Luke 10
COMMENTARY:
: 2 Therefore said HE to them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray you therefore the Lord of the harvest, that HE would send forth laborers into HIS harvest. (2326 “harvest” [therismos] means the act of reaping, figuratively: of the gathering of men into the kingdom of God, referring to time of reaping, the final judgment, when the righteous are gathered into the kingdom of God and the wicked are cast into hell for ever, the yield form plants in a single growing season, or produce.)
DEVOTION: The majority of people in America don’t go to any church each Sunday. In fact, according to surveys more people are checking the “no religion” category. People are not even identifying with the church they grew up in. Many high school graduated don’t return to the church of their parents if they are even still going with them throughout high school.
Once individual hit college age they don’t return until after they have their first child. It is sad that many of these individuals didn’t understand the basics of what being a follower of Christ was all about. They thought it was just following the rules of an individual church where they attended.
Being a follower of Christ is not looking at other people who call themselves Christians. It is not about obeying the rules of a local church. It is not about being bored at a local church because they don’t bring any excitement to what it means to follow Jesus. It is exciting watching someone understand the Word of God when you are witnessing to them and then watch them grow in the LORD. Only five percent of those who claim to be followers of Christ ever lead someone to Christ.
The LORD called ALL of US to be HIS witnesses in our world. Recently, I was training a church in outreach. There were a little over one hundred in attendance in the church. Of those numbers only about twelve were willing to go into the neighborhood to tell others about Christ. Someone stated it wasn’t their gift. It is not a gift – gifts are given to work inside the church. We are all called to be ministers of reconciliation. It does require some training but all can leave a tract and bulletin in a door if they don’t want to knock on it. Biblical tracts have been known to reach people for the LORD. Gideon’s but Bibles in motel rooms and people have read them and become followers of Jesus. One of my board members was one that read the Gideon Bible and became a follower of Christ.
The LORD has called all of us to be witnesses – if each believer reached just one house each week for the LORD a church of fifty would reach 2,500 people in one year with two weeks off.
CHALLENGE: Only obedience is required.
: 20 Notwithstanding, in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. (1449 “written” [eggrapho] means record, engrave, inscribe, enroll, enter in the public register, or to enter in the judges list.)
DEVOTION: Jesus had just sent out seventy witnesses to reach a large area with the message of the gospel. They came back rejoicing over the fact that even the demons or fallen angels who possessed bodies responded to their commands to leave people’s bodies. Jesus told them that they should rejoice more over the fact that their names were in the Book of Life.
We read that there is a Book of Life that is going to be opened when all those who have rejected Jesus Christ when they stand before Jesus at the Great White Throne judgment.
Jesus opens the Book of Life to show them that they are not found in it and because they are not found in it they are going to spend eternity in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels. It is a sad day when those outside of Christ are judged.
Many people seem to think that once they are dead they are dead and there is no afterlife. Some think that if they cremate their body the LORD can’t find all the pieces to put them back together therefore they will face no judgment. Some religions teach that there is a second chance after death for them to repent and then they can go to heave.
I watch a movie years back that presented a bunch of cowboys in a town that was just one step out of hell. If the people in the town didn’t kill anyone then they could go to heaven but if they did they would be taken by coach into the lake of fire. Well, some real back cowboys found the town and were going to do bad things to the people of the town so the ones who were given a trial period decided to defend the town’s people no matter what happened to them. So they killed the bad cowboys. When the stagecoach to heaven came they were invited on because they did something good instead of bad. They had their chance to get out of the in-between place. There is no in-between place.
The Bible states that it is appointed unto man once to die and then judgment. Only in this life can individuals become followers of Jesus Christ. We have the message. If we believe it we need to share it with everyone we love. We need to share it with our neighbors.
CHALLENGE: If your name is in the Book of Life you need to see to it that you invite all you can to join you there. The seventy did and so should we!!
: 27 And HE answering said, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. (25 “love” [agapao] means beloved, to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly, to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a things, to have a great affection or care for or loyalty towards, or to prize.)
DEVOTION: The Ten Commandments were reduced to a basic two commandments by Jesus while HE was here on the earth. These two commandments dealt with our relationship with God and with man.
Our responsibility to God was to have an agape love for HIM. This love involved our inner person and our outer person. In our heart we have to give HIM first place. No one else could come between us and the LORD. Not family or friends or any other gods we might worship. Our soul or personality had to change to be one that produced actions that pleased the LORD. Our thinking had to change. Our motives had to change.
Also we have to give our entire strength to being a follower of Christ. It takes strength to fight against the world, the flesh and the devil. I believe that each believer has a guardian angel but also has a demon that is after us to do what the LORD would not like us to do. The demon would like us to yield to our old nature which is selfish and lazy. If we are lazy we will not study the Word of God to improve our knowledge of Jesus Christ. If we are lazy we will not witness to the LORD. If we are lazy we will not work on our relationships with our family and neighbors. Does this show love?
The second commandment deals with our relationship with people around us. People are hard to get along with at times, OK, most of the time. Today we live in a time period where interpersonal relationships involve no physical contact. We twitter, facebook, email and leave voice mails. People don’t answer their phones but check to see who is calling and decide whether to answer or not. Most of the time, many just wait for a voicemail because they don’t want to be bothered. Does this show love?
Most of us really don’t understand what LOVE is because we protect ourselves from people hurting us or we have been hurt and don’t want to be hurt again. Some were not brought up in loving families and don’t know how to love another person. This needs to change.
CHALLENGE: It only changes with the help of the Holy Spirit and someone who understands what love is all about.
: 42 But one thing is needful; and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her (5532 “needful” [chreia] means necessary, need, needed task, duty, or business.)
DEVOTION: Jesus was visiting in a certain house. The family in the house consisted of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. This visit had Lazarus someplace else. Martha was busy preparing meals and taking care of the disciples. Her sister Mary was listening to what Jesus was teaching. She was sitting at Jesus’ feet.
Martha seemed to be busy doing most of the work. She was getting upset with her sister. She wanted help. She approached Jesus about the matter. HE told her that Mary was doing what needed to be done.
Is there a time when the house needs to be cleaned? YES! Is there a time to fix meals? YES! Is there a time to do other things in the house that need to be done? YES! However, when a Bible teacher comes to town and wants to teach a lesson in our house – what should we do? We should listen. Mary had Jesus in the house and she wanted to listen to what Jesus had to say.
Martha should have been sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening too. Sometimes we do the things that can be called “urgent.” To Martha the “urgent” was to get her house clean and food ready. To Jesus the “important” was to listen to his teaching.
There are books written regarding what some think is “urgent.” Are we doing the important things in our lives or are we running around doing what we consider “urgent.” Many parents are so busy raising money to put their children through college that they forget to spend time with them as they are growing up.
Some people think that their job is more “urgent” than their families. Some people think that their job or television or sporting event is more “urgent” than reading the Word of God. What is “urgent” and what is “important” need to be weighed on the scale of the LORD.
Are we listening to Jesus? Or are we too busy to listen?
CHALLENGE: Ask the LORD to reveal the “good part” that you are to be doing. This is in regard to your home, church and family.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Jesus told seventy to pray to Fatherverse 2
Jesus give thanksgiving prayerverses 21, 22
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Mary chose to worship Jesusverse 42
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Lawverse 26
Commandmentsverse 27
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Lord of the harvestverse 2
Jesus talks with Fatherverses 21, 22
Lord of heaven and earthverse 21
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
Lord verses 1, 17, 40
Son of peaceverse 6
Jesus verses 21, 29, 30, 37, 39, 41
Rejoiced in spiritverse 21
Sonverse 22
Reveal Fatherverse 22
Masterverse 25
Story of certain manverses 30-37
Story of Martha and Maryverses 38-42
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Godverses 9, 11, 27
Kingdom of Godverses 9, 11
Lord thy Godverse 27
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
devils – evil angelsverse 17
Satan – Devil – fallen cheribverse 18
Enemy – Satanverse 19
spirits – demons – evil angelsverse 20
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Sodomverse 12
Tyreverses 13, 14
Sidonverses 13, 14
Capernaumverse 15
Hearverse 16
Kingsverse 24
Certain lawyerverse 25
Neighborverses 27, 29, 36
Samaritanverse 33
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Despiseverse 16
Temptedverse 25
Justify selfverse 29
Thievesverses 30, 36
Carefulverse 41
Troubledverse 41
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Seventy witnessesverse 1
Laborersverses 2, 7
Pray for more laborersverse 2
Peaceverses 5, 6
Healverse 9
Repentverse 13
Hearverses 16, 24, 39
Joyverse 17
Powerverse 19
Rejoiceverses 20, 21
Names written in heavenverse 20
Revealed truthverses 21, 24
Blessedverse 23
Inherit eternal lifeverse 25
Love the LORDverse 27
Love neighborverse 27
Compassionverse 33
Take care of woundedverse 34
Giver to othersverse 35
Show mercyverse 37
Hear the wordverse 39
Needfulverse 42
Chosen the good partverse 42
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Appointed seventyverse 1
Sent two by twoverse 1
Chorazinverse 13
Bethsaidaverse 13
Prophetsverse 24
Jerusalemverse 30
Jerichoverse 30
Priestverse 31
Leviteverse 32
Marthaverses 38-47
Maryverses 39-47
Church (New Testament people of God)
Harvest is greatverse 2
Laborers are fewverse 2
Lambs among wolvesverse 3
Disciplesverse 23
Last Things (Future Events)
Kingdom of Godverses 9, 11
Exalted to heavenverse 15
Hellverse 15
Names written in heavenverse 20
Eternal lifeverse 25
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