ADULT STS LESSON 102: MISSION OF THE SEVENTY

MEMORY VERSE: “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. Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few:
pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his
harvest” (Lk.10:1,2).
TEXT: Luke 10:1-24
In His earthly ministry, Jesus exemplified tremendous passion, undying commitment and zeal
for the salvation of souls. He left no one in doubt that preaching the gospel was the central focus
of His ministry. The desire to win souls, therefore, should be the driving force in every believer. In
the text, Christ sent seventy disciples, in pairs of two, to go and preach the gospel in places
where He would eventually reach. He gave them specific instructions about the business of soul-
winning and made them know that those who were hospitable must be appreciated, while
rejecters of the gospel were to be denounced. The disciples readily and promptly obeyed and
thereby proved the power of God. They returned with great joy of success and the Lord rejoiced
with them.
QUESTION 1: Mention the people whose duty it is to preach the gospel.

1. THE MANDATE AND MANNER OF COMMISSIONED DISCIPLES (Lk.10:1-16; 9:1-6;

Mat.28:18-20; 6:24-34; Mk.1:15; Lk.3:1-6; Heb.2:3).
In all the three synoptic gospels where we have the account of the evangelistic outreach of the
twelve apostles, only Luke records the mission of the seventy (Lk.10:1). The progression from
twelve evangelists at the first outing to seventy was an evidence that: One, the ministry of
Jesus produced fruits of stable and dependable souls who were not only won into the kingdom
but also committed. Two, preaching the gospel is not a task for only the leaders but the laity as
well, that’s for every believer in Christ. The purpose of the mission of the disciples was two-fold,
namely, to prepare the hearts of the people to receive Christ when He would eventually come to
their city and to prepare the disciples themselves for practical ministry. This was necessary
since they would take over the task of world evangelization after His ascension. They were sent
out two by two, so that they could encourage and support each other on the field (Ecc.4:9,10).
In sending out the seventy, Jesus pointed out the enormous task of reaching the harvest-ready
world with only a few capable and willing labourers. As a remedy to the shortage of gospel
workers, He told them to “pray…the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers
into his harvest”. Jesus recommended prayer as an effective means of bringing more leaders
and workers into the gospel mission. The seventy were sent out with specific instructions:
One, Jesus said, “Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves” (verse
3). This tells us that preaching the gospel has some challenges associated with it. These may
include persecution, opposition, attack, ridicule and resistance. Thus, Jesus wanted to forewarn
the disciples so that they would not go with a wrong impression and expectation concerning their
mission. Two, they were to “Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes”. Ministers of God must
be free from worldly encumbrances and be completely devoted to the ministry of soul-winning.
However, Christ’s instruction does not prohibit gainful employment that will enable us provide for
our family (1 Tim.5:8). Three, gospel preacher must be contented with a simple lifestyle devoid of
covetousness and ostentation. Anywhere they go, they should be satisfied with the provisions
made available. Four, Jesus commanded the seventy to “salute no man by the way” (verse 4).
This does not mean that gospel ministers should be uncivil or discourteous; rather, it underscores
the urgency of their task and the seriousness it deserves. Furthermore, He told them to show
courtesy and say to any house they entered: “Peace be to this house”. Five, Jesus warned
them not to go from house to house, but to remain in the same house eating and drinking such
things as they were given. He assured them that their needs would be met (Lk.10:7). Concerning
their message, the Lord charged them to preach and say, “The kingdom of God is come nigh
unto you” (verse 9). This means that the message of the evangelist should be simple, direct and
centered on the imminence of the kingdom of God. To the sinner who wants to enter the Kingdom,
Jesus commands, “repent!” (Mk.1:15). Our message must be centered on Christ and the work of
salvation He accomplished for us at Calvary. The disciples were also to heal the sick in order to
prove that the gospel is not only in words but also in power. Healing and miracles are
fundamentally part of the gospel message. However, Jesus forewarned the disciples not to
expect everyone to accept their message because men are free moral agents and can choose to
repent or not. But at the end of life each person will be responsible for their choice and decision.
We should beware of the way we respond to and treat servants of God. A reproach given to God’s
servants is a reproach on God. Christ upbraided the unrepentant cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida
and Capernaum where He was most conversant with and where He did many mighty miracles
with less response. He reproved and pronounced heavy judgement on them because they
refused to repent (Lk.10:13). The impenitence of these privileged cities and their subsequent
denunciation by Christ teach us that to whom much is given, much shall be required, and the
greater the privilege, the greater the responsibility. Those of us who hear the sound teaching of
God’s word and witness frequent manifestation of God’s power should be careful not to be
confronted with the same judgment. We need to pray therefore, that God will open the hearts of
the people that we preach to so that they will believe the message and repent.
QUESTION 2: What is the place of prayer in raising labourers for soul harvesting?
QUESTION 3: Point out what we can learn from the instructions Christ gave to the
seventy.
QUESTION 4: What should be the focus of every evangelistic message?
QUESTION 5: What can we learn from Christ’s denunciation of Chorazin, Bethsaida and
Capernaum?

2. DISCIPLES’ FEEDBACK AND CHRIST’S RESPONSE (Lk.10:17-20; Mat.17:19; Mk.9:28;

Phil.2:9-11; Lk.15:7).
The seventy returned with joy and reported an astounding success in ministry (Lk.10:17). The
disciples’ victory and success came through the name of Jesus, the name above every name
(Phil.2:10). Christ responded by telling them not to misplace their joy on the ability to cast out
demons. Rather, they were to rejoice because their names were written in heaven (Lk.10:20).
Believers should know that the success of their ministry is not measured by casting out of
demons alone but by the salvation of the hearers. Because Satan had fallen, it was not
surprising that his demons should also fall. Unless a believer receives this same power
(Lk.10:19), he or she will not be able to combat the forces of darkness. To receive God’s power
for the miraculous ministry, the believer must be sanctified, pray earnestly in faith for the
enduement with the Holy Ghost. It is Christ’s promise to all believers and is worthwhile to tarry
until the power is received (Lk.24:49; Acts 1:4,8). Jesus’ declaration of the fall of Satan was
also intended to be a warning against subtle pride because of ministerial success. Satan fell
from heaven because of pride and we should beware not to fall into the same temptation.
QUESTION 6: What was Christ’s response to the disciples who came to express their joy at
the conquest of devils?

3. PRIVILEGE OF DIVINE REVELATION TO COMMITTED DISCIPLES (Lk.10:21-24;

Mat.13:11-16; Is.5:21; Jn.9:39-41; Rm.11:8-10; 1 Cor.1:18-29).
Jesus rejoiced in spirit and praised the Father for His plan of redemption and the manner of its
revelation to the new believers and disciples (Lk.10:21). He pointed out to the disciples their
privileges in the gospel programme. Jesus praised the Father for His sovereign wisdom in hiding
great spiritual truths from the worldly-wise who pride themselves in their self-righteousness,
but it was revealed to those He described as babes, that is, those who are humble, tender,
willing to learn and obey. This means that New Testament believers have greater privileges than
the Old Testament saints and kings. By virtue of His death and resurrection, the defeat of Satan,
the outpouring of the Spirit and the fullness of God’s power on believers, New Testament believers
stand a greater advantage over the Old Testament saints. However, this greater privilege has
conferred on us greater responsibilities to reach sinners with the gospel so they will repent and
accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour and disciple them. Great victories and testimonies await us
when we are obedient like the seventy.
QUESTION 7: How is New Testament believers more privileged than believers under the
Old dispensation?