August 16, 2010
IT'S NOT ABOUT ME
Luke 10:1-16
Robin Koehling
Central Truth
It is God who has prepared the field to be harvested, and the harvest is plentiful. I am simply instructed to go into the field and work for Him.
Key Verse | Luke 10:2
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." (Luke 10:2)
Luke 10:1-16
Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two
1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two 1 10:1 Some manuscripts seventy; also verse 17 others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
Woe to Unrepentant Cities
13 Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades.
16 The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
Dive Deeper | Luke 10:1-16
My natural tendency is to isolate from everyone to a place where I feel comfortable and safe; and that is not in a field ready for harvest. As I explored this desire, I came to understand that several fears were lurking deep in my mind and causing all kinds of havoc: Would I be rejected? Would I know what to say? Would I fail? Would I be able to handle the situation? Would I be liked? or Would I look stupid? Do you hear the common thread in each of these fears? “Would I . . . ." I am making this all about me! I once shared these thoughts with the kindest person that I know, thinking that she might cut me some slack. In her sweet voice, she said, “Sometimes your pride can be so ugly.” That was not the response that I was expecting, but it was the truth that I so needed to hear.
I have replayed those precious words over and over many times these past few years. God has used them to keep me in check when I forget that He is with me, that He won’t reject me, and that He is the one doing the work in people’s hearts. As I trust the Lord in these truths, I experience freedom—freedom to share His love without the dark cloud of fear in my head.
For the last few summers, I have had the privilege of traveling to Africa to love on a group of eleven-year-old girls. I got to watch as the Lord drew each of them to Himself. I walked with them into their village as they shared God’s love and truth with everyone they encountered. I saw firsthand what it looks like to have a heart that is spilling over with the joy of God’s love, so that there is no room for any self-serving fears.
My prayer is that I understand more today the depths of His love, so that I can go into His field, my village, with reckless abandon.
Discussion Questions
1. What are fears are keeping you from getting into God's field?
2. Where are you making it all about you?
3. What truths do you need to believe or verses do you need to memorize to replace the fears in your mind?
4. Why are you not sharing the gospel with reckless abandon? When will you?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What is a harvest (think about wheat or corn)? What does Jesus mean in verse 2 that the harvest is plentiful? There are many people who want to know about who Jesus is and will trust Him if they are told about Him.
2. What does He say about the number of workers?
3. How can you be a worker in “the harvest” this week (going to tell people about Jesus)?