The Return of the Seventy-Two
Notes
Transcript
Opening Illustration
Opening Illustration
J. Oswald Sanders, the General Director of Overseas Missionary Fellowship and author of more than forty books on the Christian life, once said:
“Lest we be we be terrified by our adversaries, it is well to remember that Satan’s power is not inherent...
But permitted.
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It is not unlimited,
But controlled.
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It is not invincible,
But broken.
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It is not assured of success,
But is surely doomed.
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Satan knows well that there is no ultimate victory for him.
The pronounced sentence has only been postponed.
But he works to hinder and postpone Christ’s final triumph.
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We can rejoice in the certainty of John’s assurance:
“Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
Beloved, that is wonderful assurance we have with Christ...
And that assurance is meant for us today just like like it was given to the seventy-two followers that Jesus sent out.
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So, please turn your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke.
We will conduct our study in Chapter 10 and focus on verses 17 through 20.
Our message this morning is titled, “The Return of the Seventy-Two”
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This message today will focus on the successful mission of the seventy-two...
Today we will also explore Jesus’ response as to why they were were able to perform some incredible miraculous fetes...
And what the seventy-two should be even more joyful about.
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So, this morning we will cover three main points:
1) God’s Victory
2) God’s Authority
And...
3) God’s Assurance
Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
Before we consider our text, please join me in prayer...
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Heavenly Father...
You are the who who deserves all honor and praise...
Thank You for Your love and patience...
And thank You for saving Your children.
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Have mercy on us oh Mighty and Awesome One...
And equip us which all we need to succeed in our battles with the evil one.
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Help us everyday to never forget the saving faith that you gave us that led to our salvation...
We could not merit salvation...
Only your grace cold save us...
Only the perfect and complete work of Your Son on the cross could wash us of all our sins.
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And it is in Jesus’s name we pray all these things...
Amen.
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Let’s turn to our text for today:
Reading of the Text
Reading of the Text
17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”
18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.
20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
So, let’s look at our first point...
1) God’s Victory
1) God’s Victory
Verses 17-18: The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
Our passage this week starts with the seventy-two followers of Jesus returning from their short mission trip.
That original commission was found back in Luke 10:1 which says:
1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.
Upon their return from this sending we find that the seventy-two are filled with joy...
For they had a successful mission and tell our Lord and Savior that even the demon are subject to His Name.
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Right away we can see that the seventy-two have the right attitude as they give God the glory...
They take no credit for the good works that have been done...
They make it clear that the demons are subject to Jesus’ Name.
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Next, we witness the Messiah’s response to this news.
Jesus then says, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
That is packed statement filled with many vital truths.
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So, let’s start by looking at one of the key terms from this phrase.
Let’s start be looking at the use of the word “lightning” which indicates not brightness but the suddenness of the fall of Satan.
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Additionally, let us consider that when Jesus says “I saw” it is an imperfect tense of the verb which given the meaning of “I was seeing ” which then suggests a continual process rather than a one-time event.
So, Jesus was there and saw when Satan first fell...
We see this recorded in Isaiah 14:12–15 which says:
12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!
13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’
15 But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.
Likewise, look with me at Ezekiel 28:12-15 which says:
12 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God: “You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared.
14 You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.
15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you.
As Jesus’s earthly ministry progressed we see Satan continuing to suffer loss and continue to fall...
As Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” He also had in mind His vanquishing of Satan at His temptation in the wilderness...
He also saw Satan’s fall in Satan’s subjection to Him by virtue of His own ministry of casting out demons...
Furthermore, Satan would continue incur loss with the crushing of Satan’s head at the cross which was a fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy found in Genesis 3:15 which says:
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
And his final defeat will be at Satan’s future sentencing to the lake of fire as seem in passages like Revelation 12:7–9:
7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back,
8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
And passages like Revelation 20:10 which says:
10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
So, the picture here is of Jesus rejoicing as He observed Satan’s kingdom being destroyed with one rescued soul at a time through the seventy’s evangelistic ministry.
Again, that would continue to be true throughout all the history of the church as God and the holy angels rejoice every time one lost and damned soul is recovered from Satan’s domain.
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As the New International Commentary on the New Testament on Luke says:
“A further equation can be drawn by way of interpolation:
To reject God is to align oneself with Satan, and to align oneself with Satan is to place oneself in the position of being cast down in judgment.”
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So, we see a great warning here...
Anyone who follows Satan is going to find themselves on the losing team...
For Jesus has destroyed, is destroying, and will totally destroy every work of Satan and his demons...
Just look at what it says in 1 John 3:8:
8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
Likewise, be encouraged by passages like Romans 16:20 which says:
20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
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Beloved, the very reason that Jesus became incarnated and took on flesh was to defeat the power of death and Satan...
For this was necessary to save us, His children.
As Hebrews 2:14 says:
14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,
So, all of this is part of God’s perfect plan.
And in that perfect plan God chooses to use us in his service to battle Satan and his demons...
He has given us authority to tread on evil forces...
He has insured that none of Satan’s schemes can destroy those who are in the Redeemer's hands...
And this takes us to our next point.
2) God’s Authority
2) God’s Authority
Verse 19: Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.
The statement by Jesus, “I have given you authority” refers to Jesus’ great power over demons that has been delegated to his disciples...
In the Gospel accounts we have seen this authority given to the twelve...
We have seen this authority given to the seventy-two...
And we have even seen other believers given this authority...
As it says in John 14:12:
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
Likewise, take a look at what it says in Revelation 12:11:
11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
Beloved, there is power in the blood of Jesus!
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Putting one’s trust in Jesus means that the Holy Spirit that is now in you will help you to overcome the evil one and his minions...
Just take a look at what John the Beloved says to believers at all different spiritual levels as recorded in 1 John 2:13–14:
13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father.
14 I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
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Next, let’s look at the terms “serpents and scorpions” which represent symbols of demonic opposition as both serpents and scorpions where well-known symbols for evil.
So, Jesus is saying that absolutely nothing can conquer those who belong to Jesus...
This same truth is also found in Romans 8:31–39 which says:
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Did you see that, Beloved?
Satan and his fallen angels can’t separate a true ans genuine believer from Christ...
Death can’t separate us from Him...
Rulers can’t separate us from Him...
Things present can’t separate us from Him...
Things to come can’t separate us from Him...
Nothing in all of creation can’t separate us from Him...
Including Satan and his demons...
They can’t separate us from Him!
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Beloved, don’t ever forget that...
As John 10:28-30 says:
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
30 I and the Father are one.”
In the face of the evils of this world...
Remember this amazing truth!
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Likewise, remember to be prepared for all spiritual battle by armoring up!
Put on the whole armor of God and you will be able to stand up to the Devil...
Not by your own might but by His power and might!
As Ephesians 6:10–13 says:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
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As amazing as it was for the seventy-two to cast out demons...
Jesus made sure to remind them of a greater joy that they need to focus on...
And this takes us to our third and final point.
3) God’s Assurance
3) God’s Assurance
Verse 20: Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
It is true that, if God allows it, Satan may bring upon us trials into our lives as he did to Job, Peter, and Paul.
However, he can never take away our salvation.
He can never separate us from the love of God.
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You see Beloved, the cause for that confidence lies in the final reason for the seventy’s rejoicing.
The seventy-two followers’s true joy should arise not from missionary accomplishments but from their eternal salvation.
Believers’ knowledge that their names are recorded in heaven and that their names will never to be blotted out far surpasses all earthly joys!
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The word “rejoice” is a present imperative and speaks of continual rejoicing.
In fact, as the Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament on Luke says:
“The book indicates that the disciples are personally known by God and that their eternal presence before him is certain.
As such, this final word is one of comfort and encouragement, for in this context it means that the evil one’s power cannot remove their secure position before God.
Disciples can rejoice in this important truth.
While Satan is cast down from heaven, disciples are a part of the heavenly census.”
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The reality is that although we started off in the darkness...
Once Jesus saved us...
We were transferred to the light...
Or as Colossians 1:13 puts it:
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
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Likewise Beloved, be assured...
The end of the story is already written...
Jesus conquers the forces of evil and those who are His followers will be with Him for all eternity...
As Revelation 17:14 says:
14 They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”
Those who are called the chosen...
Those who are called the faithful...
Those who are conquerors through Christ...
They are the ones who from an eternity past had there names written in the Book of Life...
And having one’s name inscribed by God’s electing grace in the Lamb’s Book of Life is reason for even greater joy than effectiveness in advancing the kingdom.
Revelation 3:5 says it plainly:
5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
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Church, we must remember what it says in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11:
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,
10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
This same truth is found in Revelation 21:27 which says:
27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Only those who are born again will find their names in the Book of Life...
And the joy to know that one’s name in found in that book is a joy that surpasses all other joys!
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To know if one’s own name will be found in the Book of Life is no secret mystery...
It is possible to know if one is saved while liking on this earth...
It is possible to have a genuine assurance of our salvation...
As Philippians 4:3 points out...
Paul understood that his fellow coworkers in the faith had their names in the Book of Life...
That passage says:
3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
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Beloved, our assurance has nothing to do with our ability to earn salvation...
Our assurance is in Jesus work...
Our assurance is in God’s faithfulness...
Our assurance is in the promises of God...
Like it says in Romans 10:9-10:
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Since we know that God is no liar...
Then we can trust in this promise...
If we are genuine in our faith like the seventy-two followers were...
Then we know from now that our names will appear in the Book of Life and that is something to be overjoyed about!
Closing Illustration
Closing Illustration
So, as this message comes to a close...
I would like you to consider this:
An elderly man said to Harry A. Ironside,
“I will not go on unless I know I’m saved, or else know it’s hopeless to seek to be sure of it.
I want a definite witness, something I can’t be mistaken about!”
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Ironside replied,
“Suppose you had a vision of an angel who told you your sins were forgiven.
Would that be enough to rest on?”
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“Yes, I think it would.
An angel should be right.”
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Ironside continued,
“But suppose on your deathbed Satan came and said,
‘I was that angel, transformed to deceive you.’
What would you say?”
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The man was speechless.
Ironside then told him that God has given us something more dependable than the voice of an angel.
He has given His Son, who died for our sins, and He has testified in His own Word that if we trust Him all our sins are gone.
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Ironside read 1 John 5:13:
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.
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Then he said,
“Is that not enough to rest on?
It is a letter from heaven expressly to you.”
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God’s Spirit used that to bring assurance to the man’s heart.
Closing Prayer
Closing Prayer
Let’s pray...
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Heavenly Father...
If anyone hearing this message right now does not know You in a saving way...
Let them know that they are in danger...
And soften their heart to respond to your Gospel message...
And may they repent and believe and find their name in the Book of Life!
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I appeal to Your Name’s sake!
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For those hearing this message who already know You...
Give them full assurance that they are saved...
Give them assurance that they are in the Savior’s hand and can never be plucked out...
And give them assurance that their names are in the Book of Life and those names can never be removed!
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Again, I appeal to Your Name’s sake!
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It is in Jesus’s name we pray all these things...
To God be all the glory.
Amen.
