Deployed for Christ | Luke 10:1-12

Introduction
Jesus deployed 72 disciples to prepare for His visits, assigning them tasks, ensuring their needs were met, and teaching them to handle both acceptance and rejection of His message.

Key Theme: Christians have been deployed and commissioned by God to share the peace of Christ according to his prescribed mission and manner.

Sermon Points

1. Mission Assignment (Luke 10:1-3)  
   • Mission: Jesus commissioned the 72 disciples to prepare a the way for him. This parallel with Old Testament prophets, John the Baptist, the mission of the 12 in Luke 9, Peter’s sermon in Acts 2, and the mission of the church today.
   • Situation: Jesus depicted a ripe harvest awaiting workers, highlighting the urgent need to pray for more laborers in God's mission.
   • Assignment: Jesus sent the disciples as lambs among wolves, emphasizing their need to rely on the Him as the Good Shepherd for protection and guidance. (Psalm 23:4)
   • Consider the spheres God has you in now. Could it be that God has deployed you to your current assignment to prepare a way for Christ in the lives of those around you.
2. Mission Execution: (Luke 10:4-9)  
   • Provision: Jesus assured His disciples of God's provision, teaching them to depend on Him. Look at Deut 8 for a parallel on how God provided for the Israelites in the wilderness.
   • If we pursue the mission God has given us, according to his word, he will provide our needs.
   • When Received (v5-9)
     • First things first: Begin with speaking the peace of Christ. He is our ultimate peace and Christ himself is the message. (Eph 2:13-14).
     • To be Kingdom minded is to be Christ minded and to be Christ minded is to have his message of peace at the forefront of all we do.
     • The term "sons of peace” refers to those who are open to the gospel. If you are wondering who to share the message of peace with, start with those who are around you. Ask yourself: How did they respond?
     • God is always working around us and he is the God who goes before us as we go on mission for him. Read Acts 10 for further study.
     • Work for God where you are seeing growth and acceptance take place. Be patient, it might not happen overnight. In those deployments, continue to enjoy the work, the provision, and the community until God calls you away to another field
     • Keep in mind that miracles demonstrate God's power and serve as a testament to the world and authenticating the Kingdom's message. After all, the Kingdom of God, and the message of reconciliation through Christ is the only real message of hope for our world. As you go out, will you trust Christ as he assigns your mission, provides for your work, empowers you by his Spirit, and equips you to accomplish that which he has set out for you to do?
   • When Rejected (v10-12)  
     • Unfortunately, not all who hear the message of Christ will receive Jesus as their Lord and as their Savior. Keep in mind, it is not us who they are rejecting. Consider that the assignment did not come from us, nor the provision, nor the practice. Remember that it is only God who saves. We do not measure our success by the numbers of converts and baptisms, but we measure our success based on whether or not we have been obedient to the assignment we have received from God. Do not take rejection personally, because it is not you, but God who is being rejected.
     • If you have pled with God and worked the fields he has called you too. If after much rejection, there is no fruit, then we are called to prayerfully break ties and move on to the next assignment. Our exit of a field is a stark warning to those who have rejected the good news of Christ Jesus our Lord.
     • When the whole world has heard the message of Christ, the end will come (Matt 24:14). There will come a day when all when stand before the throne of Christ in judgement. Part of that judgement will include whether or not people have received or rejected Christ. There will be no second chances in judgement, our present reality is a matter of eternal life and death. Action (v11)  : Shake off the dust and move forward, signaling a break from those rejecting the message.

Challenge:

• For Believers: Will you view your current situation as God's deployment? Will you engage in the mission of Christ where you are right now? As you go about that mission, will you remember that God’s mission does not rely on human ability, but on the work of his Spirit to convict the world of Sin and draw people to Him through Christ?
• For Unbelievers: Will you view your life in the light of eternity? The offer of salvation and reconciliation with God through Christ is a matter of eternal life and death.