Sermon # 66 Luke
Sermons
Title: “Whither He himself would come”
Text: Luke 10:1-7
Subject: The Commission of the Seventy
Date: Sunday Evening –
Tape # W-69b
Introduction:
(Luke
10:1-7) "After these things the
Lord appointed other seventy also, and
sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he
himself would come. {2} Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is
great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the
harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. {3} Go
your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. {4} Carry
neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. {5} And
into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.
{6} And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if
not, it shall turn to you again. {7} And in the same house remain,
eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his
hire. Go not from house to house."
“After these things”
– After the Lord Jesus had told his disciples plainly that he must go to
Jerusalem and be delivered into the hands of wicked men (9:44), -- After he had
steadfastly set his face to go up to Jerusalem to die as our Substitute (9:51),
-- After the Master corrected some of the errors of his disciples and showed
them what was required of those who follow him (9:43-62)…
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After exposing their pride and ambition and taught them the necessity
of a childlike humility (
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After correcting them for their censorious spirit (
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After he rebuked them for wanting to call down fire from heaven upon
the Samaritans who refused to receive their Lord (
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After the Lord Jesus had again declared his mission as the Son of man (
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After the Master had demonstrated the necessity of whole hearted
consecration and devotion to him (
“After these things”
the Lord Jesus sent out seventy men in pairs to preach the gospel.
Luke here records for our learning an incident that is
not mentioned by the other gospel writers. He here describes our Lord’s
commission of the seventy to go before his face preaching the gospel in every
city and place to which he himself would come. We do not know who these men
were. Their names are nowhere given. The subsequent history of their labors is
not revealed. But the instructions set before us in these seven verses of
Inspiration are very instructive and set before us lessons that demand our
careful attention.
The things revealed in these verses are matters which primarily
concern gospel preachers. Some of the statements in this passage cannot
be strictly applied to any except these seventy men. However, it is a serious
mistake to think that because these things were spoken to these men
specifically, or because they are specifically instructions for preachers, they
therefore have no meaningful relevance to other believers. Nothing could be
further from the truth.
Pastors, elders, missionaries, and teachers of the gospel
ought, in all things to be exemplary standards for all believers to follow. But
faithful gospel preachers are, first and foremost, believers, sinners saved by
the grace of God, just like you. Gospel preachers, like you, are Christ’s
disciples, people who follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.
Proposition: What our Lord here tells us
is required of all who preach the gospel he also requires of all who follow
him.
Are you a believer? Are you one of Christ’s disciples? Are you
redeemed by his blood, forgiven, justified, accepted in the Beloved? Are you
born of God, an heir of eternal life, a possessor of God’s great salvation? –
If you are, the instructions here given are instructions for you. The lessons
of this passage are lessons for you and me to learn, lay to heart, and follow
all the days of our lives. May God the Holy Spirit teach us the lessons here
revealed and give us grace to govern our lives by them for the glory of God.
Let’s look at verse 1 first. Then I will
show you the lessons taught in verses 2-7. -- “After these things the
Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face
into every city and place, whither he himself would come.”
These seventy men were appointed by the Lord Jesus
himself to preach the gospel. The word translated “appointed” is
a word that is used in only one other place in the New Testament (Acts 1:24).
It means to “show” or “demonstrate.” It has the idea of
marking out distinctly, appointing to an office or work, by an obvious sign.
A very similar derivative of the word is found back in Luke 1:80, where Luke
describes the showing of John the Baptist to Israel. As John the Baptist was
distinctly and manifestly appointed as God’s prophet, so every God called,
gospel preacher made manifest as a man called of God by the gifts God gives him
to preach the gospel.
These men appointed by Christ to preach the gospel were
sent by him in pairs, two by two. They were sent in pairs
because two are better than one. If the one falls, the other will pick him up.
The lesson here should be obvious. Believers need one another. We cannot
serve Christ alone. And preachers need the aide, encouragement, and
strength of other faithful men.
Our Lord did not merely send these men out like we might send a
child outside to play. The words “sent forth” in verse two
are very forceful. They mean “to send forth with force.”
Why does Luke use that particular expression? He did so
because, though every proud heart loves attention and wants to be in the
spotlight (Lots of men want to stand in the pulpit and preach and wear
the title of a pastor or a preacher!), nothing will ever cause a man to
give himself to the work of the gospel, nothing will ever cause a
man to go forth as a laborer in God’s vineyard, except the constraint of God’s
omnipotent grace and irresistible call. Bible colleges,
seminaries, and personal ambition put multitudes of men in pulpits. But only
God can make a preacher. Only God can send forth laborers into his
vineyard. Many run who are not sent; but they run in vain. Those who are
sent forth by God never run in vain and never labor in vain (Isa.
55:11; 1 Cor. 15:58).
(Isaiah 55:11) "So shall my word be that goeth forth
out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that
which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent
it."
(1 Corinthians 15:58) "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye
stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye
know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."
Those men sent forth by Christ into his vineyard are sent
forth “before his face!” I
cannot imagine a more awesome, more sobering, more weighty thought. We labor
not before the faces of men, but before the face of God! All that we do, we do
before his face!
Be sure you do not miss the last line of
verse one. -- “After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and
sent them two and two before his face into
every city and place, whither he himself would come.” –
Forceful as our English translation is, the original language is even more
forceful. Luke is quite literally saying that our Lord sent these men into
every city and place into which he himself was about to come.
Wherever the Son of God sends a gospel
preacher, he himself comes! This is how the Lord God comes to men and
women by his Spirit. He comes in, by, and through the preaching of the gospel
(Rom. 10:14-17; Tit. 1:1-3; 2 Tim. 1:9-10; 1 Pet. 1:23-25; Heb. 4:12-13).
(Romans 10:14-17) "How then shall they call on him in whom
they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not
heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? {15} And how shall
they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet
of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
{16} But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who
hath believed our report? {17} So then faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God."
(2 Timothy 1:9-10) "Who hath saved us, and called us with
an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose
and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, {10} But
is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath
abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the
gospel:"
(Titus 1:1-3) "Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle
of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of
the truth which is after godliness; {2} In hope of eternal life, which
God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; {3} But hath in
due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me
according to the commandment of God our Saviour;"
(Hebrews 4:12-13) "For the word of God is quick,
and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the
dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. {13} Neither is
there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked
and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do."
(1 Peter 1:23-25) "Being born again, not of corruptible
seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for
ever. {24} For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as
the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
{25} But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which
by the gospel is preached unto you."
Look back at Luke 10:16, and get some idea of the seriousness
with which the gospel is to be heard. If the Lord Jesus is pleased to
speak to you by the gospel, you dare not receive the grace of God in vain.
(Luke 10:16) "He that heareth you heareth me; and he
that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that
sent me."
Divisions: Now, let me wrap this
message up by pointing out the lessons taught in verses 2-7. Here are four
things required of all who preach the gospel, four things required of
all who follow Christ, four things with which all who name the name of Christ
are charged.
1. If we would serve Christ,
honor God and serve the souls of men while we live in this world, we must be men
of prayer (v. 2).
2. If we would follow Christ,
serve his cause, and proclaim the gospel of his grace, we must be prepared, as
we go through this world, to live as men in peril (v. 3).
3. If we would serve our God
and the souls of eternity bound men and women, we must be men of purpose (vv.
4-6).
4. If we would live in this
world for the glory of God and lead others to do so, we must be men of
plainness (v. 7).
Men of Prayer
I.
If we would serve Christ, honor God and serve the souls of men while we
live in this world, we must be men of prayer (v. 2).
(Luke 10:2) "Therefore said he unto them, The
harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye
therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his
harvest."
This is the leading thought with which our Lord sends these men
out to preach the gospel. Before he tells them what is required of them, before
he tells them of the dangers they must face, before he bids them go, he says, “pray!”
A.
Prayer is the most powerful weapon we have in this world, with which
and by which to serve our God.
(James 5:16) "Confess your faults one to
another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent
prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
B.
Prayer is the one thing in which all believers can engage.
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Pray for one another.
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Pray for God’s servants.
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Pray for the success of the gospel.
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Pray that the Lord of the harvest would send forth laborers into his
vineyard.
Men in Peril
II.
If we would follow Christ, serve his cause, and proclaim the gospel of
his grace, we must be prepared, as we go through this world, to live as men in
peril
(v. 3).
(Luke 10:3) "Go your ways: behold, I send you forth
as lambs among wolves."
Like those earliest disciples, we live in perilous times. If we
would follow Christ, if we would serve the souls of men, if we would live for
the glory of God, if we would serve the interests of his kingdom, if we would
make known to men the gospel of the grace of God, we must not expect to be
treated any different than our Lord and his disciples were treated.
(1 Peter 3:18) "For Christ also hath once suffered for
sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to
death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:"
(2 Timothy 3:12) "Yea, and all that will live godly in
Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."
(1 John 3:13) "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world
hate you."
The plain fact is, the
offense of the cross has not ceased, and will not cease while
the world stands (Gal. 5:11).
(Galatians 5:11) "And I, brethren, if I yet preach
circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross
ceased."
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The gospel of Christ offends man’s pride.
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…Man’s righteousness and morality.
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…Man’s love of love of himself.
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…Man’s wisdom and knowledge.
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…Man’s sense of worth and worthiness.
As Cain hated Abel because of Abel’s faith in Christ, so the
children of Cain will hate and persecute the sons of Abel until the end of the
world. As Martin Luther put it, “Cain will murder Abel, if he
can, to the very end of the world.”
Men of Purpose
III.
If we would serve our God and the souls of eternity bound men and
women, we must be men of purpose (vv. 4-6).
(Luke 10:4-6) "Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor
shoes: and salute no man by the way. {5} And into whatsoever house ye
enter, first say, Peace be to this house. {6} And if the son of
peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you
again."
There are several things here.
A. Those who preach the gospel
are not to provide for themselves. – Money and material matters are not to be matters
of concern to us. – “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down”
(Neh. 6:3).
B. God’s servants must not
court men.
If we would follow Christ,
we must be thoroughly devoted to him. Gospel preachers, in particular, must
behave as men who have no time to waste on trivial matters. Let all who serve
God give honor to whom honor is due. Let us ever be thoughtful, kind, and
courteous. But God’s servants must not court men.
C. God’s servants are to be
messengers of peace.
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Our message is the gospel of peace.
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We are servants of the Prince of Peace.
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We show men and women the path of peace.
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We guide people with the counsel of peace.
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We promote peace.
D. Wherever Christ, the Son of
Peace is, God’s people and God’s servants are received.
Men of Plainness
IV. If we would live in this
world for the glory of God and lead others to do so, we must be men of
plainness
(v. 7).
(Luke 10:7) "And in the same house remain, eating
and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire.
Go not from house to house."
We must strive to live as, indeed, we must strive to be, men
and women whose first thoughts are about Christ, his glory, heaven, eternity,
our own souls, and the souls of others. My brothers and sisters, these are
matters of first, primary importance.
This admonition is especially applicable to me and to all who
seek to set before men and women the weighty matters of eternity. If ever a
preacher becomes thought of as a man who seeks wealth, luxury, and earthly
pleasure, his usefulness as a preacher is at an end. It does not matter how
vehemently I urge eternity bound men and women to seek the unseen world of
eternity, if by my actions I lead them to seek those things that are seen.
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In the same house remain.
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Let us be content with God’s provision. – Eat what is set before you.
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The laborer is worthy of his hire.
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Go not from housed to house.
(Colossians 3:1-7) "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek
those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
{2} Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. {3} For
ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. {4} When Christ, who
is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
{5} Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication,
uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which
is idolatry: {6} For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the
children of disobedience: {7} In the which ye also walked some time,
when ye lived in them."
(2 Corinthians
4:15-18) "For all things are for
your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many
redound to the glory of God. {16} For which cause we faint not; but
though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
{17} For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a
far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; {18} While we
look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen:
for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not
seen are eternal."