Date: May 1, 2013
Lutheran Hour Date: July 7, 2013
Liturgical Sunday:
Title: “Appointed, Anointed and Sent!”
TEXT: Luke 10:1-20
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two 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 am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves (Luke 10:1–3).
Christ is Risen, He is Risen Indeed, and IN HIM is the power, the purpose and the privilege of Living Eternal Lives for others as ONES SENT OUT IN HIS NAME! AMEN!
Oh the times we live in, right? Now, if I were to tell you that people need Jesus Christ as their Savior, now more than ever….that’s a no brainer, right?? BUT what if I were also to tell you that you, YOU AND I, as Christian people are literally appointed, anointed and sent out into this world to TELL THOSE VERY SAME PEOPLE ABOUT JESUS, what would you say?
Well, if you’re like most believers, looking at all the “forces that seem to be set against the message of Jesus,” and then of course, the fact that we are “forgiven sinners ourselves,” it seems like this would not only be a difficult task, it would seem to be downright impossible.
In our text for today, Jesus sends out 72 witnesses ahead of him, people who were sent out to testify about Him, about His message to anyone who would listen. And, their work was met with success. But that was then, this is now, right?
Maybe YOU’VE HEARD ABOUT a missionary was sent to a region of the world that was highly populated, but filled with people who were oppressed, fearful and joyless. A dominating government kept them isolated and frightened. Days filled with high-pressure work drained them of energy and joy. An atheistic culture kept them devoid of hope, And Most of the population had never heard the Good News of the peace, hope, and joy of the Savior, Jesus Christ.
But THIS missionary was sent to THIS place to share GOD’S Good News. His first reaction was total confusion. He was absolutely perplexed about how he could ever reach such a number of people with news that would transform their lives. How could he share the amazing message that had changed his own life? How could he pass along the message of the forgiveness of sins, the gift of eternal life, and the blessing of Jesus’ constant presence and power? The successes of Jesus’ day seemed impossible. The present circumstances and odds seemed to be powerfully against him.
SO, after MOVING into the region, he connected with a remote Christian church in an outlying agricultural section of the country. There were only thirty Christians there, but they wanted to SEE him. SO He agreed. The meeting place was hours away from civilization and after a rough ride through the country. Shortly after arriving at a broken down church building, thirty people trickled in and sat down. They were humble farmers, isolated from the city’s population center. What could God do among them?
It seemed like all they had was Jesus, that’s for sure. But folks, when you know that Jesus Christ really loves you, there’s no telling what can happen. So, this missionary shared a very basic idea. No programs, no high tech gimmicks, no grandiose visions of what we can do if we put our minds to it. No, Simply, what if each person in the room remembered the beauty of the Gospel of Jesus, His loving sacrifice on the cross, His resurrection from the grave, and His blessing of new life for each of us through His Word and the blessing of baptism; and what if each believer shared that Gospel story with five people in his or her life that week; and what if each of those farmers sent the new believers who were changed by that powerful message to share the Gospel with five people in their lives? Love others as Christ has indeed loved them! Go to others as Jesus had come for them!
Those 30 farmers listened intently. They even took time that evening to practice sharing the Gospel with each other. Then they wrote down names of people in their lives who didn’t know Christ, they prayed about it and promised to meet again two weeks later.
When the missionary returned two weeks later, they worshipped together. They shared a word from the Bible and then the group talked about how their lives in Christ were going. They shared joys and hurts. Then the missionary asked if anyone shared the Good News of Jesus as they had spoken about two weeks earlier. At first, the room was silent. BUT THEN AN OLD FARMER STOOD UP. He said, “Before we met two weeks ago, I never understood that I was sent by God to actively share the message of our Savior with others TOO. SO, over these past two weeks, I spoke to family members and friends about all that Jesus has done for me. I want to report today that over the past two weeks nine of my family and friends have COME TO FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. They live far from here, but they continuing to meet in a home so they, too, can learn to share this blessing with people in their lives.”
The missionary was stunned. Now, He shouldn’t have been. He knew that the Word of God is powerful and active, that the Good News Jesus changes lives. But he learned a simple message from an old farmer, God can reach the lost, as His graced people are sent out to share HIS Good News.
But, here is the best part of the story. This is not a first-century story. This is not a tale from long ago in a world where it was “easy” to find new believers. This is a true story that started in the year 2000. This teaching and sending started just thirteen years ago. Over the following eight years--by 2008--more than 1.5 million people in that region were brought to faith in Jesus Christ. In this nation where the Christian Church was outlawed, thousands of churches were started and people believed in Jesus as their Lord and Savior!! [1]
How did it happen? God’s GRACED people were SENT OUT with a SPIRIT FILLED, GRACE GIVING, life-changing message, NOW AS THEN!
This is Lutheran Hour Sunday and I want you to know that not only is this a day to celebrate the fact that God has given ALL OF US TOGETHER THIS MINISTRY of publically sharing the Good News of the Gospel, in our churches and through the Lutheran Hour on radio for over 80 year, BUT HE HAS MORE IN STORE FOR US IN THE DAYS TO COME! There are still more people that God wants in His heaven, in an eternal relationship with Him……and you and I get to be the ones who make the offer, who share the invitation, who serve so that others might indeed be saved just as we…..WHAT PURPOSE, WHAT POWER, WHAT PLEASURE FOR LIFE….TO BE APPOINTED AS HIS WITNESS, WITH HIS SPIRIT-FILLED, ANOINTED WORDS OF GRACE, AND SENT IN HIS NAME, AMBASSADORS OF HIS GRACE TO OTHERS!!!
Listen to the Lord’s words in Luke chapter ten:
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.
That’s the way it has always been. If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior today, someone was sent to share that Good News with you. Someone BROUGHT YOU THE POWER OF GOD FOR YOUR SALVATION, through the spirit-filled, anointing gifts of the Word of God and the sacraments.
It might be as simple as being a friend, helping someone through a rough time so that they might know that God still cares for them because you care enough to share Him! Believer sent, message received.
Or it could be the fact that you had wonderful, believing and caring parents who made sure that you had what needed most of all in this life, faith in the Lord who loved you and died for you that you might live abundant lives now and forever. Believer sent, message received.
What’s always true…..is that SOMEONE WAS WILLING TO GO WHERE THEY WERE SENT SO THAT OTHERS MIGHT KNOW THIS SAVIOR FOR THEMSELVES….. WHAT A JOY TO KNOW THAT SOMEONE HAS LOVED YOU THAT MUCH TO DELIVER HIS GOOD NEWS TO YOUR EYES, YOUR EARS, TO YOUR HEART, RIGHT???
BUT THERE’S EVEN MORE JOY IN THE TEXT….IT’S NOT JUST THAT JESUS WANT’S YOU TO KNOW HIS GRACE, MERCY AND PEACE FOR YOURSELF, HE WANTS YOU TO BE THAT “AGENT OF JOY”…SEEING OTHERS “RECEIVE IT FOR THEMSELVES!”
As believers in Jesus, we are HIS PEOPLE, NOW AND FOREVER.And with that new identity, St. Peter also reminds us that you are here “…to proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).
You are sent, my friend! Whether you are a brand new believer, whether you’ve known Jesus for decades, whether you are child in school, a young adult, a middle aged parent or someone in the twilight years of life, FAITH IN JESUS APPOINTS TO THE JOYFILLED TASK OF SHARING THAT GOOD NEWS WITH OTHERS…. THE LIFE OF FAITH IS ABOUT BEING SENT….AS FORGIVEN FORGIVERS, GRACIOUS GRACE GIVERS, ENLIVENED LIFE SHARERS….APPOINTED, ANOINTED AND SENT!!
Jesus said to them, but also to us… “Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves” (Luke 10:3).
SO Go about living your life, with your eyes wide open to the grace of God in Jesus for you BUT ALSO for others. AND THIS TEXT reminds us that SHARING THIS MOST IMPORTANT TRUTH HAS A COST. But real love always does, doesn’t it.? But, even amidst the costs….
JESUS PROMISES THAT WE WILL INDEED, HAVE WHAT WE NEED TO ACCOMPLISH HIS GRACIOUS MISSION FOR OTHERS!!
BUT HERE IS THE BEST PART….God’s IN THE TRANSFORMING LIFE BUSINESS THROUGH THE WITNESS OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND ME.
He will use you, AS SHARERS OF HIS GRACE, to transform people’s lives.
I say this all the time, “there are going to be people in heaven just because they got to know Jesus because they got to know you!!” THAT’S ultimately WHAT THIS LIFE, THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN, IS ALL ABOUT!!
WITH CHRIST SENDING HIS PEOPLE, THERE IS NO HIDDEN AGENDA, NO POLITICAL POWER PLAY OF GRANTING THIS WORLD’S FAVORS, NO… Being sent means that you and I are ready to show CHRIST’S love to people with the true compassion of Jesus, no matter the cost. When Jesus is with you, when His word is on your lips, in your heart, you bring HIM and His UNDESERVED compassion to the people around you. You are sent!
I KNOW IT’S A CHALLENGE. Yes, it can be difficult. BUT, no disrespect to the Marines…this is the “greatest job you’ll ever love!
ANOINTED WITH HIS GRACIOUS WORD, APPOINTED TO HIS MISSION, WE ARE SENT INTO THIS WORLD AS HIS AGENTS OF GRACE….AND HE CAN GET THE JOB DOWN WITH PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU AND ME
THAT’S WHAT WE’RE CELEBRATING WITH YOU TODAY ON THIS LUTHERAN HOUR SUNDAY….We love being your partner in THIS GRAND MISSION, BEING YOUR PUBLIC VOICE OF GRACE, IN THE US, CANADA AND IN OVER 33 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD.
CHRIST TO THE NATIONS, THE NATIONS TO THE CHURCH, THROUGH APPOINTED, ANOINTED, AND SENT MESSENGERS OF HIS ETERNAL GOOD NEWS, NOW AND FOREVER!!
THIS PAST FALL, I was privileged to lead a great group of people in a ½ marathon run in St. Louis. We called it “Run with the Rev, or REVRUN for short.” But it really was a run together, men and women with Christ. FOR 12 WEEKS…We listened to His word together, We trained weekly together as members of His Team, and then we gathered as a group and ran a race as a TEAM to “Make Him Known” to others. Some of us had our best times, others of us were glad to see that finish line, but of all the races I’ve ever run, it was most fun to run because of our COMMON FAITH, BECAUSE WE LOVE THE LORD WHO FINISHED THE MOST IMPORTANT RACE FOR US, THE ETERNAL ONE THROUGH HIS CROSS AND RESURRECTION, because we WANT OTHERS TO KNOW HIM TOO….so we ran, with troubles and successes to make HIS VICTORY KNOWN, even through the races we RUN today!!
I THINK THAT’S WHAT THIS DAY IS ALL ABOUT….We’re gathered as graced ones, in training for THE RACE OF OUR LIVES….TO RUN THE RACE OF FAITH FOR OTHERS…WITH VICTORY ALREADY ASSURED FOR US, WE RUN SO THAT OTHERS MIGHT KNOW HIM TOO.
To that end, APPOINTED, ANOINTED, AND GRACIOUSLY SENT may God grant us all JOYFILLED SUCCESS, AMEN!
Pastor Gregory Seltz Page 4
Lutheran Hour Ministries
660 Mason Ridge Center Drive | Saint Louis, MO 63141-8857 | 1-800-944-3450 | www.lhm.org
[1] Mission in China, as told by Missionary Ying Kai, described at the T4T website.