Disturbing the "Peace" by Sharing It - Audio
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We're continuing the Gospel of Luke Today. We're going to be in Luke 10, 1-16. That's on page 548 in your Pew Bibles. I don't have it out on your note sheet. It's a longer text and I wanted some space to write. So if you turn there, 548, Luke 10, 1-16. The title of the message today is Disturbing the Peace by Sharing it. This happens to you pretty frequently when your friends and my friends from different faiths that are similar but not the same as ours come to our door and they knock and they ask for a moment of our time which we never have. But they're trying to share. They're sharing with us. They want to help us. They want to be our friend. And the thing is we find that disturbing. It disturbs our peace. Peace of my household. I don't like it when people come to my door unannounced, period. My home is my castle and I don't want any invaders. Unfortunately, Jesus sends out some invaders. So let's read together. If you wouldn't mind standing, we're going to be in Luke 10, 1-16. After these things, the Lord appointed 70 others also and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your way, but behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves, carrying either money bag, knapsack, nor sandals and greet no one along the road. But whatever house you enter, first say peace, shalom, to this house. And if a son, a child of peace is there, your peace will rest there. But if not, your peace will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give. For the laborer is worthy of his wages. Don't go from house to house trying to get a better and better digs. Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you and heal the sick there and say to them, "The kingdom of God has come near to you, but look out." Whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, "The very dust of your city which cleansed us, we wipe off against you. Nevertheless, know this city. The kingdom of God came near to you." And I tell you, friends, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city. Woe to you, Corazin. Woe to you, but Seda, for if the mighty works which were done in you and had been done in Tyre and Sidon, Gentile cities, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon, the judgment than for you, Corazin and Seda. And you, Capernaum, who were exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. He who hears you, my followers, hears me. He who rejects you rejects me. And he who rejects me, him who sent me. You may be seated. Interesting tension in this text. It starts out very exciting. Jesus is going to send out some of his followers and really they're going to be paving the way for him. Just a few verses before were told that Jesus has set his face to Jerusalem. He's been up in the northern part of the country in Galilee and now he's going right to the cross. He knows where he has to go. He knows what has to happen and he's set his face there and he's charging down. But on the way, he's going to need a place to stay. And Luke, we know that the Son of Man has no place to lay his head. Well, he needs a place to lay his head and so he's got to find out where he can go for the night to get some supplies and whatnot and to rest. And so he sends out 70, 70 people to go before him and pave the way. This sounds like an exciting thing. He tells them to heal the sick. Later on in the chapter next week, we'll find out that they're expelling demons. They're sending demons out of the cities and the people. They're bringing the message of the kingdom of God. Forgiveness of sins. Time to repent. Friends. The day is at hand. They're bringing peace. Jesus says they're bringing peace. They're offering peace. Finally peace. And so there's this weird tension because on the one hand, it sounds like what the disciples, the followers, are going to be doing is going to be wonderful. It's going to be great. It's going to be exciting. And yet the whole half part of the text, the bottom half of the text is fear. Jesus is worried. Things might not go well. Now, if I were Jesus, I'd be
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In this message, Pastor Tom discusses the peace that Jesus Christ freely offers every believer, noting, sadly, that His offer of peace is often met with rejection and hostility by those who are satisfied with the status quo of corruption or spiritual bondage.