RATHER REJOICE
Luke 10:1 ¶ After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
Luke 10:17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. 18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. 21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. 22 All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. 23 And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: 24 For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
In verse seventeen of our text the seventy evangelists returned again with joy, but it was the wrong type of joy. For in verse twenty we find the Lord Jesus instructing them “in this rejoice not,” and following that up with the words, “but rather rejoice.” For believers are to have a spiritual and heavenly mindedness! Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. The kingdom of Christ is not physical, but spiritual.
One of the things which we are commanded to ‘mortify,’ (to make dead), are our ‘inordinate affections.’ That is, our fleshly emotionalism. Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: And this is a constant battle. For our fleshly nature is ever present with its carnal influences. John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Romans 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
One may start out preaching for the thrill of preaching, but that will soon fade away. For if he is a God-called minister to preach the gospel he must remain stedfast for the remainder of his life. 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. And in order to do that he must be brought into the personal awareness of the glory of God. He must be brought into the rejoicing that his own name was in the beneficial awareness of Almighty God from the foundation of the world. He must not have just an awareness of others being affected by the gospel, but an in-depth thankfulness of his own redemption purposed by the Lord God!
For what activity is it we imagine that we shall be involved with “in heaven?” Our activity in the eternal glory of God shall be that of the worship of the Lamb! Revelation 4:10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Therefore we should be preparing our hearts and minds now in spiritual worship if we think to have that ability then. In fact, these are now the only true believers whom the Father seeks! John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. We don’t really know that many true Christians!
And we see in verse twenty-one of our text that it was In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit. Immediately after the Lord corrects these first evangelists as to the true rejoicing, he rejoices! And since it is from the heart that the mouth speakest, we can clearly ‘see’ the cause of his rejoicing. He is rejoicing because of the beginning of the unbroken chain of the revelation of the Father to the elect believers! This is what his Incarnation was all about! 1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
To know the Father, and the Son whom he had sent is eternal life! John 17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. And this gospel power was now unleashed upon earth. For it would now spread from faith to faith. Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
This gospel would now proceed, without fail, from one who had faith preaching it, to others being granted faith, believing it. It would go from the Apostle Paul to the Pastor Timothy. And then proceed from Pastor Timothy to “faithful men” (men full of faith). And they would pass it on to others also. 2 Timothy 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
And hereby it would proceed, as prescribed, from Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. This ‘chain’ of revelation would not be broken until it had reached every nation on earth! Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. For God’s time piece is not national Israel, but God’s time piece is the progression of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ around the globe!
For it is by the conquering gospel that the Lord Jesus rules on David’s throne, and not by reestablishing that nation which he had rejected. Luke 13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! 35 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
And this ‘unbroken chain’ is established by the power and authority of the Trinity. It is by the Father and the Son, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Luke 10:22 All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
The white horse rider is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, going forth with his gospel, conquering the hearts and minds of his elect people, chosen in him from before the foundation of the world! Revelation 6:2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. And the other three horsemen which follow him are but those judgments which the Sovereign appoints for those rejecting his gospel rule over them.
Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
And that is what caused the Lord’s rejoicing! For this was a fulfilling of the ancient prophecies. Isaiah 62:11 Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. 12 And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken. The holy city of the church shall be “Sought out.” And here with these evangelists that had begun.
Revelation 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. 10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
John envisioned it. Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And we read of its occurrence. Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
The Lord had been urgently desiring this day. He was wanting our God, who is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29), to purge the souls of men by His revelation. Luke 12:49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled? 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened (“pressed” or, “urged”), till it be accomplished!
And again, John envisioned this as a result of Christ’s accomplished atonement. For he saw a mediating angel (“messenger”) mingle the prayers of the true church with the fiery judgment of God at the cross and cast it into the earth. And that fiery, spiritual gospel, along with its earthquake subdued the earth. Revelation 8:3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. 5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. 6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
And the Hebrew writer reveals that the shaking earthquake is to cause the ‘receiving of the kingdom’ of Christ! Hebrews 12:26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29 For our God is a consuming fire.
Let us therefore seek spiritual matters in which to rejoice. Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Pastor Gene Breed
November 27, 2020