Mission: Montrose (He Wants Me, So Now What?)

This is from the AM worship service at Montrose Baptist Church on September 27, 2009.


In the early nineties in India, a young woman named Alila stood on the beach holding her tiny infant son close to her heart. Tears welled in her eyes as she began slowly walking toward the river’s edge. She stepped into the water, silently making her way out until she was waist deep, the water gently lapping at the sleeping baby’s feet. She stood there for a long time holding the child tightly as she stared across the river. Then all of a sudden in one quick movement she threw the six month old baby to his watery death.
Native missionary M.V. Varghese often witnesses among the crowds who gather at the Ganges. It was he who cam upon Alila that day kneeling in the sand crying uncontrollably and beating her breast. With compassion, he knelt down next to her and asked her to explain what was wrong. Through her sobs and cries, she explained, “The problems in my home are too many and my sins are heavy on my heart, so I offered the best I have to the goddess Ganges. I offered my firstborn son.”
Brother Varghese’s heart ached and broke for the desperate woman. As she continued to weep, he gently began to tell here about the love of Jesus, and through His sacrifice, her sins could be forgiven. After hearing such news, she looked at this missionary strangely. “I have never heard that before,” she replied through her tears. “Why couldn’t you have come thirty minutes earlier? If you did, my child would not have had to die.”
The reality is that millions of people come to that same holy sight- in the Indian city of Hardwar to bathe in the River Ganges. They come believing that this Hindu ritual with was their sins away. Unfortunately for many of them like Alila, missionaries are arriving too late. They are arriving too late because there simply are not enough faithful brothers and sisters answering the call to the mission field.
When we hear that story, my first reaction was to fight back tears. Truly, this is a tragedy. However, there might still be the tendency to dismiss this story as an unfortunate foreign occurrence. I doubt seriously that any of us have heard of a baby being offered in the Mississippi to atone for the sins of their family. But that does not mean that people are not desperate and hurting. While we might not know of local stories that are exactly like this one, I can assure you that we people here in our backyard that are just as desperate to find relief from the guilt of sin, and a break from the difficulty of life.
They might not have offered their firstborn, but I can guarantee you there are those that are following similar ill-fated hopes at relief.
There are those that are living lives of bondage in legalism, somehow believing that their best efforts are going to be good enough for redemption and heaven. Others are trying to drown it in alcohol. Still more are trying to escape through drugs and substance abuse. Some attempt to fill that void with inappropriate relationships. The list is endless.
Even in our towns, there are those that are empty and desperate. And I’m afraid that, if we are completely honest, many of them would ask us the same question Alila posed to Brother Varghese. They would wonder where we have been, and why we have not come earlier.
I want to ask you as we continue to dig into Christ’s commissioning of “another” seventy that he appointed to serve as missionaries and ambassadors.

Read text. (Luke 10:3-4)

If you recall last week, we looked at the identity of the personnel and were reminded that every believer is commissioned to take the gospel to a lost and dying world. It is not merely for professionals. We also considered the partnerships that are present in that endeavor- between each other and Christ Himself. We then considered the prospect of a great harvest and finished with our duty to petition God for additional workers.
As we move forward in Christ’s address, there are four more elements that we must recognize. The first element present in our passage today is…

1.) The Authority of the Sender (v. 3)
“Go; behold, I send you out…”
When you look at this particular portion of Christ’s address to this seventy, it may seem that there is a correlation between this passage and another.
Where else in Scripture can we find the command “go” as it relates to missions?
Jesus tells the other seventy here in Luke 10 to “Go.” And it may resemble the Great Commission in Matthew 28 where Christ instructed “Go ye therefore…” However, there is a marked difference here. Certainly the Great Commission carries a connotation of a required movement. Typically, at first glance, it is assumed to be a verb that instructed His people to start moving. However, the original text in the Greek does not match.
Matthew 28 literally translates “As you are going,” where the word used here in Luke is “hypagō.” Where Matthew 28 is a present participle phrase, Luke 10 is an imperative command. It literally means, “Get going!”
When you combine the wording and intention behind these two passages, I believe that we get a more complete picture of Christ’s command to serve as His hands and feet in our world. I believe we can combine these two different accounts and it would translate, “Get going! And as you are going, make disciples…”
The call to action is apparent all through the gospel. However, we need to establish the authority of the sender. After all, why would we listen and take action, if the person issuing the instruction does not have the authority to demand anything of us.
Once again, we need to cross-reference the Great Commission. Matthew 28:18 firmly establishes that Christ has the authority to demand whatever He will of His people. In Christ’s own words we see, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”
Christ has been given authority over everything- every person, being, situation, etc. There is nothing that is not subject to His instruction and standard.
You might be sitting there thinking, “Well, OK, Christ has authority over everything. What does that matter to me?” We need to understand the identity and authority of the person that is sending us because if we don’t we will never take action or remain faithful to that commission.
As a church, you have been wonderful in obliging to follow me in things that you might not have understood. However, if I simply tell you that I want you to do something you might do it for a little while. But if it gets difficult and taxing, there will be a time when you want to stop. And what would stop you? It is just the preacher.
We must understand that we are commissioned under the authority of Jesus Christ. And because of the greatness of His authority, we are not given the luxury of simply abandoning His instruction when it becomes difficult. We see the authority of the sender and then we must note…

2.) The Adversity of the Sinful (v. 3)
“Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.”
Now, before we go any farther this morning looking into the interpretation of the passage, does this sound pleasant? Is this a pleasurable picture?
Jesus told this group of seventy to “Get going, but be forewarned, you are going out like lambs in a pack of wolves.”
Now, I believe the imagery is pretty simple. What happens when lambs and wolves meet? Lambs become threatened. They are subject to attacks, injury, and trouble.
I believe that is an entirely accurate picture of how these men were being sent out.
So many times, we talk about victory in Christ. We love to quote passages like Philippians 4:13 that say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” However, we need to realize that our mission is not going to be free of bumps and bruises. It is not all going to be easy and pleasant.
As much as our society enjoys the “prosperity gospel,” it simply is not guaranteed in Scripture.
Just consider what this commission meant for these men. When Jesus sent out this seventy, they were going to prepare the way and proclaim the name of Jesus as Messiah. However, they were going to run into various belief systems. They were going to face a devout Jewish society that was going to, in large respect, regard these men as either pagans or blasphemers. They were going to face an unrelenting system dictated by self-righteous legalists that were unwilling to accept anything that would compromise their personal authority.
Telling these followers that they were going as lambs in the midst of wolves was an accurate picture of these men when facing traditional Judaism and the Pharisees.
And we must realize that the picture has not changed. There are going to be times when doors will be slammed in our faces. There are going to be times when we are not simply rejected, but cussed and threatened. It is inevitable that attacks will come. And we approach them like lambs in the midst of wolves.
There is the temptation in human emotion to defend one’s self. Even as Christians, when faced with attack and defamation, there is the natural desire to respond and defend. However, Jesus said they were being sent as lambs in the midst of wolves. What defense does a lamb have against a wolf?
We must understand the proper heart and attitude. It is not our place to attack. However, we go out in gentleness and love. We present Christ without militant methods.
There are two movies out that basically tell the same story. Through the Gates of Splendor and End of the Spear are both movies based on the story of Jim Elliott, Nate Saint, and the missionaries that worked with the Waodani tribe. (Just a side note- I hope to have a movie night and show this!)
The Waodani were extremely aggressive. In fact, they always carried spears to attack any threats that were present. One way that missionaries discouraged their attacks were to fire guns in the air if they became aggressive.
Perhaps, the most memorable and difficult scene in the movie was one were Nate Saint’s son asked if he would use his gun if they were in trouble. He responded with a “No” to his son. He explained, “We can’t shoot the Waodani, son. They’re not ready for heaven- we are.”
These five missionary men all gave their lives. They were all speared because of a lie that was circulated through the tribe about them. They were truly lambs in the midst of wolves.
We note the authority of the sender. We see the adversity of the sinful. Next, we note…

3.) The Adornment of the Sent (v. 4)
“Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes…”
Jesus addressed all of the potential questions these men could’ve had. He told them that they were being put in a vulnerable position. However, He further complicated the picture that we expected to see in His sending off of these followers.
Look at how Jesus instructs His followers to adorn themselves when they go out. He tells them, “Carry no money belt.” They were told not to carry gold, silver, or copper. They were not to make monetary provisions for themselves.
He then tells them to “Carry no bag.” Jesus is referring to a knapsack-type of bag that was used for carrying bread primarily. It was just a way of making certain that you had extra physical provisions for your journey.
So, they are already instructed not to carry food or money with them, but then Jesus expands the instruction. He also tells them to carry no shoes.
Now, would Jesus really further complicate this process by telling them to go barefoot?
I believe when we compare this account with a similar account of the twelve disciples in Matthew 10, we actually find that this is instruction not to carry an extra pair of sandals. If you look at Matthew 10, Jesus tells them not to take two tunics or an extra staff.
Now, why would Jesus do this? Doesn’t this seem to merely complicate this whole process? After all, what is wrong with being prepared for potential difficulty in the future?
I believe that Jesus gave these instructions, the instruction to carry nothing extra with them for a purpose. I believe He did this for two reasons. First, He did not want them weighed down or concerned with anything but their mission and purpose. Secondly, He intended to make provision for them. He was going to see that their needs were met.
While Jesus told His followers to carry nothing extraneous with them as they went, I believe that we should understand that to still be His expectation as well.
Do you know how many excuses we make as God’s people for not being active in our individual calls to ministry? And typically, our excuses are based around physical things. I am a prime example. I told God- once we’re done with school, once we are set financially, I’ll go.
However, Jesus did not want anything to stand in between His servants and their faithful service. We don’t have an excuse for neglecting our mission. Like those seventy, He is going to provide for our need. We must simply “Go.”
We note the authority of the sender, the adversity of the sinful, the adornment of the sent, and lastly…

4.) The Approach of Snares (v. 4)
“Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way.”
Jesus tells His missionaries to carry no money, no food, no extra provisions, and then He instructs them to greet no one on their journey.
Now, I don’t know if this is just me, but that doesn’t sound very conducive to a Mississippi mentality. Jesus doesn’t want me to carry extra food for myself or to speak to people on the way?
I believe we need to understand exactly what was meant by this instruction. Jesus was not instructing His people to be prudes. He was not telling them that they were superior or above those along the way. Rather, He was trying to protect the mission that they were called to fulfill.
Jesus told them to greet no one on the way because of the urgency of their mission. Greetings in those times between dignitaries and ambassadors were long and formal occasions. They often included parties, dinners, and lodging. They could last for hours or even days.
Jesus was trying to communicate to His people that their mission was so urgent that they did not have time for meaningless chatter and formalities. The eternal condition of the people of those cities depended on their prompt arrival and communication of the gospel message. They could not afford to be sidetracked.
Still that may seem difficult for some of us. However, let me ask you to be honest in your response to this question: How many times have you felt like you needed to share Christ with someone, how many times have you known that you needed to go and see someone to offer encouragement, how many times did you intend to go and visit that neighbor but something came up? How many times have you ran into someone at Jerry’s or answered a call on the phone on your way out the door and the visit was never made?
Jesus was trying to make certain that they understood the urgency of their call. It simply could not wait.
My former pastor told the story of a man that spoke at a Bus Ministry Conference that he attended as a young minister. The story was told of a bus minister in a church that required it’s bus captains to visit for three hours every Saturday. One particular weekend, this young man was sick. It was raining and dreary and he really wanted to just go home.
Finally, the three hour mark came and he decided that he was going to head home. But before he did, he prayed a somewhat assuming prayer asking God for permission to go home.
He couldn’t find peace. He kept feeling like he needed to visit this one family. He went and talked to the family- who happened to have five children. They agreed for the kids to ride the bus, and they began picking them up week after week to bring to church. As the weeks passed, one of the children walked forward. Then another. Then another. They all gave their lives to Christ. After this the parents began attending with them, and as you guessed Mom and Dad both made professions of faith. That entire family- everyone of the age to make a decision for Christ had surrendered their hearts and lives to Jesus.
A few weeks later, that same bus captain was making his Saturday visits when he came to their apartment- only it was roped off with police tape. Their home had caught fire and burned down- trapping the entire family inside. None of them survived.
Had this young man not been obedient, had the sense of urgency not been placed in his heart, I don’t want to think about what could’ve happened.
I am not saying that Montrose is going to fall victim to a disaster. However, we need to realize that our community simply cannot wait. Our message and mission is urgent. We have people in our own backyard that need to hear the gospel and hope of Jesus Christ. They need to feel the love and compassion of God’s people. They need us to go to our mission.
I want to challenge you individually, and us as a church. As an individual, we all have a call to answer. We all have unique missions to complete. I would urge you to make a new commitment to being the missionary you’ve been called to be.
And to us as a corporate church, I believe that we need to shift focus. We need to be a missionary sending and support station. Montrose ought to be our mission field and this church should be our hub.
I would ask you to pray for one another and for our church collectively as we seek to be obedient to God’s instruction.
Are you being obedient, are you going- or are you making an excuse? What is it going to take for you to answer Christ’s call to His service?