The Messenger - Luke 9:57; 10:1-2, 3-4, 5-9, 10-12, 16, 17-20 - February 17, 2008

Sunday School Lesson – The Messenger – February 17, 2008

This is lesson three (3) in our series of study.

Our scripture is Luke 9:57; 10: 1-2, 3-4, 5-9, 10-12,16, 17-20.

A messenger can deliver a message without witnessing or even knowing the contents of the message. In the olden days, if a messenger delivered a message and the recipient did not like it, the messenger could be killed. The poor messenger had nothing to do with the content of the message.

In our lesson today, we need to think of the messenger as one who knows about the message he or she is delivering. These seventy (70) messengers are witnesses and can speak with authority about the message they are delivering. They have been appointed or called to deliver a specific message.

In last weeks lesson, I stressed the importance of our personal testimonies. First, we must be grafted into the vine or lifeblood of JESUS through salvation. Then we grow and mature in JESUS as we walk with HIM on a daily basis and allow the HOLY SPIRIT to teach us and enlighten us to truth. Then as believers we can bear testimony or witness how CHRIST has impacted our lives and how HE continues to reveal truth to us.

This is important, because the more we know JESUS, the more HE can use us. We can only witness to what we know and experience by getting to know HIM through the process of sanctification or building a relationship. So “ground zero” is salvation. We all have a salvation story and our salvation testimony begins day one and continues until we leave this earth. We will learn more about JESUS as we read the Bible, pray, worship, serve and experience HIM. Then GOD uses us to not only give our salvation testimony but to give witness to other spiritual insights HE reveals to us as we grow and mature.

Let’s read Luke 9:57-62:

57 As they were traveling on the road someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go!” 58 Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky[25] Wild birds, as opposed to domestic birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” 59 Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” “Lord,” he said, “first let me go bury my father.”[26] Not necessarily meaning his father was already dead 60 But He told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.” 61 Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

These verses will help us better understand the first two (2) words in Luke 10:1. JESUS had been preaching, teaching and preparing some in the groups that followed HIM to launch out in ministry. We see in these verses that some want-to-be disciples had certain creature comforts they needed or things they wanted to do before becoming a disciple.

When we look back at the calling of the twelve (12) disciples, each dropped what they were doing and followed JESUS. There may have been some called who hesitated and missed the opportunity. We only know about those that dropped what they were doing and followed HIM.

This is true when given the opportunity to witness. Often, when the opportunity is presented, there are only a few seconds or minutes to respond. We must always be ready to respond to the opportunity. Say what the LORD lays upon your heart to say. Often, when these moments of opportunity are available, things move so quickly you will likely not remember what you said. But know that the message you spoke was from GOD to that person, delivered straight to his or her heart. Satan will try to tell you, "That was just awful." He wants to defeat you. So rejoice in the LORD because HE gives the opportunity and the increase.

Let’s take a quick look at the first two (2) words in Luke 10:1.

We see “after this.” After CHRIST’S encounter with these want-to-be disciples, HE appointed seventy (70) disciples who knew what JESUS wanted and were willing to respond.

Luke 10:1-2:
1 After this, the Lord appointed 70[1] Other mss read 72 others, and He sent them ahead of Him in pairs to every town and place where He Himself was about to go. 2 He told them: “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.

Some manuscripts record seventy-two (72) disciples. The number seventy (70) has historical significance. Seventy (70) members of Jacobs’s family traveled to Egypt.

Genesis 46:27 27 And Joseph’s sons who were born to him in Egypt: two persons. All those of Jacob’s household who had come to Egypt: 70[9] LXX reads 75; Ac 7:14 persons.

Moses appointed seventy (70) men to serve as elders along with him.

Number 11:16-17: 16 The Lord answered Moses, “Bring Me 70 men from Israel known to you as elders and officers of the people. Take them to the tent of meeting and have them stand there with you. 17 Then I will come down and speak with you there. I will take some of the Spirit who is on you and put [the Spirit]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. on them.[21] 2 Kg 2:9,15 They will help you bear the burden of the people, so that you do not have to bear it by yourself.[22] Ex 18:18; Dt 1:9–13; Ac 6:1–6

The Sanhedrin consisted of seventy (70) men. There is nothing which ties the seventy (70) to a specific purpose other than this is the number JESUS chose.

JESUS was preparing to evangelize the area because HE knew that HIS time was short. HE had taught these disciples and they in turn were prepared to teach others. They were to go to every town and place where HE was about to go. They were forerunners, much like John the Baptist.

They were sent in pairs. So thirty-five (35) dedicated pairs of disciples set out to do the work of the LORD.
So why pairs? There are several possible reasons:
- To encourage each other.
- To confirm the message delivered.
- If the people of a certain area rejected them, they were to move on to another area. Two (2) witnesses could confirm that fact.
- According to Jewish law all one needed to confirm a fact was a witness of two (2).
- When you hear the report of their mission trip, I would want a brother or sister to confirm all that happened because it was out of this world.
- It just dawned on me the story I told you about last week there were two (2) of us.
- I think it is always a good idea to have two (2) go together.
- One can witness and the other can pray or entertain a child or another person.

Luke 10:3-4:

3 Now go; I’m sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Don’t carry a moneybag, traveling bag, or sandals; don’t greet anyone along the road.

JESUS tells them that it will not be easy. HE is sending them out like a bunch of lambs going into a bunch of wolves. Wolves are people who prey upon believers, such as false teachers or persecutors of those calling themselves Christians. On top of that these disciples are to travel on faith. They are not to carry a moneybag, traveling bag or sandals. They will have to depend upon GOD to take care of them for their food, any change of clothes or extra sandals. The general belief is that they had on a pair of sandals but they were not to take an extra pair. This goes back to Moses and the Israelites, when they wandered in the wilderness and their sandals did not wear out.

I caution believers not to step out on faith unless you have been called to do so. Some times we are tempted to trust GOD by stepping out on faith, when in reality we are testing GOD. This will get us into trouble every time. There is a gift of faith and those who have it can step out all day long but if you do not have the gift, then wait for the call.

Then JESUS tells them not to greet anyone along the road. I thought this was strange but it was customary for the Jews to talk along the road. If another Jew happened to see people engaged in a conversation along the road they were free to join them and speak their piece. JESUS knew HE was on a timetable and nothing was to hamper them getting the message out.

Luke 10:5-9:

5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ 6 If a son of peace[2] A peaceful person; one open to the message of the kingdom is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they offer, for the worker is worthy of his wages. Don’t be moving from house to house. 8 When you enter any town, and they welcome you, eat the things set before you. 9 Heal the sick who are there, and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near you.’

When the pair arrived at their assigned destination, when someone offered them hospitality, they were to accept and bless that household. If there was a believer or a person worthy of the blessing present then the believer would be blessed. If not then the blessing would return to the person offering the blessing.

I love to ask the LORD to bless a household that has invited us in when we are on mission trips. This is true for households that show hospitality any time. Once they were in a house they were not to move to another house and they were to eat whatever was served to them. Sometimes young people have trouble with this. They do not know anything but pizza. But the world does not revolve around pizza.
If any were sick in the town, they were to pray for their healing and to give a message the “The kingdom of GOD has come near them.” The healing power of JESUS was known in many areas. JESUS had given these seventy (70) disciples the power to heal. Many believe this was a one-time gift of power to be used as they spread the news that the kingdom of GOD was near them. It seemed to be a sample of better things to come when JESUS would come to their area personally.

Luke 10:10-12, 16:

10 When you enter any town, and they don’t welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘We are wiping off [as a witness]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. against you even the dust of your town that clings to our feet. Know this for certain: the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.

16 Whoever listens to you listens to Me. Whoever rejects you rejects Me. And whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”

JESUS told them when you enter into a town and they do not welcome you, tell them, “We are wiping off [as a witness] against you even the dust of your town that clings to our feet. Know for certain: the kingdom of GOD has come near.”

The penalty for rejecting GOD is severe. I do not know who would issue the formal welcome but someone would make a decision not to welcome them. This is why proper leadership is vital when you go to an area to serve. One person or several people may not welcome the missionary pair but the entire town was held accountable to GOD. Churches, school, cities, states, nations and companies all can miss blessings because of having the wrong leadership.

Christian’s are to be obedient to what GOD asks us to do. Those who listen will be listening to the message CHRIST wants to be delivered. If the message is rejected, they are not only rejecting JESUS but they are rejecting the FATHER as well.
Christians who obediently deliver a message that is rejected should never feel that they themselves have been rejected. Those rejecting the message are rejecting both JESUS and GOD and will be held accountable.

Let’s read Luke 10:17-20:

17 The Seventy[4] Other mss read The Seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.” 18 He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a lightning flash. 19 Look, I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions[5] Gn 3:15; Dt 8:15; Ps 91:13 and over all the power of the enemy; nothing will ever harm you. 20 However, don’t rejoice that[6] Lit don’t rejoice in this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

The seventy (70) returned rejoicing over all that they had witnessed, it was beyond human belief. They were glad that a second person with them confirmed all the amazing things that had happened to them. JESUS said HE saw the battle in the spirit world. Most scholars believe that these powers JESUS granted to these seventy (70) were temporary. But whether or not they were temporary or permanent is not the issue. JESUS had to bring them down to earth. They had been on a spiritual high and now HE had to give them a dose of reality. I think many of us need a dose of reality every now and then.

It seems that JESUS said, oh you saw marvelous things and you saw power like you have never seen before. But you must never loose the joy of fact that YOUR NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN FOR ALL ETNERNITY. NOW THAT IS SOMETHING TO REJOICE ABOUT. IT IS NEVER ABOUT HOW MUCH POWER ONE HAS BUT IT’S YOUR NAME WRITTEN IN HEAVEN? IF NOT YOU CAN MAKE SURE THAT IT IS WRITTEN THERE RGIHT NOW BY ASKING JESUS TO FORGIVE YOU OF YOUR SINS AND ASKING HIM TO COME INTO YOUR HEART NOW!