"He told them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into the harvest field." Luke 10:2 (NIV)
So far we have observed that Jesus' missionary strategy consisted of developing a team concept, the disciples and the 72 were to go out 2 by 2. We then see that Jesus had a plan of where he was about to go and he sent his disciples out to prepare the way. We see this same pattern among the disciples in the book of Acts. They also went out in teams of at least two people and we see that, in particular, the Apostle Paul had a very clear plan of where he wanted to go. This plan however, was always subject to change based upon the guiding and leading of the Holy Spirit.
Now we come to the third part of Jesus' strategy which is prayer. In this verse Jesus stated an observation that he has made:
The Harvest Is Full And Ready To Be Picked But There Is Just Not Enough Workers To Gather It All In!
In other words there are a whole lot of people ready and prepared to repent and follow Jesus but there is just one problem! There's not enough people to share the good news of God's forgiveness of sin to the people ready to receive it.
The same is true today. There are people all over this country sick and tired of their sinful condition. They are fed up with the mess their sinfulness has made of their lives. But they also feel helpless because they know there is nothing they can do to change their situation. And they feel hopeless because they know there is nothing anyone else can do to make a difference. They have tried all the self-help books, all the court mandated meetings, counseling and even behavioral modification all to no avail. But as Christians we have the good news that can change their lives and we have the keys that can unchain them from the slavery of sin that has held them captive.
But there's one problem.
We still don't have enough workers in harvest fields.
We still don't have enough workers in harvest fields.
So what are we suppose to do? Are we to allow the fruit to remain on the vine to rot? Are we to guilt people who claim to be Christians but never share their faith to come join us? What are we to do? And just as we are asking this question the words of Jesus comes echoing out of the pages.
PRAY!
Pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send more workers. There is a very important point that needs to be made! It is not our job to call other Christians to work in the harvest field! We are not to beg them, guilt them or bribe them. IT'S NOT OUR JOB! It is not our job to go out and pick who we want to join us on this mission of gathering in the souls that God has prepared. Again I will say it,
"IT'S NOT OUR JOB."
Listen carefully as I say this! It is the responsibility of the LORD OF THE HARVEST to recruit and gather his team of harvesters. IT'S GOD'S JOB NOT OURS! Our part to play is to pray and to plead with the God to send more workers. We are to pray as we go out into the fields to reap the harvest. We are to pray while we are harvesting.
So often as we read this verse from a 21st century perspective. We feel that God is going to raise up these new workers from those Christians who are pew sitters. Somehow we feel that God is going to spiritually arouse them where they will have this unquenchable motivation to go out and share. But if we were the disciples hearing Jesus say this words while living in the 1st century we would quickly realize that there were no other Christians sitting and warming the pews. All of the followers of Jesus, at that time, were actively involved in reaping the harvest. So Jesus could not have been asking his disciple to pray to God to motivate those bench warming dead Christians to come out and help. There were no bench warming dead Christians to arouse.
So who were those workers that Jesus asked us to pray for to come and help us? They were men and women who were not even believers in Christ yet but whom God has prepared to follow Jesus. The answer to the prayers would not come from within the church but from within the harvest. The new laborers would be those men and women who have recently decided to follow Christ.
THE LORD OF THE HARVEST WOULD SEND NEW LABORERS INTO THE HARVEST WHO RECENTLY CAME OUT OF THE HARVEST.
So let me ask you a few questions and let's begin to evaluate ourselves in light of Jesus' missionary strategy:
- How diligently are you praying to God to send more people into the harvest who recently came out of the harvest?
- Are you actively praying while you are actively harvesting? Or are you just waiting to begin the harvesting once God brings more people to join the work?
- Are you actively looking for those people that God is raising up out of the harvest to be those co-laborers in the harvest fields?
- Whom have you reach recently for Christ that you can team up with and show how they can reap the harvest also?
- What fruit (person) are you going to investigate today to see if they are ripe for harvest?
Let's remember to team up, know where we are going,
and pray for God to send more laborers.
and pray for God to send more laborers.
I think we are all called to be laborers in the field. More times than not though, people believe it's the responsibility of their pastor, evangelist, or missionary since it's their "job", when in fact we are all place in a mission field that needs laborers. We are naiive to think our pastor or whoever can be more influential over our co-worker/neighbor/friend than we can. God has equipped us with all we need (the Holy Spirit) to influence those around us for His Kingdom. I often hide from my responsibilities as a Christ follower, too, but our field is right in front of us...I pray God will push my idelness aside and work through my hands to labor His field.
ReplyDeleteIf I don’t have a passion for the lost or a desire for others to be saved; I am not saved.
ReplyDelete(Unknown)
It is true that the world is full of lost souls and that the workers are few, but most people are unaware of their sinful conditions, even those warming seats in pews. The Bible says, Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness. Proverbs 20:6. If you ask almost anybody if they think they are a good person they will answer yes and say they never murdered anybody (though many who have murdered think that basically they are good) or that their not as bad as that guy over there. When the Bible speaks of ‘good’ it means moral perfection in thought, word and deed. Only GOD is good (Mark 10:18). Sinners don’t know that. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after GOD. They are all gone out of the way, they are together unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one (Romans 3:11, 12).
The lost may be tired of circumstances in their lives but in this morally relative society those problems are anything but sin, they are due to hereditary or called disease, or any number of other excuses. The lost need workers that are willing to reveal to them their true standing before a Holy GOD. In Luke 10:25 after the 72 returned to Jesus he was inquired of by a lawyer, what he must do to inherit eternal life? Jesus led him to the law. The law of the LORD is perfect converting the soul (Psalm 19:7). If you use the law lawfully to convict the lost their sin and show them from God’s word the eternal destiny in hell for sinners, then reveal to them the good news of Jesus’ work on the cross, many will feel conviction for their sin, repent and be saved. If on the other hand you go knocking on doors in your neighborhood and ask your neighbor what his biggest problem is or what his greatest need is? I doubt you will ever hear sin and blood atonement.
The problem is that many think that the lost know what sin is. Paul said, I had not known sin, but by the law (Romans 7:7). So instead of telling the so called seekers about their need for Christ’s righteousness, they lead them to false conversions by getting them to make a decision for Christ’s benefits, i.e. you will not know true happiness without Christ, you can have a better family life, you can manage your money better, etc… Therefore you have pews filled with people that never truly repented of their sin and falsely believe they are saved because they made a decision for Christ’s benefits. Christ did not die so that we could have a better life but so that we could be saved from an eternity in hell. That is why it is hard to tell most of the church from the world, we watch the same movies, listen to the same music, divorce as much and don’t beget other believers.
Jesus gives us an excellent example in John 4 with the woman at the well of how to witness to the lost. First: Jesus began with the natural realm (v. 7). Second: Jesus swung the conversation to the spiritual (v. 10). Third Jesus brought conviction using God’s law (v. 16-18). Fourth Jesus revealed Himself to her (v.26).
The lost are not to lead the lost to Christ, Paul forbid it in (Acts 16: 17, 18), True believers who love their neighbor as themselves should.
Father, give me boldness and compassion to witness to those who are lost in my sphere of influence and to those that cross my path the whole gospel and to encourage my brothers and sisters in the LORD. Amen.
Good points you are making Jamie and E! It is our responsibility to share with people. Every believer is called to be a witness and to share and it is only God, through the Holy Spirit work and the teaching of his word, that can convict me of their sins. There is none who is righteous or even knows it unless the Holy Spirit reveals it to them.
ReplyDeleteBut isn't it also exciting that according to Jesus the fields are white for harvest! It thrills me to know that the Holy Spirit is creating an entire field of souls he has prepared to reap.
GOD IS AT WORK DOING HIS JOB PREPARING THE HEARTS OF MEN, NOW WE NEED TO BE ABOUT OUR JOB OF HARVESTING THE CROP.
Thank you both for your thoughts and comments. Let's keep up the discussion and encourage each other to be found faithful
Jay, good stuff. May God grant me renewed energy in prayer for His Workers to be brought out of death into life, and transformed into workers for His Harvest.
ReplyDeletethanks for posting it, and again thanks for directing me to your blog. Keep up the good work.