“Follow Him Where – Luke 10:1-20”
Gladstone Baptist Church – 6/8/06 pm
S1 - View clip from Sister Act – “I will follow you” Following Jesus means doing what he asks. It is more than just singing a song. OOPS
I want to start by showing you a clip from the movie Sister Act. It is probably one of the most inspiring scenes in the movie as the sisters declare in song their love for Christ and desire to follow Him.
Screen Clip from Sister Act – “SisterAct5 on M11”
It always sends tingles up my spine when I hear that. There is such raw passion and enthusiasm, it makes you want to get up and dance and to join in the chorus –
I will follow you
Follow you wherever you may go
There isn’t an ocean too deep
A mountain so high it can keep
Keep me away, away from my love
But if I got you up to sing this, I think that many of us would be hypocrites in doing so. Because we would not be singing words that we were willing to commit to.
It is so easy to sing I will follow Jesus, but it is completely another matter doing it.
S2 - Jesus once asked several people to follow him and they all had excuses. (9:57-62) UGH
Jesus once asked people in the crowd that always seemed to be following him to step up to the plate and commit to really follow him. If you have your bibles there, open them up to Luke 9:57
57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” [This guy sang the song – “I will follow you, follow you where ever you will go.” And Jesus turned around and said – Oh really – do you know what that might mean]
58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” [If you follow me, you might not have a HOME WITH ALL ITS COMFORTS!!!! Then Jesus turned to another man.]
59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”
But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” [Jesus was saying – there is more important things in life than attending to those who have died. My priorities are preach about the Kingdom of God – are you willing to do that now – Putting God’s PRIORITIES BEFORE YOUR OWN.]
61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.”
62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” [Jesus didn’t even want his disciples to get DISTRACTED. The task was urgent and the call to follow was for now]
It was really easy for these two guys to sing the words “I will follow you wherever you will go” but it was an entirely different thing to act on these words. I suspect it is the same with us. We have sung songs here tonight … Songs with words such as …
But did we really mean them. Are we real FOLLOWERS or are we just SINGERS making noise?
S3 - But not everyone had excuses –there were some people who were willing to follow Jesus – 72 of them. And Jesus asked them to go and Witness for him – UGH
When Jesus challenged those three men to follow him, they shrunk from the task. They had not really considered the cost that following Jesus would have on their lives. But not everyone was like that. There were some in that crowd that day that stepped up to the plate and committed to follow Jesus, not just sing about it.
Let’s keep reading from Luke’s gospel – the next verse, Luke 10:1
Luke 10:1-20 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others [people who were willing to follow Him] and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 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. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
13 “Woe to you, Korazin! 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. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths.
16 “He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 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. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Pray
Jesus found 72 true followers who were willing to act, not just sing. They were willing to be servants to prepare the way for Jesus. As followers they are committing themselves to go where Jesus wants them to go. They are volunteering to do the work that Jesus wants them to do. And what does Jesus ask them to do? To go into every town and place where Jesus was about to go and to prepare the way for Him.
You see only a fraction of what Jesus did is recorded in our bibles. Jesus travelled extensively through out the land of Israel proclaiming the good news that the kingdom of God had come. We know that Jesus believed that his whole ministry on earth was “to preach good news to the poor …. to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed [and] to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour”. Luke 4:18f. He was here to show people that there was a better life to be lived which came from the forgiveness that he was able to offer.
This was fantastic news, people could be at last freed from Satan’s grip. It was good news that needed to be told. But Jesus was only one man and could only be in one place at a time. So he gathered all the true followers to him – 72 in all and sent them out to prepare the way for him. Actually in vs 9 we read that they were to heal the sick and tell them the Kingdom of God was near. They were to be doing the same work as Jesus. They were to HELP HIM. They were to be an extension of his ministry. They were to witness to others. Young people – you use the phrase REACH OTHERS FOR CHRIST.
I wonder whether the 72 try followers began to regret their decision when Jesus told them he wanted them to go and witness for him? Witnessing – UGH. That is probably the worst thing that they could ever have been asked to do. I know if I gave you an option to either come to a working bee or go down the shopping centre and reach others for Christ – We’d have the biggest working bee in history. I know that if I said you had to either minister to kids in children’s church, brigades or kogs or go and share your faith at school, we’d have a huge waiting list for people to become leaders. No one likes the prospect of reaching others for Christ - it terrifies us, yet this is what Jesus commissioned these 72 loyal followers to do.
S4 - The most dangerous, yet urgent work for us to do as follows of Jesus is to witness for him because time is short for people who need to hear – AHA
Jesus knew that the task he was calling these 72 people to wouldn’t be easy. He said to them that they would be like sheep being sent out among wolves – helpless, with no protection, easy prey. It was down right dangerous.
Why then did Jesus send his followers? – if it was dangerous surely he wouldn’t have let them gone. But He did, because the URGENCY OF THE WORK outweighed the risk of injury or possible danger.
We always weight up risk verses urgency. When I used to work at BSL, we were always faced with the challenges of urgent demands. BSL, like any major industrial workplace has its share of hazards. Actually the last year I spent there, I worked on a major project whereby we tried to identify every conceivable way that a person could be killed there. We then tried to identify whether we had enough things in place to prevent it from happening. You know, though, one of the biggest challenges we faced was the people working there. No matter what safeguards or policies we put in place, if people believed what they were doing was urgent enough to justify bypassing the protection they would.
You see, there were always urgent production demands that demanded that people do things quickly and sometimes the pressure that placed on people, made them take risks and do things that were dangerous. We always tried to convince people that there was nothing urgent enough to put your life at risk, - “If its not safe, don’t do it” was our catch cry. But sometimes people didn’t listen.
Jesus knew there was danger waiting for his followers, but instead of saying, don’t do it because it is dangerous, he actually was saying the situation is so urgent that you need to do it DESPITE THE DANGER. Unlike the situation at BSL, all that would result if we didn’t act would be loss of production, major inconvenience or in a few instances, the shutdown of the plant. It was just dollars and we couldn’t justify loss of life for that. But in Jesus’ case, the result wouldn’t be measured in dollars, but in LIVES.
If people didn’t get the chance to hear the good news about Jesus, not only would they die in sin, but they would spend eternity paying the awful price of that sin – separation from God.
The task at hand was urgent. It wasn’t just a life and death thing – it was an eternity thing. And nothing in Jesus’ mind could be more important than that.
He told these 72 followers - “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. [There is a DESPERATE NEED NOW. People everywhere are on the verge of coming to know God in a real way. They are ripe for the picking, but there are few people prepared to go out and reach them] Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
He said … Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. It will be dangerous, but the urgency far outweighs the risk.
He told them … Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. Don’t be DELAYED time packing and getting some spare clothes and shoes. Don’t worry about trying to get some cash together. Just go as you are – God will provide for you. Don’t even stop to greet people on the road. Don’t be DISTRACTED. You don’t have time for idle chit chat.
When I think about it, I don’t think we ever see witnessing or reaching others for Christ as that urgent – do we? Reaching others comes in a distant second after making our life comfortable or spending hours of idle conversation mucking around with friends. We don’t see it as urgent at all. But Jesus did. It was so urgent that he sends out 72 people do this work.
S5 - We may face persecution or ridicule, but this is not rejection of us, but of Jesus – WHEE
I don’t think the 72 followers here were looking forward to this assignment at all. I think that many of them were much like us. Fearing rejection.
And so Jesus gives them some advice. He tells them to find someone who is open to them – who is a man of peace. Vs 5 : “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.”
That is practical advice isn’t it. You don’t want to go up cold turkey and try to witness to the toughest, meanest kid at school. You might in time be able to build a relationship and earn his trust to a point where you can share the gospel with him. But Jesus recommends here starting with someone who WELCOMES YOU ALREADY. Spend your time with people who are already open to you – who will accept you and listen to you. He recommends that you focus your time on them. So build a relationship with them. How? By DOING THINGS WITH THEM. Go to MacDonalds together or go shopping together or spend time helping them do their chores at home. Spend time at their house – getting to know them. Spend time with them and try to reach them for Jesus.
Vs 8 – Jesus says … 8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’
This is a really interesting statement. Why did Jesus say – eat what is set before you? Religious Jews in those days, had a whole list of things they were allowed to eat and a whole list of food they weren’t allowed to eat. Jesus says, don’t worry about all those rules and regulations. What is far more important than you keeping all the religious people happy is that you get a chance to reach that person for Christ. What I believe this means is that sometimes, we need to step out of our COMFORT ZONE to reach people. What if one of your friends spends all his time down at the skate bowl where some really bad kids hang out. You normally wouldn’t associate with them and be seen around the skate bowl, but you want to reach this friend. I believe Jesus would be telling us to go and reach them. There is nothing wrong with being at the skate bowl, but being there means you need to be on your guard that the bad kids don’t lead you astray.
For those that aren’t school – the situation may be that your work colleague spends all their time down at the pub. Do you go down to the pub to try to reach them? There is nothing bad about the pub itself, but it is when people drink to excess that God speaks out against. So the application for you may be to step out of your comfort zone and set aside what others might say about you and go and try to reach your friend for Christ.
And how do you REACH THEM? Through ACTIONS AND WORDS. You help them, heal them, provide for their needs as a good friend would. But then you go the extra mile as only Jesus would. Then you seek to tell them about Jesus. Reaching others involves both actions and words.
That is all good if they accept us, but what if they don’t. Well Jesus says, DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME ON THEM. He told his disciples to “go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.”
Jesus was used to being rejected. Korazin and Bethsaida had previously rejected him even though he had performed miracles for them. Capernaum also hadn’t believed. Jesus knew that some people would never believe, but he encourages us not to take it personally.
16 “He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
When people reject the message we bring, they are not really rejecting us so don’t FEEL REJECTED. They are rejecting Jesus and the one who sent Him – God. If anyone should be offended, it should be Jesus and God. Jesus gave his life for them and they’ve thrown his free gift back in his face. God created them, yet they don’t want a bar of him either. We shouldn’t be worried by rejection, but go and do what is urgent – reach others.
S6 - When we step out in faith, we have the power and authority to make great gains for Jesus’ kingdom. But the fact we have power is not what is important – the fact that people are being saved is important – YEAH
Luke reports that when the 72 returned, they reported all the AMAZING THINGS they saw. They saw lives changed as people heard what they had to say and accepted Jesus. They even saw the demons submitting to their authority.
When we step out in faith to reach others, we take with us the power and authority of Jesus. We are commissioned by Jesus and he goes with us by his spirit. It shouldn’t surprise us then that we can make huge gains for Jesus’ kingdom. When we go in Jesus’ name, it is not our power, but Jesus’ power; it is not our message, but Jesus’ message we take; it is not our words we speak, but Jesus’ words we speak. And because it is Jesus’ power message and words, they are effective.
Jesus told the 72 that he saw the huge impact their ministry had on Satan. He described it as being like Satan falling like lightning from heaven. But more than the effect on Satan, Jesus tells them to rejoice in the LIVES THAT ARE SAVED. The battle we are in ultimately is won or lost by the eternal destiny of souls. The destiny of the souls of your friends, classmates and workmates.
God is victorious, we know, but it will be a hollow victory if there are no people there to share it with God. This is why the task Jesus set the 72 and the task that he has set for us is so urgent.
• The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Jesus is looking for people who will follow him into the harvest field, not just sing about it.
• The urgency of the task demands we be willing to take any risk. Ridicule, being ostrasized, having to do without the comforts of life are all worth suffering so that people can be saved. .
• The urgency of the task means that we need to focus our attention on those that God shows us.
• The urgency of the task may mean that we have to get outside of our comfort zone to reach the people who need reaching.
• The task requires actions and words and when we do these things we will see amazing things happen as lives are changed.
Can you rejoice in the lives you’ve helped reach for Christ. If you can’t, you are probably not following Jesus, you are probably just singing about it.
Jesus is looking for true followers today. People who won’t just sing the words, but will walk the walk. Will you follow Jesus and reach out for him? Will you commit to doing that today, regardless of the cost? During the last song, I want to give you the chance to respond to God’s word. If tonight, you want declare that you are a follower, not just a singer, I want to invite you to come down the front and join me. For some, tonight might be the first time you have realised that you have been just singing words instead of following, If you want to commit to stepping out in faith and following God tonight with all that entails, come and join me. If you already are following, but you want to recommit yourself to that task – there is a place for you down the front also.
Prayer .. Lord we confess that often we sing the words, but do not follow you with our feet. We neglect your priorities and the tasks you set before us and for that we are sorry. Tonight, we want to make a change. We want to put our feet into action and start to reach out for you – sharing your gospel and reaping the harvest of souls that are waiting to be brought in. Lord, you have already equipped us for this task through your spirit, now I pray would you make us willing to do the work. We commit ourselves to following you where ever you may go. We do this for you, because we love you, Amen.
