Checking In – A | Jack Hibbs – God’s Messages

Luke 10:17-24
Today, Pastor Jack tells us that everything these 70 workers did was a success. The powerful name of Jesus gave them the victory, even over demonic forces that had enslaved the people. Jesus had given them all they needed, and a deep satisfaction swept over them.

Lord breathe a refreshing new vital work into our lives for we ask you Lord in Jesus name.
Amen. Grab your bibles and turn if you would to Luke’s Gospel chapter 10.
Luke chapter 10 in our study verses 17 to 24 today, verses 17 to 24. Luke chapter 10.
And the title of the message this morning is checking in, checking in and that’s what we’re going to see the disciples do.
They’re going to be checking in with Jesus as they were commissioned to a great and wonderful work as we saw last week together and they got a great response for us in our last study last week.
As we looked at this opening, a few verses of Luke chapter 10, we saw that Jesus in Essence was saying to them it’s time to get going.
That in fact time was up that he had been teaching them and instilling within them the power of the Gospel.
He had shown the miracles they have learned.
And now Jesus tells them that they need to go, that they need to get out the word of God to the world that was so much in need.
And we know that we’re now into the last six months of jesus’ earthly life and the ministry is expanding.
We saw him say a few things we saw last time in chapter 10, verse two that he had said to them, the harvest truly is great but the laborers are few.
He said to them pray that the Lord of the harvest would send out laborers into the harvest.
That was in verse two of chapter 10.
What I find cute about that is he tells the disciples go and pray that the Lord would send out workers into the harvest.
Then look what happened. The next verse. Go your way. Behold, I send you out.
Isn’t that kind of funny that maybe they bowed their head for a moment.
Lord send out workers into the harvest and then Jesus in the very next breath says, OK, go, I love that We need people to get out there.
You pray OK? Lord, I can do that. OK? Now you go sweet. And then verse 11 know this.
He said that when you come to a place, announce that the Kingdom of God has come near you.
That was their mission and that’s what they were told to do. That’s what they were commanded to do.
Jesus commanded of us to go out and to share as we pick it up in our study.
Luke chapter 10, beginning out verse 17. Then the 70 that he sent out 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.
Behold, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and overall the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits or demons are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven in that hour, Jesus rejoiced in the spirit and said, I thank you father, Lord of heaven and earth that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes even so father for so it seemed good in your sight.
All things have been delivered to me by my father and no one knows who the son is except the father And who the father is, except the son and the one to whom the son wills to reveal him verse 23.
Then he turned to his disciples.
That’s by the way, the 12 and said to them privately blessed are your eyes which see the things you see for.
I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see and have not seen it and to hear what you hear and have not heard it.
What a sweet moment. Checking in. That’s right.
Checking in is exactly what these 70 disciples of Jesus were excited to do.
He had sent them out, but now it was time for them to come back.
And as they came back, it is a declaration of the commissioning of Jesus that Jesus knows what he’s talking about for one thing.
And that what he sent them to do is an awesome vital work.
It is always a scary thing to do something for God because we live in these fleshly bodies.
But they got the taste of what it is to share Christ, these 70 disciples, they got the taste of what it’s like to share Jesus.
It’s absolutely incredible. It’s awesome. And so they’re checking in, they are checking in and listen, kind of paint this picture in your mind when I hear the word checking in.
Um you know, when I was younger checking in was mom, I’m playing hide and seek out here another hour.
Mom checking in, my mom would always say check in.
So I would check in and then school came, you know, and sometimes we’d have to check in for that.
Maybe we were doing things or saying things or involved in things we ought not to have been involved in and we had to go check in to the principal’s office as often was my calling in life.
But now that I’m older, it’s checking in this way, maybe I’m traveling and as you walk up to the hotel or the motel, it’s, are you checking in or you’ll state or you’ll announce I’m checking in and you never say that unless you expect your name to be written down there, you don’t check in to a place that you don’t have reservations at.
They look for your name. In fact, when you say I’m checking in, they’re going to ask you, what’s your name?
That’s normal. I’m checking in. Well, what’s your name?
Jesus is going to be announcing to the disciples and I please don’t want you to mark this. It’s awesome.
Jesus is going to be telling them that you and I as believers have every right privilege and honor in the world to daily moment by moment be checking in with the Lord because there’s a reservation in heaven with our name.
There, there’s a name. Are you a Christian this morning? What’s going on in your life? Does it matter?
Your name is written down in heaven if you’re a believer this morning and there is a reservation there, there’s a line.
Can you imagine? There’s a line with your name and there’s a place reserved for you.
I am excited about that. The disciples are going to find something very assuring about that.
So when we talk about checking in, this is what we’re going to look at. Number one.
Is this checking in to a new life in Christ?
If we are now As these 70 disciples found out that their life was brand new in Jesus. How?
So number one this way in Christ means that they’ve surrendered to Jesus, these 70 followers of Christ.
Again, we don’t know who they are. It’s not important. They surrendered to Jesus Christ.
And for that reason, they were able to go out verse 17.
Then the 70 returned with joy saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name.
What a great thing. They come back in joy.
Now, for those of you who sat on your bible this week and you didn’t go share and you’re wondering, oh yeah, I forgot or I conveniently forgot not to go share Jesus with somebody.
Listen. Do you see this right here?
Just in verse 17, there was a joy that came upon those who share Jesus. This is a fact.
Are you guys listening? This is an absolute fact that when you go and share Christ to the world, you have something that happens that you can’t explain.
I don’t know what to tell you. There’s things that the world offers.
Drink this, pop this pill snort, this thing and you’ll have a feeling, you know what, what a stupid thing.
Look, let me throw you all into the pot of evil with me. OK?
At some point in time in our, in our ancient lives, we did one of those things or all those things.
For what? Oh man, it’s really cool. For how long?
Oh You know, for this long, how much did it cost you about this much? Hey, listen.
Did you get hooked then? What does it cost you?
Oh, it’s kind of cute to flirt around with the, the things that the world offers and if you get a little buzz from this or a little bit of fuzz from that, you think?
Oh, man, this is living. This is great.
You’ve been tricked and deceived and look, you got to listen to me. I’m not your parent.
I don’t gain anything by telling you this. I’m not getting paid by somebody to tell you this.
I’m telling you right now. Go ahead and eat your drugs, eat them, go eat them snort em up, smoke it, shoot it up, sit in it, roll in it.
You will not be content happy and blessed.
In fact, you’ll wind up getting hooked, broke and bummed out every single time these guys came back with joy.
And you might say, well, you know what, what kind of joy, huge joy, big joy, an amazing joy, a joy, by the way, that doesn’t run out a joy.
That’s not something that’s depleting. You’re listening to Real Life with Pastor Jack Hibbs.
You know, to hear more episodes and maybe catch up in the series. Just go to Jack Hibbs dot com.
That’s Jack Hibbs dot com. And for now let’s get back to our teaching.
Once again, here’s pastor Jack watch this. They shared Jesus Christ.
They found out that it resulted in great joy. They come back with such a vitality and they’re so excited.
Can you imagine what a great gig this is Lord.
We gotta tell you demons even obey us in your name. Now, I don’t know.
People have written in books about, you know, they shouldn’t been excited about this, that they were getting heady and high minded about it.
We don’t even know if that’s true, but I got to tell you something.
You got to be honest if you go out and share the name of Jesus with somebody and especially somebody who’s caught up in some Otic or cult type activity.
And you’re sharing Jesus and you wind up finding out that demons are subject to you in the name of Jesus Christ.
I think you’re going to get excited now. You shouldn’t run around and say where’s, where’s a demon?
Don’t do that and listen. Nobody wants to go to a church service where they’re casting out demons.
That’s crazy. You say, well, what’s the context of this?
These were sent out by Jesus to an unbelieving world.
They were short term missionaries if I can put it that way and they were taking on the kingdom of darkness.
And when that amount of light that is Jesus Christ in them, when that amount of light gets into a dark place, things happen.
The kingdom is shaken. There’s a new life in Christ.
And if you and I want power, we need to surrender to Jesus Christ in our emotions, in our thoughts, in our life, everything that we have surrender it to Christ and watch what he does with it.
What a great scene this must have been when they came back with joy.
Why the word joy here means a deep abiding, cheerfulness of the soul, an abiding, listen, an abiding calm delight.
It’s almost like an oxymoron. How can you have a deep abiding, calm delight?
And yet that’s exactly what the word means.
What the world offers you in a spike or in a moment, God offers you absolute fulfillment of this.
They came back. They have never experienced this before, Just as some in this church, never experienced sharing Christ before.
And they got that taste. This week, 70 joyful disciples came back finding out the power that they had through Jesus Christ and Jesus as we’ll learn in a moment, was smiling over this event that or even the demons they announce are subject to us.
And what’s the key in your name? The word name here is authority.
We found out Jesus that when we proclaim you the word of God that even demonic activity submits in your name, everything that they did was in your name, it was a success.
They came back with great joy. But why was this true? And why will it be true in your life?
Because they had been given the mission by Jesus himself. He had called them.
He said, as I read a moment ago in Luke chapter 10 verses two and three he commissioned them to go, whatever the Lord tells you to go and do, he will bless it.
In fact, somebody wrote in that note and apparently I didn’t plan on this, but I’m gonna be referencing these notes during the course of the study.
As I’ve read them. One guy had said in his note that he was praying that God would open the door but hoping God wouldn’t, I understand that emotion.
Don’t you understand that? When you kind of pray, trembling? I know I’m supposed to pray.
Oh God, open the door. Not really, you know, but this guy went on to say that the moment the door was opened of opportunity.
He knew then and there, and this is cute.
He knew then and there they got it open the door and he said, and I prayed one more time, kind of like Gideon.
We’re learning on Wednesday nights. Let’s find out again.
But this great power was over the fact that they had surrendered to Jesus, my friend.
You find yourself in your own strength, combating the things of this world.
Maybe it’s a family problem or whatever problem in life.
Listen, you’re not going to have much victory in that, but when you come to that place, oh, please don’t be discouraged.
What I’m going to say, rather be encouraged that when you come to that place and you say, God, I surrender Jesus.
I can’t do this. Oh, then he comes in with great power in first Thessalonians 5 24 there, the scripture says he who calls you is faithful and will also do it.
Do you have a task before you?
I think of Pastor Hart heading back to Nepal this week, he’s got a task before him.
Who’s going to do it? Listen, you can be smart enough to do some things.
Maybe you’re wealthy enough to do some things, but none of that will last unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it says the Bible Psalm 1 27 verse one, the application is this to our lives about surrendering to Jesus.
Is it really true? I know it’s true.
But is it really true in my life in your life that Philippians 4 13 says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
I love that verse because you know what, when I’m weak, Paul the Apostle said what then I’m strong.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. But what things are those?
Listen, everything he tells you to go and do, you can be successful in it because he told you to do it.
He is faithful and he strengthens us. Here’s the key.
Just do what you’re doing because he told you to do it. That’s the key.
If demons are subject to them in his name, then what about life?
You say Jack, that’s really nice for them. You know, they walked around in Jesus name.
Demons rolled over and died or whatever happened. That’s great. But what about my life?
Well, wait a minute, what about our lives?
If Satans, lieutenants, colonels privates and sergeants were subject to 70 unnamed believers, there’s more than 70 here right now who simply obeyed Jesus Christ.
Then why not the power of Christ in our lives being applied to?
What is it, whatever is in your life? What is that thing? Oh, yeah.
He can deal with demons but can he deal with this in my life?
Maybe it’s temptation or maybe it’s anger or temper, temper you guys, you know, summer, I guess schools out now, right?
Is school out? I know enough that there are some schools that are out because now these kids are no longer in school and they’re driving now and they’re loose on the road and they’re, you know, oh, man.
And they’re done, they’re weaving around and it, it’s dangerous out there and I don’t know about you, but that starts to tempt my temper and I wanna, I wanna tell them something.
I wanna, where did you learn how to draw?
You know, the temper begins to flare up and uh I’m not gonna tell you some of the stuff I do.
Lisa always goes, Jack. Oh, I don’t say anything but I, I can do sound effects pretty well and I can, I can make the, the car sound like there’s a barrage of anti aircraft artillery going off.
So I make all these noises and it always startles our guest that’s with us, but the temper will arise and it’s, I have to give that stuff to God.
You may say, well, that’s not a problem with me. It’s a problem with me.
I have the problem and if Jesus commissions these no names to go out and cast out demons and heal the sick and all the stuff that they did, then listen, I know this, that if I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, then I need to take my temper.
You fill in the blank for you. Is it being angry at God? Is it shaking your fist at him?
Whatever it might be, take that thing and say, Lord, I’m not happy right now. I’m pretty upset right now.
But I tell you what your Bible says. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
You sent those 70 no names out there with power of the devil and the demons and all that stuff.
I’m asking you God in jesus’ name.
Give me strength over my temptation of fill in the blank pornography, anger, vengeance, whatever it is, will he not do it?
Is he not able, he is more than able surrendering to him matters. A new life in Christ.
Number two verses 18 to 19, we learn this, that Christ means in us a new life that we’ve received from Jesus.
They got their marching orders from Jesus himself. Jesus said verse 18, this is awesome.
You guys, quite frankly, I don’t care if we get any further than this verse.
This is, we use this verse. It’s sweet.
I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven and all God’s people said, oh yeah, I like this.
I like this because he goes on to say next breath. Behold.
The word is, look, I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning.
Look, Jesus says, behold, I give you the authority definite article, the not some authority, the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
This authority and power is seen. Listen, when needed. What does that mean? You see Jack, I love the Bible.
The letters are written and read, but I want to receive this in my life.
Here’s the truth of the matter.
Jesus makes verse 18, a true theological declaration and we’ll look at this closely in a moment.
I saw Satan fall from heaven like a lightning. That’s a statement of fact. Wow.
Then Jesus says, all right. Look here, this is the power and the authority that’s been given to you.
You say, well, I want that you want that. Do you really want that?
Here’s the thing, this power and this authority is seen as needed.
Jesus didn’t say to some other group of 70 who sat around the sea of galilee fishing.
All power and authority. I give to you for what to catch fish to sit in a boat and talk.
No, no, no, no. You will not have power and authority unless it’s needed. Does that bum you out?
I want to see some stuff. I want to see some action.
I want to see legs growing and eyeballs coming out. I don’t know. I want to see some movement.
I wanna see demons running and then get up and go where it’s needed.
Then get to Nepal, get to Bangladesh. Get to South America. Go, well, why not, why not Newport Beach?
Why not here? Get out there.
Go to the hospitals and visit people. Yeah, I don’t know anybody there.
You don’t need to know anybody there. They’re hurting. They’re in need. Go reach them, pray for them.
Yeah, but I don’t know them. So they don’t know you, you’re safe, go pray for them.
Listen, it’s amazing because what we’ll do, we’ll go to the hospital to visit with somebody and then on the look, you’ve got to go by other rooms on the way out of the hospital and you’re a Christian.
What’s my, what’s my authority? What’s my, you’re a Christian?
I, I guarantee you never, ever, ever, never have we ever been stopped to pull into somebody else’s bed?
Pull in there and say, excuse me. Uh Would you like prayer? No one’s ever said. Get out of here.
Strangers. Yes. Yes, please pray, try it. They don’t know you, you don’t know them.
Put yourself pray, go step out, watch what God does and you’ll see power and authority and you’ll be the one most surprised and blessed about what’s happening.