Bible Studies

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The Gospels
Luke 10:1-11 – Ministry: How to Succeed
Key Verses: (NLT)

• 1: "The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them on ahead in pairs to all the towns and villages He planned to visit." – Jesus had many more followers than just the chosen twelve. In providing them a task, He trained, provided specific instructions, and met with them following their missions to learn of their experiences.
  
  
• 2: "These were His instructions to them: 'The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest, and ask Him to send out more workers for His fields.'" – Prayer. Begin every ministry in prayer and ask God to send you help for the task is great.
  
  
• 3: "Go now, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves." – Be prepared for adversity, difficulty, and persecution.
  
  
• 4: "Don't take along any money, or a traveler's bag, or even an extra pair of sandals. And don't stop to greet anyone on the road." – Don't sweat the details. Allow the Lord to provide for your needs. And keep your focus on the task at hand – attend to your office.
  
  
• 5: "Whenever you enter a home, give it your blessing." –Offer the peace of Jesus Christ to all.
  
  
• 7b: "Don't hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay." – Graciously accept any hospitality offered. Working in behalf of the Kingdom is deserving of the support provided by others.
  
  
• 9: "And heal the sick. As you heal them, say, `The Kingdom of God is near you now.'" – Through the healing that takes place in our lives the Gospel message becomes clear.
  
  
• 11: "We wipe the dust of your town from our feet as a public announcement of your doom. And don't forget the Kingdom of God is near!'" – Not everyone will listen. Be saddened and compassionate for their "poor perishing souls."¹
  

Points to Contemplate:

• Are you alone? Are you attempting to do the tasks and ministries that God has inspired in your heart by yourself? Do you push forward as a lone wolf focused on the task and not seeking the support and help you need? Jesus commissioned these disciples as pairs so that they might strengthen and encourage on another. Do you see the importance of the people in your life that provide love, support, and encouragement to your ministry? Are you aware that the task of spreading the word of Christ to the world is greater than any of us can handle? Take a moment right now to ask God to send you "more workers for His field."
  
  
• Are you healing the sick? Is this your job or do you think that your focus should be on the Great Commission; making disciples of all nations? How do you propose to do this if you are not first, providing true healing? Will anyone hear the gospel as long as they internally focused on their pain, suffering, and sorrow? Do these verses show you that the healing of the sick is a task we are all called to do and that it is not simply a task for those spiritually gifted in healing? If healing is an important step, how do you do it? Can anyone simply step forward, lay hands on person, and heal them of their ills? Do you suppose that the seventy disciples being sent out by Jesus asked this same question? His instructions were to pray, do everything in the name of Jesus, and have faith.
  
  
• Are you sweating the details? Let us assume for a moment that God has provided you with a ministry and a passion to perform it. As the image of this mission grows in your heart do you begin to see the scope of what lays before you? Do you falter? Do you suddenly exclaim "I can't?" Are you worried and filled with anxiety? Do you strive to work out all the details before moving forward? Jesus is calling you to have faith. Free yourself of worry and drop the baggage of doubt. Today, will you take those steps into ministry that you have been hesitating to take?
  

Promises of the Gospel:

Jesus calls all of His followers into ministry and then provides us with clear instructions as to how to proceed. He says to pray, work in teams, be clear of the objective, drop the baggage of worry and doubt, stay focused, provide true healing to those we meet while spreading the peace of Jesus Christ to all, accept support and hospitality, be aware of the dangers and opposition we will encounter, recognize that all hearts will not be softened to hear His message, and tell the world that "the kingdom of God is near." Remember: "The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few." Bringing the salvation that Christ offers to all the world is the most important thing we will ever do in our lives.

¹Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary


FUMC Devotionals

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