Going

You are listening to a message from Thrive Community Church, a church located in Southwest Florida. For more info, visit us at thrive-fl.org. We're finishing up the red letters of Jesus, and so we've been trying to put his words into practice, these red letters in many Bibles. His specific words, because we have discovered that for a lot of people in the United States who are outside of Christianity looking in, and that's a lot of people by the way, they don't see a lot of Christians actually putting into practice what Jesus said. They see a lot of hypocrisy and a lot of other issues. And so what we want to do is show them the real Jesus through being the type of disciples, the followers, who put his words actually into practice. And over the last five weeks, six weeks, including today, we've looked at these different aspects of the life of Jesus and his words, and we kind of categorized the different practices into five different practices that we're all about. Yeah, I'm skipping slides on you, I'm sorry. And they are being, that you are in Christ, forgiving, being forgiven and forgiving others, serving, giving, and today it's going. And of all the five practices, I'd say a vast majority of Christians say going's the hardest. I'm not so sure about that. I'm not sure what to do with that. So we're going to be looking at that in the red letters, focusing today in Luke chapter 10. And Luke chapter 10, well, it comes after chapter 9 and the other chapters, right? And in Luke chapter 10, oops, I went too far over. Sorry about that. I'm getting some feedback. Luke chapter 10, there's been a shift in the gospel of Luke. The first nine-ish chapters of the gospel, the focus is on, okay, who is this Jesus? And we look at his identity issues from what he says and the miracles that he did and to the actions that he accomplished. Who is he? And we come to the conclusion in those chapters, he is the son of God. He is who he said he was, and everything testifies to that. Now, starting in about chapter 9, it says that he set his face like Flint, like he is resolute. He's going to Jerusalem where he knows when he gets there, it's not going to be a pretty scene. He's going to actually face rejection and betrayal and his own crucifixion, his own death for us. And as he is going, now these chapters are focusing on, so if this is who he is, then what does it mean for us? And the answer is, we are to follow him. We are followers, we're disciples. And Luke 10, in this section then, looks at what does it mean to be a disciple, and a disciple is a messenger, someone who has a message. So let's read through now this section of Luke chapter 10, verses 1 through, I know it's long, 21. After this, the Lord appointed 72 others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way. Behold, I'm sending you as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no money bag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, peace be to this house. And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you, heal the sick in it, and say to them, the kingdom of God has come near to you. But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into the streets and say, even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off against you. Nevertheless, know 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. Oops, it just messed up on me. Sorry about that. Woe to you, Chorazin. Woe to you, Bethsaida. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. The one who hears you hears me. The one who rejects you rejects me. And the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me. The 72 returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name. And he said to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. In the same hour, he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these t...