Closer Day By Day

We have just ended our first week of Bible reading and I just attended the Katong Home Fellowship where we discussed on Luke 8.

It was a really amazing!  We were split into 3 groups and even though all of us were reading the same passage, God led us to discover many wonderful teachings separately.  And when this was shared, I could not help marvel at the power of God’s Living Word.

So if you are currently not attending any home fellowships… do consider joining one so that you too can get together to share and learn the word of God together.

Maybe I will share some of what we learned in the comments for Luke 8 but for today, let’s read…

Bible Passage:  Luke 10

“He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”

Luke 10:16

One of the groups that went Door to Door preaching yesterday met with an irate resident who gave them a verbal lashing and warned them not to go around preaching anymore.

However unpleasent the experience was, I believe that the Words of Jesus would put things into perspective and not stop us from continuing to do what He wants us to do.

But before I get into that, if we read from verse 1, we know that the Lord Jesus is the one who sends forth workers into the harvest fields.  The same prayer He made in the past is still very much the prayer He makes now.

“The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Luke 10:2

Proclaiming the Gospel is very much foremost in the mind of Christ.  The harvest field is waiting for us… but if there are no workers, or not enough workers, how can the work of the Lord be done?

This is not something new.  We know that we are called to preach.  Why do we hesitate?  Why do we stop joining this work?  Why do we close our ears and eyes to the people calling out to us?

There are some who are active in evangelism.  But we need more.  And we are praying for the Lord of the Harvest to send more workers.  Will you join the Lord of Harvest?

Some of us do not dare to go around preaching for different reasons.  But the main reason that I know is we are afraid we do not know what to say.  We are intimidated about sharing the Good News for fear we will be overwhelmed and our response to the needs of the people will be inadequate.

But it is interesting for me to read that although Jesus sent the disciples out, He did not say much about the method and did not give them a canned message.  The disciples were to attend to needs - to reveal God’s power and share where it came from.  Jesus simply instructed the 72 to give of themselves and point to God.

Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.

Luke 10:3

Preaching the Gospel is never a bed of roses.  Jesus said that He is sending us among wolves!  These ravenous, blood thirsty creatures will be out to get us as preach God’s message.  Some will listen.  Many will not… but the key thing is this…

⁸ Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. ⁹ And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ ¹⁰ But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’

Luke 10:8-11 (emphasis mine)

Did you see that?

Whether you are welcomed or not when you are preaching, the message remains the same!

So in preaching, if we are rejected, remember this… they are not rejecting you.  They are rejecting Jesus!  It is not personal…. yet very personal.

Just see what other passages of the Bible talks about this…

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” ⁴⁰ So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. ⁴¹ And many more believed because of His own word.
⁴² Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”

John 4:39-42

“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

Matthew 10:40

If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ He who hates Me hates My Father also. ²⁴ If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father.

John 15:22-24

Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me.

John 12:44

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”

John 13:20

Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 4:8

And this is for me the most clear call for us to go forth and preach…

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” ¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. ¹³ For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

¹⁴ How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? ¹⁵ And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:

“ How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

Rom 10:8-15

It is the duty of the messenger to carry the message whether it is welcomed or not; The consequences of receiving or rejecting the message lie solidly in the hands of those who hear it.

Saul of Tarsus was a “wolf” - he persecuted and tried to destroy the church. He stood by as Stephen was stoned - “like a lamb among wolves” - and he heard Stephen’s testimony. When he encountered the Lord on the road to Damascus, a wolf became a lamb, and one of the Lamb’s greatest missionaries. We must not be afraid to take the message of the Gospel to those who are “wolves”.

So for those who are persecuted for righteousness sake… do not lose heart.  They are not rejecting you… but Jesus!

Let’s continue to go forth together!