Sent as People of Peace: Speaking Jesus' Authority

Mar 01, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Power of Our Words to Represent Christ

Our words carry immense weight in the kingdom of God. When we speak the truth of the gospel, it is not merely our own voice that is heard. We are called to be ambassadors, and our speech should reflect the heart and message of Jesus Himself. This is a profound responsibility and a great privilege, reminding us that our daily conversations are opportunities for divine connection. Our communication can either align with the flesh or with the Spirit, and it shapes the world around us. [38:17]

“The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” (Luke 10:16, ESV)

Reflection: In your interactions this week, have your words primarily reflected the concerns of the flesh or the hope of the kingdom of God? What is one practical way you can more intentionally let your speech be guided by Christ this week?

Day 2: The Authority of God’s Spoken Word

Scripture is not a collection of human ideas but the very breath of God. It is alive, active, and designed to shape us. God’s word is profitable for teaching us what is right, for revealing where we are wrong, for correcting our path, and for training us to live righteously. This is why immersing ourselves in the Bible is not a religious duty but a vital connection to the life God intends for us. It is our primary source of truth in a world of conflicting messages. [45:58]

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16–17, ESV)

Reflection: Where in your life have you recently experienced the Bible’s power to teach, reprove, correct, or train you? Is there a specific area where you need to more willingly submit to its authority?

Day 3: The Joy Found in Obedient Mission

Obedience to God’s call is the pathway to authentic joy. We often believe we must have everything figured out before we can be used by God, but He calls us to willing obedience in our imperfection. Just as the seventy-two returned with joy from their mission, we too will discover a deep and lasting joy not in avoiding God’s commands, but in fulfilling them. This joy is a natural result of participating in God’s work and witnessing His power. [58:38]

The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” (Luke 10:17, ESV)

Reflection: What is a specific mission or act of obedience you feel God has been prompting you toward that you have perhaps postponed? What would it look like to take a step of faith in that area this week?

Day 4: The Conflict Between Two Kingdoms

We live in a constant tension between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the flesh. These two realms are at war, and this conflict manifests in our relationships, our inner thoughts, and our daily choices. The kingdom of the flesh leads to destruction and chaos, while the kingdom of God brings life, peace, and reconciliation. Recognizing this spiritual battle helps us understand our struggles and seek God’s strength to live as citizens of His kingdom. [36:08]

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. (Galatians 5:17, ESV)

Reflection: Can you identify a recent situation where you felt the clear tension between responding in the flesh versus responding by the Spirit? How might you rely on God’s power to choose the way of His kingdom next time?

Day 5: God’s Voice Still Speaks Today

God is not silent; He loves you enough to speak. He communicates through His Scripture, through His Spirit, and through the words of His people. This reality should fill us with awe and expectation. We can cultivate a heart that is attentive and ready to listen, knowing that God desires to guide, comfort, and direct us. Our prayer life and time in His word are essential for tuning our ears to recognize His voice above the noise of the world. [52:31]

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:27, ESV)

Reflection: When you consider the pace and noise of your daily life, what is one practice you could adopt to create more space to intentionally listen for God’s voice?

Sermon Summary

Luke 10 recounts the sending of the 72 with a clear mission: go as people of peace, carry a simple summons to repent, and trust that God’s authority will accompany the work. Jesus frames the mission as a contrast between two kingdoms — the kingdom of the flesh and the kingdom of the Spirit — and insists that the labor of discipleship flows from reconciliation, hope, and sacrificial following. The text insists that words matter: when disciples speak the gospel, listeners hear Jesus himself, and rejection of that message amounts to rejecting God. Communication saturates modern life, yet scripture alone carries divine authority to teach, reprove, correct, and train toward righteousness; faithful engagement with scripture forms the engine of discipleship.

The narrative shows that ordinary, imperfect people receive grace and mercy to enact extraordinary fruit. The 72 return with joy because obedience unlocks spiritual authority; even demons respond in Jesus’ name and chains fall from captive lives. Joy emerges not from comfortable circumstances but from active participation in the mission and from seeing God work through weakness. Practical responses include private prayer, seeking communal prayer and the laying on of hands, and persistent obedience to the Spirit’s promptings to speak life to others.

The call refuses compromise: accepting Jesus bears consequences for how one understands God and for interfaith parity claims. The gospel demands a response that produces either reconciliation or rejection, peace or conflict, hope or despair. The church’s role centers on equipping people to speak Scripture faithfully, to offer correction lovingly, and to send people out as ambassadors of peace. The portrait closes with a pastoral urgency to pray for a fractured world and to carry the peace of God into every neighborhood, trusting that God’s word will not return void and that obedience brings restoration, authority, and joy.

Key Takeaways

1. Go as people of peace Discipleship begins with peaceable presence rather than combative tactics. Enter other lives with humility and an invitation to reconciliation; the posture matters more than programs. A peaceful approach opens doors for gospel words to land where defensive force would drive them away. [37:06]
2. Your words carry Jesus' voice The gospel doesn’t merely relay ideas; it transmits Christ’s authority when spoken in obedience. Speaking with the Spirit’s prompting makes the messenger a vessel through which Jesus’ heart and claims reach others. This raises the stakes for honesty about when God actually speaks and for humility about personal agendas. [38:17]
3. Scripture trains toward righteousness Scripture acts as God-breathed formation: it teaches, reproves, corrects, and trains believers into mature fruit. Regular engagement with the Bible reshapes desires, exposes misplaced comforts, and provides the grammar for holy living. Righteous growth follows sustained exposure to God’s revealed word, not mere moral effort. [45:58]
4. Obedience restores true joy Joy returns when mission replaces mere maintenance and when obedience invites God’s power into weakness. The 72 experienced authority and gladness because they acted on what they were told to do, not because circumstances favored them. Stepping into the assigned work often breaks captivity and fills the soul with unexpected gladness. [58:38]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[07:48] - Announcements & Upcoming Events
[09:54] - Guest Welcome & Giving
[31:23] - Luke 10: The 72 Sent
[33:05] - Kingdoms in Conflict
[37:06] - Mission: Go with Peace
[38:17] - Authority of the Messenger
[45:58] - Scripture: Teaching & Reproof
[57:25] - Return with Joy & Authority
[67:01] - Call to Repentance & Prayer
[78:53] - Closing: Be People of Peace

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading: Luke 10:1-20 (ESV)

Observation questions

According to Luke 10:1-12, what specific instructions did Jesus give the 72 regarding their provisions, their lodging, and their message?
What does Jesus mean in verse 16 when He says, "The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me"?
What was the specific cause of the 72's joy when they returned to Jesus, as recorded in verses 17-20?
The sermon mentioned that "Scripture acts as God-breathed formation: it teaches, reproves, corrects, and trains believers into mature fruit." [45:58] Where in the New Testament do we find this specific description of Scripture's purpose?

Interpretation questions

Jesus sent the 72 out in pairs into places He intended to go. What might be the significance of this strategy, both for the messengers and for the towns they were entering?
The instruction to let your peace rest on a "son of peace" (v. 6) implies that not everyone will be receptive. How does this reality shape our expectations and our approach when we share the gospel with others?
The 72 were astonished that even demons were subject to them in Jesus' name. Why is it important that this authority and power comes specifically from Jesus' name and not from the individuals themselves?
The sermon described a conflict between "the kingdom of the flesh and the kingdom of the Spirit." [33:05] How does this framework help us understand the different reactions people have to the message of the gospel?

Application questions

The call is to "go as people of peace," entering others' lives with humility rather than a combative posture. [37:06] Is there a relationship or situation in your life where you have been approaching with a "warrior's mentality" instead of a "peace mentality"? What would it look like to enter that space as a person of peace this week?
Our words carry Jesus' voice when we speak the gospel in obedience. [38:17] Who has God placed on your heart to speak a word of life to? What is holding you back from obeying that prompting, and what step can you take to be faithful?
Joy is found not in comfortable circumstances but in active participation in God's mission. [58:38] When you think about your current spiritual life, does it feel more like "maintenance" or "mission"? What is one practical way you can step into the mission God has for you to experience the joy that comes from obedience?
Scripture is given to teach, reprove, correct, and train us in righteousness. [45:58] In which of these four areas do you most need to engage with God's Word right now? Is there a specific habit or practice you could adopt to allow Scripture to form you in that way?
The authority of Jesus' name can break chains and free people from what holds them captive. [01:05:25] Is there an area of struggle, sin, or addiction in your life or in the life of someone you love that needs to be brought under the authority of Jesus? How can you actively rely on His power and not your own strength in this battle?
Rejecting the message of Jesus is to reject God Himself; we don't get to keep parts of God and throw other parts out. [55:30] Are there any areas of your life or beliefs where you are tempted to accept a version of God that is more comfortable than the one revealed in Jesus? What does it look like to fully embrace Jesus as Lord of all?

Sermon Clips

41s

#LiveYourCalling

“The second thing though is this, are you living in the mission that he's called you to? Maybe the reason you don't have joy this morning, as these 72 had, was because you know what he's called you to, you're just not doing it yet. And the moment you go do it, the moment you are obedient, you will be amazed at how joy floods your soul. There is real joy in the kingdom of God when we do what he tells us to do. It leads us to righteousness for his name's sake.”

63s

#JesusBreaksChains

“Those 72 go out and in Jesus' name, chains fall off. In Jesus' name, demons are released out of people's lives. In Jesus' name, the power and authority of Jesus shows up in people's worlds where before the kingdom of the flesh had held them captive. If you're missing joy in your life right now, two things. One, do you need the authority of Jesus to speak into your life today? If you're missing joy, maybe that's what you need. Maybe you need this morning for the gospel to speak in and break free from you the demons and the struggles and the addictions that have held you captive. And by the authority of Jesus' name, guess what? Those things break. You gotta believe it though.”

49s

#TwoKingdoms

“It's amazing to watch how many times inside of our lives these two kingdoms communicate with each other. The kingdom of the flesh and the kingdom of God. It's not as though these two worlds live in isolation. Often times, these two worlds interact all the time. Like, that's how your week was. You interacted with people who thought like you, who acted like you, who believed the way you believe, who do the things you do, have the same rhythms that you have, but you also interacted with people who don't believe the way that you believe. They don't think the way that you think. They don't say what you say. They don't say it how you say it. And what we find ourselves in constantly is this constant chaos of two worlds colliding.”

43s

#KingdomRestores

“That's a beautiful element of all of our faiths according to his word, that in the kingdom of God, we grow. What happens in the kingdom of the flesh is destruction. What happens in the kingdom of God is life. And this is why church is so valuable for us. This is why our time with each other is so valuable because here's what happens. The kingdom of the flesh will seek to destroy everything about your world. Man, it will destroy relationships, it will destroy friendships, it will destroy your job, it will destroy your drive, it will destroy all of these things and the kingdom of God says, I work to restore that. But I work to restore that in righteousness.”

48s

#WillingOverPerfect

“They probably had problems going on at home. They probably had finance problems going on. They probably had stuff not making sense in their world. They're probably worried about all the things that you and I worry about too. It's not as though Jesus found 72 people that were perfect and said, I'm gonna use you. Here's what happens. 72 people who are willing to be used by God and obedient to what God says. God says, I'm gonna use you. You don't have to come in here being perfect today. You don't have to come in here being all put together today. You don't have to come in here having everything inside of your life all neat and put in an order. Here's what is important to Jesus, Jesus, that you're willing.”

56s

#PeopleOfPeace

“And you feel this. Like this is one of the reasons some of us come in exhausted because we are trying to do one of the other. We're trying to pull people from one side of that kingdom to the other side of that kingdom, or we're trying to just survive inside of our kingdom and keep everybody outside of it. That's really some of the realities we live in. Like we're trying to always get somebody to come, like how many of you had a conversation with somebody this week to try to get them to think how you thought? How many of you that did not go well? Okay, alright. See, you're understanding some of this conflict. Like you're starting to see a little bit when Jesus in Luke 10 sends out these 72. He sends them out in a way that they have to understand something. You are to go out as peaceful people.”

49s

#PeaceNotChaos

“We talked about that during one of the ice storms and we actually had that video online. And we didn't get to have that video in person. But but we are to be a person of peace as we go out and speak about the kingdom of God. We don't go out as those who are in the kingdom of God, go into the kingdom of the flesh and just wreak havoc. That's not how Jesus sent them out. He didn't say, 72, here's what I want you to do. I want you to go out and cause as much chaos as humanly possible. Some of them probably could have done a good job at that if Jesus asked that. That wouldn't have been a hard task for them. They were able to go out and man, they could have just caused a lot of chaos. But Jesus structures it up for them, and here's what he says, I want you to go out as a person of peace.”

51s

#YourWordsSpeakJesus

“When we as believers take in scripture, and we hear God speak, it is powerful as we share that story. That's what Jesus is getting to hear in Luke ten sixteen. That when you speak, and you speak the gospel, that when people hear you speak, they hear him. So, what are you speaking about inside of your world? Are you speaking about the things of the flesh, or are you speaking about the things of the kingdom of God? Because we're gonna see the results of this. These that went out. It was their words. Like, they used their own words, but it wasn't their words. It was their voice, but it wasn't their voice. What a powerful thing for those of the kingdom of God.”

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Sent as People of Peace: Speaking Jesus' Authority

Devotional

Day 1: The Power of Our Words to Represent Christ

Day 2: The Authority of God’s Spoken Word

Day 3: The Joy Found in Obedient Mission

Day 4: The Conflict Between Two Kingdoms

Day 5: God’s Voice Still Speaks Today

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Sent as People of Peace: Speaking Jesus' Authority

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