Sending of the 72
Notes
Transcript
This is on the heels of Jesus telling the disciples, drop what your doing and follow me. Jesus is making his way to Jerusalem, on His way He sends out disciples to tell people about the Messiah, and the kingdom.
The Lord Sends Workers
The Lord Sends Workers
The Lord sends 72 of them out in pairs to tell the rest of the people in the surrounding area about the messiah coming.
72
72
72 represents the number of nations in the world in Genesis 10, in Genesis 11 God disperses mankind at the tower of babel.
If Jesus had Genesis 10, 11 in mind then what we have happening is the reversal of the dispersion. Man was wicked so God dispersed them. Now Jesus is on His way to redeem man kind and is sending out the same amount that represented the nations in Genesis to show that through Jesus God is now drawing all things back to Himself.
2 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it,
3 and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
People being drawn together by God for the purpose of learning His ways.
The 72 is a demonstration of this, Jesus is sending disciples to the villages to draw them in to hear correct teaching about God and to recognize Him as the Messiah.
Lambs In The Midst of Wolves
Lambs In The Midst of Wolves
The laborers might be few because of wolves. People don’t want to be persecuted. We need believers who will stand up for what they believe in. Christian warriors who can recognize and stand up to the wolves.
4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
Laborers could be few because of the reasons that would be disciples gave last week. People aren’t committed to Christ like they should be.
They are either to comfortable, want to serve Jesus on their own time, or really just don’t want to do it.
Pray earnestly to the Lord for laborers.
God Sends Workers
God Sends Workers
It is God’s harvest, He is the one who calls the workers.
Are you a disciple of Jesus? Do you listen to Him through the bible, do you ask Him questions through prayer
Are you contributing in some way to the ministry?
The Disciples Instructions
The Disciples Instructions
Jesus is sending out the disciples ahead of Him. There instruction is to reach the villages around the area that He will be traveling so He can minister on His way to Jerusalem. They are probably traveling up the east side of the Jordan since they had just been rejected in Samaria.
Travel Fast
Travel Fast
v.4
Idiom, don’t get slowed down.
This message is important. It needs to get out to the people on the way. Jesus was approaching His death.
It is important now as well for the time is near.
Don’t get hung up talking to people.
It is important that we deliver the message of the King.
I realize that we aren’t at the time where everything is culminating at the death of Jesus, but everything is culminating at His return.
Do we feel the need, the burden to reach the lost who are around us?
Eat What is Set Before You
Eat What is Set Before You
This isn’t a big deal to us, and I know that I’m not always one to turn down food.
The Jews worried about if they had been tithed according to the custom, were they consecrated, was the food touched by something unclean. Was the animal strangled or not killed according to the canonical rule?
The east side of the Jordan is where dietary laws weren’t followed in the strictest sense as some of the Jews would want.
Jesus is letting them know, don’t worry as much about the dietary laws, just eat what is in front of you.
They were their to tell the people that the kingdom of God was among them. Not argue about dietary laws.
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God,
33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.
Paul didn’t say give up ground in your faith.
Paul didn’t take a hard stand on cultural things in order to reach people for Christ.
How many of us are willing to lay aside our personal bias in order to reach people with the gospel?
How many of us are willing to lay aside our political stance in order to reach people with the gospel?
Warning of Rejection
Warning of Rejection
v.10-12
If they don’t receive you, realize they are rejecting Jesus, not you.
Shake Off the Dust
Shake Off the Dust
Into the streets, the middle of town.
Even the dust from gentile lands was considered unclean. Before you entered the temple you were to shake off that dust, just in case it was unclean.
Shaking off the dust meant that the town was no better than pagan gentiles.
More bearable than Sodom? That was burned by fire!!
The kingdom of God had come near, and they rejected it.
Jesus Pronounces Woe’s
Jesus Pronounces Woe’s
These were towns at the nothern part of Galilee where Jesus had been ministering.
It would be more tolerable because they had seen the hand of God work among them, and had still denies Jesus.
Where are we in the pronouncement of Woe’s? They had seen the hand of God, but we have access to the word of God. All the tools are at our fingertips, do we take advantage of it?
We must get the message out to those who are around us. They don’t have an excuses, they have the ability to hear the word.
Challenge last week was to stop making excuses and be a faithful disciple.
Reminder: Our time is short, make the most of it for the glory of God.
Reminder: Our time is short, make the most of it for the glory of God.