The Seventy

Just over three weeks ago we started a program in our church we are very excited about called “The Seventy”. Since that time, our church has made 4,346 contacts in our community. As we have been faithful to the process, God has blessed us with 22 first-time visitors. “The Seventy” is a program that focuses on what we are responsible for (which is the process), and leaves the product to whom it belongs: God!

Here is an article written from Pastor Austin Gardner to the people of VisionBaptistChurch when we started this program.

In Luke 10:1-2 we find the following:

After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

The Lord Jesus sent out seventy to go before Him into every city and place where He was planning on going. That is where we get the idea to use SEVENTY!

I know that there is nothing magical about that number but it is a large number for our church. It is a good number! If that many people will simply talk about Jesus every where they go then His name and His work will be heard about and talked about a great deal each week around our church people. Really the number should be 100% but in my experience not everyone will get involved and so I want it to be just a number of people who are willing to make some small commitments that will make a large difference.

I have asked each person to commit to making at least one contact a week and praying that each will do more than that. I am hoping that our people will constantly carry gospel tracts in their pockets along with invitations and look for every means and moment to get them out.

The product or the result is not our responsibility. We can’t save people! We cannot manufacture true decisions. That must be a work of God. The process is our responsibility. We can carry the seed but we can’t make it come up! We can make the announcement and give the invitation but we can’t make them accept, come, or believe. But what if we were to get busy inviting, talking with, passing out more tracts, etc. What would God do? I am not sure but at least we would be being obedient. We are responsible for the process and we will leave the product to God.