"You're More Ready Than You Think"

A while back when my son Angel was about nine years old, we were watching a TV special that brought the book of Acts to life. Peter, John, Paul—going around telling people about Jesus, healing people, doing all these awesome things. It was pretty good. Not too cheesy as far as these things go. 

So the credits start rolling, and Angel’s just sitting there, his brain just going a million miles an hour. He looks at me and says, “Dad! Can we go do this? Like, right now? You and me… let’s go find some people, tell them about Jesus and heal them.”

He was ready. No hesitation. Didn’t overthink it. Didn’t wonder if he was qualified. Just… “Come on, let’s go.”

I remember feeling the same way when I first read through Acts.

But, you know, we start coming up with all the reasons to not do it. We don’t feel ready… think about all the ways it could get awkward… What if it doesn’t work? What if they don’t believe us? Eventually talk ourselves out of doing anything at all.

We don’t stop believing in the mission… we just kind of lose the urgency.

The idea of actually getting out there—doing something with our faith… feels like getting thrown into the deep end of the pool when you don’t know how to swim.

When I was about nine, I went to swimming lessons. I had been to the lake a bunch and I knew how to not drown but I didn’t really know how to swim. The teenage instructor told all us first day students to jump in the pool and show what we can do. Well.. say no more! I jumped in and did three or four underwater summersaults! Forward and backward! A handstand! They stopped me, laughing for some reason. “Yeah… we just want to see you try to swim to the other side.” Man. I didn’t even get a chance to show how I could blow bubbles out of my nose.

My swimming style is still just a notch above drowning.

Anyway, that’s pretty much what Jesus does with His disciples. Just sent them out two by two, told them to preach the good news and heal people. That had to be quite the experience.

We’ll get to that, but before we do, I want to connect this to what we’ve been doing the last couple of weeks.

The first week after Easter, I challenged us to not, “unsubscribe.” In a world where we can cancel anything with one click, anything that annoys us, I said, “Let’s not treat people like that, let’s not treat our church like that.” Don’t bail when things get awkward or inconvenient.

Then last week it was all about discipleship, like, “Okay, you’re here… but do you know the people in your church? Do they know you?” Because we can sit in the same room every week, with the same people, and still not let anyone into our real life. We talked about how discipleship can’t happen at a distance. It requires getting close. Being known. Being in relationships where someone can actually speak into our life—and we can speak into theirs.

Today’s about mobilizing all us disciples.

Luke 10:1-17 says this:

The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields. Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves. Don’t take any money with you, nor a traveler’s bag, nor an extra pair of sandals. And don’t stop to greet anyone on the road. “Whenever you enter someone’s home, first say, ‘May God’s peace be on this house.’ If those who live there are peaceful, the blessing will stand; if they are not, the blessing will return to you. Don’t move around from home to home. Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay. “If you enter a town and it welcomes you, eat whatever is set before you. Heal the sick, and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you now.’ But if a town refuses to welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘We wipe even the dust of your town from our feet to show that we have abandoned you to your fate. And know this—the Kingdom of God is near!’ I assure you, even wicked Sodom will be better off than such a town on judgment day. “What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse. Yes, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you. And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead.” Then he said to the disciples, “Anyone who accepts your message is also accepting me. And anyone who rejects you is rejecting me. And anyone who rejects me is rejecting God, who sent me.” When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!”

So, Jesus appoints seventy-two others beyond the Twelve and sends them out ahead of Him, two by two, into all the towns and places He was about to go. He says, “The harvest is plentiful.”

He appoints them. It’s not random. He selects them—just like He did with the Twelve earlier. The mission is getting bigger. The Gospel is going outward. 

He gives them that line we’ve been praying every day at 10:02—pray for workers. The harvest is ready. People are ready to hear, ready to listen. There just aren’t enough who are willing to tell them. So the Church needs to pray for workers… Jesus tells them to pray and then, ta-da! Prayers are answered because He immediately sends the ones who were praying.

That’s always the deal. You pray… and then you realize—you’re the answer. Lord of the Harvest, send workers, start with me.

He sends them with a warning, in verse 3, He says, “I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.”

Quite the motivational speech there, Jesus. He tells them upfront—it’s going to be dangerous. It’s going to be hard. You’re going out as lambs. Vulnerable. Not bulldozers. We don’t force people into belief. The Gospel doesn’t spread by pressure or power—it spreads through proclamation and invitation. Through weakness, meekness, humility… not domination. The church hasn’t always gotten this right.

In verse 4, He tells them not to carry extra provisions and not to get sidetracked.

Then in verses 5–6, when they enter a house, they’re to speak peace over it—a spiritual blessing. And if someone receives it—if they’re what the Bible calls a “person of peace,” someone open to what God is doing—then that peace will rest on them. If not, “No peace for you!” This actually takes the pressure off. In other words, we’re not responsible for the outcome—we’re responsible to be faithful in offering the blessing.

In verses 7–8, He tells them to stay in one place, accept hospitality, eat what’s set before them (sorry picky eaters). Don’t bounce around looking for a better Airbnb. Don’t treat people like networking opportunities. They’re even supposed to hang with people who would’ve been considered unclean—the mission crosses all the boundaries. Cultural, religious, social lines. This is still true. Supposed to sit down with people we don’t want to sit down with. I wonder who we think of as “unclean” and don’t really want to have anything to do with? Who would that be for you?

Then in verse 9, He gives them the marching orders: heal the sick and tell people, “The kingdom of God is here.”

Stick to the message. Not politics. Not self-improvement. Not vague spirituality. The kingdom of God is here. God is doing something in the world. God is present. God is saving people. And God’s name is Jesus! 

They were probably like, “What are we supposed to say?”
And Jesus gives them that look, “Just tell them anything I’ve already told you.”

And what if they don’t want to hear it?

Well, in verses 10–12, if a town rejects them, they’re supposed to shake the dust off their feet and go somewhere else. Jesus says it’ll be better for Sodom on the day of judgment than for a town that rejects His message. Do you remember what happened to Sodom?

That’s some heavy dust.

What someone does with the Gospel when it’s presented to them matters. They’re accountable if they reject it. 

Jesus said, “Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” 

People are drowning in their sin, whether they know it or not, when we throw them the Gospel, like one of those life saver floaties with a rope, if they refuse to take hold of it… that’s on them. If we don’t throw it… that’s on us.

Wherever disciples of Jesus go, we don’t just represent ourselves. We’re speaking on behalf of Christ. The message carries His authority. That’s why the Church has always understood that the ministry of the Word—proclaiming the Gospel, forgiving sins, speaking truth—it’s not based on human authority. It’s Christ working through His people.

Then in verses 17–20, they come back from their mission trip, and they’re catching up with their friends telling all the amazing stories. They’re like, “Lord—even the demons submit to us in your name!” Can you imagine how awesome that must have been?

When they started out on this journey, they were all timid and unsure. Then they come back talking about their adventures… excited. 

And Jesus says, “I get it, you’ve seen some things. But that’s not even the best part—as amazing as that was—think about this… your names are on the guest list of heaven. Backstage, VIP passes and everything! Their names are registered in heaven.

Just like yours are. Everyone in this room who is in Christ.

Not based on your performance.
Or how impressive you are.
Not even how enthusiastic you are.

Just that you belong to Him. He chose you, He called you.
You might not think you’re ready, but He wants you to tell people about it.

We’re in the same place they were. Jesus called us and then told us to go. Why don’t we? It’s not because we don’t know what He wants—or that we’re unclear on the assignment—I think it’s because we’re afraid.

Afraid it’ll be awkward.
Afraid we’ll say the wrong thing.
Afraid it won’t go well.
Afraid it won’t work.

Like when someone tells us something sad—something going on in their life—and we feel that little nudge: “I should pray with them.” But then our brain jumps in and slams on the brakes.

“Not right now. That would be weird. This isn’t the right setting. Just tell them you’ll pray later. That’s a safe move.” Future me is always very spiritual.

So instead we’re like, “Oh man, I’m really sorry to hear all this… I’ll definitely keep you in my prayers.”

Which is fine…safe… but we just walked away from a moment. It could have been powerful.

A lot of you are so much better at this than I am. You just stop a conversation and ask to pray with the person on the spot. Or you ask the server at a restaurant if you can pray for them. Or pray with someone after church or after a discipleship meeting. Some of you are already doing these things all the time.

And some of us think about it but then don’t.

And if we always don’t. We’re not just missing moments—we’re training ourselves to ignore them.

It’s not always fear—sometimes it’s apathy, sometimes it’s… 

I don’t know… Why make it uncomfortable? Why make it weird? We hesitate. Then the moment passes.

But if we always chicken out… we’re not following Jesus the way He calls us to.

I know, we don’t feel ready. Jesus didn’t send His disciples because they were ready.

He sent them because He was committed to making them ready.
And there’s only one way to learn… you just have to do it.

He chose them and sent them knowing exactly who they were and how they were feeling. Their fear. Their confusion. They were just like us. Feeling like they’re just going to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Seem to always be completely missing the point.

But He stayed with them anyway. He stays with you exactly the same way.

He doesn’t reject you when you fail. He doesn’t walk away when you get things wrong. He doesn’t say, “You’re just not cutting it—I give up.”

No. He sticks with you.

He teaches you.
He forgives you.

The Christian life isn’t easy. Everyone who follows Jesus, follows Him to a cross.
Sometimes that cross looks like an awkward conversation about our faith.
We’re all called to live a cross-shaped life.

Which is a constant reminder that He went all the way to the cross for you.

That’s where He proved His love for you. There is no greater love.

You’ve heard this before, right? Jesus died to save you, and raised again to life to give you hope, the promise of eternal life. You’ve heard it before. Do you believe it? Do you?

He didn’t wait for you to get it together. This is the message of the kingdom of God. It’s here. It’s now. Just believe. Trust Him. This is the Gospel.

And if you’ve known this for a long time, if you’ve been trusting Him for life and salvation but you’re still hesitant about sharing it with other people… 

Well… Here’s the shocker… There’s no condemnation.
You’d think there would be, but there’s not.

He stays with you in your fear.
He stays with you in your hesitation.
He stays with you when you miss the moment.

He forgives you. You are forgiven.

And then—He sends you out again.
Jesus knew you’d hesitate—and He chose you anyway.
He sends you out again anyway.

Because He’s working through you.

Remember what He said? “Wherever you go… I am with you always.”

That’s a promise.

So this week, and from now on, when the moment comes—and it will—Don’t let it slip away.

Just say it. “Hey… let’s pray about that. Like right now.”

Just say it, “Man, that sounds hard. It’s a good thing we have the Lord to help us through things like this, huh?”

No pressure. Just one little step of courage. And see what God does. See what He’ll do in those moments.

You’re sitting there like, “I don’t know about all that, Pastor Frank, I wouldn’t know what to say.”

Just say things you remember me saying. Any of it. You don’t even have to give me credit. You know how we read the Words of Comfort every week? Those would be great to learn… actually memorize… any of them are perfect for these situations. Find ways to slide them into any conversation.

Okay, it’s time for me to meddle. Ha.

A couple weeks ago, I asked everyone to come an hour early for Sunday school.
Last week I tried to talk everyone into joining a discipleship group.

One time someone asked me to explain what I do for a living in the worst possible way. I said, “I get paid to tell people things they will ignore.” I’m like a professional snooze button.

Nonetheless, this week I’m going to meddle again.

I want to put together a team of people to come up with outreach ideas for NewChurch. Things we’ll do. Things we want to do. Ways to connect with the community, the people who aren’t here yet. Service projects, outreach events… I don’t know what we’re going to come up with—that’s why we need the team. But here’s the deal, I want you to consider joining the team. Just email me at Frank@FrankHart.com. Tell me you want to join the team. We’ll figure everything out from there. This is how we’re going to find out what the “send me” part of our Lord of the Harvest prayer is talking about. 

Don’t ignore me, don’t hit the snooze. Email me. Frank@FrankHart.com. 

I’ve thought about that moment with Angel a thousand times.

“Dad… can we go do this? Like right now?”

That’s the kind of childlike faith Jesus is calling us to.

What are we waiting on? Jesus already said, “Go.”
You’re more ready than you think.

Amen.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for calling us, choosing us, and staying with us even when we hesitate. Forgive us for the times we’ve been afraid, passive, or missed the moment to love and speak in Your name. Fill us with Your Spirit, give us courage to take the next step, and help us trust that You are working through us. Send us out this week with Your peace, and use us to bring Your hope to others. Amen.