Sermon Intro:

• The tone of the month will be missions; focusing our hearts on the globe
• I want to talk to you today on the subject of being SENT BY GOD! 
• Hook: When I grew up, the neighborhood was our playground. If it were a summer day, we’d leave the house after breakfast, come home for a sandwich, and disappear again until dark. When we were younger, we’d be close to the house. When dinner time approached, one of our parents would just yell out the door for us all to come in, and we’d come. The older we got, we were never close to the house. We were always far away. Someone would need to be sent to round everyone up. We never despised that task because it always felt meaningful. First of all, we were authorized. We were given a name that was authoritative. We were given the authority to command our siblings to come home, and that always felt great. 
• Part of our fulfillment as people is PURPOSE. If you feel like your existence has meaning, it becomes very enjoyable. 
  • We tend to enjoy doing a mission for someone we deeply love.
  • We tend to enjoy doing a mission for someone we want to please. 
  • We tend to enjoy doing a mission when given the tools and abilities to be successful. 
• God is a SENDING GOD
  • Examples:
    • Sent man to steward earth
    • Sends angels to bring messages
    • Sends prophets to bring messages
    • Sends leaders to deliver and lead people. 
    • Sent His Son.
    • Sent the Spirit. 
  • Because He sits on the throne.. It’s grand central! 
  • He enjoys partnership. 

Passage:

• Luke 10:1–4 (NLT) — 1 The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. 2 These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields. 3 Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves. 4 Don’t take any money with you, nor a traveler’s bag, nor an extra pair of sandals. And don’t stop to greet anyone on the road.
• Luke 10:8–9 (NLT) — 8 “If you enter a town and it welcomes you, eat whatever is set before you. 9 Heal the sick, and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you now.’
• Luke 10:16–17 (NLT) — 16 Then he said to the disciples, “Anyone who accepts your message is also accepting me. And anyone who rejects you is rejecting me. And anyone who rejects me is rejecting God, who sent me.” 17 When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!”
• Luke 10:18–20 (NLT) — 18 “Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! 19 Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. 20 But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”

Transition - Christ was coming to the conclusion of his time on earth. This passage happens after transfiguration, so He is on His final approach from Galilee to Jerusalem. He is going to stop in many of the village on the way towards Jerusalem, so He brings 72 close. The goal was to send them on an evangelistic mission to prepare the way for His coming. This trip of theirs set the tone for how missions would be down in the subsequent years. 

Body:

1. The Joy of Being Chosen

   1. It’s the best feeling in the world to get chosen to be on someone’s team! Intentional choice makes you feel so awesome.
   2. He chooses those who are close
      1. Examples
         1. Isaiah was in the throne room of God, hearing the questions “who will go for us?”
         2. Missions come to those who are close
         3. If you are here and want a mission from God, posture yourself close to His throne, and you will hear his call. 
   3. He chooses those who are available
      1. “Here I am, send me”
      2. We have certain things that we say we are available to, but there are a lot of “I WOULD NEVERS”. God needs some people who take the boundaries off, and just surrender
   4. He chooses the passionate - PRAY TO THE LORD OF THE HARVEST - Praying comes before Going
      1. He knows that if you won’t even pray for it, there’s no way you’ll go for it.  
      2. Some points of note:
         1. Typically the ones who pray are the ones that go. Almost like, if you won't pray for it, there’s no way you’d actually go. The sending starts with the praying! 
         2. The Harvest isn’t the problem, the laborers are. The harvest is plentiful. 
      3. I want to make a note here about praying during our gathering this month! 

2. The Joy of Trusting 

   1. It’s pretty important to note that the promise of going is not a promise of ease! There will be challenges, possibly pain, disappointment, and struggle.
   2. Many times the natural side of going is what is tough. God wants us to put ourselves in a place of trusting! 
   3. The Israelites in the wilderness were in a complete place of vulnerability 
   4. Lambs among wolves - Trust him for protection
      1. The hatred towards you
      2. Your disposition will be as a lamb, not a lion. 
      3. This speaks of people’s animosity towards true Christian. 
      4. Anyone who rejects you is rejecting me”
         1. Being sent by God doesn’t mean that everyone will accept what you say.
         2. You will often be rejected.
         3. We are a perfume and a smell of death at the same time. You must deal with that.
      5. Tie in to Joakim’s message from last week. (Sacrifice and Sanctification) 
   5. No money, no suitcase, no extra shoes - Trust him for provision 
      1. Money - Easy Problem solving 
      2. Suitcase - Slows you down
      3. Extra shoes - Complete dependency. 
   6. No stopping along the road - Trust him for providence
      1. Stopping on the road is networking

3. The Joy of Partnership

   1. You are never going to walk this journey alone. One of the greatest joys of going on mission for God is that you experience his partnership! 
   2. He gives you the Words
      1. Matthew 10:19–20 (NLT) — 19 When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. 20 For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
   3. He gives you the Power
      1. They were commanded to heal the sick, and do miracles. When you go out for Him, He supplies you with the power. 
      2. Moses did sign after sign, not because he had power, but because he was on mission from the Lord. 
   4. He gives you the Authority
      1. Part of their mission was to liberate people from spiritual captivity. He gave them authority to tread over all demons. 

4. The Joy of a Mission Fulfilled

   1. The disciples coming back HAPPY
      1. They were HAPPY that it worked! - THIS THING WORKS!
         1. My time doing a crusade in Brazil
      2. They were HAPPY to be victorious
         1. Beck winning the game yesterday 
      3. Jesus was joyful at their success! 
   2. There is a DEEP sense of joy that comes from a successful mission
      1. A unique experience in Africa
         1. John 4:34 (NLT) — 34 Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.
      2. Being used by God come with a unique sense of purpose and joy that nothing else can fulfill. Why?
         1. Because He is your creator. There is something powerful to pleasing your maker.