Go and Do Likewise

So, the sermon is titled, Go and Do Likewise. Are you a disciple of Christ?

Are you truly a disciple of Christ? Do you want to be a disciple of Christ? What we see in the New Testament, in the book of Acts, and all the other various chapters, there are those who are disciples of Jesus Christ, and their life is following His example. Do you want to do that? Is it important to you to do that? Well, we find that there is a man called Luke the Physician, who wrote two books of the Bible we know of, and Luke the Physician was thought to be Greek. He's thought to not only be able to write Greek, read Greek, but also to know Hebrew and Aramaic and Latin. So, like Paul, he was a very man of diverse languages and skills, and God gave him the unique opportunity to write about Jesus Christ and also write in Acts about the church, the growing church and the work of God. What to? I'll read from the New Living Translation, since it puts it so much clearer. In Luke 1, Luke 1 and verse 1, said, Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us, being He was a disciple at that time of Christ. They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples, having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you, O honorable Theophilus, so that you can be certain of truth in everything you were taught. So, obviously, Theophilus was a follower of Christ, was a disciple of Christ. Anybody else know a little bit more about this Theophilus? It's interesting, you can read various accounts, commentaries on it, but Theophilus is thought to be a man of high rank, because in the original it says, almost high, honorable. Theophilus was thought to be a disciple of Christ, but also a very wealthy man, one of stature, even possibly in the Roman government. And so, he is thought by some commentators that he actually hired Luke to go and do a history and interview people and tell this amazing story about the life of Jesus Christ. Now, I like the book of Luke because Luke is quite different than Matthew and Mark. Matthew mentions the kingdom of heaven many times as they did not want to find writing the word God, or mentioned, and you see Luke just goes right through there and mentions the kingdom of God many times. Luke is the only book of the Gospels that is chronologically correct. The rest skip over and go from place to place, except John actually keeps the last half of his book chronologically correct. But the book of Matthew and Mark, they may be talking about events in one chapter that happened two years before in the other chapter. It's just the way they wrote that. But Luke didn't do that. Luke put some things together. And of all of Luke's writings, that's what I wanted to go into today, and we will actually finish this in a Bible study because we're going to be talking about a story on the Good Samaritan. And hopefully you will be able to help give that Bible study as we make it very interactive, as we will explore that story of the Good Samaritan that most of you know. But have you really dug that deep into it and taken it as the lesson for you as Christ's disciples? Have you looked at it and said, which of the three men am I? Or which of the five men am I?

Or persons, as that story goes. Hopefully we will do that in great detail. Hopefully you will enjoy that Bible study. But there is a chapter in Luke that was so intriguing to me because even though a few of the verses in it are mentioned and stories are kind of referenced, like in Matthew 10 and various places, Luke 10 is unique to itself because most of Luke chapter 10 is in Luke and it's not in Matthew or Mark or John. It's not in there. Now, other places are and there are a few references, but he goes into great detail, Luke does, in this chapter 10. And it's specifically written with disciples in mind. I have read it probably 20 or 30 times in the last two weeks. As I grow more and more into it, I see exactly and I hope I see because I need to be a better disciple. I don't know about you. Maybe you're the best disciple you can be. I'm not. I find that out. I'm not the most patient of the disciples, something I need to work on. And I see others smiling, so I may not be alone in this. But I'd like you, if you will, turn with me as we will be going through chapter 10. You may ask for your input in different places because I want to cover some of these very unique scriptures that I hope you can make them your own and realize that they were written for you almost 2,000 years ago. They were written for you to live by, because hopefully that's why we're here. We don't live by like everyone else.

Luke chapter 10 verse 7. I'm of excuse me, verse 1.

Luke 10 and verse 1. He says, after these things, okay, brother, here's your chance. What are these things? What are the things? Well, when Luke is writing like this, and you know what's so interesting about Luke is the actual writers and theologians describe it actually says that when you translate his Greek into English, his Greek is impeccable. Luke is so precise. Luke doesn't leave anything out there to, well, I wonder what this means, or use a word that could be translated two or three different ways, which tells us what? God wants us to make sure we get it, what he's teaching us here.

Now, after these things, which these things, if you go back to chapter 9, the things that happen, you need to know the date. The date of this chapter 10 is somewhere around the end of October to the 1st of November in the last year of Jesus Christ's life. You'll see through other writers that the Feast of Tabernacle has just taken place. You see in chapter 9 that the transfiguration, which took place somewhere about trumpets, the Feast of Trumpets in the last year of Jesus Christ's life, that would be the last feast he kept. So as he's winding down, he had the transfiguration, he had amazing things happen that you can read in chapter 9 we won't go through today. But it kind of tells a story, because here for three years, these disciples have followed Christ.

And he's only got months to live. Very important. He wants what happens here. It's very important because you can see through the three years you would have scattered teachings here and scattered teachings here. But now all of a sudden something happens and Christ says, I want you to know this. I want you to know this. I'm not going to be around that much longer. So I want you to learn this. I want you to put this in your minds.

I want you to put it in your hearts. So you'll see that it's funny that as they were actually going up to the Feast of Tabernacles chapter 9, that he was going to a Samaritan village and the Samaritan village said, no, if you're not going to stay here, we don't want you. And of course, you know the sons of thunder said, let us call fire down. Let us show some fire. We'll show you, because they're only dirty stinking Samaritans anyway, right? We'll go through that in the Bible study. So we come to this time, and it's interesting because we're past the Feast of Tabernacles and we're heading into the winter there in Jerusalem in the calendar 30 AD, because it's about to turn 31 is when he's actually killed.

So he's got four or five months to live before he's going to have to do this, and he knew this. But right before the Feast of Tabernacles, a few months before that, he actually sent out 12 of his disciples into the village and said, okay, go do this and go do that. To Matthew 10, it's also in the first of chapter 9. But he doesn't give many details. So this would have been after the Passover, which is next to the last Passover. And he did this. And one of the reasons he did that is if you remember that not the last one where he was killed, but the last one that he was able to observe of the Days of Unleavened Bread with, they actually didn't like his sermon during the Days of Unleavened Bread.

As a matter of fact, one of the last Days of Unleavened Bread, he gave his message about how to become a cannibal and a vampire. If you remember the sermon, and people didn't like that. They didn't want to be a vampire. They didn't want to drink blood. They didn't want to be cannibal. They didn't want to eat flesh. As he spiritually was teaching them a lesson. And so he said, many fell away. Many left him. And he said, will you leave me also?

And of course, Peter's great words were, where would we go? You have the words of eternal life, incredible statement, and so forth. Well, all that happened in the spring. Then he sends them out afterwards. Not much detail about what they did. They keep the Feast of Tabernacles. Then they come to this incredible time in Luke 10 that Luke describes.

And at this time, Christ is about to send 70 out. So obviously, he gathered a few more people. Not everybody left him. And here he had this group of people. So this is where we will pick this up in. He said in verse 1, After these things, the Lord appointed 70 others and sent them two by twos before his face into every city and place where he himself was about to go. This was his last hurrah. He's going to go into these places, into these cities.

But he's sending these men ahead. Now, it's interesting if you notice the Scripture. Some translations actually said 72. Some say 70-72. When you read the Greek, I don't have a problem with it, but some of the translators did because they're going 70 by 70s by 2. And so some of them took that as 72. Or 70 by 2 would be 35. Different groups of two. Does it really matter? Don't know, but I want you to look around the room today.

We have about 70 people in this room. So think about that. These are disciples, and he sent them out to do his work. Brethren, you leave here today. You leave here a disciple. You leave here a light. You leave here salt into the world, into being that walking, talking billboard of Christianity. True Christianity. Authentic Christianity. Not some fake feel-good kind of thing. So let's carry on because it said every city and place where he himself was about to go.

Isn't it interesting that there is a pattern of twos? You know, it shows up where? Revelation 11, at the end time before he comes, there's going to be two witnesses it talks about, right? But Christ just didn't send them. Wait a minute, he had 70. What if I just sent 70?

Couldn't 70 cover more ground than 35? Why didn't he do it? Well, he's always kind of had a pattern. Anybody remember Leviticus, what, 19, verse 15? By the mouth of what two witnesses in a matter established?

So here it isn't just some guy out here going, oh, oh, repent, repent! The kingdom of God is there! But there's two. There's two, sent with a purpose. And by both these, hey, Jesus Christ is Lord. So it's interesting that this pattern is set forth and brought into place. Verse 2, then, he said to them, the harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray. So he's asking these 70 individuals to pray. I hope we can realize that these are basic principles for his disciples. And hopefully you have said today, most of you agree, that you are his disciples, his followers. So do you pray? Do you pray? Because we need to be. He said, but the labors are few. Therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labors into his harvest, which tells us one big thing I've understood this week is, guess who's in charge? God. We can do all the work we want. We can say and do this and be there and proclaim this and have all these great things. But guess who's in charge? It's God. God's in charge. We pray that his work is done. I get phone calls almost every week now from new people wanting to come and hear the word or want to visit us or whatever. And after talking to them, I usually invite them here tell them just come and see and see if you feel at home and see if you think these are God's people or not. But I'm not going to ask you to come, beg you to come, because you can't come to Christ unless God is calling you. I just happen to be here and you just happen to be here too, for him to use you and me whatever way he can to help his work.

But he said, go your way. Imagine Christ telling you this today because he would send you out. I mean, you've been following and you've just kind of been sitting back. Maybe the old pay and pray. Wait a minute. I send my tithes. You know, the work gets out, the booklets are done. Right? I pray about it. So, but no, he's actually saying, hmm, hmm, you need to do something now.

So, go your way. Behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. Ooh, doesn't sound like a very kind boss. Right? That almost sounds cruel. I'm going to send you out as lambs among wolves. I'm kind of like, whoa, wait a minute. Maybe I'm going to apply for another job. Where, you know, I'm hanging out with a bunch of wolves instead of lambs. Might last longer that way. Right? But he says, no, I send you out as lambs. And you know, when you think back on David's experience, you think back on his writings, there's no fear in those lambs as long as they know the shepherd's there. Remember what he said? The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me to lie down, and green pastures, you know, peacefully I can sip the water. Brethren, that's us. He's sending us out as lambs among wolves. The world can be very cruel.

In case you missed the TV in the last few days, as I thought about our teachers and prayed for our teachers.

Lambs among wolves, but there's no fear. Do you think David's lambs actually felt fear? Well, not according to his stories. It didn't matter whether there was a lion or a bear. How about you? Is the Lord your shepherd? Because he says, I need to send you out with wolves.

He said, carry neither money bag, sack, nor sandals, and greet no one along the way. So he's sending us out there, and he's saying, don't even be friendly. Is that what he's saying? Don't even greet anybody. Well, that's a fine light, isn't it? No.

He's sending them out to do a work, and he's saying, do your job. Do the work I am sending you out. I'm sending you out to people. Where, hey, it's easy sometimes to go when you'll run into old friends. Oh, well, hey, how are you? Well, come on over and eat, and oh, yeah, you know this, and we'll sit and talk. Oh, come and spend the night over here. Yeah, well, I just have to show back up in four or five days. I guess it's okay. So, yeah, I'll just stick with some old buddies, small friends. He says, don't do that. You got a job to do. I want you to be that example. I want you to be that billboard.

So, don't just make it your fun. This is actual job I need you to do, because I just told you the labors are few. True Christianity, authentic Christians are few and far between, in case you have not noticed.

All of us count, and he wants us to do that job. That's why it's so important that we spend a little more time in here, so that we can be that disciple. Now, does he want to stand on the street corner? Oh, praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, brothers! No, but he's given you your your sphere of influence. The people you come in contact with, as I have said many times here, those 200 to 250 people that are in your life, that are in none of our lives. You are that example, and when a word needs to be said, what do you say?

When someone asked me where we live, something about what happened last night, he said, well, it is sad. It is a sad world. We live in. Christ addressed the same thing. I think it's in Luke 13 or Luke 16. I can't remember which one. I think it's verse 13 about the Galileans who Pilate killed them and mixed their blood in with the sacrifices. He said, were they any worse than the others? No. But unless you repent, you will be likewise. We will all perish like that. If we do not live and want a righteous life, and if a community, a city, a county, a state, and a country continues to reject God, you will have all kinds of problems. Even a city can change.

But I won't go into that. I'll leave that to the people who need to take up 26 and a half hours of airtime every day on television. But he says in verse 5, but whatever house you enter, first say, peace to this house. Peace to this house. Why would he say that? Anybody? Say that again. It's a blessing. So we're to bless people's houses. We're to bless a home. Ask peace because there's only one way to peace. There's only one way to peace, and there's only one principle piece, right? So what better example? What better light is there? We were invited down last night to someone's house where we lived for a dinner, and they actually, of course, asked me to say the blessing, and I do that. And if I've been over to some of your houses, you might realize that I take this literally, and I ask for this blessing to be on your house. I ask for peace to be on your house because this is an instruction to disciples. Why? Because we have a special relationship, or we're supposed to, as disciples of Christ. When we ask for something, God wants to grant it. He doesn't take it like, oh, look, look at that. Kevin's asking for something again. No. Look, so wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! This house just has to be blessed and have peace upon this house.

Don't ever think your prayers are just, reach the ceiling and bounce down. Well, was it? God said about Samuel, not one of his prayers. What? It came back down, hit the floor. Every one of them. That's part of being a disciple. When I ask for your prayers for my health, I want to hang around and irritate her for a little bit longer. It's important to me when I ask, I want you to pray. Now, some of you may go, well, we're kind of tired of hearing you after six years. I understand that, but have a little patience. Yes, but here, brethren, this is important. These are instructions to Christ's disciples, and they're to you. And it's important when somebody asks you to say the blessing, or we have it. Bible study at Bruce's, I do that if I'm called upon, because, hey, this is what he says, and it's very important. We have an extreme amount of power in prayer, and he's trying to teach his disciples this. I know I pray for somebody very, very hard for my heart, my soul, my spirit. When the person is here, I heard my prayers. Good. Yes, we must remember, and this is what he's teaching. Okay? But he said, whatever, and then he said, whatever house. He's like, well, you know, these people are, you know, I don't know what their religion is. I don't know. They're kind of strange, or whatever. Whatever house, whatever house, even if you don't like them, if they don't like you, whatever house, ask it. What a privilege you've been given to have a special relationship and power through that prayer. It's a piece of this house, and if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it. If not, it will return to you. And you know what? You know. You know. There's nothing these people really want, anything of God. So why do it? Because he said, whatever house. Why? It's our responsibility. It's our chance to live a life and show them a Christ-like person, a Christ-like mind, Christ-like life. It isn't, you know, sometimes in the past we've had this thing of, wow, that's a minister's job. No. It's your job, just like mine.

I carry no importance more to God than to you, than you.

But you, you have your area to cover. I have mine. I just have a little more responsibility of making sure that I teach this, so that you can go and teach others these very same things. Verse 7.

Verse 7, And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give. For the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. He's saying, you don't need to be like, okay, we're just gonna go over here for a little while, and then we'll go over here for a little while, and then we're gonna go over here. And you never really have a base. Most of you live in a home that you've lived in, or a place. That's your base. Your neighbors, your friends, they know you. You represent Christ. Verse 8. Whatever city, whatever city you enter, and they receive you, each such things as they set before you. What? Their laborer set Brussels sprouts in front of you, and says, I would have to eat them. And to me, they are abomination. Whatever is not of faith is of sin. That would run through my mind. But what's he talking about here? Well, he's sending these 35 out, and they're going to Cana, they're going to Bethsaida, they're going to Corazon, they're going to Caparnas. They're going to go, I mean, you have these 35 twos going out into the entire Galilean area. Now, you'll see Capernaum's right on the water. There would be fish, and they have fish. You're going to go out to Cana, it's more of an agricultural area. There's going to be vegetables, probably not much fish.

But it's a way of meshing, blending in with them.

When you go to Jamaica, you better like curry, better like chicken, or like rice and peas, or excuse me, peas and rice, depends on what part of the Caribbean you're from. Right? And I've learned to enjoy it. I have no problem. I eat it, really enjoy it. But he's saying this, well, I really won't eat this. Now, is he saying, eat whatever they said in front of you? So, okay, here's a nice slab of ham, right? Or how about a skunk? How about a snake? No. Of course, they were sending you more into Jewish areas so they didn't eat that. That wasn't an issue. Christ would have meant it that way. But sometimes there's veggies, sometimes there's meat.

But each community is a little different. And you can appreciate people. You can appreciate different cities and towns.

In verse 9, And heal the sick who are there, and say to them, The kingdom of God has come near to you. Wow! Has it? You know the kingdom is coming. How near is it to you? Does your personality show it?

It's not all over with next year.

But heal the sick. We've talked about healing, how all of us can do some healing, mentally, physically. Not just our nurses. Helping people. It's what we do. It's what we're called to do. But you know the big focus? It's not us. Anything that happens is good.

A few people didn't commit suicide that I was able to talk to. That's not me. That's God. God just gave me the opportunity to be there.

He gives you the opportunity this week to be there for people that may need a kind word, may need a positive word, may need a godly word. Are you ready? It's hard to give a lot of godly words without knowing this, isn't it? That's why it's so important to eat a little of the righteous bread every morning before you leave the house, if you can.

But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, the very dust of your city which clings to us we will wipe off against you. Nevertheless, know this, that the kingdom of God has come near to you.

Yeah, there were actually cities they would go to that didn't want them. Remember, Christ wasn't wanted even in his own town, own city. He grew up here. They mocked him. This is a little kid that used to run around and all the other kids. What makes him so special? The carpenter's son.

What's the big deal about him?

And he's actually telling him, guess what? This is going to happen. You know, and somebody may ask you this week, they may ask you something about life. They may ask you when something like that just happened with the 17 individuals who were killed. And you may be able to give them a word from the Scripture or a foundation from there because of your belief. And they may not accept it. Now, you just don't understand. You're religious fanatics. Where was your God when that happened in school? Well, he got kicked out in 1962, wasn't it? When no prayers were allowed in school in America. Okay. And you can't bring it in very much, can you, William? You can't bring him in that much without getting... Yes. It's a world needs answers. We don't have the answers. This has the answers. And that's why we know this, and then we can actually help people. But you're going to have a neighbor, right, Neil? They're just like, I don't want to hear any of that. And you can tell, they just kind of... And he says what? Kick off the dust.

It's not your problem. You've done your job. That's why Christ said, don't cast your pearls to swine, right? Don't do it. Don't waste your time. And you'll be on the same, because others will come along that need those pearls.

But I say to you, you'll be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city. Sodom, be more tolerable to what day? Judgment Day. And Judgment Day, it's coming. Check my sermon next week. We'll be on the resurrections in Judgment Day. How many are that? One, two, three? A dozen? Well, let's look at the scriptures and actually see what it says. Let's read from actual scripture. That's next week's sermon. Hope you will be here.

But he said, I say to you, it will be more tolerable on that Judgment Day for Sodom than for you, because Sodom never heard. Sodom never got it. You, your town, your city, you heard the word and you rejected it. So there's going to be, that judgment's going to be, wow, there's a little understanding there of what you knew and what you don't know. Well, he says, woe to you, Corazan, woe to you, Bethsaida, for if the mighty works had been done in you that were done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented a great while ago sitting in sackcloth and ashes. Tyre and Sidon, very, what? Pagan cities, very sinful cities. Tyre and Sidon, you remember Sidon is where Jezebel came from and her father was a priest and a king and she was royalty and you remember the prophets of Baal and all that that she brought in. A very wicked two cities, but Christ didn't go there. He didn't preach the gospel there. If he had, he said they would have repented years ago, which tells us what? Don't worry about it. He will take care of that. We just do our job in your streets, your city, your state, your community. But it will be more tolerable in Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. So, guess who? He's the judge. So, what do you think? If somebody what's Christ all about? Repentance. That's all he wants. True repentance. But if you say, I don't even need repentance, what do I need that for? And he says, and you Capernaum, and you Capernaum, who are exalted to heavens will be thrust down to Hades or the grave. Why Capernaum? What's this bad thing about Capernaum? Anybody? Why are they judged worse than the others? He said, you were exalted up to heaven. Why? Because for the last three years, this has been the headquarters of Jesus Christ's ministry. This is where he came back. They heard more than anyone else. They heard it all. And they didn't change.

Three years. God himself down your street. God himself at your home eating. And you don't get it. Wow. Wow. So, brethren, being a disciple of Christ is serious business. It's not something we can go, oh, part-time. I'm just going to do this. Wait a minute. Let me do it from Friday night at sunset to Saturday night at sunset. Then everything is like righteous and good, and everybody knows. Saturday night at nine, ten o'clock, it's party time.

Verse 16. And he who hears, what? He who hears, hears you, hears you. How do people hear you? You've got to be talking. He sent them out to say something.

Now, we're not to walk down the street going, centers, centers, centers, bigger center. Right? It's not our job. That's his judgment. All we're to do is live. Live the life and talk. Why we believe what we believe in and how great it is. But if we're walking around like, oh, it's me. Oh, I've got the burden in the world on me. Man, you see this cross on my shoulders. Oh, I'm a Christian. Oh, no. It's not what he called disciples to be and to say and to do. Are we perfect? Absolutely not. That's just a better witness. Because I've seen people say they're Christians and they act like they never sin. And then when they do, it's like they never admit it. And you're going to say, and you're going to say, how do you relate to that?

But he says, he who hears you hears me.

Because we're not doing our own thing. Oh, let me tell you what. I think of this prophecy. Yes, I'll tell you what. I'll tell you how the world's going to end. The gospel according to Chuck. It's a joke. It's not, well, here. He who hears you hears me and he who rejects you, because you're going to be rejected. I dare say everybody in here has been rejected. You try to tell somebody something about the truth you and they really want, but then they reject you. Whether it's family, whether it's people down the street or whatever. That's okay. He said, don't let that bug you. They're not rejecting you. They're rejecting me. And he said, those who reject me, they're not rejecting me. They're rejecting God.

That is so important, which tells us what. Brother, it's not about you and it's not about me. Just get up every morning and do your job. Just live life to bring joy into people's lives. Help people wherever you can. That's what we're going to talk about at the Good Samaritan today. Because that's another step in being a true disciple of Jesus Christ. It means even holding the door open, which I did this week somewhere. I wanted to grab. They could, but I couldn't use this arm. So I went to open this door for this woman. And I think she looked at me and I said, excuse me. I had to reach over and grab this. And then she's looking at me like, that is one strained individual.

But this is what we do. I show respect to her. I open any woman's car door. I'd even open yours, Jeff, if you want me to.

But this is what this these are the see you see when somebody does something. When somebody hears you say something, right, Mike, you smack your thumb with a hammer this week and you don't yell. Right? Because I used to know guys are constructing jobs. They could get out at least 10 cuss words in three and a half seconds. Real quick. We don't do that. Oh, we try not to do it.

So let's go. It's finishes up. Look in verse 17. Then the 70 or 72, however you want to do that, returned with what? Joy. Joy. They actually enjoyed it. They actually came back just wow energized. Many of you have been to a great feast of tabernacles. You come back juiced. Hopefully you do. At a Sabbath where you've had rest. And it's important. After we have potluck, after the Bible study, loved fellowship with you. But I know I'm gonna be wiped out. I'm gonna go home and I'm gonna get some rest. Because that's what I need. Also, we all need rest sometimes. And after we have that rest, we should be energized with the spirit. Because we're two or more gathered together. Well, guess what? When 70 are gathered together, there's a lot of God's spirit there. That's why I love these interactive Bible studies. Okay, he said, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name. Wow! They were like, we can't believe what we just did. They could do that because, yes, they could not believe it because it wasn't them. It was God in them. Haven't you had an experience where you want to know what to say? You've got this conflict or there's somebody you're dealing with. It's conflicts. And so you're going, God, give me the right words. Say, I don't want to offend these people. I don't want to lose control. I don't want to do it. You know, and then all of a sudden it happens and you just stuff just comes out of your mouth and everybody's just, oh, well, yeah, I'm sorry. And you're going, wow, that is God at work because I don't even really know what I said. I'm just glad that I gave me the right words to say it.

Even the demons are subject to us in your name. You may have to call down demons a few times. You realize Satan's trying to get in your head. He tried to get in mind two or three times this week that I had to say, nah, no. I said it out loud. I don't know if Mary heard me. She probably just thought I was some going off my rocker in my room or whatever. I said, no, Satan, you're not, not, not this week. Nope. No, because I knew where he's coming from. These men knew they had control over demons. Well, so do you as Jesus Christ's disciples. Over that influence, over that power of Prince, power of the air, how he wants to put stuff in your head or in your mind. It's rejected. Don't allow it. And then Christ said, he said to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. He did. He was there when Satan was cast out. He saw him fall. But you know what this lets us realize? That he knew how upset Satan was.

He knew how devastated Satan was when he was cast out of heaven with a third of the angels. He saw it. He was there. Well, guess what? He got to see that disgust again. After 4,000 years, a very few people following God, now the first big work, the first big work was being done. For the first time in 4,000 years, men are sent forth with the gospel of the kingdom of God. And it wasn't just, oh, I'm Christ. No, he was training people. He was training these disciples. And now Satan was disgusted. Now Satan knows. Because before that year, you just had a few here and there in the Old Testament that God actually worked with. Most rejected him. Now he was taking the work because of the disciples.

And Satan hates it. Crenshaw said this. That today, disciples will be sent out of this room with their proclamation on their foreheads and in their minds and in their hands of the kingdom of God. And you're going to live it. That's what he hates. Because it's contagious. That joy is contagious. Do you feel it? You should. And sometimes you have to ask for it. He said, Before, behold, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you. What's he saying? God, I'm in charge. Guys, don't worry about it. Do my work. Feed my sheep. Do the job. I'll take care of you.

Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.

That your names are written in heaven. What's he talking about?

The book of life! Right! Exodus what? 32? 32? Moses actually said, you know, block my name out! If it'll save these people. And he talks about the book of life in Revelation 20, Revelation 21. Those not written, their name written in the book of life. This is the book of eternal life, is what it is. He said, that's what you should be thankful for. That's what you should be excited about. That your names are written and they'll be like you, therefore eternity. That is something to have joy about. That is something to get juiced about. That is something to get fired up about.

More than if you're a Philadelphia Eagles fan, which they went crazy. But imagine, can't even compare to this. Verse 21, in that hour, Jesus rejoiced in the spirit. Wow! You know, here they had such joy. But here, these are one of the few places in the entire Bible that this phrase is actually used. And in the Greek, it actually means thrilled in joy. It means Christ was so excited, everybody saw it. Because His disciples did the job. Can you imagine the smile on His face? Even tears of joy as He realized, wow, this is what it's all about. You want to do that for Him again? Do your job this week. Be that disciple. He wants to feel that way again. So, He wants to feel that way again.

So Jesus rejoiced in spirit and said, I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to the babes. Even so, Father, for it seemed good to do in your sight. This is His plan. This is His plan. He didn't call Bill Gates. He didn't call born Buffett. He didn't call Stephen Hawking. He didn't call the smartest, brightest people or the Oprah Winfrey or anybody else. Why? Because He chose to do it this way. He said, I want to take this and I have to become this. I'm going to take dirt and turn it into divine being. And it's going to be who I choose. It's going to be those disciples, not like, oh, well, no wonder God called them.

Wow! He wants to do it this way. He wants to do it the way you are doing it. He called you for a purpose. All these, all things have been delivered to me by my Father, and no one knows who the son is but the Father, and who the Father is but the Son, and the one whom to whom He reveals it. You, we can't, people, there's running around going, oh yeah, God's a trinity.

No, He's not.

Even your great theologians don't even believe that. It's a great mystery, they say. I've read as many books as I have about it. It's a joke. But He said, you know who the Son is, the Son knows who the Father is, the Father knows who the Son is, and you can all know who He is by Him revealing it to us. It's Him and us doing this. And what a blessing, what a privilege to have this knowledge.

Verse 23, and He turned to His disciples and said privately, which tells you what? What He just said wasn't private. He made it very public. And blessed are the eyes which see the things you have seen. How about your eyes? Have you seen miracles? Have you seen the miracle in your life, God working with you?

If you haven't, shame on you for not accessing the power, because that's why you're called to be a disciple. So as you can see it, you can hear it.

Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see and have not seen it and to hear what you hear and have not heard it. Wow! You have an incredible opportunity to walk in the godly realm each day.

Are you going to take it? Are you going to praise Him, make sure He gets it, and make sure that you get it, because that's why you've been called to be a disciple. So, brethren, I encourage you this day, encourage you this week to be the disciple. The disciple you've been called to be, just like those 70, just like the 12.

Just think about what your eyes have seen and your ears have heard. So, like these disciples, Jesus Christ was so excited because they went and they did what He wanted them to do. Can we do that this week? Yes, we can. In your little world, in your big world, in God's world, in Satan's world, He's given you the opportunity to be a disciple. Go and do likewise.