6-2-20 THOUGHTS

The sending of the seventy in Luke 10 is an interesting story.   There are some jewels to be mined from it.  Surely we, as the Church, “take love and innocence and giving into a world of selfish takers”.  In simple terms, our world desires GETTING and we ought to be about GIVING!
The LOVE and HATE dynamic is here also.   In short, it is a conflict where the Christian is designed to LOSE in order to WIN!  I am not offering solutions to our problem this morning.  Personally, I don’t like to lose.  This morning let’s just try to see some PERSPECTIVE. This one kind of fits with our “chosing the Right War” that was Sunday morning’s sermon.

Matt 10:16    "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.
Rom 16:18-19  For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.  19  For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.

Luke 10:1-3    Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. 2  And He was saying to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3  "Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.
      (They had been given miraculous powers...  It excited them to have such power...)
Luke 10:20  "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven."  21  At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, "I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.

2Cor 1:12   MB    Now that the worst is over, we’re pleased we can report that we’ve come out of this with conscience and faith intact, and can face the world—and even more importantly, face you with our heads held high. But it wasn’t by any fancy footwork on our part. It was [God] who kept us focused on him, uncompromised.
Php 4:19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
2Cor 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;

My Prayer;
Father, put us in proper mind to serve you as we should.  Remind us continually that the important is coming and not present.  Give us the strength of yourself in a world of giving and taking.  Help us each breath to seek souls and not self, to present you and Jesus, and not self. Cause us to see Jesus and the cross of joy set before him, that we might have strength to follow his example.                In Jesus name                  Amen