WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:01.840 Thank you for a beautiful spring day. 00:00:02.080 --> 00:00:04.240 God, thank you for waking us up today. 00:00:04.639 --> 00:00:06.959 Lord Jesus, thank you for your family of faith. 00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:09.439 God, thank you for bringing us together. 00:00:10.880 --> 00:00:13.279 Holy Spirit, we invite you in to speak today. 00:00:13.759 --> 00:00:18.879 We invite you in to speak to illumine for our hearts and our minds what your word would have for us. 00:00:19.679 --> 00:00:22.559 Lord Jesus, encourage us in the gospel of grace. 00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:25.839 Open our hearts to conviction and refining. 00:00:26.079 --> 00:00:28.079 Whose hands can we trust more than yours? 00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:29.359 We love you. 00:00:29.679 --> 00:00:31.120 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:34.320 Feel free to take a seat. 00:00:36.799 --> 00:00:38.880 Welcome to Skyline Church. 00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:40.079 My name's Adam. 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:41.759 I'm one of the pastors. 00:00:42.159 --> 00:00:46.159 And it is truly an honor and a privilege to be with you guys here today. 00:00:46.799 --> 00:00:53.359 And I want to begin by talking about something that we all universally hate. 00:00:54.240 --> 00:00:55.520 To a person. 00:00:56.159 --> 00:00:57.759 We all hate this thing. 00:00:58.000 --> 00:01:00.000 I'm talking about rejection. 00:01:01.520 --> 00:01:09.040 I remember uh I remember my first girlfriend in seventh grade. 00:01:10.480 --> 00:01:12.640 We started dating, didn't know what that means. 00:01:12.799 --> 00:01:15.840 And a month later, she broke up with me, and I was like, why? 00:01:16.079 --> 00:01:17.760 She was like, I don't know. 00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:20.400 And I was like, dang, is this rejection? 00:01:20.879 --> 00:01:22.000 Welcome. 00:01:22.319 --> 00:01:34.719 I remember uh in Denver at like the peak of coffee snobbery, probably in the country and in Denver, there was a coffee shop, I can't even remember what it was called, up in Rhino across the street from the source. 00:01:35.280 --> 00:01:41.120 And this this coffee shop was one of these shops where they didn't want you to have coffee the way that you wanted it. 00:01:41.200 --> 00:01:43.120 They wanted you to have it the way that they wanted it. 00:01:43.680 --> 00:01:51.840 And I remember standing in line, and there's a guy in front of me, and he was he ordered like, you know, drip coffee or something. 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:53.680 And then he goes, Great, thanks. 00:01:53.840 --> 00:01:55.680 You guys having like creamer I could put in it? 00:01:55.760 --> 00:01:58.079 And the guy goes, We don't do that here. 00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:01.680 This guy was like trying to give them money and he got rejected. 00:02:01.760 --> 00:02:01.920 Okay. 00:02:03.120 --> 00:02:09.280 Rejection, whether it's romance, whether it's I mean, there's basically no category that escapes this with us, right? 00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:10.319 Friendship. 00:02:10.639 --> 00:02:17.759 Many of you have experienced bullying growing up, and even now, being on the outside trying to work your way in, applying for schools, jobs. 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:20.080 Applying for jobs now is brutal, man. 00:02:20.400 --> 00:02:25.199 Every job has like a hundred applications, and kind of the new norm is for companies to just ghost you. 00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:30.960 You send in an application, it's as if you never, it's as if you emailed a taco because you never hear back, okay? 00:02:31.280 --> 00:02:33.199 Sometimes you do, but it takes a long time. 00:02:33.280 --> 00:02:35.840 Like rejection is such a normal part of life. 00:02:35.919 --> 00:02:38.479 Even within a marriage, you can experience rejection. 00:02:38.639 --> 00:02:41.199 Cold shoulderedness, distance, and separation. 00:02:41.360 --> 00:02:47.520 Rejection is a universal aspect of life, basically across categories, let alone faith. 00:02:47.680 --> 00:02:54.800 Let alone if you want to talk about the gospel of grace, let alone if you want to talk about who the Lord Jesus is, invite people to come and hear about him. 00:02:55.280 --> 00:02:59.919 Rejection is a normal thing to experience in the midst of that. 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:05.280 And when we experience rejection, we have different responses to that. 00:03:05.520 --> 00:03:07.599 Some of us are tempted to isolate. 00:03:07.759 --> 00:03:12.960 In other words, you get rejected and you say, and I will never do that ever again. 00:03:13.199 --> 00:03:15.280 I will never try that ever again. 00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:17.199 I'll never try and go on a date ever again. 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:18.960 I'll never apply to this company ever again. 00:03:19.039 --> 00:03:22.000 I'll never try this, throw this party ever again. 00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:25.840 Some people are tempted to isolate in response to rejection. 00:03:25.919 --> 00:03:28.400 Others are tempted to retaliate. 00:03:29.039 --> 00:03:30.560 Oh, you rejected me? 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:33.120 I'll make sure you never do that again. 00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:37.360 Retaliation, also anger, another common response. 00:03:37.680 --> 00:03:41.919 And also, you have the option to reinitiate. 00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:44.080 Isolate, retaliate, and reinitiate. 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:45.280 What do I mean by reinitiate? 00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:47.599 I mean get up and try again. 00:03:48.319 --> 00:03:57.599 And there's a lot of things that determine our response in any given moment, but it's worth asking this question as we step into this text in the Gospel of Luke today. 00:03:57.759 --> 00:03:59.520 How do you respond when you're rejected? 00:03:59.680 --> 00:04:17.759 I just want you to take a minute and think recently, maybe the last six months, in any of these categories, where it was work, a relationship, a job, a family member, romantic life, how did you respond in a moment of rejection? 00:04:18.959 --> 00:04:22.639 In the Gospel of Luke today, it's a hinge point. 00:04:22.959 --> 00:04:25.680 It's a huge hinge point in the book. 00:04:25.920 --> 00:04:34.959 And I think the main idea that we're gonna see, if you're taking notes here today, the main idea that we're gonna see is whether Jesus is received or rejected, we must be resolute. 00:04:35.199 --> 00:04:36.560 I think that's what we're gonna see. 00:04:36.720 --> 00:04:38.319 So I'm gonna read it in sequential parts. 00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:41.920 We're gonna be in Luke 9, 51 through 10, 16. 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:43.439 I'm gonna have it up here on the screen. 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:46.079 We're gonna be doing it in the ESV version. 00:04:46.720 --> 00:04:48.879 So here's the first five or so verses. 00:04:53.279 --> 00:04:59.839 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:06.399 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make preparations for him. 00:05:06.560 --> 00:05:11.680 But the people did not receive him, because his face was set to Jerusalem. 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:20.560 And when his disciples, James and John, saw it, they said, Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them? 00:05:21.120 --> 00:05:23.519 But he turned and rebuked them. 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:26.480 And they went on to another village. 00:05:28.319 --> 00:05:33.839 Before we talk about that wild moment, I wanted to see if you caught this transition. 00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:38.000 You know, we've been preaching through the Gospel of Luke now for maybe three-quarters of a year. 00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:39.920 And a huge transition just happened. 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:44.480 If you remember, part one of Luke, preparation before Jesus' ministry. 00:05:44.639 --> 00:05:47.839 This is the opening few verses of the Gospel. 00:05:47.920 --> 00:05:49.920 The author, Luke, talks about why he wrote it. 00:05:50.079 --> 00:05:55.600 Then we hear about Jesus' genealogy, we hear about his birth story, we hear about all the things that God was doing leading up. 00:05:55.759 --> 00:06:00.079 And then Jesus grows up into a man and he is baptized by John the Baptist. 00:06:00.160 --> 00:06:02.160 He's led into temptation into the wilderness. 00:06:02.399 --> 00:06:04.480 This is part one of the Gospel of Luke. 00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:07.120 And then he began his ministry in Galilee. 00:06:07.199 --> 00:06:07.920 This was part two. 00:06:08.319 --> 00:06:19.279 Part two, what we've seen really for the last, you know, six or so chapters, is the authority of Jesus expanding to every sphere of reality. 00:06:19.439 --> 00:06:22.240 There is nothing that does not bow to him, seen or unseen. 00:06:22.639 --> 00:06:26.639 We've seen what it means to be a part of his kingdom, the king's kingdom. 00:06:26.800 --> 00:06:27.920 We've seen his character. 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:30.800 We've seen what he's like, we've seen his compassion. 00:06:30.959 --> 00:06:33.600 We've seen all kinds of stuff about Jesus in part two. 00:06:33.920 --> 00:06:36.480 And today begins part three. 00:06:36.800 --> 00:06:41.120 Today begins the downhill walk, verse 51. 00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:43.600 He set his face to Jerusalem. 00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:47.439 And today begins the downhill walk to the cross. 00:06:47.680 --> 00:06:49.920 So we're calling it Jesus toward Jerusalem. 00:06:50.079 --> 00:06:53.120 This will take us all the way through chapter 19. 00:06:53.839 --> 00:07:01.920 And as Jesus makes this pivot, as he begins to quote unquote set his face to Jerusalem, he goes through Samaria. 00:07:02.240 --> 00:07:20.399 And if you understand the cultural context, the historical context of Judea and Samaria at the time, basically we see in the Old Testament there's this moment where a big chunk of the Israelite kingdom gets lopped off to the Assyrians, and the Assyrians deport a bunch of Jews and repopulate it, and the population gets intermingled. 00:07:20.639 --> 00:07:24.240 And so the Jews during Jesus' time looked at Samaria. 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:28.000 I mean, it was hatred, but it was a specific kind of hatred. 00:07:28.079 --> 00:07:29.439 It was ethnic hatred. 00:07:29.680 --> 00:07:37.680 Because they viewed them as, to use a Harry Potter word, half-bloods, mud bloods, half-breeds. 00:07:38.399 --> 00:07:40.399 That's kind of what was going on there. 00:07:40.639 --> 00:07:43.199 And the Bible will actually give you this historical context. 00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:45.439 If you read the whole thing through, it actually explains that a little bit. 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:46.800 You can go in the Old Testament and look at that. 00:07:46.879 --> 00:07:56.399 But either way, Jesus is going through Samaria and they reject him because they know that his face is set towards Jerusalem. 00:07:56.879 --> 00:07:58.399 Jesus is ready to move on. 00:07:58.639 --> 00:08:00.240 Enter James and John. 00:08:00.639 --> 00:08:06.720 James and John most likely, it's hard to know for sure, most likely between the ages of 18 and 25 at this point. 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:08.480 They're young adults. 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:21.040 And they ask Jesus, after the Samaritan village rejects him, they ask Jesus if they can call down fire to consume the village. 00:08:22.319 --> 00:08:23.600 Had they ever done that before? 00:08:23.759 --> 00:08:24.560 Probably not. 00:08:25.040 --> 00:08:26.800 Why did they say it at this moment? 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:30.720 I mean, you gotta think that ethnic hatred has some part to play about it. 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:33.679 And I love the short verse 55. 00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:35.759 Jesus turned and he rebuked them. 00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:37.360 And then they're moving on. 00:08:37.600 --> 00:08:39.360 They're moving on to the next village. 00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:46.399 And look, if I'm there, I don't know about you, but if I'm there, I'm with Jesus' chosen twelve. 00:08:46.720 --> 00:08:48.799 These are the guys that he picked. 00:08:49.120 --> 00:09:03.519 And I'm standing there, and Jesus and the disciples, the apostles, get rejected by this village of Samaria, and then maybe like 19-year-old John says, Lord, can we call down death from the sky and kill them all? 00:09:03.679 --> 00:09:11.360 I mean, I'm not about you, but I'm gonna be standing there like Jesus is gonna leave, and this is who we got, like, this is not looking good. 00:09:12.879 --> 00:09:17.519 But it just continues this theme that we actually saw with Jeremiah's sermon last week. 00:09:17.919 --> 00:09:23.759 This theme that Luke has continued to develop, the shortcomings of the disciples, and that he picked them. 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:26.480 This is not all the all-star team. 00:09:26.639 --> 00:09:30.480 This is the regular team, this is the median average team. 00:09:31.759 --> 00:09:34.080 This is the average data set. 00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:42.080 And the shortcomings of the disciples have continued to be revealed to us, and yet Jesus cherishes to use them. 00:09:42.559 --> 00:10:07.360 And uh they accept his rebuke, and ironically, in the Gospel of John, the guy who would literally, in this moment, in this scene, literally later write a gospel, says this in John 12, 47, he quotes Jesus as saying this if anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him, for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 00:10:07.679 --> 00:10:10.799 How ironic for John to report Jesus saying this later. 00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:11.759 What's he talking about? 00:10:11.919 --> 00:10:13.840 The first coming is not about judgment. 00:10:14.080 --> 00:10:16.320 This is why they move on to the next village. 00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:19.759 The first coming is about the king coming into the world. 00:10:19.919 --> 00:10:22.480 The kingdom is expanding across the world. 00:10:22.639 --> 00:10:26.320 The Lord Jesus has come to bring the love, salvation, and grace of God. 00:10:26.399 --> 00:10:30.399 And make no mistake, he's in the same way, the same literal way. 00:10:30.559 --> 00:10:32.080 He came two millennia ago. 00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:36.639 There was a real person named Jesus Christ of Nazareth who walked the earth and brought the salvation of God. 00:10:36.799 --> 00:10:39.519 So too will he literally come again. 00:10:39.919 --> 00:10:43.679 And this time, the second coming, it will be about judgment. 00:10:43.919 --> 00:10:44.879 Make no mistake. 00:10:45.039 --> 00:10:48.799 But at this moment, this is why they're moving on to the next town. 00:10:49.039 --> 00:10:57.600 Because Jesus, I mean, I don't have this in my notes, but later in Acts, when the gospel goes to Samaria, who's to say it's not this very village? 00:10:57.840 --> 00:11:00.879 Several years later, because Jesus gave them time. 00:11:02.879 --> 00:11:07.840 And so they wanted to respond with retaliation, James and John. 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:12.480 James and John wanted to respond with retaliation to their rejection. 00:11:12.559 --> 00:11:20.159 But this first point, and the thing that we see in this first segment of our text is that when people reject us, we must respond like Jesus. 00:11:20.799 --> 00:11:24.879 When people reject us, we must respond like Jesus. 00:11:25.120 --> 00:11:29.919 And so again, I just want you to call to mind a recent rejection. 00:11:30.960 --> 00:11:40.960 A really common one, especially relationally, is anger, a retaliatory anger, where someone, maybe, maybe you get dumped, like me, seventh grade. 00:11:41.200 --> 00:11:43.679 Maybe a job rejects you. 00:11:44.000 --> 00:11:51.759 The natural tendency in a moment of rejection like that is to then conclude, and therefore this is the worst person who's ever lived. 00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:57.039 And therefore this company is corrupt, and therefore they can't see and don't understand anything. 00:11:57.200 --> 00:12:05.840 The natural inclination for us in a moment of rejection, whether that rejection is just or unjust, is to respond with judgmentalism. 00:12:09.279 --> 00:12:10.639 Or despair. 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:13.360 Or you'll never do it again. 00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:15.759 You'll never try that thing ever again. 00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:18.639 And I love how Jesus responds in verse 56. 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:21.200 And they went on to the next village. 00:12:23.120 --> 00:12:26.879 Point number one, when people reject us, we must respond like Jesus. 00:12:27.600 --> 00:12:30.480 Point number two, we've got to read verses 57 through 62. 00:12:30.720 --> 00:12:32.240 Look at what it says. 00:12:32.639 --> 00:12:38.480 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, I will follow you wherever you go. 00:12:38.720 --> 00:12:45.360 And Jesus said to him, Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. 00:12:45.679 --> 00:12:47.919 To another he said, Follow me. 00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:51.519 But he said, Lord, let me first go and bury my father. 00:12:51.759 --> 00:12:55.200 And Jesus said to him, Leave the dead to bury their own dead. 00:12:55.279 --> 00:12:58.399 But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God. 00:12:58.639 --> 00:13:04.320 Yet another said, I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home. 00:13:04.559 --> 00:13:14.080 Jesus said to him, No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. 00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:23.679 So in this next scene, the point number two here is we won't receive him perfectly. 00:13:23.919 --> 00:13:26.879 And that's exactly what we see in this next scene. 00:13:27.039 --> 00:13:35.440 On the road with Jesus, on the way to Jerusalem, is a number of people finding out what it means to follow Jesus, and it's hard to do it the way that he wants. 00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:41.679 And there's basically three people here, three things that Jesus wants us to see that Luke records here for us. 00:13:41.840 --> 00:13:43.919 So here's thing number one, verse 58. 00:13:44.080 --> 00:13:46.639 The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. 00:13:46.879 --> 00:13:48.240 What does it mean? 00:13:48.559 --> 00:13:51.279 Well, it means he's a little bit homeless. 00:13:51.440 --> 00:13:55.360 And part of the implication of that is his life is really uncomfortable. 00:13:55.679 --> 00:14:00.720 He's given up a lot of the comforts of life for the work of the kingdom. 00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:04.480 And so part of what he's implying to this first guy, you want to follow me? 00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:06.879 Okay, do you want have you counted the cost? 00:14:07.200 --> 00:14:10.000 This is, Lucas said this a couple different times now in the gospel. 00:14:10.240 --> 00:14:12.639 If anyone would come after me, we saw a few weeks ago. 00:14:12.799 --> 00:14:18.080 If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 00:14:18.720 --> 00:14:20.240 He's saying the same thing to this person. 00:14:20.639 --> 00:14:21.759 I have nowhere to lay my head. 00:14:21.840 --> 00:14:22.639 Are you okay with that? 00:14:22.799 --> 00:14:23.759 Do you understand that? 00:14:23.919 --> 00:14:27.600 If you're gonna get into this with me, do you see clearly? 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:31.120 Person number two, verses 59 through 60. 00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:33.759 This one Jesus initiates, follow me. 00:14:33.919 --> 00:14:35.519 But this guy hesitates. 00:14:35.759 --> 00:14:39.120 He says, Lord, let me first bury my father. 00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:43.919 Now, if you're like me, you read that and you're like, sounds pretty reasonable. 00:14:44.080 --> 00:14:50.720 If his dad just recently died and he wants to go bury his dad, I mean, what I'm not gonna say no to that. 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:54.000 But what does Jesus say? 00:14:55.440 --> 00:15:00.559 Jesus says, Leave the dead to go and bury their own dead. 00:15:00.799 --> 00:15:07.039 I think part of what he's saying here is leave the spiritually dead to go and bury the physically dead. 00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:13.440 Now, some commentators will say, will point to historical cultural context of the time, and they say, well, funerals often happened in two parts. 00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:19.440 So first, right away, day one, day two, because they didn't have ways to preserve bodies, so they had the funeral right away before decay. 00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:23.759 But then oftentimes, a year later, they would take bones and do another part of the burial. 00:15:23.840 --> 00:15:28.320 And some commentators are pointing at this and being like, it's probably the second part, where they take the bones later. 00:15:28.399 --> 00:15:30.000 And so Jesus is saying, you don't need to do that, dude. 00:15:30.080 --> 00:15:31.200 You already buried your dad. 00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:32.399 Is that possible? 00:15:32.559 --> 00:15:33.120 Yeah. 00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:35.120 Is that in alignment? 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:39.759 I mean, what is the thrust of this whole second set of five verses that we just read? 00:15:39.919 --> 00:15:40.559 What's the tone? 00:15:40.720 --> 00:15:44.720 Is Jesus saying, it's easier to follow me than you think, or it's harder to follow me than you think? 00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:52.080 I mean, look, guys, Jesus, loving your father and mother, obeying your father and mother, honoring your father and mother, literally made the Ten Commandments. 00:15:52.320 --> 00:16:02.480 Later in the Apostle Paul's writings, he will say, If you do not take care of your family, you have denied the faith and are worse than an unbeliever. 00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:06.480 Does the God of the Bible want you to love and take care of your family? 00:16:06.720 --> 00:16:07.360 Yes. 00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:16.480 Part of what Jesus is saying, though, that should that ever, for whatever reason, conflict with the work of the kingdom, what comes first? 00:16:18.559 --> 00:16:24.399 I mean, the whole point of everything that he's saying here, it's supposed to cause you to be like, what? 00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:26.399 This guy can't even bury his dad? 00:16:27.279 --> 00:16:29.440 That's the level of call here? 00:16:29.840 --> 00:16:33.120 That's how high Jesus' ask is? 00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:36.639 The whole point is the commitment is higher than you think. 00:16:36.799 --> 00:16:43.279 And honestly, contextually, part of the reason why he's probably saying it to him, we just saw in verse 51, we're downhill to Jerusalem from here, dude. 00:16:43.440 --> 00:16:52.559 If you want to follow Jesus, to walk with the incarnated God man, Jesus Christ, you don't got much time left. 00:16:52.879 --> 00:17:01.759 And so, if this is something that you want to do, and you have a family member that dies, well, you're gonna have to make a decision. 00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:05.519 This is part of the tension that Jesus is trying to build for us. 00:17:05.599 --> 00:17:09.359 It's not an excuse to neglect, it's a priority structure. 00:17:09.759 --> 00:17:16.880 The discomfort that the Lord is walking through, the ultimate priority of the kingdom of God above any and all other things. 00:17:17.119 --> 00:17:21.759 Which brings us to the third person in this, we won't receive him perfectly. 00:17:21.920 --> 00:17:22.319 Point. 00:17:22.480 --> 00:17:23.119 Third person. 00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:25.519 Let me first say farewell to those at my home. 00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:29.200 You kind of see in the theme that's developed through here. 00:17:29.599 --> 00:17:33.920 Uh, person number one, Jesus is like, you're not gonna have a home, dude. 00:17:34.079 --> 00:17:37.599 Person number two, let me go back to my home and bury a key family member from my home. 00:17:37.759 --> 00:17:40.640 Person number three, let me go back and say farewell to those in my home. 00:17:40.720 --> 00:17:42.720 This is one of the themes of this whole segment. 00:17:42.880 --> 00:17:44.160 Like family. 00:17:44.319 --> 00:17:46.079 And Luke will say more about this further. 00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:48.559 How you're he begins to redefine the definition of family. 00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:52.240 Ultimately, your eternal family are those in the family of faith. 00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:58.240 And there will be brothers set against fathers, siblings set against each other, sons and daughters set against each other. 00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:02.079 And person number three says, Let me say farewell to those at my home. 00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:04.000 And Jesus, dude, this one. 00:18:05.039 --> 00:18:20.559 Jesus says, No one who puts their hand to the plow, which is to say, kingdom work, no one who puts their hand to the plow and looks back, just like the slightest moment of hesitation, he's not taking his hands off the plow. 00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:22.720 He's not abandoning the plow. 00:18:23.039 --> 00:18:28.559 Just looks back, is not fit for the kingdom of heaven. 00:18:28.799 --> 00:18:34.400 Woe to us if we try and water down what Jesus is trying to say here. 00:18:35.680 --> 00:18:40.079 You know, the other day I uh I picked up my daughter from preschool. 00:18:41.039 --> 00:18:46.160 And we usually take the stairs out of the preschool, but there's an elevator there. 00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:50.559 And every five-year-old wants to take an elevator so they can push the button. 00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:58.960 But I have read the book Anxious Generation, and so I know that it is important for you to challenge your kids to do hard things so they can build resiliency. 00:18:59.279 --> 00:19:01.039 And I thought to myself, what a moment. 00:19:01.440 --> 00:19:06.880 Sweetie, you can take the elevator if you take it by yourself. 00:19:07.839 --> 00:19:13.599 And she kind of looks at me and she's like, um, okay. 00:19:13.920 --> 00:19:16.160 She kind of walks in, I was like, babe, just push number two. 00:19:16.319 --> 00:19:17.920 Don't push anything else. 00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:19.759 Just push number two. 00:19:20.799 --> 00:19:23.599 She pushes it, and I start to walk upstairs. 00:19:23.839 --> 00:19:29.359 The door slides and shuts, and then she shrieks like a banshee. 00:19:29.599 --> 00:19:34.079 God! No! I mean, talk about putting your hand to the plow and looking back. 00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:36.640 I mean, like, it was just immediate. 00:19:37.279 --> 00:19:39.519 It was totally immediate. 00:19:40.960 --> 00:19:43.279 And then she calms down and everything was fine. 00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:46.480 And Lord willing, she took a step toward resiliency or towards counseling. 00:19:46.559 --> 00:19:47.599 Nobody knows. 00:19:47.839 --> 00:19:51.200 Um, what's Jesus saying with these three sayings? 00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:55.279 He's showing, he's trying to get people to see the true cost of following Jesus. 00:19:55.359 --> 00:19:57.759 Have you ever had this conversation, or maybe you even think this way yourself? 00:19:57.920 --> 00:20:00.079 Maybe you're here today and exploring faith. 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:02.319 It is an honor and a privilege for us to have you here. 00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:06.960 I want you to see very clearly the way that Jesus characterizes following him. 00:20:07.359 --> 00:20:12.480 Because you will find other people out there that cheapen it, that make the cost way less. 00:20:12.640 --> 00:20:17.680 The gift of grace is free, but when Jesus asks for your whole life, it's not a small thing. 00:20:17.920 --> 00:20:21.119 Have you ever talked with someone who maybe is a believer? 00:20:21.279 --> 00:20:29.200 And you're talking about faith, you're talking about whatever, and then as you're talking, you're saying something that you do or whatever, of church or evangelism, whatever it may be. 00:20:29.440 --> 00:20:35.680 And the person goes, Oh, I mean, I'm a Christian, but I'm like not that, I'm not that Christian. 00:20:35.920 --> 00:20:37.839 Like, I'm not, I don't do that. 00:20:38.319 --> 00:20:47.680 And it's moments like this where you read Luke 9 and 10, and somebody would say that, and it's like, have we are we reading the same book? 00:20:47.920 --> 00:20:50.960 Like, there is no Bud Light version of this. 00:20:51.279 --> 00:21:00.640 There is one version, and the cost is really, really high, such that Jesus is literally here saying, if you hesitate, you're not worthy of the kingdom. 00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:05.599 If you choose to bury your dad in the kingdom, should be a higher priority, you're not worthy of the kingdom. 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:09.119 Do you see the message that he's trying to say? 00:21:09.279 --> 00:21:12.960 Do you see that it's important that we don't add water to the tea here? 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:15.759 Let's not take from him. 00:21:18.720 --> 00:21:22.480 Now, there's of course a deeper meaning, though. 00:21:24.799 --> 00:21:29.200 Have you ever wanted comfort over the kingdom? 00:21:31.359 --> 00:21:39.839 Have you ever had a priority that you figured should be below Jesus and the things he's asking you to do, but you put it over? 00:21:41.119 --> 00:21:46.319 Have you ever put your hand to any kingdom work, obedience? 00:21:46.960 --> 00:21:51.359 What it means to follow the Bible's sexual ethics, God's design for sex. 00:21:51.599 --> 00:21:59.599 Have you ever put your hand to any kingdom plow and looked back and just hesitated even a little bit? 00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:07.680 Have you ever put your hand to the plow of generous financial sacrifice and looked at your tax return and been like, ooh. 00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:10.079 Yeah, we did it. 00:22:10.240 --> 00:22:12.160 We did that this year. 00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:17.759 I mean, for me personally, I've only been a pastor now for I guess three years now. 00:22:19.119 --> 00:22:20.960 And I was in the marketplace for 10 years. 00:22:21.200 --> 00:22:26.319 The number of times now that I have thought, because I grew up in affluence. 00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:27.920 I grew up in a Fortune 500 zip code. 00:22:28.079 --> 00:22:31.119 I grew up in the Silicon Valley where millionaires are minted every week. 00:22:31.279 --> 00:22:31.599 Okay. 00:22:32.319 --> 00:22:42.640 And the number of times that I have thought to myself, ah, what would it have been like to make a lot, a lot of money instead? 00:22:44.799 --> 00:22:46.319 Things would have been so different. 00:22:46.480 --> 00:22:49.119 The numbers, I mean, I'm like, all the time. 00:22:50.720 --> 00:23:03.200 And so the what we're talking about then, I mean, have you ever have you ever tried to put your hand to the plow of treating and speaking to someone with love and respect and gentleness, but even just thought about unloading? 00:23:03.359 --> 00:23:06.640 That's just a look back, not even actually unloading. 00:23:06.799 --> 00:23:12.079 So what we're talking about here, what we're talking about is not, have you ever done this? 00:23:12.559 --> 00:23:18.160 What we're talking about is how many dozens of examples can you think about in literally one minute? 00:23:19.119 --> 00:23:21.599 That's what we're actually talking about here. 00:23:21.920 --> 00:23:25.759 And so you should naturally feel in this text a distance. 00:23:26.000 --> 00:23:30.559 You should naturally feel not, oh, I mean, I do a lot of sacrifices. 00:23:30.640 --> 00:23:32.720 Sometimes I'm willing to go without coffee in the morning. 00:23:32.799 --> 00:23:34.240 Like, this is not what we're talking about. 00:23:34.400 --> 00:23:36.960 The distance between you and this text is miles. 00:23:37.599 --> 00:23:41.680 Ever looking back, ever desiring comfort over God? 00:23:42.960 --> 00:23:45.920 That is the natural response to this. 00:23:47.519 --> 00:23:49.759 But you forgot about verse 51. 00:23:51.440 --> 00:23:54.880 Jesus set his face to Jerusalem. 00:23:55.599 --> 00:23:56.240 Why? 00:23:57.680 --> 00:23:59.200 Because we look back. 00:24:00.480 --> 00:24:03.440 Because we look back all the time. 00:24:06.079 --> 00:24:08.000 Because you can't pull it off. 00:24:09.200 --> 00:24:13.440 Because you can think of examples this week of where you put priorities over God's kingdom. 00:24:13.920 --> 00:24:20.720 And comfort over God's kingdom, which makes the gospel all the more glorious. 00:24:22.640 --> 00:24:30.960 That our Lord is teaching this as he's walking to the cross, as the downhill has begun to his torture. 00:24:32.000 --> 00:24:34.240 You know, in Luke, Jesus suffers a lot. 00:24:34.319 --> 00:24:35.680 In this book, we'll see at the end. 00:24:35.759 --> 00:24:36.640 He's going to suffer a lot. 00:24:36.799 --> 00:24:38.480 He's going to face a lot of opposition. 00:24:38.559 --> 00:24:39.599 And you know what? 00:24:39.920 --> 00:24:41.200 He doesn't hesitate. 00:24:42.160 --> 00:24:46.880 He doesn't even look back because of his love for his sons and daughters. 00:24:47.039 --> 00:24:49.440 He doesn't choose comfort over us. 00:24:50.160 --> 00:25:04.640 And the more that you realize this, the more that you allow him to illuminate the gap, and the more you allow him to convince you that he went to the cross for you, the more it empowers you to do these things. 00:25:05.200 --> 00:25:07.680 You ever met someone who's given up their whole life for the gospel? 00:25:07.839 --> 00:25:09.839 It's because they taste sin so deep. 00:25:10.319 --> 00:25:11.759 And they taste grace so deep. 00:25:12.720 --> 00:25:14.480 This is the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:25:14.960 --> 00:25:18.319 And the cost is high, and it's also free. 00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:24.960 When people reject us, we must respond like Jesus. 00:25:25.440 --> 00:25:28.480 We and they won't receive him perfectly. 00:25:28.720 --> 00:25:30.240 Point number three. 00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:33.680 We must be resolute in kingdom work. 00:25:33.839 --> 00:25:35.039 Here's the last part. 00:25:36.799 --> 00:25:45.440 After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others, and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 00:25:45.680 --> 00:25:50.000 And he said to them, The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 00:25:50.240 --> 00:25:55.359 Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 00:25:55.599 --> 00:25:56.400 Go your way. 00:25:56.640 --> 00:26:00.480 Behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 00:26:00.720 --> 00:26:04.799 Carry no money bag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:12.160 Whatever house you enter, first say, Peace be to this house, and if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. 00:26:12.400 --> 00:26:15.119 But if not, it will return to you. 00:26:15.359 --> 00:26:20.799 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. 00:26:20.960 --> 00:26:22.559 Do not go from house to house. 00:26:22.720 --> 00:26:26.000 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 00:26:26.160 --> 00:26:31.119 Heal the sick in it, and say to them, The kingdom of God has come near to you. 00:26:31.440 --> 00:26:41.359 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. 00:26:41.680 --> 00:26:46.160 Nevertheless, know this that the kingdom of God has come near. 00:26:46.400 --> 00:26:51.279 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. 00:26:51.599 --> 00:26:54.480 Woe to you, Chorzin, woe to you, Beth Seda. 00:26:54.799 --> 00:27:05.759 For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyran Sidon, which are Gentile cities, by the way, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:10.720 But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 00:27:10.880 --> 00:27:14.319 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? 00:27:14.559 --> 00:27:16.240 You shall be brought down to Hades. 00:27:16.640 --> 00:27:19.519 The one who hears you, hears me. 00:27:19.759 --> 00:27:22.319 And the one who rejects you rejects me. 00:27:22.480 --> 00:27:26.319 And the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me. 00:27:28.480 --> 00:27:32.559 So this last segment, only Luke has this account. 00:27:32.720 --> 00:27:35.279 We've seen already Jesus send out the twelve apostles. 00:27:35.519 --> 00:27:36.559 Apostles are sent ones. 00:27:36.640 --> 00:27:45.680 These are people that Jesus called and chose to himself to send and preach the kingdom, and eventually they're going to lead the church, and they're going to give us the New Testament, basically. 00:27:46.000 --> 00:27:47.680 But this story is different. 00:27:47.839 --> 00:27:50.799 He sends out 70, or some manuscripts say 72. 00:27:50.960 --> 00:27:56.960 Both of those manuscript traditions are really strong, and so commentator is different on should it be 70 that he sends out or 72? 00:27:57.200 --> 00:28:07.680 And probably, I think most likely with this section, the 70 or 72 is probably alluding to two parts of the Old Testament. 00:28:07.839 --> 00:28:16.160 One is in Genesis 10, when the Tower of Babel happens and everyone's speaking one language, but then God confuses their languages and you get the nations, they're 70. 00:28:16.400 --> 00:28:25.440 And so probably a part of what's happening here is the 70 going out, the 72 going out, is representative of the fact that the gospel is going to go to every nation, every tribe, nation, and tongue. 00:28:25.759 --> 00:28:34.079 Also, though, Numbers 11 has a similar moment where Moses is up on the mountain with God, and then God's like, I call 70 elders to you, and they are going to help you. 00:28:34.160 --> 00:28:36.960 And I'm going to put my spirit on them the way I put my spirit on you. 00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:40.559 And they call 70 elders, and it says that they prophesied. 00:28:40.960 --> 00:28:44.799 God put his spirit on them, they prophesied, but they didn't continue doing it. 00:28:45.599 --> 00:28:56.000 And this is a greater moment even than that, because as we're going to know, God's going to not only put his Holy Spirit on these 70 and his disciples, but on everyone who calls on Jesus' name of faith. 00:28:56.160 --> 00:29:00.559 I think there's probably some allusion happening to those Old Testament passages here. 00:29:03.359 --> 00:29:15.599 And just like what we talked about when Jesus sends out the 12 apostles, when he sends out these 72, it's the same movement that we talked about before Jesus begins by saying, I do you watch. 00:29:15.839 --> 00:29:17.279 I do you help. 00:29:17.599 --> 00:29:19.440 You do, I help. 00:29:19.680 --> 00:29:21.200 You do, I just watch. 00:29:21.359 --> 00:29:27.200 This is that same transitioning happening, not just with the 12, but with a bigger group now of people that are following Jesus. 00:29:27.359 --> 00:29:28.480 The 72. 00:29:29.200 --> 00:29:47.680