Every fol\u00adlower was cal\u00adled to Jesus in order to be sent out from the\u00adre. The Latin term for this is Mis\u00adsio Dei (sent by God). When pas\u00adsing on the gos\u00adpel (=good news), moti\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon is cru\u00adcial. Jesus descri\u00adbes the only dri\u00adving force that leads to good results with the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing words: \u00abRejoice that your names are writ\u00adten in heaven.<\/p>\n
The first nine chap\u00adters of Luke\u2019s Gos\u00adpel main\u00adly deal with the ques\u00adti\u00adon of who Jesus is. Then the\u00adre is a chan\u00adge and the ques\u00adti\u00adon now is: What does it mean for peo\u00adp\u00adle if Jesus real\u00adly is the Son of God? The ans\u00adwer: being a fol\u00adlower! In this con\u00adtext, Jesus gives each indi\u00advi\u00addu\u00adal fol\u00adlower three things: a mis\u00adsi\u00adon, a mes\u00adsa\u00adge and a motivation. \tHow do you expe\u00adri\u00adence the dua\u00adli\u00adty of being cal\u00adled and being sent? What does the mis\u00adsi\u00adon involve? Every fol\u00adlower was cal\u00adled to Jesus in order to be sent out from the\u00adre. The Latin term for this is Mis\u00adsio Dei (sent by God). When pas\u00adsing on the gos\u00adpel (=good news), moti\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon is cru\u00adcial. Jesus descri\u00adbes the only dri\u00adving force that leads to good results with the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing words: \u00abRejoice that your names are in heaven\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7697,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[98],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-folge-du-mir-nach","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-7686","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"has-post-thumbnail","8":"hentry","11":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nMission
\n\u00abThen the Lord cho\u00adse seven\u00adty-two other disci\u00adples and sent them ahead two by two to all the towns and vil\u00adla\u00adges he was going to visit [\u2026] Now go and remem\u00adber that I am sen\u00adding you like lambs among wol\u00adves\u00bb (Luke 10:1, 3 NLB<\/span>).
\nIn Luke 9:1, Jesus sent out his twel\u00adve disci\u00adples to preach, cast out demons and heal the sick. Jesus did the same: he con\u00advin\u00adced peo\u00adp\u00adle of the truth, he freed them from the things that ens\u00adlaved them and he hea\u00adled them. Jesus work\u00aded to mend the torn and fray\u00aded fabric of the world. If we only had chap\u00adter 9, we would say that it is the cler\u00adgy, the employees of the church, who com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adca\u00adte and do the gre\u00adat things. We pay them and encou\u00adra\u00adge them to be cheerful and suc\u00adcessful. But now Jesus calls 72 more fol\u00adlo\u00adwers tog\u00ade\u00adther and equips them with the same mis\u00adsi\u00adon. Being a fol\u00adlower of Jesus means coming clo\u00adse to God\u2019s heart through Jesus in order to be sent out from the\u00adre. The invi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon to be clo\u00adse to God and the sen\u00adding out into the world is the basic rhythm of disci\u00adple\u00adship. Jesus bles\u00adses peo\u00adp\u00adle so that they can be a bles\u00adsing. He calls in order to send out. He heals in order to send agents of heal\u00ading into the world. The Latin word for mis\u00adsi\u00adon is mis\u00adsi\u00adon. Every fol\u00adlower \u2013 not just the cler\u00adgy \u2013 is on a mis\u00adsi\u00adon. Befo\u00adre a per\u00adson encoun\u00adters God, he is preoc\u00adcu\u00adp\u00adied and absor\u00adbed with hims\u00adelf. But Jesus takes care of our guilt and our shame, gives mea\u00adning and signi\u00adfi\u00adcan\u00adce and deep\u00adly satis\u00adfies the lon\u00adging of our heart. Even if we have only par\u00adti\u00adal\u00adly unders\u00adtood and expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced this, the\u00adre is no lon\u00adger any excu\u00adse for being absor\u00adbed by our own litt\u00adle pro\u00adblems. A fol\u00adlower is sent to be a heal\u00ading agent of God, to make new the torn fabric of the world.
\nThe focus of a suc\u00adces\u00adsor is on peo\u00adp\u00adle of all eth\u00adni\u00adci\u00adties. In the Sep\u00adtuag\u00adint, the Greek trans\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon of the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment. In the Sep\u00adtuag\u00adint, the Greek trans\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon of the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment, exact\u00adly 72 nati\u00adons are lis\u00adted in the table of nati\u00adons in Gene\u00adsis 10. So when Jesus sends out 72 fol\u00adlo\u00adwers, He has the who\u00adle world in view.
\n\u00abFor we are God\u2019s crea\u00adti\u00adon. He has crea\u00adted us anew in Christ Jesus to do the good deeds he has pre\u00adpared for our lives\u00bb (Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 2:10 NLB<\/span>). This is fasci\u00adna\u00adting: Jesus Christ has pre\u00adpared deeds in you that only you can do. Your expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces, your joy, your sor\u00adrow, your natio\u00adna\u00adli\u00adty, your age, your gen\u00adder, your com\u00adbi\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon of gifts are uni\u00adque. The\u00adre are hands that only you can hold, the\u00adre are needs that only you can meet, the\u00adre are demons that only you can cast out. The\u00adre are peo\u00adp\u00adle that God has pre\u00adpared for you to bring heal\u00ading to.
\nMessage
\nFol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus are on a mis\u00adsi\u00adon with a mes\u00adsa\u00adge. It is important to under\u00adstand that they are not just to talk, but to be the best of neigh\u00adbours (Luke 10:30\u201337). Today, howe\u00adver, I am focus\u00adsing on the mes\u00adsa\u00adge. The 72 fol\u00adlo\u00adwers are to say: \u00ab[\u2026] The king\u00addom of God is near you\u00bb (Luke 10:9 NLB<\/span>). And if they don\u2019t want to lis\u00adten: \u00abDon\u2019t for\u00adget that the king\u00addom of God is near!\u00bb (V.11 NLB<\/span>).
\nEvery fol\u00adlower of Jesus has been given a mes\u00adsa\u00adge to pro\u00adcla\u00adim publicly and ask ever\u00adyo\u00adne to belie\u00adve it. That is high\u00adly explo\u00adsi\u00adve. Many con\u00adtem\u00adpo\u00adr\u00ada\u00adri\u00ades would say: \u00abI have not\u00adhing against you belie\u00adving in Jesus. But don\u2019t cla\u00adim abso\u00adlu\u00adte truth and don\u2019t try to con\u00advert other peo\u00adp\u00adle.\u00bb The pro\u00adblem is this: a fol\u00adlower is sent out to preach the gos\u00adpel. Alt\u00adhough Jesus does not expli\u00adcit\u00adly use the word gos\u00adpel in this pas\u00adsa\u00adge, he often uses it: \u00abGo into all the world and preach the gos\u00adpel to every crea\u00adtu\u00adre\u00bb (Mark 16:15 LUT<\/span>).
\nThe term \u00abgos\u00adpel\u00bb means the news of an objec\u00adti\u00adve, histo\u00adry-chan\u00adging event that chan\u00adges the situa\u00adti\u00adon of all peo\u00adp\u00adle and to which ever\u00adyo\u00adne must respond. The\u00adre is a docu\u00adment that beg\u00adins with the words: This is the gos\u00adpel of Cae\u00adsar Augus\u00adtus. It was the decla\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon that Augus\u00adtus had ascen\u00added the thro\u00adne as Roman emper\u00ador. Heralds were imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly sent out to pro\u00adcla\u00adim the gos\u00adpel ever\u00ady\u00adwhe\u00adre. It was the announce\u00adment of a histo\u00adry-chan\u00adging event that affec\u00adted ever\u00adyo\u00adne. No one in the Roman Empire could say: \u00abMay\u00adbe he\u2019s your emper\u00ador, but he\u2019s not mine.\u00bb Every per\u00adson had to come to terms with the event.
\nIn 490 BC<\/span>, the Per\u00adsi\u00adans inva\u00added Greece and the Batt\u00adle of Mara\u00adthon took place. To everyone\u2019s sur\u00adpri\u00adse, the Greeks won. If the Per\u00adsi\u00adans had won, the Athe\u00adni\u00adans would have been defen\u00adce\u00adl\u00adess. To pre\u00advent panic from brea\u00adking out in Athens, they had to hear the gos\u00adpel as soon as pos\u00adsi\u00adble. An inde\u00adscri\u00adba\u00adble histo\u00adry-chan\u00adging event had hap\u00adpen\u00aded that was rele\u00advant to all Athe\u00adni\u00adans. So they sent out a run\u00adner. He ran the who\u00adle 42 kilo\u00adme\u00adt\u00adres from Mara\u00adthon to Athens. All he could say was: \u00abRejoice, we have won!\u00bb Then he drop\u00adped dead from the exertion.
\nIf Jesus were just a pro\u00adphet of God, his mes\u00adsa\u00adge could be seen as advice that can be accept\u00aded or rejec\u00adted. But Jesus claims more: \u00abI saw Satan fall like light\u00adning from hea\u00adven!\u00bb (Luke 10:18 NLB<\/span>). This means that Jesus was befo\u00adre the foun\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon of the world. He is not a crea\u00adtu\u00adre, but the Crea\u00adtor. He is God. If this is true, then his coming is inde\u00aded the gos\u00adpel, a histo\u00adry-chan\u00adging fact that demands a respon\u00adse from all people.
\nMotivation
\nThe gos\u00adpel of Jesus claims that someone adopts a new world view and chan\u00adges their life. This can\u00adnot be argued away. The decisi\u00adve fac\u00adtor here is the moti\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon of the mes\u00adsen\u00adger sent. If the moti\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon is wrong, the good news takes on a des\u00adtruc\u00adti\u00adve character.
\nIt says about the return of the fol\u00adlo\u00adwers: \u00abWhen the seven\u00adty-two disci\u00adples retur\u00adned, they told him with joy, \u00abLord, even the demons obey us when we cast them out in your name!\u00bb \u00bb (Luke 10:17 NLB<\/span>). Jesus does not like the\u00adse moti\u00adves and repli\u00ades: \u00abBut do not rejoice that evil spi\u00adrits obey you, but rejoice that your names are writ\u00adten down in hea\u00adven\u00bb (Luke 10:20 NLB<\/span>).
\nWhat\u2019s wrong with being hap\u00adpy that the evil spi\u00adrits obey you? The pro\u00adblem was that they were not hap\u00adpy about people\u2019s free\u00addom, but about them\u00adsel\u00adves, their aut\u00adho\u00adri\u00adty over demons. They belie\u00adved that this made them some\u00adthing. In anci\u00adent times, you were someone if your name was writ\u00adten. In every city the\u00adre was a scroll on which the names of the citi\u00adzens were writ\u00adten. Only the citi\u00adzens of the city were peo\u00adp\u00adle with names. The other inha\u00adbi\u00adtants were ser\u00advants, far\u00admers and employees. Rejoice that you are citi\u00adzens of heaven!
\nFol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus should not deri\u00adve their self-con\u00adfi\u00addence from their talent, aut\u00adho\u00adri\u00adty, per\u00adfor\u00admance or achie\u00adve\u00adment. This would lead to what brought Satan down, name\u00adly pri\u00adde. Tho\u00adse who act from this dri\u00adving force can\u00adnot repair the torn and fray\u00aded fabric of the world. Tho\u00adse who deri\u00adve their value from their ser\u00advice will put pres\u00adsu\u00adre on peo\u00adp\u00adle and mani\u00adpu\u00adla\u00adte them. Peo\u00adp\u00adle then beco\u00adme tro\u00adphies that you need to feel good about yours\u00adelf. When peo\u00adp\u00adle are dis\u00admis\u00adsi\u00adve, they threa\u00adten our per\u00adso\u00adna\u00adli\u00adty, our being someone. James and John expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced this and asked Jesus: \u00abLord, shall we rain down fire from hea\u00adven and burn them up?\u00bb (Luke 9:54 NLB<\/span>). Peo\u00adp\u00adle of the world are right\u00adly afraid of reli\u00adgious peo\u00adp\u00adle with the wrong motivation.
\nJesus sees pre\u00adcis\u00ade\u00adly the\u00adse ten\u00adden\u00adci\u00ades in this group and chal\u00adlenges them not to rejoice in their gifts, achie\u00adve\u00adments and aut\u00adho\u00adri\u00adty. Peo\u00adp\u00adle back then belie\u00adved that a book would be ope\u00adned at the Last Jud\u00adge\u00adment in which all the things we have done would be writ\u00adten down. If the good deeds out\u00adweigh the bad, our name will be writ\u00adten in the book of life. That is reli\u00adgi\u00adon. Jesus uses the Gos\u00adpel and says: \u00abYour name is alre\u00ada\u00addy writ\u00adten!\u00bb If a per\u00adson has beco\u00adme a fol\u00adlower of Jesus, then their name is writ\u00adten. And so the gos\u00adpel says: Rejoice not in what you do, but in who you are in Jesus. You are alre\u00ada\u00addy accept\u00aded! Regard\u00adless of how you live from now on, regard\u00adless of your per\u00adfor\u00admance, regard\u00adless of whe\u00adther peo\u00adp\u00adle belie\u00adve you or not. Rejoice in who you are in me \u2013 and you are always on the safe side. Abso\u00adlut\u00ade\u00adly accept\u00aded. This moti\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon is con\u00adstant and makes us fri\u00adend\u00adly and cou\u00adra\u00adge\u00adous. Cou\u00adra\u00adge\u00adous, becau\u00adse we pro\u00adcla\u00adim the gos\u00adpel regard\u00adless of what peo\u00adp\u00adle think. Fri\u00adend\u00adly, becau\u00adse my name is writ\u00adten in hea\u00adven, even when peo\u00adp\u00adle reject me.
\nAfter the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel crea\u00adted the gol\u00adden calf at Sinai fol\u00adlo\u00adwing the exodus from Egypt, God beca\u00adme angry. Moses then asked: \u00abBut I ask you to for\u00adgi\u00adve their sin \u2013 if not, then blot me out of the book you are kee\u00adping\u00bb (Exodus 32:32 NLB<\/span>). God repli\u00ades: \u00ab[\u2026] I will only remo\u00adve from my book tho\u00adse who have sin\u00adned against me [\u2026] Now go and lead the peo\u00adp\u00adle to the place I have named to you. My angel will lead you\u00bb (Exodus 32:33+34 NLB<\/span>). It was clear to Moses that a righ\u00adteous God could not over\u00adlook the people\u2019s actions and had to strike them from the book. Nevert\u00adhel\u00adess, he loved his peo\u00adp\u00adle and wan\u00adted them to be saved. He was pre\u00adpared to take the punish\u00adment upon hims\u00adelf. God says: \u00abIt\u2019s true. I can\u00adnot over\u00adlook sin. I have to can\u00adcel them. But I will con\u00adti\u00adnue to lead them.\u00bb This mea\u00adsu\u00adre only makes sen\u00adse in light of the ulti\u00adma\u00adte Moses to come. It was Jesus\u00bb name that was struck from the book. On the cross, he quo\u00adted Psalm 22: \u00abMy God, my God, why have you for\u00adsa\u00adken me?\u00bb Then: \u00abBut I am a man, not a worm [\u2026]\u00bb Becau\u00adse his name was crossed out of the book, my name could be writ\u00adten in. This is the only moti\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon that is never over\u00adbea\u00adring or explo\u00adita\u00adti\u00adve and with which we can joyful\u00adly bring the gos\u00adpel to peo\u00adp\u00adle on our mission.
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead the Bible text: Luke 10:1\u201321<\/p>\n
\n\tGod has accept\u00aded us in such a way that we should no lon\u00adger be absor\u00adbed by our\u00adsel\u00adves. How do you expe\u00adri\u00adence this in your life?
\n\tWhat is the ori\u00adgi\u00adnal mea\u00adning of the word gos\u00adpel? Do you deep\u00adly belie\u00adve that the coming of Jesus to this world is gospel?
\n\tWhat do you think about the gospel\u2019s cla\u00adim to abso\u00adlu\u00adten\u00adess in what we call a tole\u00adrant world? Are Chris\u00adti\u00adans allo\u00adwed to make such a cla\u00adim with their message?
\n\tWhat is the basis for a moti\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon that rejoices in the fact that our names are writ\u00adten down in hea\u00adven? What are the con\u00adse\u00adquen\u00adces of tru\u00adly belie\u00adving this in terms of our cou\u00adra\u00adge and kindness?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"