An Honest Portrayal of the Harvest Field, Part 2

So here's something to get excited about. Not how perfect your ministry is going or how much you seem to be accomplishing. No, the fact that your name has been entered by God in the heavenly registry. You're a citizen of that kingdom. You've been enrolled in the registry of that eternal state and God does not have an eraser.

He writes your name there in permanent marker. On our last broadcast, Stephen began his exposition of Luke 10 and a message called An Honest Portrayal of the Harvest Field. This is part two of that message and Stephen called it Problems and Perspectives. Jesus commissioned 72 of his disciples to preach the gospel in towns and cities across Israel and God blessed these men with profound spiritual victories. But even in the midst of this mountaintop experience, Jesus had some lessons for his followers to learn.

These lessons about rejection, faithfulness and pride are important lessons for us as well. Walter Payton was one of the most proficient running backs in professional football. For many years he held one of Pro Football's most coveted records, the all time rushing record of nearly 17,000 yards. One author I was reading pointed out that that meant he carried the ball nine miles over the course of his career. But the impressive part is that he was knocked down every four and a half yards. Imagine, he writes, running nine miles but being tackled every four and a half yards.

What makes the record truly remarkable is that he kept getting up and running again. What if he'd gone to his coach after his first game and said, every time I try to run someone's chasing me down so I quit. Of course not, that's part of the game. Today is not a pep talk on how to be a good football player.

We're involved in the great commission and it isn't a game. The stakes are high, heaven or hell. Now here in Luke chapter 10 the Lord is giving us a training manual for those who will represent him in the harvest fields of the world. Now he pushed the pause button at verse nine after verse nine where the healing ministry is going to allow them to preach the kingdom of God is near. But now for today we arrive at this little conjunction in the text, that little word but. It's about to introduce an entirely different subject in the training session of these 72 disciples.

You could circle the word at the beginning of verse 10, but. I'm telling you these things but. Although the Lord does not negate his promises or his principles following that conjunction, he's about to train them with what we'll call problems and perspectives. The promises and principles are true, but now I want to talk to you about problems and perspectives.

Here's the first one to consider. There will be times when your gifting and your ministry are not appreciated nor desired. Let's take a running start by going back to verse nine and read, heal the sick in it and say to them, the kingdom of God has come near to you.

That's thrilling. Miraculous ministry. The kingdom is just around the corner. This greater one, but, but whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, wait a second.

Is that possible? I mean, come on, we're performing miracles. We're emptying emergency rooms and cancer clinics. The lame will walk. The blind will see. Somebody is not going to want us. That's right. Get ready for it. You're going to enter a town and they will not receive you.

Is that possible? Jesus effectively says, it's not just possible. It is predictable. Expect it. Anticipate it. Get ready for it. As if the entire population of that city says, get out.

We don't want you. Expect that. There are going to be times when a friendly face will never show up. When your needs will be ignored. Remember they have no money, no provision, no carry on knapsack. We covered that, but no home opens up.

No heart either. They turn you away. There will be times in your ministry that the only friendly face is Jesus, but he's invisible and that's not going to help all that much at times.

You're going to wonder. This was a reminder to them, by the way, that no matter what they said or did, even if it was miraculous, it might not be received and that's because their message that accompanies the miracles is convicting. It's a message of salvation and grace, but it is also a message of sin and guilt. Not everybody's ready to listen, which is why the second perspective I want to principle lies here is something disciples of every generation need to remember.

Here it is. Number two, the message of the gospel not only provides an invitation, it delivers an ultimatum. Jesus says here in verse 10, if that village or town doesn't receive you, go into its streets and say, even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless, know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.

This is a public warning in these days. They were to go into the streets. You could translate that into the wide thoroughfares, not just one of them, but several of them. That is wherever the greatest number of people will be present to view this verdict.

Hear the words, watch your actions. The word plataia refers to a well traveled road. In other words, you know, don't go into some little side street and then sneak out of town. No, go out into the middle of highway 55.

Go into the middle of 401. Go to Glenwood Avenue and deliver this prophetic illustration of judgment because of their unbelief and defiance against the king and his messengers. Notice what he says further in verse 12. I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. Now, when he says this, understand everybody then, just like everybody to this day knows about Sodom. The city given over to homosexuality. The apostle Peter referred to this city as being filled with those who were indulging, he calls it, in defiling passion. They became known for their sexual immorality that faced this unique judgment of fire and brimstone. Everybody knew about Sodom, which makes this message all the more shocking.

Did you catch it? Read it again. I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town that refuses the disciples' message.

That's stunning. This text, by the way, clearly indicates degrees of punishment in hell. And as far as God is concerned, the sins of sexual immorality evidently aren't the worst, so to speak, deserving the greatest judgment. These cities that refused the messengers of Jesus, these villages that had received greater revelation and miracles, as well as the opportunity to believe but rejected it all, will end up facing a more severe judgment on that day. Let me boil it down even further, make the sentence even shorter. People who lived in Sodom will face lighter judgment than those of you who are sitting in your synagogue.

That's true to this day. There is a greater judgment based on greater revelation. In fact, if you today refuse Jesus Christ the message of the King delivered by this messenger of the King, you will face a greater judgment in having refused than someone who had little light and less revelation.

I fear for you today because you are only adding to the condemnation you may face one day if you reject Jesus. It's what he's delivering to these people. See, delivering the gospel isn't then really just offering an option. It's delivering an ultimatum.

It's heaven or hell. Now, the perspective here in this kind of delivery is not anger or hatred. It is sorrow. In fact, if you could have heard Jesus pronounce these woes, you'll notice the next few verses refer to that.

The word woe is a sorrowful, lamenting declaration. If you could have heard the tone of Jesus, you would have heard this lamenting warning. It's why, by the way, when he rides into Jerusalem one day very soon on that unbroken cult and everybody is singing Hosanna, he's weeping.

He cries all the way into the city because he knows their judgment is going to be so great. Jesus says here in verse 13, notice, 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 it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. Again, this is very shocking to these primarily Jewish audiences.

This is turning religion on its head here. They knew about Sidon. They knew that it was the hometown of Jezebel, that wicked queen who had died a violent death of judgment some 840 years before the birth of Christ. They knew the city of Tyre was the ancient city that had worshiped Molech whose idols were crafted with open bellies in which they stoked hot fires and then laid their babies in those bellies to be burned as sacrifices. Sodom and Sidon and Tyre are going to get off easier in the final judgment. What about the city of Capernaum? Jesus has a special woe to them in verse 15. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven?

You shall be brought down to Hades. This is shocking to the citizens of Capernaum. This has been the city that was the home base of Jesus. They knew him. He had taught in their synagogues. He'd healed in this city. Peter and Andrew are from this town. Capernaum, if there's ever a city that has a head start into the kingdom of God, it's Capernaum.

No. They're rejecting their Messiah. They're not going to be heading for heaven, exalted to heaven. They're heading for Hades. I want to point out a third perspective to keep in mind as Jesus prepares these 72 disciples.

Number three, remember the rejection is not necessarily personal. It is ultimately spiritual. Notice verse 16. This is true again for every disciple today.

The one who hears you hears me. And the one who rejects you rejects me, Jesus says. And the one who rejects me rejects him, my Father, who sent me. So ultimately this is the rejection of the kingdom of light by the kingdom of darkness. And Jesus is training his disciples to understand that rejection isn't to be taken personally, even though we feel it personally. And it hurts.

It never feels good. But Jesus is giving them and us the right perspective. These cities and villages are rejecting the king's representatives because they are rejecting the king. We have in our church family a diplomat from South Korea I talked with recently assigned here to an embassy in the capital city of our state and has been posted for just a few years and then will be reassigned. And it occurred to me that how our country views her is tantamount to how our country views her country.

She represents her nation. That's the idea here. The villages that reject the diplomats of the king are ultimately rejecting the king and his country and coming kingdom. By the way, this was a subtle warning to these 72 disciples that the rejection of their message did not mean that they were then to change their message. They weren't to come to the conclusion that they need to tailor it better or to the felt needs a little better of their audience or tone it down or make it a little more appealing to the masses. No, the message remains the message. And the truth is our message is becoming more and more unwanted. Our morals are becoming to our world more and more offensive.

Our viewpoints are becoming to our world more and more repulsive. Jesus told his disciples and they faced it. In John 15, 18, the world hated me before it hated you.

See, Jesus is training his disciples not to be appreciated, not to be applauded, but to be rejected. Now, following verse 16, we need to know that some time takes place. We're not given how long, but following this verse they leave. These teams, these pairs of disciples head out.

More than likely they spent several weeks, not much more than that, and then they all return, which implies that Jesus had given them a specific date on which they were to return. Now, evidently, in spite of everything that they've experienced, and we're given very little information on what they experience, we are told that they all returned excited. Verse 17 says, the 72 returned with joy saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name. So out of everything that happened, this was the most exciting.

It's almost like childlike in their enthusiasm. They're reporting even the demons obeyed us. Now, you would expect Jesus to say, way to go.

I mean, that must have been amazing. No? Here's the right perspective to keep in mind. Let me give it to you before I read his response. When ministry focuses on accomplishments, pride is hovering nearby. Verse 18, here's the Lord's immediate reply. And he said to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Do you realize Jesus just revealed his preexistence?

He was there at the beginning days of creation. You men saw a few demons depart from tormented lives. I want you to know I saw their leader defeated in his attempt to unseat triune God. I was there and I watched Satan fall like a streak of lightning to earth. Verse 19, 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. Scorpions are used in the Bible to describe demonic forces.

No doubt he's speaking metaphorically. Satan is referred to in the Bible as that old serpent. Second Corinthians 11, deadly, dangerous enemies. So Jesus is essentially telling them that they're personally immortal until their job's done, their task is done.

Nothing can stop you but it's broader than that. Nothing will stop the mission, I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. We operate from the vantage point of victory.

Those skirmishes are daily. There's another perspective to keep in mind, number five, your joyful spirit must not depend on ministry perfection or completion but on your final destination. Look at verse 20, nevertheless, even I've just told you you're even going to do more. Don't rejoice in this that the spirits are subject to you but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. So here's something to get excited about and not how perfect your ministry is going or how much you seem to be accomplishing. No, the fact that your name has been entered by God in the heavenly registry. You're a citizen of that kingdom. You've been enrolled in the registry of that eternal state and God does not have an eraser.

He writes your name there in permanent marker. So don't get so caught up with what you're doing on earth and forget the joy of your reservation in heaven. Everything else pales in significance. With that, now Jesus begins to rejoice. Notice, we typically separate these.

These follow immediately. Verse 21, in that same hour, he rejoiced in the whole midst of triune God in one verse mentioned specifically. You have Jesus, God the Son rejoicing. He's accompanied in prayer by God the Holy Spirit and they're giving praise and thanksgiving to God the Father.

All three persons of the triune God are in this joyful concert together. Let me give you another perspective. Number six, encouragement in the harvest field depends on the mystery of God at work in the world.

It's really all up to him. Look at verse 21 again. I thank you Father, Lord of heaven and earth that you have hidden these things from the wise in understanding and revealed them to little children. Yes Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father and no one knows who the Son is except the Father or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

You know what that means? That means we don't understand why some believe and some do not except for this is the mystery of God's gracious will. But if the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are having this little joyful party so to speak and what are they rejoicing over? People who are saved.

People who are childlike, that is humble in their faith. They're excited about souls saved which is another way of saying you in the harvest field are not working alone. In fact, the triune God is more at work than we could ever imagine but just take it from this text, you're not working alone. And whenever somebody comes to faith there is celebration among the three persons of the Godhead. There's another source of encouragement.

Let me put it this way, number seven and this is the last one. The unique privilege of where we are in redemptive history invites us to give praise to God. Verse 23, then turning to the disciples he said privately, blessed are the eyes that see what you see. I tell you that many prophets and kings desire to see what you see and did not see it and to hear what you hear and did not hear it. We ought to thank God for the dispensation wherein we're able to take our Bibles and turn to the Gospel of Luke, the book of 1 Corinthians, the book of Revelation, the completed canon of scripture.

That's true to this day. Imagine what God has revealed to you in this dispensation. Even the prophets didn't know.

Isaiah, the kings didn't know. King David, they don't know half what you know, what you've learned from Jesus. Imagine what God does through you. You, beloved, get to introduce to the world the Messiah by name. Imagine what God has done for you, has redeemed you.

Your name has been entered into the registry of heaven. You're a citizen of his kingdom and that's reason enough, by the way, when you're tackled, when you're knocked down, rejected, to get back up with the truth of the Gospel in hand and keep pressing on to the goal line, the coming kingdom of Christ, which is just ahead. These are the principles and promises and problems and perspectives that keep us heading in the right direction for the right reason as we serve in the harvest field of our world.

Today, today, today. Stephen called this lesson, An Honest Portrayal of the Harvest Field, Part Two, Problems and Perspectives. It comes from Luke 10. If you want to hear Part One, please visit wisdomonline.org because we've posted it there. Stephen will continue through this section of Luke in the days ahead. Between now and our next broadcast, we'd enjoy hearing from you. If you have a question or would like more information about our ministry, you can send us an email if you address it to info at wisdomonline.org or use that address to give us feedback about our ministry and how God's using it in your life. We have a special place on our website where we post Stephen's answers to questions that have come in from listeners like you. Thanks for listening. Join us next time for more wisdom for the heart.