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What Matters Most? (Luke 10:1-20)
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Sunday Message recorded 21 September 2025
by Deacon Stephen Mick
First Baptist Church - Columbus, TX, USA
1700 Milam St.
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
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Transcript
Introduction and Personal Reflection
00:00:07
Speaker
Good morning, church. It's a pleasure to be here and have the opportunity to fill in for Pastor Victor as he's away on his vacation and sabbatical. Well, it's been a busy few weeks. I don't know if you've been watching the news or have your social media or, know, friends chatting about different things going on in the world, but there's so much going on. And if we were trying to list everything, where would we even start?
00:00:36
Speaker
So now I made a claim that lot's been going on. So I ask you, what what just popped into your head?
00:00:45
Speaker
ah You don't have to say it out loud, and I guess nobody really started to do that. but But take a second, what event, what problem, what responsibility has come to your mind where where I would say, man, it's been a busy few weeks.
00:01:01
Speaker
And you say, yes, it has, and think about these things. What's popped into your mind? If we were to compare notes, we would probably have come up with a lot of different things, right?
00:01:13
Speaker
and And make a really long list of everything that's happened to capture our attention and to demand our time, right? Well, here's the cool part, is that what just popped into your mind, different than what popped into my mind, is not random.
00:01:29
Speaker
it's It's a snapshot of what's been claiming your energy, claiming my energy. It's the stuff that's hooked our attention, maybe stolen our sleep. It's maybe caused us to mourn, to grieve.
00:01:42
Speaker
Or maybe it's something that's lit a fire underneath you and inspire you to say, yes, now I'm going to go do something.
Prioritizing Family and Eliminating Distractions
00:01:50
Speaker
right In a world that's throwing a million urgent things at us,
00:01:55
Speaker
and is screaming at us for attention with both information and noise. Your heart and your mind just cut through all of that and it voted.
00:02:06
Speaker
And it told you, this is what matters to me. The things that you've been thinking about, the things that fill in the blank for you. It's like a free audit of your priorities.
00:02:19
Speaker
So what does that reveal about where your energy is going? And honestly, Are you glad? Are you happy? Those are the things that are taking your time and your energy.
00:02:31
Speaker
you know For me, i would say over the past few weeks, it's been quite a blur. I actually had two business trips last week. I was in Santa Fe for the first part, came home for about 10 hours, and then I was in Mississippi.
00:02:44
Speaker
This coming week, I'll go to Oregon and then go to a North Carolina and then be home. The following week, another trip. The following week, two more trips. So it's been a bit of a blur for me. So as I knew I was going to ask you, what matters to you? What's capturing your time and attention? I knew i needed to have an answer to the same thing.
00:03:02
Speaker
And it's been really tough, right? How do i keep what matters most at the forefront? How do I prioritize spending deliberate time with my family when I am home? How do i make sure that nothing distracts me from being prepared to preach and to teach?
00:03:18
Speaker
I owe you that responsibility to be well prepared. Well, I've had to make changes to make sure that what matters most is what I'm spending my time on. I've had to delete all the really interesting apps and games and news feeds and social media from my phone so I don't get distracted. And it's tough.
00:03:35
Speaker
Like withdrawals. If if those that's your thing, imagine right now pulling out your phone and deleting everything. I've had to be rigorous. and And who knows, maybe after this season has passed, all those abs start coming back and I start getting distracted. Or maybe I'll stay focused.
00:03:52
Speaker
Maybe I'll keep what matters most, mattering most. right And perhaps you too have had seasons in your life where what really ultimately matters has been the focus of your life.
00:04:04
Speaker
But then you have seasons where less important things begin to creep in, steal your attention, steal your energy, and cause you to wander. So it's good for us from time to time to think about what really matters and is that where I'm putting my time and energy and attention?
00:04:23
Speaker
And our passage today invites us to ask that question. What matters most?
The Mission of the 72 Disciples
00:04:30
Speaker
So the roadmap for today, we're going to read 20 verses from Luke chapter 10. We're continuing in our past in and our study of Luke.
00:04:38
Speaker
And then after that, we're going to try to answer two basic questions. In this passage that we'll read, Jesus sends 72 people out on mission.
00:04:49
Speaker
And we're going to ask the question, why did they go?
00:04:55
Speaker
i think we'll learn a lot from that. And the answer to that question will lead us to our second question. What really matters to God? If you would, if you're able, you stand with me as we read Luke chapter 10, verses through 20.
00:05:16
Speaker
after 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.
00:05:27
Speaker
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 am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.
00:05:45
Speaker
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.
00:05:56
Speaker
And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on 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.
00:06:08
Speaker
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.
00:06:20
Speaker
But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off against you.
00:06:31
Speaker
Nevertheless, know this, that the kingdom of God has come near. I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
00:06:43
Speaker
Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done entire in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
00:06:56
Speaker
But 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.
00:07:08
Speaker
The one who hears you hears me. And the one who rejects you rejects me. And the one who rejects me rejects the one who sent me.
00:07:21
Speaker
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.
00:07:35
Speaker
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.
00:07:54
Speaker
Let's pray. Lord, thank you for your word. I pray that you would speak to us today from your word. and help us understand what truly matters to you.
00:08:05
Speaker
In Christ's name, amen. You may be seated.
00:08:09
Speaker
So oftentimes when we come to a Bible passage, it's filled with theological concepts and difficult things that require an extraordinary amount of other biblical knowledge. This isn't the case for this passage. It's fairly straightforward and pretty easy to understand.
00:08:28
Speaker
If we just start from the top and work our way through you know the highlights, we see that there were a lot of people following Jesus. So many so that even though he had already sent out his 12 closest followers, his disciples,
00:08:44
Speaker
There was more work to do and there was a larger group of people to help do it. So he sent out 72 other people. Some manuscripts say 70, so there are textual variations depending on the source.
00:08:58
Speaker
But he sends out 72 others in pairs, two by two. In verse 3, he tells them they're going to be sent out as lambs in the midst of wolves. it's going to be dangerous.
00:09:12
Speaker
Verse four, he says, there's no need to pack. You don't need extra money. You don't need a backpack. You don't need sandals. What you've got, you're good to go. Verse four, he tells them, don't get distracted along the way.
00:09:27
Speaker
It was the custom of the day to have very long and extensive greetings. It's not just passing in the hallway. Hey, how are you doing? Good, fine, okay. It was elaborate. It's like, don't do that.
00:09:37
Speaker
Don't get bogged down. Point A, point B, go do your mission. Get to work. Verses 5 through 8, he tells them to rely on the hospitality of the people that they go to minister to be gracious. and And don't work your way up the food chain to better and better, right, to the house on the hill. Maybe this guy with a small house invited you in. Well, that's that's your place. You stay there.
00:09:59
Speaker
And verse 9 tells them to minister to those with deep needs, to be a blessing to the town and to announce that the kingdom of God is near. Verse 10 through 16 says, recognize that there are going to be different results and expect for rejection because rejection will happen.
00:10:15
Speaker
By verse 17, they've accomplished their mission. They come back. They're excited and they're joyous about what had happened and they share their success with Jesus. Verses 18 through 20, Jesus affirms their success.
00:10:27
Speaker
Job well done. And tells them, focus on what really matters. All right, so at a high level, the text is pretty easy to understand. Now, in a typical sermon, just to give you a little insight, what is the the role, the job of somebody who preaches is you're supposed to do at least three things.
00:10:45
Speaker
You know, you read the passage, so four. Read something from the Bible, okay? Do that. Then explain it, illustrate it, and apply it. right So we've explained it.
00:10:56
Speaker
The act of the 72 going is an illustration of obedience to Jesus. So we could, in principle, skip right to the application.
00:11:07
Speaker
And how about let's do this?
00:11:10
Speaker
Oh, Julie's shaking her head. She knows it's coming. Okay. Don't do it. I'm going to do it. Okay. How about this? Everybody, right now, grab a buddy and let's go.
00:11:24
Speaker
Let's go to all the cities, all the hangout spots in Colorado County. And let's do it right now. Okay, nobody's moving. Okay. You see, verse 4, Jesus says, you don't need extra money.
00:11:39
Speaker
You don't need a backpack. You don't need your snacks for the road. i brought my water because I knew it was happening. Right? You don't need anything else. You don't need extra pair of shoes. What you got, you're good to go.
00:11:51
Speaker
Last week, when Pastor Victor talked about the last part of chapter 9, he dismantled seven of our common excuses for not going. In Matthew chapter 28, Jesus says, each of you go into all the world and make disciples.
00:12:08
Speaker
So here we find ourselves
Motivation and Belief in Jesus' Mission
00:12:12
Speaker
without excuse, but with a mission.
00:12:18
Speaker
So let's go. Now I know some of you right now, you're you're thinking to yourself, I am so glad we're finally gonna go do something. It's about time, let's get to work. Yes, let's buddy up, let's go. Point me in a direction, let's do it. And others here, you aren't, what should we say, thrilled about the idea, right?
00:12:43
Speaker
But see, that's what's so fascinating about this passage. It isn't just a story. It's history. It's real people who were instructed by the real Jesus to go and they went.
00:13:06
Speaker
Why? Why did they actually go and deliver this message in this way? Why did they obey him? What happened in their lives that brought these 72 to the point that they would hear Jesus' command and then go do it.
00:13:23
Speaker
And it wasn't the easiest assignment they were given. We went through the passage at a high level. Let's go back through it again and imagine, since they went, what their responses might have been. And you can compare for yourself, what would your response be?
00:13:36
Speaker
right, so verse three, and Jesus says, you're going to be sent as sheep among wolves. And that didn't hold them back. They must have thought something along the lines of, okay, that won't be a problem.
00:13:50
Speaker
Is it a problem for us? she I'd rather be like with a body armor. Verse four, and go with minimal supplies, minimal preparation. Just trust God and go.
00:14:05
Speaker
And their response from the text is, yes, sir, heading out now.
00:14:11
Speaker
Also in verse four, Jesus tells them, lay aside all the important and pressing goals that you have for yourself, And follow him first.
00:14:22
Speaker
like I mean, i struggle with this, because I have to say, okay, well, like and I guess I'll check my email and my portfolio and the news and politics and social media. I'll check all that when I get back.
00:14:34
Speaker
but Now, Julie can affirm this, I was already planning to do the honey do this later anyway, so that won't be a problem. Putting that on hold. Rabbi, they just went. and And he tells them, go minister to the sick and the needy. Be a blessing to the town. Be bold. Help. Heal. Proclaim.
00:14:54
Speaker
And their response must have been, there's nothing more I'd rather do. Just wait for you to tell me to go. He tells them to proclaim a clear message that the kingdom of God is near you.
00:15:08
Speaker
Well, they knew it was near them. They had experienced it And they recognized that others needed to know as well. Their job was to tell them the kingdom is what's on its way. It's coming. It's unstoppable. And you must choose which side you're on.
00:15:27
Speaker
You can accept the kingdom of God and be welcomed into it in peace or reject and receive judgment. Verse 11, right as compelling as the hope of the kingdom is, some are going to reject it.
00:15:43
Speaker
And their job is not to change the message. Don't soft pedal, don't leave out the hard parts. And when rejected, don't just slink away silently.
00:15:55
Speaker
You go out into the street and proclaim judgment publicly. ah So it's a difficult message and a difficult mission and they went.
00:16:08
Speaker
So why did they go? And this is where I think we can learn a lot about their motivation and why they would say yes by recognizing Luke chapter 10 is in the middle of Luke, right? Nine chapters happened before this.
00:16:24
Speaker
And if we go back and look at what happened before this, and if we could imagine ourselves seeing those same things, being part of those same same experiences, might we too be motivated to do what they did.
00:16:42
Speaker
So let's go through just a few examples. Let's go all the way back to Jesus' baptism in Luke chapter 3. I'm going to ask you to imagine yourself being there. Imagine them being there, what it must have been like to see these things happening.
00:16:58
Speaker
Imagine standing by the edge of the Jordan River or the Colorado River amongst a crowd of people pressing in to hear John the Baptist. His message is a fierce and it's an urgent call to repentance. You should read his message from John chapter three.
00:17:15
Speaker
He's brutal. He demands that your life bear fruit worthy of what you know is true and right. His words and his message cut you to the heart.
00:17:27
Speaker
And as you're considering your response, you see a man. is that Is that Jesus? talking to John, and you don't hear the conversation they're having, but Jesus is then baptized and something amazing happens.
00:17:39
Speaker
The Spirit of God descends on Jesus from heaven and God announces, you are my beloved son. You gotta think to yourself, who is this guy?
00:17:54
Speaker
Fast forward to chapter four. You see Jesus again in the temple on a day of worship, much like today. And Jesus comes up to the lectern and he is handed a scroll and he opens up to a passage from Isaiah, a passage that was understood to talk about the long-awaited servant that God would send to heal and rescue Israel.
00:18:16
Speaker
And this is what he reads. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
00:18:36
Speaker
And after reading this, he makes the audacious claim, Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.
00:18:48
Speaker
What? Claiming to be God's servant? The servant?
00:18:55
Speaker
but If you read this passage, you see that the crowd erupts in anger and they try to kill him. But miraculously, he slips through their grasp. And you got to be wondering, are the synagogue leaders right?
00:19:09
Speaker
Was this blasphemy? He survived. Is he right? They can't both be right. Who is this guy? You continue on in Luke chapter four, a little while later in Capernaum, Jesus is teaching in the synagogue. Again, much imagined just like a place like this and a demon possessed man interrupts the service.
00:19:33
Speaker
Now that would be crazy, right? But it happens. And can you imagine the chaos and confusion that would cause if it were to happen here and now where the demon identifies Jesus as quote, the Holy One of God.
00:19:48
Speaker
But Jesus rebukes the demon, casts him from the possessed man, leaving him free and restored. They and the rest of us, and us too if we were there, would be utterly astonished.
00:20:00
Speaker
And they asked, what is this word? For with authority and power, he commands the unclean spirits and they come out. But the healing doesn't stop there. For the rest of the day, Jesus ministered to the sick, the diseased and the possessed, healing them all.
00:20:15
Speaker
Well, his ministry continues and it builds an intensity and urgency and inescapable proof. later and Just after that, later in Luke chapter 4 through the middle of chapter 5, five different recorded miracles are are talked about. And we'll we'll look at just one from Luke 5.13 when Jesus encounters a man who had been shunned by society.
00:20:38
Speaker
And the reason is he had leprosy. um A man with leprosy was cut off from all society. had to be an out was an outcast.
00:20:49
Speaker
His voice would have been hoarse by yelling, unclean, unclean, which he'd have to yell as people approached him lest they touch him and become defiled themselves.
00:21:00
Speaker
Could you imagine that being your life? Having to yell for people to avoid you?
00:21:09
Speaker
Well, this man sees Jesus and he could have no contact with anyone, but he sees Jesus, he falls on his face and he begs to be clean. He says, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.
00:21:21
Speaker
And Jesus, with his incredible compassion, stretched out his hand and touched him and said, I will be clean. And he was, but he wasn't just cleaned, he was restored.
00:21:38
Speaker
Later in Luke chapter five, and Jesus calls a disciple to himself, a guy named Matthew. Okay, now think about somebody you really dislike, which you're not normally asked to do that in church, but you know there's somebody, somebody you don't like.
00:21:53
Speaker
You really don't like them. you know they need God. You know they need God's help, but they're not getting that help from you.
00:22:05
Speaker
You know that person. That was Matthew. And Jesus didn't let any of that get in the way. He calls Matthew a tax collector and a traitor to the nation to become his disciple.
00:22:17
Speaker
He teaches and demonstrates that he truly has come for mercy and salvation. He rescues Matthew from a life of betrayal against his people.
00:22:28
Speaker
And Jesus gives him hope and us hope as he teaches, I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.
00:22:40
Speaker
Think about what we just covered, the baptism, the claim of being the servant sent by God, the validation from God's own voice, the demonstration of actually being God's servant by his relentlessly compassionate ministry of teaching, healing the sick, the diseased, the possessed, strengthening the weak, helping the forgotten, encouraging the doubting,
00:23:06
Speaker
They wanted that mercy that they saw others receive. And if we were there, if we heard the stories of Jesus, we would want that mercy for ourselves too.
00:23:19
Speaker
And see, we're only in Luke chapter five. Our passage is Luke chapter 10. Jesus does a lot more healing and helping and compassionate ministry. Along the way, he feeds 5,000 people with the lunch of a small boy. He heals a paralytic, both of his sins and his paralysis. He raises a woman's son from the dead in chapter 7.
00:23:42
Speaker
And for a synagogue leader, the very ones who tried to kill Jesus and throw him out and discredit him, he raised his daughter from the dead too. And as a result of Jesus' ministry and their interaction with him, both direct and indirect, maybe they were eyewitnesses to some of these things. Maybe they only heard testimony from others.
00:24:04
Speaker
But they came to believe who Jesus is. And they wanted to be a part of what he's doing. They heard what Jesus said and they believed what he said was right and good.
00:24:18
Speaker
They saw what he does and they wanted that mercy him. for themselves. So they join Jesus in his mission. When he calls them, they come.
00:24:31
Speaker
And when he sends them, they go. They realize that whatever else may matter in their lives, something else mattered more.
00:24:43
Speaker
And more specifically, they realize that what matters to Jesus, well, that's going to be what matters to them.
Understanding the Harvest and Salvation
00:24:51
Speaker
Which leads us to our second question and the focus of the passage in Luke chapter 10.
00:24:56
Speaker
What matters to Jesus? So let's go through the text and let's try to figure it out. I've got six points for you to consider. And I think it's all straight from the text. The first thing that really matters to Jesus is verse two, the harvest.
00:25:13
Speaker
but So what is the harvest? It's a metaphor for salvation. And salvation is many things. It's very comprehensive. And we studied this in Sunday School a few weeks back, and I ah handed out...
00:25:27
Speaker
I gave a handout. I handed out a handout. That's redundant, sorry. So I gave a handout to the students that had 42 different words all related to salvation with scriptures justifying and showing each of these things. So salvation is a complete and comprehensive and amazing thing that God offers to us. And it encompasses such things as mercy. All right, bringing an end to misery. Amen.
00:25:55
Speaker
right when we're ah When we're honest with ourselves, there are aspects of our lives. There are things that we regret. There are things we're ashamed of. There weaknesses that we have that make us suffer. And Jesus wants to bring his mercy to us to end our misery.
00:26:13
Speaker
Salvation encompasses peace. There are things in and our lives that are broken. Some are broken without anything that we've done. We're just a victim of other people breaking stuff.
00:26:24
Speaker
And then there are things that we break ourselves. And Jesus offers salvation. He offers peace. He offers a healing of what is broken, setting things right.
00:26:37
Speaker
Salvation encompasses restoration, making us all that we were called and created to be. ah You need to remember that you're not an accident,
00:26:50
Speaker
You don't live in a small town in Texas because God forgot about you. God made you on purpose and for a purpose. Ephesians 2, verse 10 tells us this.
00:27:01
Speaker
We are his workmanship, created in Christ to do good works that he prepared in advance for us to do that we may do them.
00:27:10
Speaker
Salvation encompasses forgiveness. We've all done things where we owe a debt. where God as judge would be right in proclaiming a sentence of guilty against us.
00:27:24
Speaker
But salvation encompasses a release from the debt that we can't pay ourselves. And it renders to us a verdict of not guilty for the things that we've done because Jesus took our place.
00:27:39
Speaker
And salvation encompasses community. We're not intended to be saved for and of ourselves and never interact with anyone. We're given his grace, his mercy, his compassion, his healing, his restoration, his deliverance so that we can participate in his work and see that for others.
00:27:59
Speaker
So he he makes us part of his family. He gives his spirit to indwell us and he puts us together. Jesus invented the church so that together we could be on mission with him.
00:28:11
Speaker
So that's the harvest. What's the harvest? It's seeing people come to know him.
00:28:18
Speaker
And who's it for? Well, it's for people and it's of people. It's for the hurting, the bound up, the bruised, the sick, the lost, the shame the ashamed, the disappointed, the people that Jesus had already been teaching and healing.
00:28:34
Speaker
There were a lot of people in his day that needed that healing touch. And if we were to look around, we would see there still are a lot of people.
00:28:46
Speaker
What else is the harvest? Well, the answer to this all important question that high school students certainly ask, but mid-career professionals ask it too. Why am I here? What is my purpose in life?
00:29:00
Speaker
Well, the answer is the harvest. The harvest is a farming metaphor. So why is it that people farm? for the harvest, to reap a crop.
00:29:11
Speaker
but The point of farming isn't just to prepare the soil, to plant to plant seeds, to keep weeds from overtaking, to fertilize, to water, to weigh to accumulate heavy machinery that you have to repair. The point of the harvest is the crop.
00:29:31
Speaker
That's why we're here, so that we can come to know God, and in turn help others come to know him. That we can experience his salvation, his mercy, his grace, his reconciliation, his peace, forgiveness, and community so that we can invite others as well.
00:29:49
Speaker
And the harvest is a call to action.
00:29:54
Speaker
Let's imagine that we get to harvest time. Do you say, you know what, it's harvest time, but I'm busy right now, I'll get to it next month. When it's harvest time, you drop what you're doing and you go get the harvest.
00:30:09
Speaker
It has to be done. Now the harvest is a call to action. So when Jesus uses this metaphor to tell his disciples, these other 72 go, he's telling them so much all at once.
00:30:21
Speaker
He's telling them salvation is needed by a huge group of people and they need it now. you.
00:30:29
Speaker
And because of the ministry that they had experienced, because they realized who he is, what he says, and what he does, and wanted to be part of it, they went. So the harvest matters to Jesus. What else matters to Jesus? We see this in verse 2 also.
00:30:45
Speaker
We see that prayer matters to Jesus. Jesus made it a routine to go off by himself and pray to God. He tells us to pray.
00:30:56
Speaker
And it could be that you already care about the harvest. Then pray. Pray that God would send more people to reach those who are lost and hurting around us.
00:31:09
Speaker
Pray that God would heal you where you remain unsure and lack confidence and are still hurting, where you're still dealing with shame and regret and disappointment.
00:31:20
Speaker
where you still find rebellion in your heart rising up to cause you to care about things that don't matter, pray. And if you don't yet care about the harvest, you you read this passage and your honest response is, yawn, I wonder what next week is, then you should pray.
00:31:43
Speaker
Because prayer is the primary means by which God bends your heart to care about the things he cares about. Pray for the hardest. Jesus demonstrated that he cared about prayer. It matters to him.
00:31:57
Speaker
it needs to matter to us, and it does matter for us. Another thing that matters to Jesus is repentance. We see this in verses 13 and 16.
00:32:11
Speaker
Repenting, it's a you know it iss a theological word, but it's easy to understand. and means to hear the truth of God and to agree with him. And because you agree with him, you then reject and turn away from what you've been doing so you can align with him.
00:32:29
Speaker
ah You've been doing one thing, you hear God's word say, don't do that. And your response isn't, oh, but God, you don't understand. Your response is, you're right, God.
00:32:41
Speaker
I will give that up and I will turn to you. That's repentance. And Jesus cares about repentance because that's who is welcomed into the harvest. And those who do not repent are the ones who reject. right Not to repent is to reject.
00:33:04
Speaker
There is no middle ground.
00:33:08
Speaker
ah Verse 13 also shows us that Jesus cares a great deal. What matters to him is compassion. right Distress for those who are in need of repenting.
00:33:20
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They're in need of being rescued, but they refuse. but It's not a small thing to refuse to repent. The word there that Jesus uses twice is woe.
00:33:33
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And it's a distress, a sign of deep, deep, heartfelt distress and judgment. Woe to you. oh you don't see what's coming.
00:33:46
Speaker
You don't want it for yourselves, but you refuse.
00:33:52
Speaker
It's heartfelt empathy.
00:33:55
Speaker
Does your sin and your rebellion break your heart? Are you sad when you continue to rebel and reject the goodness that God has for you his good and true word.
Joy, Humility, and Rejoicing in Salvation
00:34:14
Speaker
We know that what Jesus says is good about loving others, about honoring, right, honoring prayers, all these all these commands. We want others to do them. The people in our life, we want them to be full of integrity.
00:34:29
Speaker
We want them to be full of compassion and empathy. right We want that of our spouse. but We know they're good. Does your heart break When you don't live up to that standard, do you routinely repent? Because not to repent is to reject.
00:34:48
Speaker
When was the last time that you were broken before the one true holy God about your own rebellion, pleading with him to help you to turn to him?
00:35:01
Speaker
You see, Jesus felt deep distress over those who needed to repent but wouldn't. But that's why he sent the 72, that they would go reach those who would and then utter a clear message to those who refused.
00:35:18
Speaker
All right, verse 17. ah Fifth thing that Jesus cares about is surprising us with joy. but The 72 came back, they were excited. Why? Because Jesus had given them more than they expected. When he sent them out, he told them to go heal. And when they came back, they said, Lord, even the demons submit.
00:35:40
Speaker
but They didn't know to expect that. God surprised them with more than they ever expected. And God does that for you. He will do it for you if you will follow him.
00:35:52
Speaker
If you'll decide, you know, what matters to you, God? all make that matter to me.
00:36:02
Speaker
Ephesians 3.20 tells us that our God is one can who can give us immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine.
00:36:12
Speaker
And then verse 20, we see that Jesus, what matters to him, is rejoicing in what matters most, not in what is secondary. rejoicing what matters Rejoicing in what is secondary is actually dangerous.
00:36:33
Speaker
And we see the 72 heading down that path.
00:36:39
Speaker
They're very excited that even the demons submitted to them And then Jesus says, what sounds like a very odd thing. I can read it. he said They're happy.
00:36:51
Speaker
They're rejoicing. And Jesus says, i saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. What? What made Satan fall?
00:37:04
Speaker
It was his pride. And when Jesus hears them rejoicing over the thing that makes them rejoice, he sees pride at the root of it. And can you imagine going before the Lord, being excited, and he sees your response just like Satan's?
00:37:22
Speaker
Like clearly, what mattered to Jesus isn't what mattered most to them in that moment. But Jesus in his graciousness corrects them, kind of with a rebuke.
00:37:36
Speaker
Don't let pride be the thing that makes you rejoice, is what he tells them, because pride will destroy you, just like it destroyed Satan.
00:37:48
Speaker
And then think about what did bring them joy. What brought them joy was the fact that they had this power. But what did they not say? On the other side of that, wasn't there a person who had been freed?
00:38:04
Speaker
Their story could have been, Jesus, I met this dude named Joe, and he was possessed by a demon, but now he's free. He's been restored to his family.
00:38:15
Speaker
I saw him hug his kids for the first time in years. They could have told that story, but they were excited about the wrong thing. but It's dangerous to be excited about the wrong thing. it's dangerous And it can come in so quickly and so subtly where you think you're doing what matters most and then you get sidetracked and derailed.
00:38:36
Speaker
right So Jesus says, rejoice in what actually matters most. Be glad for the souls that are rescued.
00:38:47
Speaker
Rejoice in restoration. Rejoice in salvation. And then he tells them, rejoice mostly that you have a name that's written in God's book of life.
00:38:58
Speaker
It's not a name we write for ourselves, it's a name that God writes. He's the sovereign one.
Closing Reflections and Prayer
00:39:03
Speaker
And in that day and time, it turns out cities would have a role of all the important citizens and their names but would be written in the town registry.
00:39:16
Speaker
But most people, their name would not be written in the town registry. Why? Because they did not have a name. They were not important enough to have a name. But Jesus says what matters to him is that you have a name.
00:39:30
Speaker
You are known. You are loved. You are cherished. Salvation has come to you and it's a certainty. And we should rejoice over that and that we get to be a part of seeing that for others.
00:39:47
Speaker
So what matters to Jesus? Well, from this passage, we see six things and we can summarize it in this. everything related to seeking and saving people.
00:40:01
Speaker
So are you willing to see who he is, to hear what he says, be amazed at what he does, and have what matters to him be what matters to you?
00:40:16
Speaker
Let's pray. Lord, thank you for your word. Thank you that you demonstrate for us so effectively what does matter to you. Help us, God, to abandon all the things that distract us, all the things we spend ourselves on that ultimately don't matter.
00:40:34
Speaker
Yes, Lord, help us to take care of our responsibilities. Help us to to do the things that must be done. But Lord, help our focus and the thing that drives us be what matters to you.
00:40:45
Speaker
God, I pray that you would help us identify what's taken our energy that shouldn't, where our focus is in the wrong place. Help us to see where we rebel against you, where rebellion has snuck in, and God, cause us to repent.
00:40:59
Speaker
Lord, help us to turn from those things that lead us from away from you. Lord, help us to turn to you. In Christ's name, amen. We'll sing one last song and ah typically this is a time of invitation, but I would encourage you to consider it's a time of reflection.
00:41:17
Speaker
right Each one of us, me included, we all have a decision to make now in this moment. I have to think about my own heart. What still distracts me?
00:41:28
Speaker
And will I yield it to Jesus? And you should think about the same thing. If you want to come down and have somebody to pray with, I'm happy to pray with you. It'd be an honor. You can pray with Josh. You can find somebody close to you and pray. But everybody has a decision to make.
00:41:42
Speaker
We'll have a time of reflection and then Dr. Bam will come closer service.
00:41:52
Speaker
This is a ministry of First Baptist Church located at 1700 Milam Street, Columbus, Texas.