Living Hope Church Green River
9-15-24 Ambassadors
It is that time, if you have kids third grade and under, they want to go downstairs. They can follow Sarah downstairs, Sarah, what are you guys going to learn about today? Ooh, I know a couple people that wouldn't mind that happen in today. Most don't like it when we try to do that though, kind of weird how that works. Alrighty, well thank you so much for being here today. For those of you who don't know, my name is Pastor Ruben. Thank you so much for being here at Living Hope Church. We exist to experience and to share a life of hope that is only found in following Jesus. So, if you're a visitor here, there's a card in front of you. If you want to mind filling that out and dropping it in that box on the back, the box on the back table, for those of us that want to support the work that God is doing to grow His kingdom through Living Hope Church, it's just a place for us to financially give to support that work. But if you're a visitor and you wouldn't mind filling out that card and dropping it in the back box gives me a way to reach out and connect with you and see how we can better serve you. If you have your bulletins, there's just a couple of announcements I want to mention. One really big giant one is we've got two people here today that have decided they like cold water and we're going to go after the service today and we're going to go down by the river, we're going to have a great little barbecue and then so at 12 I'm planning on having hopefully food is ready by 12 and then probably about 1230 we'll head down down to the river and two people are going to profess their faith in Jesus Christ by identifying with Him by getting baptized and so please join us down at the park, Evers Park, I think we're going to meet by the splash pad, there's a gazebo right there that's where we'll eat and then we'll walk down to the river afterwards so super exciting, it should be great. And then tonight if everyone is not falling asleep after a big barbecue we're going to have a Bible study, we're starting it back up and so this first week we'll just kind of be discussion about what our plans are moving forward but if you're interested in a small group where you can come and we'll spend some time discussing scripture probably looking through a book and so but we'll be doing some Bible study but really it's a place for us to be able to connect, for us to be able to actually have some conversation because a lot of times I talk a lot and a lot of other people don't get to give their input and so a small group just gives a place where we can actually discuss not just what we're trying to study altogether but like the things that are going on in our lives and what it means to actually live out our faith and so we want to encourage each other in that. So that'll be starting tonight, six o'clock and we're going to meet just across the lot right here at the Parsonage 740 Bramwell and so that'll be Sunday nights at six o'clock at the Parsonage. So yeah, come show up, it'll be awesome. And then there's another announcement I want to mention that's not in the bulletin and that's because time flies really, really fast and before I'm ready for Halloween is going to be here and so I think what we're the plan for what I want us to do as a community is kind of twofold and that's first of all for us to be a part of our community with our own homes and so to open up our homes to share at a time when people actually come knocking on our doors and so I think it's a great opportunity for us to show the love of God by sharing with our community and that'll be Halloween night. But then a big part that I think it can be a cool thing for us as a church to do is there's two really big trunk retreats that I know of in the community, I think there's probably a bunch more but there's two that I know for sure, there's the one with Whistler Auto and then there's the one at the CDC and so my plan is for us as a church to have a vehicle at that for each of those but when I signed up for the Whistler one they said we have to have enough candy for 5,000 children. So if you guys want to donate some candy that would be great because that's just one of them so but if you're interested in like maybe designing like I'm not super artsy so like if you have an idea for like what a cool trunk for a trunk retreat would be for our church please see me and then also if you know other people that have a bunch of candy that they need to get rid of and have them bring it here to the church and we'll start collecting that so that we can hand that out and both of those I believe are near Halloween at the end of October. So that's coming up which sounds like a long time away to me but I blink and then it's like Christmas time so that's what I got. Alright any other announcements anything else coming up that I'm not thinking about right now? Awesome. Okay so today we are still in the book of Luke and thank you Steve for reading is a little bit lengthier of a passage today but this is this is fairly similar to something that we've discussed as a church not too long ago when Jesus sent out his twelve disciples and he sent them out on a mission to proclaim the kingdom and now here we're in this passage where Jesus is going to send out seventy people he's going to send out seventy messengers he's going to send out seventy of his disciples and he's going to send them on a mission okay and there's a title the sermon today ambassadors and so really what I want us to kind of consider today is what it means to be an ambassador because Jesus send out his disciples his twelve disciples on a specific mission for a specific time and here he's sending out these seventy disciples for this specific mission for a specific time and yet we are a part of the followers of Jesus and Jesus has sent us out he has sent us out with a great commission which is later on and we have a mission on from God that we need to be a part of and so even though maybe not everything for the seventy is exactly the same for us we can learn a lot about what it means to live on mission what it means to be a representative what it means to be an ambassador for the kingdom of God and also if someone's really good at English and wants to correct me I put on the whole bulletin an ambassador of God's kingdom but originally I had an ambassador for God's kingdom I don't know which is right if you know which is right you can come tell me if it's over for but I put a definition up for us today and I kind of want us to look at this really quick and then I want us to walk through the passage and so I wrote down an ambassador of God's kingdom is one who represents the king and faithfully relays the words of the king no matter the reception of the message and if I could encapsulate the entire twenty four verses that Steve read for us the first twenty four verses of Luke chapter number ten this is what I want us to walk away with is that these seventy disciples were sent out to be ambassadors or messengers and and it was their their key the key thing is that they were representing the king and they were faithfully relaying the words of the king no matter the reception of the message and and we so we can walk through the passage a little bit and see some of this but the first thing in the definition is that we represent the king and so if you looked in verse number one it says after these things the Lord appointed 70 others also and sent them two by two before his face into every city and place where he himself was about to go now this is this is really interesting because with with the twelve disciples it kind of seemed like he just spread them out into a whole region and he was still kind of in one central spot but here it seems like he's sending these seventy people as he's approaching these areas and so it's almost like you know ambassador messenger you know I almost have the the picture of like like newsboys or something like they're they're on the street corner they're crying out Jesus is coming the king the king is coming right and so they're just they're they're on the street corner they're calling out hey there's a guy he's almost here right and so literally they're they're they're they're giving a message but they're also like they're like representing Jesus right there's this kingdom this is like so for the record that this is twice he says this right but verse number nine he really gives the lowdown and what they're supposed to be doing he says heal the sick there and say to them the kingdom of God has come near to you this is their message this is what they went throughout the cities before Jesus got there they were saying the kingdom of God has come near to you and I think there's like some multiple meanings of what this might mean right like this is this is the ultimate message that Jesus began to preach repent for the kingdom of heaven it's it's at hand it's here and and here these messengers these ambassadors are going out into this thing and they're saying hey the kingdom of God has come near and I think they're the kingdom of God has come near for two reasons number one people who are part of that kingdom are there that's a really cool thing about our mission is we can take the kingdom of God to places where maybe it doesn't seem like the king is raining we get to be the representatives of Jesus even when Jesus isn't there yet we're we're actually like these guys were told to go like to go out and that's what Jesus has done with us see the beautiful thing the hard thing to understand sometimes is like you know Jesus is perfect and if everyone could just see Jesus like everyone would follow him except if Jesus was still on earth today everyone would be trying really hard to get to go see Jesus and instead what Jesus has done is he has enabled and equipped us and then sent us out to be his representatives to the world so not everyone has to go to Jerusalem to meet Jesus instead they get to meet Jesus where we go we are representatives of the king as an ambassador we're supposed to go out before the king prepare the way for the king to declare the message of the king we're we're supposed to be on the street corner telling people the king is coming this is our cry this is what God has enabled and commissioned us to do to be his representatives in the world but also for these 70 is pretty unique because they got to say hey guys the kingdom is coming and here comes the king and they got to point to him as he walked in the city as he walked in the town what a what a beautiful and unique thing that we that these disciples had and the truth is we can experience this as well when we represent the king and we speak the words of the king then we can see new followers of Jesus and we can begin to see their eyes open and to see their lives changed and we can see the king reigning here on earth today and the prayer the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray that kingdom come that will be done here on earth as it is in heaven and as ambassadors we get to represent the king and we get to relay the message of the king I want us to note before we move on in this that the last part of that definition is no matter the reception we we preach the message that Jesus gives us to to preach we don't get to change it we don't get to make it successful we don't get to make it a failure as we look at this like Jesus sends them and he tells them right there's there here's what you do with people listen to you you stay there you keep preaching you keep being a representative like you let the peace rest on that place right if a son of peace is there your peace will rest on it and if not return to you but he tells them to heal this sick and to say the kingdom of God has come near to you so if people accept the message what is the message the kingdom has come near to you if they accept it then we walk with them then we then we we get to continue in peace and joy and like it's beautiful when people accept the king we get to like live together it's beautiful it's wonderful but there will be those who reject the king there will be those that hear about the coming king and would rather fight against that king then worship that king and for the ambassador for the messenger the message does not change literally Jesus tells them to say the same exact thing but whatever city you enter and they do not receive you go out into the streets and say the very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you never the nevertheless know this the kingdom of God has come near to you the message doesn't change listen as an ambassador of Jesus we don't get to change the message just to make it more effective we don't get to change the message so it's more acceptable to the other people we don't get to tell the king what he believes the king tells us what to say and we speak with the king says and it is not it is not the job of the ambassador to make people accept or reject the message of the king it's it's our job to faithfully represent and relay the message of our king so we we are ambassadors we are called no matter the reception no matter the opposition listen that Jesus actually talks about it here's here's the really cool thing when we represent or when we preach the gospel when we share the story of Jesus Christ and then maybe we face persecution or we face rejection or we or maybe there's relationships that are stunted or broken because we are relaying the message of the king what we need to remember is that we are an ambassador Jesus says this verse number sixteen he who hears you hears me he who rejects you rejects me when we are faithful and we don't change the message when we do what God has told us to do what he has equipped and enabled us to what he has commissioned us to do when we face trials when we face hardship when we face rejection or persecution we can rest in the knowledge that they're not rejecting us they're rejecting the king and instead of being defensive and instead of being like ready to fight them because they're rejecting us and hurt on our own instead we'll be broken hearted because they're missing out they're missing out on the reign of the king of all creation and created them and loved them and paid the penalty of their own sins we need to be ambassadors we need to represent our king and we need to relay the message the words of the king the story of the gospel we need to share the gospel no matter the reception to it and so from this passage I just want to look at a couple things and then we might get out early and talk fast today for visitors that's new that does not happen so if I just talk about how long I know I'm just here's a few points if you have a bulletin here's a few things about being an ambassador of Jesus now the key is I believe our mission is to represent the king and to relay his message no matter that the response right and so this is the mission of us as followers of Jesus as he sends us out we represent and we relay we preach the gospel but as we do this there's some instructions there's some ways that Jesus talks to these 70 disciples as he sends them out that I think can be really beneficial for us as we try to be ambassadors for Jesus and first of all is that an ambassador of God's kingdom should pray verse number two verse two he says this then he said to them the harvest truly is great but the laborers are few therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest you see there's there's an inherent recognition when we pray for this that it's not something we can do if we begin to get the idea as we look at the work that God has set us out to do and we start thinking about how our process or how our personality or how my spreadsheet is going to make this work then I think we've missed the point we should look at Green River and we should be brokenhearted and we should be overwhelmed with the need of the king to reign here there are people here that are worshiping the prince of darkness there are people here that are are fooled and blinded and living after their own lust and their own pride and we should be brokenhearted over that and we should approach the king who has all power and authority over all of creation and beg him for help we need more help we can't do this alone I mean I look around this room I think there's some great people in this room I'm truly excited about doing this work with you guys we can't do it alone are you kidding? Green River is like a lot of people I uh man I'm trying to think I don't know I'm really bad with numbers 12,000 we're almost 12,000 people in Green River is that right okay so if we just guess around 12,000 I think I think I went to a convention once and there was almost like 10,000 people at this convention building that's way too many people I was way too many people in one building I'm just saying but like do we understand the scope of what God has called us to do we are to be ambassadors we're supposed to be crying out the message of of the coming king that the good news that God has made away for all of us to receive forgiveness of our sins and and to live with him and as we look at the community we should be brokenhearted and it should drive us not to trust in our own selves but it should drive us to our knees we need to be praying as we need as we look at our families as I look at my children how dare I ever think I can raise them to be great members of God's kingdom apart from him I can't do it I can't leave this church I can't reach this community without the work of God and without God sending more people to do the work we need each other in this as well this is not something we can do alone we need to trust God and we need God's people and so we need to pray for him pray for him to send more pray for him to work so we pray an ambassador of God's kingdom should pray but also secondly an ambassador of God's kingdom should be gentle I should have rewritten this one it's election season we're not supposed to be gentle right now right verse number three Jesus says to the 70s says go your way behold I send you out as lambs among wolves we should be gentle listen there there's a time and place where God will call us to stand up and to be bold and God me God uses people like John the Baptist who aren't afraid to speak truth to authorities and God uses all kinds of different personalities but as we stand as a representative of Jesus we need to recognize that we do what Jesus did and when he was accused he kept his mouth shut and when he was beat and stricken and whipped there's a lamb to the slaughter silent and we need to be gentle we are representatives of Jesus we are not building our own kingdom we are not fighting for our own kingdom we are representatives of Jesus and we should treat people the way that Jesus would treat them and we should love people the way that Jesus loves them it is not time to start a holy crusade against green river it is time for us to go out into this community and even if they reject us and even if if we're cast out for us to turn and say the kingdom of God has come here to you your king has come he has paid the price of your sins he has laid down his life and he cried out on the cross father forgive them let us be gentle Philippians Paul tells us let your gentleness be known to all men the Lord is at hand and if we were to look at this as a strategy there's a proverb that helps us it says a soft answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger the tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly but the mouth of fools pours forth delicious we should be a lot less quick to defend ourselves and to fight for our rights instead the mind of Christ should be in us who humbled himself and was willing to lay down his life for those that were rejecting him we represent Jesus let's be a good representative of Jesus and be gentle as he is an ambassador of God's kingdom should pray an ambassador of God's kingdom should be gentle and an ambassador of God's kingdom should be dependent on God that there's a specificity to the command here to these disciples as he sends them out that I don't think is an entire command for us he tells them he says verse four carry neither money bag knapsack nor sandal and greet no one along the road and so I don't think this is a command for us in our day and age actually Jesus in the I think it was leading up to the garden I didn't write down the passage I apologize but Jesus tells his disciples hey you remember when I sent you out without a money bag did I take care of you did you lack for anything and it says we lacked for nothing you took care of us and then Jesus says so now it's time to take your bag and it's time for you to go and it's time for you to work and it's time for you like he sends them out with a new mission and this is the calling that we're under to go into all the world and to take what is required but in all of this is still the message that we are entirely dependent on God for all provisions. Listen let's not be foolish with our money and spend it on a big giant boat because we're going to go witness to all the other people on the lake like if God gives you a boat and you get to go fishing great build relationships with people on the lake I might get myself in trouble I'm convinced God does not care if you own a boat God cares if you honor him with your boat God does not care if you own a house God cares that you honor him with your house God does not care if you own 40 clothes 40 um cloaks right when he sent his disciples out he said don't take an extra one I don't think God cares if you have two cloaks God cares that you honor him with those two cloaks how are the things that you have how are the things that God has provided you with how are you using that to be a good representative of God's kingdom if God provides how do we honor him with it and it's not just the provision but it's also direction he literally tells them if if you go to this house and they accept you then stay with them but if you go and they reject you wherever we go as we go we trust that God leads we something I tell you I've spent my life trying to design how it should be I spent years during covid trying to not covid sorry different calamity um during obama care to try to figure out how to have health insurance for my family because it's outrageously expensive and when you have three kids like it's yeah like like I think insurance for my through my company was I think 70 percent of my income through the company if I were to pay for my wife and kids and myself yeah that's not happening I got a second job I changed jobs I was so much of my life was driven by this desire that oh I've got to do this I've got to take care of my family and and and and through it all now looking back I'm convinced God led me to a moment where I was on a I was on a rig and it was like God was showing me everything I could have I could have everything I designed but it was not what God led to it's not what God called me to why why do you make the decision why do you go where you go why do you choose to do what you do is it just for yourself or are you seeking to be a good representative of the king are you an ambassador are you dependent for every decision in your life that you do what the king tells you to do an ambassador of God's kingdom lastly here an ambassador of God's kingdom should have joy should have joy verse number 18 he says to them or let's read 17 17 and the 70 returned with joy and they said Lord even the demons are subject to us in your name Jesus like he says I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven behold I have given you of the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you oh this is getting exciting huh you guys ready to go storm the gates of hell yeah let's do this they got no power over me but here's what Jesus says nevertheless do not rejoice in this do not rejoice that the spirits are subject to you but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven listen God has equipped us and God has sent us out on a mission and when we spend our life dependent on him accomplishing his mission growing his kingdom and not ours doing his works not because of us but because of him then then it amazing beautiful wonderful things can happen we can do the impossible because of what God is doing but we should never become prideful or arrogant thinking that it's for us we should be humble and we should recognize the joy that we have even if the demons not cast out even if we're rejected the joy I have the confidence I have my name is written down in heaven the kingdom of heaven the kingdom of God has come near and I'm a part of it this is our joy this is our passion this is what we can be excited about and and he says this afterwards he said blessed are those the eyes which have seen the things you see for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see and have not seen it and to hear what you hear and have not heard it we can we can have joy we can rejoice because we are part of God's kingdom and we have seen the things he has done and that should well up into us into a joy that cannot be touched by the troubles we face today wherever we go as an ambassador of God we should have the joy of God in our hearts because we should not be afraid of those that can only hurt the body no we fear the one that has power of her life and death and when I fear the one who has power of her life and death and I serve in his kingdom well actually I have life I'm not afraid of what can happen today because I have joy knowing that my name is in the kingdom of heaven and I will forever have life with the king the kingdom of heaven has come near have you experienced it are you a part of God's kingdom today it's as simple as just choosing to follow him to reject following any other king of worshiping or serving any other other god or creation but instead to worship Jesus Christ to lay down and surrender everything before him and ask him to be your god and your king accept his rule in your life be a part of the kingdom and if you are part of the kingdom god has given you a mission to be an ambassador to be his representative in the world today do you have the joy of god as a representative of him today are you sharing are you a good representative in the way that he is gentle in the way that he lays down his life for others do you do you speak his words his words ever on your lips that has be good representatives of Jesus today and for the rest of our lives and I'll give you a hint it requires a lot of praying so let's pray Lord we come to you today and we do need your help we need you we need your power we need your authority in our lives we need you to speak to us we need you to provide for us to lead and to guide us but Lord as you lead and you guide Lord I pray that we would respond enjoy and in celebration and in worship that we would honor you with our lives that we would be a good representative of you by the way that we live our lives by the way that we treat our families the way that we treat our neighbors and Lord as we as we represent you Lord I pray that you'd speak through us may it not just be our words but may it be your words may you speak through us may you live through us may you be honored and glorified before those that are not a part of your kingdom Lord we just pray that today you would put someone in their path that would speak to them that they would hear today that they need you that they need to stop following their own ways and follow you pray this all in Jesus name amen well thank you guys so much