Heaven Knows Your Name - Luke 10:1-20

The main point I will make this morning is that the greatest thing about you as a believer is not that God has chosen to use you.

The greatest thing about you, believer, is that God has saved you.

That is what Jesus makes abundantly clear in 20 verses after he has sent out disciples to do incredible things.

The greatest thing about you is not God who is you, but the guy is saint.

One point for a as you prepare to study God's word.

God teach us any more and your son.

God use us for your glory across this earth.

God remind us above all that you would call us truly God by faith.

We thank John chapter 1 verses 01 to 13.

John 1:1–13

Where John tells us that to all who believed and he received Christ, you gave the lights become children of God, and that's what we are.

Not because of the will of man or the blood in our bones, but because of the blood that's been shed for us.

Children of God.

And then what a good morning so far.

We've already celebrated baptism.

Uh baptism is something that Helen hates and that heaven celebrates, and so it should give us just a crumbling joy on some point to see someone uh show their faith and show what God has done in their life.

Hey, Luke chapter 10, verses 1 through 20.

Luke 10:1–20

Uh, this passage has to do a lot of it with evangelism, sharing our faith.

And when Jesus talks about sharing our faith or sending out his disciples to go and make more disciples, he gives two pictures.

Not that these are the only two pictures he gives, but he consistently gives two pictures.

Number one is fishermen going out to catch fish.

It's because some of his disciples were fishermen.

It was a great picture for them.

Hey, this is the boat of salvation from the sea, and we're going to cast a broad net and collect people.

And God is going to multiply what's in the net.

We're going to cast faithfully.

God's going to multiply the numbers of fish that are in the net, and we're going to bring them into the boat, the safety of God's family.

Follow me, and I'll make you fishers of men.

The other picture is one of harvest, uh, where Jesus says that there is a great harvest before us, and that we are to be good laborers of his field, uh, that we should collect those that have not known the Lord, share the good news of the gospel, and bring them into the fold, if you will, uh, by the work of God in our faithful evangelism.

The second is the picture for today.

And I just want to note something.

Though we're in Luke, and Acts comes chronologically later than what happens in Luke.

Luke is the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Acts is written by the same individual Luke, writing to the same individual Theophilus.

He recounts what happened after Jesus ascended and his spirit descended.

And he says that's what Jesus is continuing to do through his church.

Beloved, O Theophilus, I wrote to you concerning the things Jesus began to do.

Now I write to you, of course, concerning the things Jesus is continuing to do implicitly.

Well, in Acts chapter two, uh, well, Acts 1, God promises that he'll send his spirit, which will empower his church to share his gospel for his glory across the face of the earth.

And in Acts chapter 2, that happens.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

Um, but it was during a particular season of life in the Jewish culture.

It was during Pentecost.

Jesus had the Last Supper, of course, during Passover, 50 days later in the Jewish calendar is Pentecost.

And Pentecost was a time where the Jewish people all scattered out would come into Jerusalem if they were able, and they would celebrate Pentecost.

And it was like a harvest festival where we're thanking God for the great harvest that He has provided, harvest of wheat.

What's so funny is, I say funny, what's so interesting about that story is God has been proclaiming throughout his ministry a great harvest that would happen.

And at Pentecost, his Spirit descends, empowering his disciples to proclaim the gospel, and 3,000 people, many of which crucify the Messiah, celebrate new life in Christ, and get baptized like what we just celebrated.

A harvest festival.

What Jesus said would happen happened.

And it continues to happen every day where his people go faithfully, share their faith, and people are saved.

A harvest.

Three points this morning.

If you have an outline, you'll see on your paper.

The first, go.

The harvest needs laborers.

I'm going to read through this text slowly and we'll teach it throughout.

After this, the Lord appointed 72 others.

Okay, let's be clear.

Acts chapter 9, the very end of Acts chapter 9, last week, there were three potential disciples that were following Jesus on the way to Jerusalem as he turned his face there, ready to head to a cross, and he tells them of the cost of following him, almost as a disclaimer to say, Are you sure you want to follow after me so that you don't get halfway and then realize all for nothing?

Acts 9 · chapter mention Acts 9 · chapter mention

Because your life wasn't worth following me.

It's going to cost your life.

And so they turned back away.

And now, after that, those three potential disciples you read about in that in the end of chapter 9 and chapter 10, he sends out 72 others.

What do we mean by 72 others?

Well, Jesus didn't just have 12 disciples, he had a lot more.

The 12 were kind of a closer group of his that he appointed to be like unique apostles, and he sent them out to share the gospel in Samaria in the beginning of Acts chapter 9.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

Now we're in Acts chapter 10, and he's sending more, 72 others, a greater group of disciples to go and share the faith.

Acts 10 · chapter mention

What they've learned about Jesus and the kingdom he is promised and proclaimed.

Well, they go out, and one just picture we have there is okay, the mission of God is not dependent on just twelve, it's dependent on all disciples.

And he says this the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.

The word plentiful is literally polus.

It's Greek, and it means many, numerous, an enormous amount.

The harvest Jesus is referring to here, as I've already kind of mentioned, is people.

And so the issue Jesus is raising here in talking to these 72 he's sending out is not that there's a lack of people to hear about Jesus, but rather there is a number of people unwilling to go.

The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.

So he is helping us away from an idea that because our culture maybe celebrates things that are ungodly, unhelpful, damaging, and destructive both to the community and to the person, that God still works through his people to turn blind eyes to him, open them, and see the beauty of the gospel.

So we should not think people are too hostile to be won over to the Lord.

Nobody wants Christianity anymore.

Jesus looks at a broken world and says the harvest is plentiful.

The opportunity is great.

My father-in-law is a farmer, farmer in northern Missouri, big farm.

They have all kinds of crops.

They have wheat and they have uh corn and they have uh um beans.

And every you know season we go and visit him.

I'll ask him the same question, you know, small talk, and I'll ask, hey, how's the farm going?

Well, what I mean by that is, okay, with all the work you've put in, you have put a lot of gas and diesel in the engines that you need to run.

You have uh sown a lot of seed, planted a lot of seed.

You have walked and checked your fields consistently.

Uh you've you know broke sweat many days making sure things happen that need to happen so that you have a good crop.

I mean, you've prayed for rain.

My question in simple is will all the work be worth it?

Is all the work going to be worth it this year?

There's a lot of kind of hope with planting crops, just hoping that there's enough rain, but not too much rain.

There's enough sun, but not too much sun.

A lot of prayer goes into planting crops.

Will the work be worth it?

Well, Jesus says here, oh, it's very much worth it.

The harvest is plentiful.

The harvest is the time you gather everything.

There's plenty to gather.

Listen to me, it's almost as if Jesus is optimistic about the opportunity of people being one of the Lord.

The question is, are you?

Or have you resigned yourself watching the news and the TV and just kind of throw up your hands on your recliner saying the world's going to hell in a handbasket?

Maybe see with Jesus' eyes.

That is not his vision.

The harvest is plentiful.

You can almost see that with a smile on Jesus' face.

The harvest is plentiful.

Maybe we gotta be really careful here so that we don't take our calling and diminish it because we listen too much to cultural commentators about the state of the world.

Listen to Christ.

What did he say before he ascended to the right hand of his father?

As he gives his great commission.

Behold, I have all authority in heaven, in heaven and on earth.

That doesn't seem to leave much for Satan to take anything from him.

He says, Hey, the fields I'm sending you to, they're mine.

Go and get what's mine.

Oh, you should be not only ecstatic about the opportunity.

I know there's days of lull, I know there's days of difficulty.

I know that.

I'm not acting like the psalmist doesn't exist and the psalms don't exist in your scripture where there's lament and sadness and sorrow over the state of the world.

We're supposed to be salt on the earth.

I get all of that.

But look, you have a mission from the king who sits on a throne that will not come off his throne until he returns for you.

This is a mission that's gonna, it's it's empowered by his spirit.

Oh, don't look down and oh, just what do we do?

What is the problem that Jesus says?

It's not the harvest, it's the need for more laborers.

More laborers.

Jesus doesn't look at the world and say, there are not enough people ready to hear.

Jesus says, There are not enough people willing to go.

Will you?

He says then, since there are not enough workers, pray earnestly for laborers.

Pray for them.

God, would you send laborers into your harvest fields?

And it sounds as if then the primary work of his disciples, the 72, is to sit and pray.

And it partially is.

But what's beautifully ironic in this story is he says, pray for labors now.

Go.

He says, pray for labors.

You're the laborers.

Pray for the work you're gonna do and for those across the world doing the same work.

That God would empower them for his mission and that they would get to see the fruit of their labor as they faithfully share the good news of Jesus and what he's done.

Jesus tells them to pray for God to send somebody and then they discover they're that somebody.

You are that somebody.

You.

That's you.

You are those called to go and share the good news of salvation for everyone who believes, the good news of mercy and forgiveness for those who repent.

The good news of life eternal with God, without all the stain of sin, sickness, sorrow, and strife.

You're to announce the good news that you can have a relationship with your Creator who loves you and has proved it by sending his son to die for you.

You're called to go and share that message.

You're called to go and announce Christ.

So don't resign and recline with a newspaper in your hand and woes in your heart.

In fact, might I say, look to the king who has all authority over the land he sends you to and the people in it.

Repent of any spiritual surrender and lack of labor.

And get out there to the harvest.

You've got a job to do.

You work for the king and be glad.

The harvest is plentiful.

Jesus says, pray for laborers, but you are the laborers.

There's a group of people that I love, a ministry that I love and have learned a lot about, a church planting network that encourages all of their people to set on their phones an alarm at 10.02 a.m.

every day.

Now I know some of you have jobs where that won't work, but I do want to encourage you, if you can at all, to literally today set an alarm at 10.02 a.m.

indefinitely.

And at 10.02 a.m., I don't, service doesn't start till 10:30.

So uh, you know, you're not going to disrupt service.

Hopefully I hear it go off as you're walking in the building because you come early to greet everybody and meet everybody.

But would you set an alarm at 10.02 a.m.

every day as a reminder to follow Jesus' command here to pray for laborers?

Because the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few.

Make 10.02 your reminder.

Okay, I'm gonna wake up this morning.

I'm gonna pray for labors.

I'm working today, but I'm gonna pray for laborers.

Literally.

I'm encouraging you, maybe even now.

I mean, you can not listen to me for the next 10 seconds, that's fine.

Get your phone out, put an alarm on your phone, 10.02 a.m.

and pray for laborers.

This is me giving you the opportunity to do it if you want to do it, by the way.

All right.

Jesus makes a point here.

I'm sending you, this is before they go, I'm sending you like lambs to wolves.

Now, this is a recurring theme.

Jesus is headed to the cross and he calls those who follow after him to bear their cross as well.

Again, Jesus kindly gives disclaimers.

Are you sure you want to follow me?

It's gonna cost your life.

It's your life worth eternity with me.

Just as Jesus was led like a lamb to the slaughter, Isaiah 53, his people would be like lambs in the midst of wolves.

He says, I'm sending you to those who will come after you, and some of their bellies won't be full until you're dead.

This is a strange mission strategy.

All right, pray, go, but it's gonna be real hard.

People will hate you.

But that he knows what's coming, and that he sent them into that kind of work, so that when they go into that kind of work and they share the gospel, and Pete will hate them for it, that they're not acting outside of God's will, he knew.

As they persecuted me, they will persecute you.

Hey, we're not we're not winning the world by political strategy here.

I love politics.

We should be engaged in politics.

That's not how we win the world.

Say win the world, I mean win people to Christ, call them to follow after Christ.

Christ is the one that changes their mind, their heart.

But that's not the primary calling we've been given.

We carry a message, we love people, we speak truth, we suffer when necessary, and we do so trusting our shepherd to care for us, to be with us, for I am with you into the end of the age.

And we charge the gates of hell.

Gladly.

Jesus never promised that obedience would make us safe.

He promised he would be with us to the end.

To the end of the age.

I'm gonna go over the next few verses briefly.

Carry no money bag, no knapsack, greet no one.

I don't think these are timeless rules for missionaries.

I don't think if you travel to Africa or to Asia that you can't like bring shoes.

I don't think that's the point here at all.

I think the point is the mission is very urgent.

Don't take anything that would make you comfortable because life's not gonna be comfortable in the future.

He says, greet no one on the road.

I don't think he means that I can't ever talk to someone as they're walking necessarily.

I mean, maybe, but the point isn't you can't talk to people.

The point is you've got a mission.

I know where I'm sending you, that's where you're going.

Don't get distracted.

Sometimes greeting someone can turn into a lengthy conversation that really derails the mission you've been called to, derails what you're doing that particular day.

He says, Don't do that.

Go straight where I'm telling you to go.

Don't get distracted, don't waste time on pleasantries.

The mission's urgent.

So he says, verse five, whatever house you enter, first say to that house, peace be to this house.

And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him, but if not, it will return to you.

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.

Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you.

Heal the sick and say to them, the kingdom of God has come near to you.

I want to clarify something.

I think they were literally supposed to follow his command.

I just don't think he's setting a precedent for every believer everywhere to not say hi to people on a plane to Africa.

Does it make sense?

Okay, make sure I'm clarifying myself there.

Before Jesus tells them to announce the kingdom of God has come near, he tells them how to enter a town.

You find someone that's receptive to the gospel, receptive to you coming, you can say peace.

Peace be with you.

There's a point here.

I I don't think, you know, it's just like I'm not gonna hurt you, you know.

I think they're announcing the news that brings great peace between God and man.

And I think it also stands as a picture of a consistent problem in the Old Testament.

Okay.

In the Old Testament, God consistently used patriarchs, people, priests, and prophets to call Israel to abandon idolatry and to turn and serve the one living, true God that loved them and cared for them.

Do you know what happened?

Well, Stephen preaches a sermon in Acts chapter 7, and if you ever read Acts chapter 7, for 50 verses he shares a pattern, and that pattern was a problem.

Acts 7 · chapter mention Acts 7 · chapter mention

And that pattern was that God would send a messenger to his people, a deliverer for his people, and they would kill him.

They rejected the messenger, and every time they were rejecting God's messenger, they were rejecting God.

That's a consistent problem.

So Stephen says, I think by the time he gets to verse 51, he turns then to Jesus.

This is the great messenger and the great deliverer, and you have done the same thing.

Repent.

Jesus has come.

You've not received him, you've rejected him.

Receiving Jesus.

Jesus is a key point in the Gospel of John.

Those who receive Jesus have the right to be children of God.

Those who reject Him, it doesn't matter what blood's flowing through their veins, doesn't matter where they live, they've rejected God by rejecting his messenger.

Jesus is saying if a household receives you, enjoy that blessing, having a friend and helper, they'll help you share the gospel, they'll take care of you.

But if they reject you, you haven't failed.

They've rejected me.

Stay in the same house, eat what they've given you.

Don't keep moving around.

Don't keep looking for an upgrade.

Be content with what you have and serve.

He says it's okay to receive help financially.

It's okay to receive help with food and housing.

The laborer deserves his wages.

You're working for them.

It's okay that you receive a blessing from them.

Those who work for the gospel can make a living doing so.

1 Timothy chapter 5, verse 18.

1 Timothy 5:18

Labor is worthy of his wages.

Paul talks about this in 1 Corinthians chapter 9 through 11.

1 Corinthians 9 · chapter mention

The labor is worthy of his wages.

Receive what God provides, be content, stay focused on the missions.

And then notice this Jesus gives his disciples miracles to perform while they're there.

Let's be clear on miracles here for a moment.

Why did he do that?

Why did Jesus give his disciples miracles to perform as they go and share the good news of his kingdom?

Why miracles?

Well, miracles serve two purposes in Jesus' ministry.

Share this with you two weeks ago.

I want to share it with you again.

Miracles serve two purposes in Jesus' ministry.

The first, to confirm Jesus is who he says he is.

He can do things only God can do.

And so therefore, he must have come from God or be God himself.

And therefore, his apostles must have come from God and from the one who sent them.

They confirm Jesus and the message of his apostles, the message of his disciples, the message of his people.

Second, miracles not only confirm Jesus is God in the flesh, they give a preview of the kingdom to come where the stain of sin will be no more, where there'll be no more evil on the earth either.

And that preview gives confidence to all who might hear the message saying, Oh, what God has promised to do in the future, he can do no contest.

He can make everything right that has gone wrong because of the fall.

So when Jesus sends out the 72, he tells them to heal the sick and then say, the kingdom of God has come near.

Why?

Because Jesus doesn't want them to understand that the miracles are the point of his ministry.

They're not.

The point of his ministry is that the kingdom of God has come and will come.

A sign, miracles, are pointing beyond themselves.

When Jesus says the kingdom has come near, he's saying Satan is gonna lose.

Pushing back the powers of darkness, sickness, disease.

They cannot continue overtaking a person if I tell them or it not to.

Miracles give a preview of the coming kingdom.

So the disciples heal someone and they essentially say, then, do you see what just happened?

This happened because the king is here.

That's a point.

This happened because the king is here.

The greatest gift was nothing a miracle.

Miracle is incredible.

Can you imagine someone who's been sick all your life and then God dramatically heals you?

Publicly?

That gift's incredible.

The greatest gift is Jesus.

It's always been Jesus.

The miracles are meant to point beyond themselves to the Messiah, to the one that they had hoped for.

Jesus once again prepares them for rejection.

Verse 10 when you enter a town, 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.

This is a prophetic sign.

And a shocking one.

Paul and his companions do the same thing when they go to Iconium and Lysra in the book of Acts.

Antioch and Pisidia, that's where they do it.

Then they go to Iconium.

Couldn't remember.

Jesus gives them a clear prophetic sign.

We told you, you've heard.

We pleaded with you, but you rejected.

We have been faithful, now you will be held accountable.

Jesus as nevertheless, know this.

Tell them the kingdom of God has come near.

Again, this is sobering.

Your rejection of this message does not make it untrue.

If you don't repent, you will die in your sin.

We've got to go tell someone else.

Salvation has come.

You didn't want him.

I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

Sodom in the Old Testament, of course, received fire from heaven and was destroyed.

He's saying the judgment that's coming for those that have seen the miracles of Jesus and expected him isn't worth comparing to what they experienced in the Old Testament.

That's a sobering picture.

You knew he was coming.

You've seen his work.

You've heard his message.

And you don't want him.

You know that.

You know that what happened in the Old Testament?

Worse.

So the message here for a moment is, Christian, you will be rejected.

You're not called to manufacture every scenario so that every person you share the gospel with responds in faith.

You can't do that.

You can't open someone's eyes to Jesus.

I mean, you can literally like open their eyes.

You can't open their eyes to behold and believe in Jesus and to believe he is who he says he is and he's worth following.

You can't do that.

That's a weight you don't carry.

The calling you have is to be faithful, sharing what he's done, and relying on the Lord to do a work you can't, opening blind eyes and causing deaf ears to hear and receive the gospel.

Your calling is to be faithful.

You can't produce the fruit of faith.

You can't do that.

That's Jesus' job.

You scatter seed.

If it's received, you water it.

God causes the growth.

Your responsibility is to be faithful, sharing the message of the gospel.

Your job is not to manufacture a response, manipulate people into a response.

So you shouldn't feel the weight if someone rejects.

In some cases, Jesus says, you can walk away.

Pray, but you can walk away.

Faithfulness is, I lovingly and clearly told them, and I will pray that they receive the message of Jesus with joy, whether at first from me or eventually from someone else.

Be faithful to share your faith.

Trust God to do what you can't.

That's point number one.

Go.

Go.

Point number two, no.

This mission that you've been sent on has eternal stakes.

If you thought the message was sobering there, hear it again.

And you have to know the Old Testament just to feel how shocking Jesus' next words are.

Verse 13, woe to you, Chorazan, woe to you, Beth Seda, 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.

Every Jewish listener hearing Jesus would say, What?

Tyre and Sidon?

Those are historic enemies of God's people, pagan cultures.

The prophets spoke about Tyre and Sidon.

Isaiah talked about, uh prophesied against Tyre.

Ezekiel spends chapters describing the pride and the coming destruction of Tyre and Sidon.

These are not the places that any person would expect Jesus kind of holding up as favorable against towns in the region of Galilee, the Jewish towns.

What?

But that's exactly Jesus' point.

Chorazan and Bethsaida had something Tyre and Sidon never had.

They had Jesus' word and then Jesus in front of them.

And still he didn't repent.

They heard Jesus' teaching.

I mean they saw Jesus' miracles.

The kingdom of God came near enough to touch, and still they refused to repent of their sin and follow Jesus.

Jesus says, it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you.

Then Jesus, verse 15, turns to Capernaum, one of the primary centers of his ministry.

It's a town that had seen a lot of his power.

And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven?

You shall be brought down to Hades.

This is Jesus bringing language from Isaiah chapter 14, where Babylon with pride says, I will ascend to heaven, only for God to say, you're brought down to Sheol, to Hades.

Isaiah 14 · chapter mention

So Jesus takes this language from the Old Testament once pointed toward kingdoms against him and against his people, and applies that to those that saw his work, rejected him, and did not repent of their sin.

This is a kingdom against me.

They expected a Messiah, that Messiah came to them, he proved himself before them, and instead of repenting, they rejected him.

Shocking.

That's why Jesus says judgment, because they have seen so much, they expected so much, they knew so much, will be more bearable and tire inside.

What are we to think from this as believers today?

Well, think about that.

It may be somewhere that's heard him again and again and learn how to remain unmoved and unrepentant.

Jesus says, You are in danger of severe judgment.

You knew the word and were not moved by it.

You saw the word made flesh and you were unrepentant before him.

You can hear the gospel every Sunday.

You can know every song we sing and every song we don't.

You can be a Bible teacher.

You can be a pastor.

You can grow up around Jesus and you can still never bow your knee to Jesus.

Dangerous.

Dangerous.

Dangerous.

Don't get it confused.

We've said this so many times through Luke that knowing about Jesus is the same thing as knowing Jesus.

It's not the same thing.

If you know Jesus, you should know a lot about Jesus.

But just knowing about him does not save knowing him, bowing your knee before him and believing in him.

Jesus says, 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.

Real quick.

When they hear you, they're hearing my message.

When they reject that message, they're rejecting Jesus.

And when they reject Jesus, they're rejecting the Father who sent Jesus.

Every time you're sharing your faith, it is an enormous, uh, eternal weight.

Evangelism carries an enormous eternal weight.

When you share the gospel with someone, you're not just asking them to try church out.

There's nothing wrong in saying, come on, church, but that's not just what you're doing.

You are announcing the king, who he is, and what it means to follow after him, what he's done, and the right response to him.

And their ultimate response is not to you, it's to him.

That's what Jesus is saying here.

So back to when Jesus says Capernaum will be brought down to Hades, the picture is a reversal of what they would have expected.

A city who had uh extraordinarily privileged exposure to Jesus will be brought down in judgment.

Revelation, the very end of your Bible, the second to last chapter, sorry, third to last chapter, it's in chapter 20, talks about how death and Hades will be delivered up into the lake of fire.

This is why sharing the gospel matters.

Our mission has eternal stakes.

This is why responding to Jesus matters.

There is coming judgment for all those who would not listen to the good news that the God of the universe loves you so much to not leave you in your sin, but instead to send his one and only Son, God in the flesh, to bear upon himself the punishment that is due you, so that he remains just and he justifies you by the blood of his son, a proper sacrifice, taking upon himself the sin of the world, so that trusting in him and in him alone, you would be saved from the punishment of your sin, because he already bore it in your place, but rather you would be saved and enjoy him forever by grace, offered mercy forever.

By faith.

So will you believe?

Where there's weeping and gnashing of teeth.

So this is there's a day where judgment isn't just a warning, it's reality.

It's that day.

And the only thing that matters, or the thing that matters or is of most importance before that day, is how are you going to respond to the message of Jesus?

Your response has eternal stakes.

All right.

Verse 17.

I hope you hear that.

We've got a lot to get through.

I hope you're hanging on.

We all watch Netflix longer than this.

So verse 17.

The 72 returned with joy.

So they went out, rejected by some, received by others, uh, enjoyed meals, most likely.

Saw people come to know the Lord.

Uh, even the Lord did profound supernatural work that only he could do, miracles performed through them.

And they come back and they are ecstatic.

Jesus, you won't believe what happened.

Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name.

They're fired up.

And they should be, right?

The kingdom's advancing.

Satan's, you know, dominion's being assaulted.

The demons are subject to us.

And he said to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

Behold, I've given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.

Jesus is saying, you have no idea how significant the work you're doing really is.

Truly.

You have no idea how significant this work of mine I've given to you truly is.

The kingdom of Satan is collapsing.

Collapsing.

Evangelism does not is not only like eternally weighty, it has cosmic significance.

Evangelism isn't merely helping individuals improve their lives or merely changing their eternal destination, though truly it is.

It is Jesus keeping his promise to bring his kingdom here, to make everything new.

It is Satan losing until he's lost everything.

Every time someone turns from darkness to Christ, the victory of Jesus is invading enemy territory, for the kingdom of God will invade the gates of hell, and the gates of hell will not prevail.

So, Christian, be of good cheer.

Though your response to the gospel matters, as you go out and share that gospel, Satan cannot overthrow God's people ultimately.

He cannot prevent Christ from accomplishing his purposes through him.

In fact, you'll see this on the screen.

Jesus is sovereign over the powers of evil and the effects of sin in this world, and one of the primary ways he pushes back the darkness is through the proclamation of the gospel.

And then Jesus says one of the most important things, if not the most important thing, in this whole passage.

Number three, rejoice.

Your names are written in heaven.

I mean, Jesus literally just said, I mean, they're like, God, scorpions, demons, they're subject to us in your name.

And Jesus says, I saw Satan fall like lightning.

I will bring my kingdom here.

The gates of hell will not prevail against my church.

Everything will be made new.

There will be a time of no sin, sickness, sorrow, or strife.

All blessed in my presence.

But listen to me, what is the most important thing right now?

Hear me closely.

Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice in that your names are written in heaven.

Jesus says to happy people, excited about the work God has done through them, to find the source of their utmost joy in the fact that Jesus knows their name.

Jesus cares for them.

Don't find the source of your joy in the fact that hell knows your work.

Oh, but find the source of your joy in the fact that heaven knows your name.

Rejoice in that.

Your greatest reason for joy, what did I say at the beginning?

Your greatest reason for joy is not that God uses you.

Your greatest reason for joy is that God has saved you.

So don't ever let what God has done through you be more precious to you than the fact that God knows you, what he's done for you.

You a believer, your name's written in heaven and has been for quite some time.

It's etched in stone, never to be removed.

The Bible tells us that God has a heavenly list of those who belong to him.

You read about it in Daniel chapter 12, those who are written in the book.

Daniel 12 · chapter mention

You read about it in Revelation chapter 13 and Revelation chapter 20.

Revelation 13 · chapter mention Revelation 20 · chapter mention

Both speak of those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

John sees for a moment what heaven knows, your names.

Jesus is saying, You belong to God.

Your citizenship is in heaven, your future is secure with him.

That should bring you the most joy you can ever find in this life.

About a month ago, I was in Malawi, Africa.

I told you stories about it.

I had the opportunity to teach at a seminary in Malawi with about 55 or 60 pastors that were refugees from Congo and Burundi, and of course, some pastors from Malawi as well.

Well, the last day, after teaching a lot about the Bible and what it means to study it, and what it means to be a believer in Jesus, and what it means to teach your people to know Christ, love Christ, and serve Christ, the last day we were given an opportunity to share with the pastors our just final words.

Not a new class.

To teach, but just final words given to them.

And honestly, we were told this probably 10 minutes before we did.

And I was a little nervous about okay, what am I going to say?

What am I going to tell these pastors who have endured a lot more than I will ever experience in my life, most likely?

What do I tell them?

My final comments came from this passage right here.

Praise the Lord.

He gave me a verse just to share.

I said, and I quote, My brothers, the Lord may lead you to do incredible things in your ministry.

Lead revivals, baptize hundreds, plant churches, write books, see the village witch come to faith in Christ.

But listen, your identity is not ultimately in being a successful missionary or a gifted evangelist or an effective preacher.

Your identity is being in being a redeemed sinner whose name is known in heaven.

So rejoice in this, that your names are written in heaven.

The disciples are excited because demons know their authority.

Jesus basically says, be more excited, heaven knows your name.

I've already said it once and I'll say it again.

Don't build your joy around the fact that hell knows your work.

Oh, but build your joy around the fact that heaven knows your name.

If my deepest joy is God is using me, if my deepest joy is my name is written in heaven, there's a difference.

My deepest joy is God is using me, when ministry goes well, I might have to battle pride.

And when ministry goes poorly, I become crushed.

But if my deepest joy is my name is written in heaven, what can you do to me?

Ministry may go very poor.

But you know what I have before me?

Heaven's joy.

Jesus knows my name.

Other people may not know your name.

The one that matters knows your name.

Does he?

Personally?

Relationally?

Seriously?

Does your name bring a smile to his face because he's seen your name and knows your name and it's in a book?

Because you've heard the gospel and you responded in faith.

If your name is already written in heaven, you can faithfully share Christ as you're called to as a laborer and leave the results to God.

You may share the gospel and no one may ever come to know the Lord.

You may have a ministry that looks a little more like Isaiah.

You have a ministry that may look more like Paul, or suffering is imminent and present throughout, but many people come to know the Lord.

But Jesus gives the foundation for joy.

He knows you, he loves you, he saved you, and he sends you.

So let me just say this, church, I encourage you, set your lawns for 1002.

Pray for the lost.

Go share the gospel, invite your neighbor, tell your coworker, speak the name of Jesus, celebrate every person that God saves.

But at the end of the day, when you come home, whether someone believed or rejected, rest and rejoice in the fact that heaven knows your name.

That's your joy.

And that's your security.

Now go, be faithful, and let's labor.