Our Mission Mandate: 2016 Gospel of Luke #38
“Our Mission Mandate”, an exposition of Luke 10:1-26 by Pastor Rod Harris, was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, November 20, 2016.
Intro:
We are a mission people. It is coded into our DNA as Southern Baptist. Our convention was born out of missions. We came together for the purpose of missions. On May 8, 1845, about 293 Baptist leaders of the South gathered at the First Baptist Church, Augusta, Georgia, representing over 365,000 Baptists. There our convention was founded and one of the first items of business was the formation of what was then called, “The Foreign Mission Board.” The FMB was founded as part of “one sacred effort, for the propagation of the gospel.” Today we have some 4000 missionaries in over 100 nations around the world. We have another 5000 across North America and Canada. Add to these the state and associational missionaries, the various outreach ministries of local churches and you find a substantial mission force. All focused on reaching and discipling the nations. This task is not optional to the church. It is the command of our king. We are either engaged in the missionary task or we are disobedient. Either we are on mission or we are openly defiant. Missions in not just a suggestion it is a mandate. A mandate is an authoritative command, an edict.
We see this clearly in the life and ministry of Jesus. We of course know it from, “The Great Commission” but we see it earlier than that. We see it during the life and ministry of our Lord in his sending out the 12 and a short time later, the 72. Our text this morning is found in Luke’s gospel the 10 beginning with the 72:1.
Text: Luke 10:1-16
Luke has turned the corner in his presentation of the life of Jesus. He is entering the home stretch. In Luke 9:51 we read that our Lord, “Set his face to go to Jerusalem.” That is, he determined to go. He set his course for Jerusalem. There is no turning back from this point. He is on the march to the cross. He will suffer, be rejected, die and rise again. This is why he came. This is his mission. He came to seek and to save the lost. At the beginning of Luke 9 he sent out the apostles with power and authority to heal the sick, cast out demons and preach the gospel. Now, given the urgency of the hour, he sends a larger group. He sends them ahead into those areas he is about to enter. Who are these folks? We don’t know. We are told he appointed 72 “others” so these are in addition to the 12. But that’s all we know. We don’t know their names. As far as we know they held no “office.” These are just folks he appointed/commissioned to join him in his work. Ministry is not limited to the 12. There is much discussion about the number sent. Some manuscripts have the number 72 others have the number 70. Is the number symbolic? Some have connected it with the number of elders appointed to assist Moses with his burden. That story is recorded in Numbers 11. Moses said, “This work you’ve given me is more than I can bear.” The Lord instructed him to call out 70 elders to join him in the work. The spirit fell and the 70 prophesied. There were two others in the camp who did not go out with the others. They too prophesied. So interestingly, you have the number 70, those who went out, and the extra 2 – 72! Others connect the number with the nations listed in Genesis 10. The implication being that the gospel is for the nations (which is in keeping with Luke’s emphasis of Jesus as the Savior of the world).
I don’t know whether the number is important or not.
We are not given enough information in the text to determine that one way or another.
I do know this account is unique to Luke’s gospel.
Let’s consider the text – Luke 10 beginning with Luke 10:1…
Thesis: The sending out of the 72 graphically portrays the missionary mandate of the church.
There are 4 things I want to call to your attention from this text.
- Our mandate demands we see the enormity of our task and earnestly plead for the Father to thrust laborers into the harvest. (10:1-2)
- Our mandate demands we accept the inherently hostile nature of the task assigned. (10:3)
- Our mandate demands we trust wholly in the Father’s provision. (10:4-9)
- Our mandate demands we warn others of the horrifying consequence of unbelief. (10:10-16)