Luke 9:51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
Luke 9:52 And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and eentered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
Luke 9:53 And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
Luke 9:54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
Luke 9:55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
Luke 9:56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
Luke 9:57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
Luke 9:58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
Luke 9:59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Luke 9:60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
Luk 9:61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
"Stedfastly set means to set fast. To turn resolutely in a certain direction."
G4741 στηρίζω stērizō stedfastly set
stay-rid'-zo
From a presumed derivative of G2476 (like G4731); to set fast, that is, (literally) to turn resolutely in a certain direction, or (figuratively) to confirm: - fix, (e-) stablish, stedfastly set, strengthen.
"There has to come a time in your life, my life, in everyone's life who truly belong to God! The time must come when I am as Christ! Stedfastly set! That I set fast! That I turn resolutely in a certain direction! And that direction is Christ! What He has called me to be! What He's called me to do! There is no other direction to go in other than Christ! Christ the solid Rock I stand! All other ground is sinking sand! I belong to God! I must be stedfastly set!"
What made Him stedfast?
Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
"Our stedfastness comes through Christ, the joy of the Lord is our strength!"
So many can't be stedfast today because they've lost the joy of the Lord!
This world will rob you of everything that God wants to put into you, if you aren't stedfastly set!
"Jesus knew that there was a cross awaiting Him in Jerusalem, but the joy was set before Him!"
What is set before you today?
Jesus set His face to go, are you going or are you staying?
Jude 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
Jude 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Jude 1:22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
Jude 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
Jude 1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Jesus hasn't called me to debate or argue what He said to those I meet!
He's called me to go before His face! He's sending me with a message! "Make ready for Him!" Jesus is coming!
He's about to be received up! Luke 9:51 the time was come that he should be received up.
His face in toward Jerusalem and there is a cross that He's going to have to take up, He'll have to be nailed to that cross! His life will be given on that cross and He'll die there.
But there is the joy that is set before Him that makes it all worth it!
"This joy that I have, Jesus says to you and me today! It's yours! I give unto you and no man, no circumstance, no world, no nothing____can take it away from you__if you are stedfastly set in Me! " Hallelujah!
So first, I must be stedfastly set.
1Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
"If I am stedfastly set, I can be sent by the Lord."
Luke 9:52 And sent messengers before his face: and they went,
G649 sent ἀποστέλλω apostellō
ap-os-tel'-lo
From G575 and G4724; set apart, that is, (by implication) to send out (properly on a mission) literally or figuratively: - put in, send (away, forth, out), set [at liberty].
The Lord sets you apart, He sends you out! The Lord does this sending by the authority that He has within Himself! And we must realize that we must come under His authority!
We just don't go! He sends and then we go! The disciples never went without being sent!
2Sa 18:19 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies.
2Sa 18:20 And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead.
2Sa 18:21 Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.
2Sa 18:22 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready?
2Sa 18:23 But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.
2Sa 18:24 And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.
2Sa 18:25 And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
2Sa 18:26 And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings.
2Sa 18:27 And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.
2Sa 18:28 And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD thy God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
2Sa 18:29 And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.
2Sa 18:30 And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still.
2Sa 18:31 And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.
2Sa 18:32 And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.
2Sa 18:33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
"If we haven't been sent with the message from God, we don't need to go. "
Ahimaaz wanted to run to the king and bear tidings. Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day.
Joab said to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.
Ahimaaz said again to Joab: Let me run after Cushi. And Joab said: Why do you want to run, you don't have any tidings to give. Ahimaaz continued to say: Let me run. And Joab said unto him, Run. And run he did, and overtook the runner with th message and when he got to the king, he had no message and had to stand still until the runner with the message got to the king.
The tidings were as we read: Sa 18:31 And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.
2Sa 18:32 And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.
2Sa 18:33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
"David did all he could do to spare his son's death. But God spared not His only begotten Son to go to the cross. He turned His face away as He took upon Himself our sins. And God the Father would not look upon our sins until His Son's blood would be applied. Jesus would cry out on the cross: "My God, My God, Why hast Thou forsaken me?"
"But if we belong to Jesus, He will send us before His face!"
Luke 9:52 And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
Luke 9:53 And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
You and I are His messengers! A messenger has a message!
Our message is "Make ready for Him!"
We don't have to call down fire from heaven to destroy a life!
That would be contrary to the message that we have been given to tell! Jesus said I am come that they might have life! John. 10:10
The people of the village of the Samaritans didn't receive Him because that they saw on His face that He was just passing by, His face was stedfastly set! To go to Jerusalem!
"They didn't know that by the message that had already been given to them was enough, if only they would have received it from His messengers."
Jesus came to their village as He said by the messengers and that is where we must leave it!
"We are to just deliver the message given to us by the Lord."
If we are faithful to God, if we are stedfastly set to go. Jesus will send us before His face.
Luke 9:53 And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
Luk 9:54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
Luke 9:55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
Luke 9:56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
"Do you know what manner of spirit you are?"
John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
John 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
John 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
John 16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
John 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
John 16:12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
John 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
John 16:15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
John 16:16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.
"We must know that we have been born of the Spirit of the Living God!"
Jesus had His face stedfastly set toward the will of the Father!
We must have our face stedfastly set to the will of the Father!
"Follow Jesus in the Bible after He stedfastly sets His face to go to Jerusalem."
Luke 9: 51 He set His face to go to Jerusalem.
And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
Luke 13:22 He journeyed toward Jerusalem.
And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.
Luke 13:31 The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.
"His face was stedfastly set to go to Jerusalem!"
Luk 13:32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.
Luke 13:33 Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
Luke 13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
Luke 13:35 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Luke 19:11 "He was nigh Jerusalem"
And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.
"All through the cities, towns, and villages where Jesus would come, He was conveying a message from God the Father through those that He would send before His face!"
It all came down to how Jesus was received that determined what would happen in their lives.
"How we receive Him determines what happens in our lives!"
He stedfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem!
People didn't receive Him because He stedfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem!
They didn't know that He was going for the Samaritans!
He was going for the blind!
He was going for those steeped in their religious traditions!
His face was stedfastly set to go to the cross!
"How do you see Jesus?"
Luke 19:12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
Luke 19:13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
Luke 19:14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
Luke 19:15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
Luke 19:16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
Luke 19:17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
Luke 19:18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.
Luke 19:19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
Luke 19:20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:
Luke 19:21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
Luke 19:22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
Luke 19:23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
Luke 19:24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
Luke 19:25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)
Luke 19:26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.
Luke 19:27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.
Luke 19:28 And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.
The first two servants were faithful with that which their Lord had intrusted them with. They were not afraid of their Lord but out of their reverence to their Lord, they feared him and served him, and obeyed Him.
But the last didn't really know his master. He only knew his master as to what he thought of him. One who is rough and owns it all, and will get me if I lose the little that he has given me!
The others didn't call their Lord an austere man! They called Him Lord!
What do you call Him today?
Blind Bartimaeus called Him Lord!
Mar 10:51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
Mar 10:52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.
"He healed this man that was blind after He called Him Lord!"
His face was stedfastly set to go to Jerusalem!
But He stood still, and commanded that the blind to be called unto Him. Jesus healed him!
"I said, Jesus healed a blind man that called Him Lord!"
Then Jesus still had the look of Calvary in His eyes!
The joy was still set before Him!
The cross was still before Him!
He came to the temple and cleansed it again before He went to the cross!
My house is a house of prayer! Jesus said!
We are His house! Where are all of the prayer warrior in God's house?
He went to the cross, He suffered on that cross, He died on that cross!
But on the third day! God raised Him from the dead! He's alive!
"He's going to have to upbraid His servants again in this hour because of our unbelief!"
Mark 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
Mark 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Mark 16:19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
Mark 16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
"Are you stedfastly set in Christ to do the Father's will today?"
"And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen."
