Luke 10
Scripture:
[3] Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.
[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.
[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.
Observation:
[3] Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.
Not a friendly world for Christins to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
[5] Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’
We always want to offer the peace of knowing Jesus Christ as we share His gospel.
[6] And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you.
If their hearts are open they will receive the Word. If not, you have lost nothing to offer it to them,
[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.’
When the Lord puts people in your path who will receive the Gospel, you will know it. Help them to know what you know.
[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.
Being sent as sheep among wolves, there will be people God has not chosen to have open hearts. It’s okay to give fair warning about the alternatives to following the Lord.
Application:
In our obedience to God, we will share the gospel. There are many in this world who are against us and our Christian message of the Gospel. Be prepared to deal with them but do not be afraid.
While there are many very good apologists gifted in defending the faith and arguing the Truth with Atheists, many of us have not been given the same gifts in the same way. And I would say, that even in those heated debates between apologists and atheists, it’s unlikely the apologist will change the mind of the atheist, but it could very well change the minds of many unbelievers listening.
For those of us who are not gifted apologists, we should focus on those with open hearts and an ear to listen. God chooses them and he will put them in your path. Focus on them, not on the fixated haters with totally hardened hearts. Knock the dust off your sandals and move on. At his choosing, God will work on them in his own way.
Prayer:
Lord I love you and pray for obedience. Always let my actions be a reflection of you and give me the words I need in order to share the gospel in a loving manner to those you put in my path with open ears. Give me discernment to know when I should move on. Above all Lord, I pray I glorify you in all I do. In Jesus’ holy name I pray, amen.