We all live in the light of the beautiful profundity of the life, work, and message of Jesus Christ. Despite this fact, we can act and think and converse with one another as if such huge realities had no bearing on us. The original disciples struggled with this too, and Luke brings this out in his gospel account by recalling a much-needed dialogue about true greatness; he does this on the heels of writing about Jesus foretelling his death. Through giving numerous examples of what it means to have a prideful or humble heart, and by drawing out the truth of how children are an example to us of what actual greatness looks like, Pastor Daniel drives home the point that “the path to true greatness is trod upon not by the boots of the victorious warrior, or the cleats of a multi-million dollar ballplayer, or the wing-tipped business shoes of the CEO but by the cracked, blistered bare feet of the servant.” A desire to be great in God’s economy will only be satisfied in humbly attending to the needs of others and seeing their needs as greater than one’s own.

Summary by Seth Kempf, Bethany Community Church Staff

Our tendency toward self-reliance and human wisdom doesn’t simply disappear when we’ve made up our minds to follow Jesus. We see Him here dealing with those who knew something of the value of being near to the One who could feed a crowd with a single sack lunch, calm a raging storm with a word, or hang out on a mountain with prophets who lived hundreds of years prior. What Jesus showed, however, was that coming to Him on any terms and timing other than His own was completely out of the question. Pastor Daniel helps us to understand the seemingly harsh words from Jesus in this passage by reminding us that, “discipleship means certain loss.” This includes the loss of physical possessions, the loss of family, and in essence, the loss of everything. While this is a sobering reality, it is put into perspective through the reminder that disciples also gain everything in gaining Christ.

Summary by Seth Kempf, Bethany Community Church Staff

(Part II) What we know as the Great Commission may have really “taken off” following the ascension and Pentecost, but earlier times of sending also took place such as the one that we see in this passage. The instructions that Jesus gave at that time are similarly instructive for us today for the gospel ministry believers have been called to. In this two-part message, Pastor Daniel pulls out such principles to minister by, principles which all flow from the fact that we consider a harvest in need of workers and then proceed into it with compassionate hearts. Those who have experienced the grace of God through Jesus Christ are, in this harvest ministry, to pray for God’s grace, go into enemy territory, trust God’s provision, proclaim God’s peace, remain where God bears fruit, minister to the sick, and warn of God’s wrath.

Summary by Seth Kempf, Bethany Community Church Staff

(Part II) In as much as it is hoped that people respond to the gospel message they hear (as we are moved by the fact that “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few”), it is the sad reality that many will hear and choose not to believe. Jesus makes it clear that rejecting this message, dismissing this gracious gift of God is extremely consequential. While false ideas about who Jesus is, what His judgment (or lack thereof) looks like, and whether or not an actual place of hell exists are all controversies that make their way into the church, Jesus make some things very understandable through the text at hand. Pastor Daniel emphasizes, over this two-part sermon, that people must know there are eternal consequences for rejecting the gospel, that unbelievers will be sent to a place of eternal and conscious torment, that there will be degrees of punishment based upon one’s access and response to God’s revelation, that it is difficult to fully comprehend the reality and justice of hell at this point in time, and that God is perfectly just and right in His judgments. It is upon Christians then to warn people of God’s wrath and tell them of His gift of Christ.

Summary by Seth Kempf, Bethany Community Church Staff