Sunday, 6th July, 2025

Luke 10 : 1-11 and 16-17

 

Sermon

Last weekend, Brenda and I were on the Isle of Wight, and at this very time we were in Ventnor Baptist Church.  Now, Ventnor Baptist Church building is only 20 years older than ours, but you would think it was a century older, as it was dilapidated and falling apart.

The worship was good, considering they were in an interregnum and had a Minister in Training doing the preaching.  Unlike us, however, they have no finances to call a new Minister and their situation is tricky to say the least.

Now, although we have been there many times, the Isle of Wight is still pretty much just a place on the map to us, but we were made welcome at the church by the Church Secretary, Chandra, who was originally from Trinidad, but moved to Wakefield in the 1970’s. She then moved to the Island, where she has been for the past 30 years.

Following the Service, Chandra gave us some local knowledge. Where is good to live, where not to go, and telling us about the churches together outside service that afternoon in the park, which we went to, and enjoyed.

It all came alive for us then. It came alive for us because Chandra, a "real person", represented a wonderful reality -  an "eyewitness," who had fleshed-out something beyond our experience.

There is no better witness than an eyewitness. There is no better example than a living example. Jesus knew that when he "appointed 70 others, and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to come 

Jesus' message of announcing the coming of the kingdom of God was being met with increasing curiosity. There is, at the same time, growing hostility to what Jesus has to say, and yet an increasing acceptance of his message.

For this reason, the mission of Jesus must be enlarged. The scope of Jesus' work must be broadened. More workers must be recruited to get the good news out. So Jesus decides to appoint seventy (or 72 according to some sources) to share the workload. 

The mission will be the same mission that Jesus has had all along. But now, these new disciples will also announce the kingdom. The only difference is that now there will be more help to carry it out than Jesus and the twelve disciples could manage by themselves.

If it's the same mission, it's also the same strategy. Jesus sent these new missionaries in pairs to the very places he himself intended to go. He didn't just turn them loose and say, "Now sink or swim! 

Nor does Jesus sugarcoat the job. He does not stoop to doing what we in the church have sometimes been guilty of to get someone to take a position of leadership. Jesus does not say, "Oh, there's nothing to it. You'll love it!" Jesus wants his disciples to know what they're getting into. 

So much so, that in some ways it's a rather bleak picture that he paints for them. "The harvest is plentiful." That is, the time is ripe -- but there's a catch -- "but the labourers are few". And those that do sign up for the job need to know that at times the working conditions are not all that good. They can be fraught with danger. It's not an easy task Jesus is calling for. "See I am sending you like lambs into the midst of wolves".

He does give them some advice, though, about how they are to go about it. They are to travel light. "No purse, no bag, no sandals". They are not to take anything that could hold them back. They are on an urgent mission, and they do not have the time to dilly dally and engage in meaningless chit chat. "And greet no one on the road". In other words, let nothing distract you from the mission.

What then are we to do? How are we to conduct ourselves? As we minister in the name of Jesus, we are to do as he did. We are to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. "Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!' And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. 

Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid". Likewise, don't go from house to house trying to find better accommodations. Eat what is set before you. Don't go off trying to see if you can find a better place to stay, one with a softer bed and more delicious food. 

Jesus is simply encouraging them to be good house guests. To live on their terms. Don't make your host go out of their way for you. It's not bad advice for anyone at any time, whether we're engaged in work for the church or not.

But what if the people do not welcome you? What do you do then? Jesus is just as specific in this case as he was before with those who were more accepting. The bottom line is to preach the gospel to them also, whether they will accept it or not. Say the same thing to these people. "God's kingdom is coming." Then if they won't accept you, leave that place, and find one that is more receptive. 

A retired minister once put it this way, "Don't continue fishing in a pond where no one has caught a fish for years." The way Jesus put it was much more dramatic. "Wipe off the dust that clings to your feet." Leave the outcome to the judgment of God for their lack of hospitality and receptivity.

When I look at what Jesus is saying and what it might mean for us today, I hear Jesus telling me that how we carry out our mission matters. In the end, how we do it may matter as much as the mission itself. For that's what many times determines whether or not the message gets communicated.

When we had a class on evangelism at Northern Baptist College we were taught that, "When you meet with opposition, just remember that resistance is a sign of vitality and an occasion for ministry. If people are not taking to what you are trying to do, that means that they are at least still alive. They are not dead yet. Dead people do not talk back." 

In our better moments, when we run into an obstacle to what we've been trying to accomplish in our ministry, we tell ourselves, "This is a good sign. The congregation is not dead. Now, all we have to do is figure out what is the proper way to minister to these people."

What I find particularly intriguing about the instructions Jesus gives these new missionaries, is that while he gives them a pretty tough briefing session, outlining in detail all that could possibly go wrong and how difficult it was going to be, when the seventy return, they are ecstatic about what they have been able to accomplish. They have been successful beyond their wildest expectations. 

"The seventy returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!' ". When Jesus hears what they have to say, he takes this as a sign that God is having his way in the world. Satan is being defeated. And if these seventy think that they are successful now, it will be nothing compared with what they are going to experience later on. They will accomplish more than they may think or believe.

So, how do you minister when you're not welcome (and when you are)? By following Jesus. By being utterly prepared for whatever comes. By being utterly prepared for the worst before you begin and utterly unselfish about taking credit for the success when it's over. Jesus knew that when we do that, we are doing our part in bringing in God's kingdom on earth.  So, let us go out and serve the Lord!  AMEN.

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