Michigan Camp Meeting 2018: As a Witness, Matthew 24:14

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Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

On the Outskirts of Jerusalem

Phil Mills

An Unconquerable Power for Good

Being Dead, Yet Speaketh

Satan’s Methods, Jesus’ Methods

Follow Up

True and False Disciples

Dear Lord, we're going to be taking the Word of a King, and we want it to have power in our lives.

And I pray that your Holy Spirit will be here to interpret these words to us, that we're different because we've had the word of a king this afternoon in Christ's name, amen.

Luke 10, verse 38, Now it came to pass as they went, that he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

Understanding the context of this passage helps us understand the passage.

Chapter 10 of Luke begins with Christ sending out teams of 35 teams of disciples, and they were on a medical evangelistic tour to prepare for Christ's final days of ministry.

Luke 10, 1 tells us, after these things the Lord appointed 70 others also and sent them out, sent them 2 by 2 before his face into every city and place where he himself was about to go.

The work of these disciples was to prepare the way for Jesus to come.

They were preparing for Jesus coming and that was their message.

They went throughout Judah and Galilee, and through this event, though this event was 2 millennia ago, would God like to send out teams of medical missionaries today to prepare for his coming?

Notice this, manuscript 141, 1903, medical missionary work is yet in its infancy.

The meaning of genuine medical missionary work is known by but few, Why?

Because the Savior's plan of work has not been followed.

From the instruction that the Lord has given me from time to time.

I know there should be workers who make medical evangelistic tours among the towns and villages.

Those who do this work will gather a rich harvest of souls both from the higher and the lower classes.

The way for this work is best prepared by the efforts of the faithful canvasser.

When we send out missionaries, the first thing that we do is to make sure they have money, they have clothes, shoes, and a bag to carry these things in.

My daughter was planning to go on a trip to Cambodia and so it turned out that she couldn't go but before we knew that what do you think we begin to prepare for?

All the things you'd need before you go on a mission tour to Cambodia.

In some cases, missionaries will raise funds for their project before they embark on it, and that's prudent.

But that's not what Jesus had his disciples do before sending them out.

Verse 4 says, Carry neither purse, that's something to hold your money in, nor script, that's a knapsack to carry your belongings in, nor shoes.

Carry no purse, the Amplified Version says, no provision bag, no change of sandals.

They were not to wait until they had accumulated sufficient things for them to be able to work for God.

This is an important principle in this verse.

And then as they worked for God, they were not to accumulate things.

They had either to turn down or give away gifts that were more than their actual daily needs.

They had a special mission to perform, and there must be nothing to delay or sidetrack their mission.

They were not sent to receive, they were sent to give.

Among the 70 disciples that Jesus sent out were a few from wealthy homes with ample resources, but they were not to feel superior to the other disciples as they were not to draw upon or rely on these home resources.

Most of the disciples, however, had either scanty resources or none whatsoever.

They were already learning to live by faith.

All were sent out with what the poorest disciple had, knowledge of Jesus in their head, love for him and others in their heart, power for healing in their hands, and words of truth and hope in their mouths.

This is what they carried and shared freely.

Jesus and his disciples could not afford to stay at the Sheraton.

They couldn't even afford to stay at Motel 6.

They were dependent on the hospitality of the people they ministered to.

On this mission, the disciples learned to depend on God.

And they found that He was sufficient to supply every need day by day.

Just as day by day, Jesus, the same Jesus, provided food for the children of Israel in the wilderness.

The birds get their food day by day, and God provides it for them.

As the disciples freely gave, the hearts of the listeners were touched.

They were invited into the homes of the humble peasants, and they were given food and a place to sleep each night.

Many months later, Christ reminded His disciples of this experience and asked them, "...when I sent you out without purse and script and shoes, lackey, anything?" And they said, what?

Though they could not accumulate earthly treasure, there was 1 thing they could and did accumulate.

There was 1 thing they carried back to Jesus.

Luke 10, 17 says, And the 70 returned again with joy.

These gospel medical missionary teams returned to Christ rejoicing, filled with the story of the mighty works of God.

The kingdom of Satan was invaded, and Satan and his angels had been forced to flee.

The kingdom of Satan could not stand before the power of Jesus.

These disciples once again joined Christ's company as they accompanied Jesus to the various villages that they had labored in.

Now it came to pass as they went that he entered into a certain village.

This certain village was the village where Martha lived.

John tells us the name of this village, John 11.1, Bethany, the town of Martha.

We know what the prefix means, house of, though Hebrew scholars have informed me that it more broadly means container of, but we get the word Bethel, house of God, Bethlehem, house of bread, Bethphage, house of figs, Bethesda, house of mercy, Bethsaida, house of hunting, Bath-Abera, House of Crossing, which was by a Ford in Jordan.

Thayer's respected Greek dictionary tells us the meaning of the name Bethany was house of depression, house of misery.

The New American Standard tells us Bethany means house of affliction.

The New Open Bible Study Edition tells it means house of poverty.

How instructive that Jesus came to Bethany, the house of misery, affliction, depression, and poverty.

The 1 who left the glories of heaven, born in a rude shelter for animals, came to a world of depression, misery, affliction, poverty.

The NIV gives the meaning as the house of poor figs.

Jeremiah was given a vision of poor figs, evil figs.

These evil figs represented not the fruit of the spirit, but the fruit of the unholy spirit, the fruit of the flesh.

He came to the fig tree of Israel seeking fruit, but found it covered with pretentious leaves bearing only evil fruit." John tells us something else about Bethany.

John 11, 18, now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem about 15 furlongs off.

A furlong is about an eighth of a mile, 660 feet.

15 furlongs is 1.875 miles, so it's not very far.

It was actually the distance that I used to walk when I lived in Chatsworth, Georgia, doing some advanced study in dermatology.

It was the distance between going down to the mailbox and coming back up to our house.

I walked the distance to Bethany each day.

To get there, you climb the Mount of Olives, and Bethany is on the base of the other side of the Mount of Olives.

The house of misery, the house of depression, the house of affliction and poverty was on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

This is where Jesus stayed when he came to Jerusalem, Matthew 21, 17, and he left them and went out of the city into Bethany, and he lodged there.

This brings us back to verse 38 of Luke 10, the last part.

A certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

Do you want Jesus to lodge in your house?

Do you want to receive Him into your home?

Her house was not just for Martha and her needs.

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On the Outskirts of Jerusalem

An Unconquerable Power for Good

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Morning Worship

One Thing is Needful

31m

Not by Might... Nor Technique

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Less Attempted More Achieved

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One Thing is Needful

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Jesus: The Almighty God

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Behold, He Comes

50m

Unusual Sacrifice

The Secret to a Life of Power

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A Thoughtful Hour

A Thoughtful Hour- Part 3

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Fresh Manna By Garhett Morgan

Practical Tips

30m

Stay in the Tent

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Tumbleweeds and a Luxurious Oasis

33m

Sound Doctrine