the lamb
slain for the
sins of the
world and yet
risen in
power a
power unforeseen
and beyond all
worldly wisdom
kingdom and
so my
question is
is there any
other kingdom
than Jesus's
that's worth
getting out of
bed for and
running through
walls for is
there any other
kingdom more
worthy than
Jesus's that
we'd rather be
sent out into
the world to
share we've
got the goods
we've got the
gospel our
names are
written and
there are many
more names to
discover so
let's go in the
name of Jesus to
love and serve this
world let's
pray
oh god fill us
with your spirit
and faith and
conviction and
boldness and
humility and
an adoration for
the gospel of
Jesus Christ the
lamb who was
slain for the
sins of the
world would you
fill us with all
of that that we
might go in the
name of Jesus to
love and serve
this world in
power and in
humility and in
compassion and in
a way that lifts
up the beautiful
story of Jesus
Christ and the
gospel of his
kingdom in Jesus
name we pray
amen
you know I pray
that as we come to
this table every
single week that
does not grow old
for us that we
receive these this
this grace at this
table that we
receive the mercy of
God fresh and new
every Sunday as we
hear Christ's body
given broken for
you Christ's blood
shed poured out for
your sins I pray that
this never grows old
for us so let's stand
together and confess
this faith with
conviction with fresh
hearts before the
Lord Christ church
what do we believe
I believe in God the
father almighty maker of
heaven and earth and
in Jesus Christ his
only son our Lord who
was conceived by the
Holy Spirit born of
the Virgin Mary suffered
under Pontius Pilate
was crucified dead and
buried he descended to
the dead on the third
day he rose again from
the dead he ascended
into heaven and is
seated at the right
hand of God the
father almighty from
there he will come to
judge the living and
the dead I believe in
the Holy Spirit the
Holy Catholic Church the
communion of saints the
forgiveness of sins the
resurrection of the
body and the life
everlasting amen the
Lord be with you lift up
your hearts let us give
thanks to the Lord our
God it is right to give
him thanks and praise oh
God it is right and a
good and joyful thing
always and everywhere to
give thanks to you father
almighty creator of
heaven and earth therefore
we praise you joining our
voices with angels and
archangels and with all
the company of heaven who
forever sing this hymn to
proclaim the glory of your
name
holy holy holy holy holy
lord god of power and
might heaven and earth are
full of your glory
heard heard heard heard
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
O God, would you strike us with the holiness of this moment
as we commune with the living God
who has sent forth his Son for us.
We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love
which you have made known to us in creation,
in the calling of Israel to be your people,
even when they were rebellious and turned away
far more than they knew.
In your word spoken through the prophets,
you have shown us your goodness,
and above all in the word made flesh, Jesus your Son.
For in these last days you sent him
to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world.
In him you have delivered us from evil
and made us worthy to stand before you.
In him you have brought us out of error into truth,
out of sin into righteousness,
out of death into life.
And we ask that here at this table
you would so nourish and fill us and convict us
that we would desire this
for those outside of this place as well.
That they would be brought out of their error,
brought out of their sin,
brought out of the way of death
and into your way of resurrection life.
We ask all this in the strong name of Jesus.
Amen.