All right, let's take our Bibles
again and turn back to the book of Luke, chapter 10. Luke, chapter 10. The Lord had given us great instruction
concerning the importance, the necessity of following Him in
the last verses of chapter 9. The Holy Spirit moved upon Luke
to continue the instruction of our Lord in this next chapter
concerning the importance of preaching the gospel. Oh, how we need his instruction.
Luke 10 verse 1, after these things, the Lord appointed other
70 also and sent them two and two before his face into every
city and place whether he himself would come. After these things,
after he had just spoken to those three men, scripture says the
Lord appointed. Now that word appointed right
there is only used two times in all of scripture, that particular
word appointed. Here in Anaks chapter 1 verse
24. And that word right there, it
means actually to set forth or to proclaim anyone as elected
to an office, to announce. In Acts 1 24, it means to lift
up on high and exhibit. What he's saying right here,
the Lord appointed, but he appointed these other 70 men And he showed them to be those
that were sent of him. He gave evidences concerning
these men. So we're taught that the Lord
proclaims and exhibits those that he's called to preach the
gospel. He shows them to be that. Now
there's an evidence of those that the Lord's hand has been
upon. And here's what, here's the evidence. Here's the evidence. These men
have been given a realization of the importance of preaching
the gospel. Now there's an evidence. This
is not a take it or leave it thing. These men, evidence. They know, they know that this
gospel, the gospel of God's free grace, that message that gives
man no honor, no glory, doesn't tell men that it's all up to
you now. No, no, no, no, no. Men called
of God, they do not tell men it's left up to them. to exercise
your free will. Why do they not say that? Because
scripture bears out that that's not true. Those that are called,
they're not of blood. It's not according to the will
of the flesh. It's not according to the will of man, but of God. It's God. These men know something. There's the evidence of the knowledge
of the importance of the gospel. I said last message, there's
nothing more important than what you're doing right here. Nothing.
I'm telling you in that day, when we stand before God, what
would have taken a precedent over this? Hearing the gospel? These men, secondly, evidence
that they know something about themselves. They know something
about what they are. They know that they're servants
of the Most High God. They're servants, they're servants,
they're servants, called. And they realize that they're
unprofitable servants that have been called of God. It's their
duty. It's their duty. They're called
to duty. And they know this also. They
know that the evidence of the Preaching of the gospel is going
to be that God will surely call his people. I know this. I am convinced of this. These
words that I'm proclaiming right now, number one, if I'm not preaching
out of this book right here, well then just don't worry about
what I'm saying. But if I'm preaching out of this
book and I'm proclaiming what this book says, I can tell you
this, we're all bound to hear it. We're all bound to obey it. God's people, they follow. We just, we know that. And I
know this, I know God's gonna call his people. If I left it
up to you, you left it up to me, our little old fickle will,
man, I turned unstable person you ever met in your life. But
I know this, all that the Father giveth me, they're coming. They shall come to me. So the
Lord appointed other 70, other than the apostles. And he sent
them out, the scripture says in verse one, two by two, wisely. The Lord ordered them to go to
a place in pairs. Why? Because we need each other,
first of all. We're a help, we're an aid to
each other. We're encouragement to each other.
We comfort one another in the persecutions and trials. Sheep,
stay together. There's a foal, there's a sheep
foal. And God's people want to be with God's people. That's
what they want. I want to be with you. I don't
want you showing up here today and I'm not here. I want to be
with you. Glad, I'm glad to see you. It's
good to be with you today. But notice the importance of
the 70 being sent. Now this was real help to me
right here. I made a statement before and
I said it's amazing to me that God, you know, I know this. I'm not so naive to think that
every place that there's a building is where God's raised it up.
I know this. If God raised it up, this is
what they're preaching right here. I can tell you that for
a fact. I got God's word on that. But I can tell you this, where
God is pleased to save a people, where the Lord is pleased to
save a people, He will send the gospel there. It always amazed me, I thought,
what is it about Katy, West Virginia? What is it about Katy, West Virginia
that God raised the people? Well, there's a people that God
providentially put. He put these families here. He
put them all together. He put it because He's going
to call out His people. But listen to what He did. He
sent them two by two before His face into every city and place
whether He Himself would come. He's going to come to a city.
He's going to go to that city, but He's going to send some preachers
there first. And they're going to prepare the way. Preach the
gospel. They're going to proclaim Him.
Where He's going to go, He's going to send preachers. God
called preachers. He's going to send those that's
going to magnify Him, declare His glory, His being, and He's
going to save His people. There's some people there. Verse
2, Therefore said He unto them, The harvest truly is great. But the laborers are few. Pray,
therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers
into his harvest. Now, the harvest, what? The gathering
of God's own into the kingdom. Again, God's going to gather
them. The harvest is great. It's abundant. It's plenteous. But the laborers,
the workmen, they're not lazy. They're workmen. They're workmen. I'm telling you, if anybody,
if you, if the Lord's given you a heart to want to preach, let
me be the first to tell you, be ready. If God's called you
to preach, you look around and they say, well, you know, preachers
has got it made. You know, they just, preachers,
they, you know, They don't really have to do anything. This is
sad to say, this is the world's attitude. Oh, Henry Mahan said
this one time. He said, you think I just came
up with this this morning? That's what Henry told me. He
said, you think I just got this today? How long, Henry, does
it take to prepare a message? At that time, Henry said, 40
years. 40 years. I'm telling you that he sent
forth Workmen, the harvest is truly great, but the laborers,
the laborers, the study, the prayer, the concern, praying,
Lord, please bless this. Lord, if you don't bless this
message, these notes right here, you know when I finish writing
these notes? Y'all were coming in. This is when you finish them. When is it ready? You pray it's
ready when you stand up to preach, but I'm telling you, it's a burden,
it's a labor. but it's a labor of love. It's
a labor of the thankful. He said unto them, the harvest
is great. It's great, number one, on how
many he's gonna call, but it's great because who he's gonna
call. These that he's everlastingly loved in Christ, the harvest
is great. He laid down his life and sheep,
What's the greatness of it? It costs the blood of God. That's what Acts says. The blood of God. The harvest
is great. The laborers are few, not because
he has the inability to call them. If God wants to call, he'd
raise up stones to be sons of Abraham. If God would be pleased
to call out as many preachers as he wants. He calls them, they
come, they come. But he calls who he will, when
he will. And he said, the laborers are
few. What do we do? Pray. Pray. Pray. Pray. Pray ye the Lord of the harvest.
It's his harvest that he would send forth laborers into his
harvest. Oh, the importance of prayer.
Well, I don't know. I don't know how to pray. I don't
either. My mind wanders. Mine does too. I feel as though that they don't
get any higher than this. Well, I don't know. I don't know
about that, but pray. Pray. Pray the Lord of the harvest. Then he told him in verses three
and four, you go your ways. Behold, I send you forth as lambs
among wolves, carry neither purse, nor script, nor shoes, and salute
no man by the way." Here the Lord's speaking primarily to
those preachers that he sent, but all believers, all believers,
they depart and they go their ways. What ways are they going? The way he directs them. He's
going to lead them. He's gonna direct them the ways
of His choosing. How do I know that's the way
of my choosing, the Lord's choosing for me? Because that's the way
you went. That's the way you went. He worketh all things after
the counsel of His own will. Ways that God chooses, you go. Remember, when you go, remember
something. Do not be surprised when people
hate you because of what you believe. The Lord said in John
15, 18, that they hated him before they hated his people. Why? Because salvation is of the Lord. You know why Cain hated Abel? Because of the God that Abel
worshiped. Cain couldn't stand Abel's obedience
and honor by the grace of God toward the Lord. He hated him
for it. God didn't accept his sacrifice,
not Cain's. I'm sure he gave the best he
had, but it wasn't that which honored Christ. He said, I'll
send you forth as lambs among wolves. But remember this, Matthew
28, 20, lo, I am with you, always, even unto the end of the world. And he said, now when you go,
now here was instruction to them, carry neither purse, nor script,
nor shoes, and salute no man by the way. Now it wasn't meaning
that the Lord taught that his people are negligent, irresponsible
in their personal needs concerning going. But here, and I looked
this up to see if this was so, but he was teaching them to go
as you are, carrying nothing that you think, well, I may need
this side or the other. This is the insinuation, trusting
his provision and his providence to provide. They were not to
be cumbered with what they felt that they would possibly need.
He is not going to leave us destitute. So here they were to neither
carry the purse, the script, the shoes, salute no man by the
way. Now, God's people are not rude.
They're not unmanneredly. But when he said unto them, he
said, salute no man by the way, it meant You go in haste and
don't be weighted down with social distractions or any distractions.
Saluting men, you know. Man, I'm the world's worst, you
know. What I should be able to say in three words, it takes
me 16 paragraphs, you know. That's just, that's just me.
That's just me. Don't be distracted. That's the
message right there. Five and six innings, whatsoever
house you enter, first say, peace be to this house. And if the
son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it. If not, it
shall turn to you again. I hear the Lord taught those
that he sent something about the priority of their calling.
The first thing that they're concerned about is the glory
of Christ. He said, when you go into wherever
house you enter, first say, peace be to this house. Let the gospel of the prince
of peace be your business. What are you here for? I'm here
to tell you about him. That's it, this is what I'm here
for. He's the only issue. You remember Abraham's servant
when Abraham sent his servant down to get Isaac? You know,
they told him, say, listen, come on in here, let's sit down and
let's get us something to eat, let's settle in, let's just chit
chat. He said, I have business to take care of here. My one
business. I'm here on a mission from Abraham,
my master, to find a wife for his son Isaac. And until I've
told you everything that I'm here for, I don't have time. I don't have time. Remember that? First, he said, you go into a
house, whatever house you enter, first say, that's what he's talking
about. Let your prior, don't be distracted. You're here for
the glory of Christ. Don't be taken away. And he said
in verse 6, if the Son of Peace be there, your peace shall rest
upon him. But if the gospel's not there,
that's what he's saying, if not, it shall turn to you again. What
does that mean? It means that the peace of God
in Christ Jesus that is proclaimed won't be proclaimed in vain.
That's what he's saying. He said that, you know, His word
shall not return unto him void, meaning having accomplished nothing. It's not going to do that. What
he's saying is the blessedness, if the gospel is there, your
peace will rest on it. Be fellowship, oneness of spirit. But if not there, it'll turn
back to you again, though rejected by others, it's still going to
be a blessing to you. I've done that which my master
commanded me to. How many times have you ever
invited somebody to come? What do we do? Invite them to
come. What do they need to hear? They
need to hear the gospel. They need to hear the truth.
How many times have you invited somebody and they'll just let
you know real quickly? No, thank you. I'm not interested. But didn't you receive a blessing
from telling them? You're burdened. But there was
a blessing in telling them. Would you come and hear of the
God that I serve? The Lord that I love. Verse 7
and 8. And in the same house remain,
eating and drinking such things as they give. For the laborer
is worthy of his hire. Go not house to house and into
whatsoever city you enter, and they receive you. Eat such things
as are set before you. Be content with that which the
Lord has provided. Remember, he's the one that orders
all these things, knowing that those who benefit from the gospel
are doing what they're doing for the sake of the Lord Jesus
Christ and the good of His people. I'm telling you, it amazes me. We've been blessed to be able
to go here in the last little bit, but I mean for years. We've
gone up, up in Michigan a few weeks ago. Hendersonville, South
Carolina, North Carolina. Last week, a week and a half
ago. Go this, and do you know what?
Where you find God's people, they're always the same. It's
just gracious people. They're just gracious people. They're God's people. They're
gracious people. The same house, remain eating
and drinking they give for the laborers worthy, whatsoever city
you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before
you. Don't be finicky. Don't be high maintenance. Be
a pleasant guest. Thankful. Thankful. Thankful for the mercy of God
and the benefit that has been received through God's people.
Verse 9, heal the sick that are therein, saying to them, The
kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. Now, obviously these men
were blessed with God to have the gift of healing, which a
gift that was given for this reason, to establish who these
men really were. These men were sent of God. These
men were sent of God. But also in that healing, it
was a picture of the spiritual healing that's sent by the great
physician himself of the sheep, The Lord Jesus Christ. For they
had come to this place, and He said, When you come there, you
heal the sick, and you say unto them, The kingdom of God. The kingdom. The preaching of
the kingdom. That God's got a people. God's
got a kingdom. God's got a kingdom. And that kingdom's got a king.
And His name is the Lord Jesus Christ. And tell them, say, The
kingdom of God, by the grace of God. has come here to your
house. Do you realize the blessing of
the kingdom of God coming unto you? These men were sent to cities
and places that the Lord himself would come. You think, what a
blessing that God would send the gospel to my house to teach
me something, your house. So here, the preparation. of
the Lord coming in power and grace and mercy. We proclaim
Him. You preach, preach. Look at verse
10 and 11. But into whatsoever city you
enter, and they receive you not. Go your ways out into the streets
of the same and say, even the very dust of your city which
cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you. Notwithstanding,
be you sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto
you." Now here, the Lord instructs his disciples, and us too, on
how we're to behave toward those who have had the gospel brought
to them by God's messengers and have rejected that message. They won't hear it. They won't
hear the message preached. And oh, how serious is the instruction
to those who harden their hearts against the truth. Now, these
disciples, they were told, you go somewhere and someone doesn't
want to hear what you have to say. They reject you. Scripture
says that you tell them the very dust that's cleaving
onto us. As a witness against you, we're
wiping this off. That's what Paul the apostle
did. Let's see, they wiped the dust off of their feet. He wiped it off against you,
but he said, I want you to tell them, you make sure there's one
thing. This message that we preach to you, I want you to understand,
listen to what I'm saying right now. The kingdom of God is coming
to you. And I promise you that it'll
come up again in the day of judgment. It will come up again in the
day of judgment. Very dust that was on their feet,
maybe. But the message that these men
preached, be sure and you understand the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom
of God has been preached to you. and you wouldn't hear. Here we
are, proclaiming the glorious gospel. And God's people are
not beggars. Just like those that walked with
him no more. I mean, that, I know I should
not be amazed, but I'm amazed at the wording of our Lord. All
those that came and followed him no more because of what he
preached. No man can come to me, has the
ability to come to me, except it were given unto him of my
Father. That's a hard saying. This is
hard. And they walked with him no more.
They left. The Lord didn't say one word
to him. But he turned to his disciples
and he said, will you go away too? Will you go away also? Peter
said, Lord, where are we going to go? You have the words of
eternal life. We're sure you're the Christ.
You're the mighty one. Verse 12, we're gonna try to
go through verse 16 here. But then the Lord said in verse
12, but I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable in that day
for Sodom than for that city. In that day, in that last day,
that day which all men will stand before God and the books are
gonna be opened. Can you imagine? Think about
this. Those that have heard the gospel. He said, be sure you tell the
kingdom of God has come unto you. The kingdom of God came. God was preached here. The Lord
said, I'm going to tell you something. I'm saying to you, you tell those
that reject what you're saying and won't come. I say to you,
it's going to be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for
that city that wouldn't come, that wouldn't hear, that household,
whatever, whatever it was. You make sure that you say, it's
going to be more bearable. I've thought about that. I don't
know how to enter in. I do know that there was a rich
man that died and lifted up his eyes out of hell and Lazarus
who sat at the gate of his door and ate the crumbs that fell
from that rich man's table. Lazarus died and was brought
into the bosom of Abraham. And that rich man that lifted
up his eyes out of hell said, Father Abraham, would you have Lazarus dip his
finger in water and just touch my tongue? And the Lord told him, There's
a great gulf fixed. There's no crossing over. And
listen to these words. Remember. Remember. Remember. My friend, I'm gonna
tell you, now you listen to me, everybody. Marvin, you listen
to, especially Marvin. The kingdom of God has been proclaimed. Men, Women left themselves that
reject this message. Remember, remember, there's going
to come a day when you're going to remember. The Lord said, I'm
saying to you, it's going to be more bearable. Why? Because
they're going to remember. Man, I've had things in my mind,
I think, if I could just get that off my mind, if I've been
laying at night, it's always worth, you heard me say, it's
always worth it. If I could just quit thinking about this, right?
If I could just quit thinking. Eternal, never able to forget. Never. Be more tolerable. Verse
13, 14. Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe
unto thee, Bethsaida! If the mighty works had been
done in Tyre and Sidon, which had been done in you. They had
a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But I
say, but no, but it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon
at the judgment than for you. The Lord spoke of Chorazin, a
city mentioned only here and in Matthew 11, I've read concerning
the Lord's word to his disciples. Chorazin, it was just mentioned.
But Bethsaida, I found was a city of Andrew and Peter, and the
woe unto both of them, that city, for the rejection of the truth.
God had called out some men out of it. So the gospel was there.
I know it was there. If the mighty works had been
done in Tyre and Sidon, what was that? It was two cities of
Gentiles I found out. Gentile city. If the mighty works
had been done in Tyre and Sidon, in these Gentile cities, which
obviously there weren't. If they had been done there,
which had been done in you, these works, these miracles to show
that He's God, the miracle of regeneration, those two men,
Andrew and Peter, if the miracles, I think about the mighty works
that's been done in Farmington area, Katy. I'm looking at some
people that God's called out of the darkness of sin and unbelief.
What a miracle. God saved you. If the mighty works that was
done here had been done there, they would have repented. Oh,
I'm telling you, I think 15, Lord, keep us, and thou, Capernaum,
which art exalted to heaven, shall be thrust down to hell. If the mighty works done here
had been done there, I think of the responsibility. I'm telling you the truth. I'm
telling you this is something. Do you realize the judgment that's
going to be on Fairmont, on College Grove, the whole city. Hottiesville, Lexington, whole
city. God had raised up a church there
and sent a pastor there. God sent a faithful pastor to
the place where these 14, God has sent a pastor. The kingdom
of God's been preached there. And all around, I know where
they go to church. I've been there. I used to pastor
there. We passed houses and houses. You wouldn't believe, you wouldn't
believe the money and the influence in that place. And everybody's
so busy. Everybody's so taken up with
stuff. And the judgment of God's gonna
be more tolerable in places where the gospel was never heard, that
it will be for those where the gospel wasn't, or where they
could have heard. Verse 16, he that heareth you,
heareth me, and he that despiseth you, despiseth me, and he that
despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me. My friend, the scripture declares,
Those who hear God's preacher, hears God. But those that despise,
now I want to make sure I understood these words. Those that despise,
that reject, that refuse, are slight. Those that despise you,
past contempt upon by words and actions despise Christ. And those that despise Christ
despise the Father. My brethren, the hearing and
the believing of the truth of the gospel of Christ, casting
yourself upon the mercy of God, shall be proven in that day to
be the greatest blessing any soul has ever possessed in that
day, but to reject the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ proved to be the greatest condemnation
that was ever had by mortal man. God have mercy on us for Christ's
sake. Amen.