Bible reading for 40.Day 2025 | Luke 10:1-9

If I were to ask you, what does a successful and healthy church look like? What would you picture?

That’s the question that God posed to me one day. In my mind, I saw a church with open doors, with people flocking in by the thousands.

There is nothing wrong with that picture: We should all desire for our churches to be full, bursting, and alive.

But the scene had not yet ended. I started to see everything move as if in reverse. I saw the same church, doors still wide open, but now instead of thousands coming in, I saw people flowing out of the church by the thousands.

No, they weren’t leaving church. They were being sent out by the church to the world beyond church walls.

Ekklesia 

We come to church, where we are commissioned and equipped to be sent out. That is a better picture of a successful and healthy church: One that not merely gathers but goes.

One that goes and makes disciples. (Matthew 28:19-20)

One that goes into all the world and preaches the Gospel to all creation. (Mark 16:15)

Our churches are good at gathering. We sometimes call this the Ekklesia, the assembly of God’s people. The people are gathered, summoned by the King. We enjoy the gatherings, be they worship services, cell groups or Bible study fellowships. Many fellows in the same ship, in a blissful bubble.

In the book of Numbers, we learn of how the people of Israel are summoned to gather in their time wandering in the wilderness.

“The Lord said to Moses: ‘Make two trumpets of hammered silver, and use them for calling the community together. When both are sounded, the whole community is to assemble before you at the entrance to the tent of meeting.’” (Numbers 10:1-3)

It feels like this is the season the Church is in: We are a community, assembled at the Tent of Meeting. We are many tribes, though collectively we are one camp, centred around the Tabernacle. We are at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting – meeting the Spirit of God, hearing His Word, and enjoying His presence.

But wait. There’s more to the trumpets.

Go forth 

When another trumpet blast is sounded, the tribes camping on the east are to set out, then those on the south. This blast is their signal to set out. To gather the assembly, they blow the trumpets. When they go into battle, they sound a different blast on the trumpets. The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to blow the trumpets. (Numbers 10:5-9)

Two different blasts on the trumpet, led by the priests.

A call to assemble. And a call to attack.

A call to gather. And a call to go.

We are the Ekklesia – His people, called out of the world. But we are called out to be sent out.

We see this in Luke 9 and 10. Jesus gathers 12 Apostles. He sends them out – the Greek word is apostellos – to proclaim the Kingdom of God (Luke 9:2).

“When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” (Luke 9:1-2)

Then He appoints 72 others, who are likewise sent out – Apostellos – as workers in the harvest field.

“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.” (Luke 10:1)

They go from village to village, home to home. They bring blessings and healing and the Gospel of salvation, preaching the Good News – “The Kingdom of Heaven is near!”

“Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’” (Luke 10:9)

We learn that the 12 disciples (Luke 9:6) and the 72 others (Luke 10:17) return with great joy. “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name!” (Luke 10:17) There is healing and breakthrough, and no doubt, many come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah.

Salt and light

Church – the purpose of the Ekklesia, the gathered, called-out church – is Apostellos, to be sent out. We are saved and summoned so that we may be sent out as salt and light, bringing hope to the hopeless, bringing Jesus to the unsaved.

On weekends, we gather in church to refuel, recharge and realign. Then we must go and bring the Gospel beyond church walls! Go and bring the Good News to your workplace! Go and bring Jesus to your loved ones!

Your Pastor, your cell leader or church mates cannot enter your workplace or your social circles. But you can. You have been sent out as His witness in your marketplace.

What would it take for the vision of the sent-out church to become reality? God has done everything; God has done His part. He has given us the Holy Spirit; He has given us His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. On our part, what will it take? Only your willingness. Only your obedience. Only your excitement to bring Jesus to the waiting world.

The trumpet is sounding: The one that sends us out beyond our camp, beyond church walls. What are we waiting for?

Let’s pray.

Lord, we thank You for the Church – the body of Christ. We thank You for brothers and sisters who spur and encourage us toward love and good deeds. Now we hear Your trumpet call: Go. Lord, give us eyes to see the many who need You, ears to hear their cries, hearts that feel their pain, and tongues on fire to boldly tell them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Reflect:

1. We have been called out of the world to be sent out to the world. Are you prepared to answer the call?

2. To whom will you say “The Kingdom of heaven is near” in your family, your workplace, your social circles? Pray their hearts to be open.

3. Do you feel lukewarm towards mission and evangelism? Ask the Lord to show you His heart for the lost.

Pray:

1. That the Church in Singapore will not neglect the Great Commission or fail to go out and proclaim the Gospel.

2. That the immense love of the Lord for the unsaved will be a burning burden on every believer’s heart, that none should perish. (2 Peter 3:9)

3. That we catch the urgency of the hour – the sounding of the second trumpet – and we will not hesitate to answer the call to go.

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