Thankful In The Mess

According To Luke: The Harvest Is Plentiful

Opening Illustration:

Jesus did a lot of speaking and always had unique ways of describing simple but deep truths about God and how God relates to humanity. Jesus told stories, or parables, to illustrate God’s love and affection for people. Many of those stories included things and situations that most everyone had experienced during His time. Jesus talked a lot about farming and agriculture. You might remember the parable of the sower captured in Matthew 13. Jesus illustrated God’s judgement in Matthew 3 when He talked about God’s “winnowing fork” being in His hand ready to separate the wheat and chaff. The winnowing fork was a common farming tool in those days. Just last week in Luke 10, Jesus tells His followers that “no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God”. The apostle Paul even talks about farming in 2 Corinthians 9:6-18, “Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need.” One might shorten this verse to “you reap what you sow”. 

Jesus used farming metaphors continually throughout His ministry to describe God’s Kingdom, and more specifically spreading the Good News of the Gospel. In Luke 10, Jesus even relates God’s potential Kingdom as a huge field ready for harvest. The sad aspect of this field is that while the harvest is ready, there are few to ready to do the work. 

Jesus is conveying an important spiritual teaching. The “field” that He is talking about is this world. The “crop” are those who have the option of receiving the Good News of the Gospel, and the “harvesters” are you and I. It is up to us to make sure that he crop is receiving what it needs to germinate and grow. God provides the fertilizer, the water, the sun, it is us who brings in the harvest. It is a wonderful partnership between God and His children. 

We need to remember that Evangelism is like Farming for the Faithful!

Evangelism Is Like Farming For the Faithful

Point:

Remember that we are sowing seeds of the Gospel. It is not up to us to germinate those seeds much in the same way that we are not in charge of watering the seed today. We depend on the Lord to send precipitation and we trust Him the soil. 

This morning, Jesus will be talking to us about our responsibilities to harvest a huge crop for him. Potentially millions of people needing to hear the Word of God and who will go if not us? So, let’s read this morning from Luke 10:1-12.

Scripture:

Luke 10:1-12 ESV

[1] After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. [2] And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. [3] Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. [4] Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. [5] Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house!' [6] And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. [7] And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. [8] Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. [9] Heal the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' [10] But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, [11] 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.' [12] I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

When Entering The Harvest Fields, Remember...

I. Jesus’ Preparation vs. 10

Luke 10:1 ESV

[1] After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.

Illustration:

One day, a king died. His servants spread the unbelievable news all over the palace. He had died in his bed of natural causes.

"Where has he gone?" asked one of the king's wisest counselors.

"Why, to Heaven of course!" answered all the others.

"No", said the other gravely, "I served this king for many years and traveled with him to many places. He loved to travel and would go over the details of each journey. Every element was planned and anticipated. But I have never heard him say a word about traveling to Heaven. It is a journey for which I saw him make no preparation. I am quite sure he did not go to Heaven."

Point:

What about you? I know that we make preparations throughout our lives to add security to our lives. How are you preparing for heaven today? 

Point:

Jesus had prepared the disciples to do exactly what He was calling them to do. When Jesus calls us to do His work, His ministry, He always prepares us for the task. Sometimes, we don’t even realize that He is doing it. There are three main ways that Jesus prepared His followers to hit the road of evangelism. 

How Has Jesus Prepared You?

A. He Has Provided Education

Point:

Jesus spent three years of His life on earth walking, talking and teaching these followers of His. He taught them by example. He practically modeled the Gospel in His life. He then assisted them while they did His work and ministry. Today, Jesus is turning the ministry over to them to perform on their own. Jesus educated these disciples and the education still works for us today. Jesus has called you to a specific mission field and He has given you everything you need to be successful. He has provided you with His Word. He has provided you with others that have modeled His example. He has provided you with mentors and caring instructors to be there for you and stand with you while you do His ministry. 

Point:

The problem with Christianity today is not knowledge. The problem with Christianity today is not education. The problem today is obedience. We know that we are to share the Gospel but we just don’t do it. We are afraid. We don’t want to ruffle feathers. A pastor once told me that we are educated beyond our obedience. Another pastor once told me that people are more willing to hear the Gospel than there are Christians willing to tell them! 

Point:

You might be thinking that you don’t know enough about the Bible to practically tell someone about Christ. Trust me, the greatest education that you have is your testimony. What has God done for you. That is the starting point but so many people refuse to be willing to tell others what God has done in their lives. 

“People Are More Willing To Hear The Gospel Than There Are Christians Willing To Tell Them!”

B. He Has Provided Association

Point:

God has given us everything we need to accomplish His mission. He has given us education and He has given us association. We are not alone. We do not have to accomplish this huge mission on our own. Jesus had 72 followers and He paired them up two by two. Ecclesiastes 4:9 tells us, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.” Go all the way back to Genesis, God knew that Adam needed a partner and He gave Adam Eve! Isn’t it great that God allows us to work with others to accomplish His goals. With partnership, with friendship, with association, we never have to fear being left out, given up on, turned over, and betrayed. God puts unique individuals in our lives to make us better and to comfort us when times are dark. They celebrate with us when we have victory and hold our hands in failure. Everyone needs a friend and I love this passage because Jesus removes a lot of things that provide comfort but He allows our friends to remain. He knew that we need each other. So, who is your partner? Who is that friend that you share God’s dream with and accomplish His goals? Look around, there is someone in this room that needs you and you need them. Partner up, pray up, and get going together. 

C. He Has Provided Direction

Illustration:

Years ago when I was a teenager I worked at a local nursery and landscaping company called Green Thumb. I started when I was 16 and worked there till I was 19 years old. I had to be at work at 6 a.m., collect everything, all the plants and trees on the back of a dump truck, and then head out to the work site where I would work till 6 p.m. and have a 15 minute lunch break. Montgomery has to be one of the hottest places on planet earth in July. 

The owner of the company was a fella by the name of Charles Harwell. Charles would get to work at 5 a.m., open the nursery up and collect all the plans. He would gas up all the tools and the trucks before anyone else would arrive. When I arrived at work, he was there picking up the same plants I did. He went to the job sites with me. He didn’t just manage but he worked just as hard as the teenage help. He did the work side by side with me. Day in and day out. He would stay long after I left to shut down the store. 6 days a week, from sun up to sun down, Charles Harwell was right there. Providing the example. Showing what work ethic really looked like. To this day I still remember that he was not afraid to work and not afraid to hit the job site. Even though he owned the company, he did the work. 

Point:

Luke 10:1 ESV

[1] After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.

My favorite part of this Scripture is the line “where He Himself was about to go”. Jesus was not just sending out the followers, but He was going to go with them. He was not just going to ask them to go and sit idly by. No. Even though Jesus was the Master, Jesus was going to provide the direction. He was going into action to inspire the troops. Jesus was not afraid of the work, not afraid of the witness, and not afraid to get His hand dirty. No doubt when Jesus told His followers that He was going with them too, they cheered. I imagine that it was a little like the Amazing Race. Jesus paired up the group 2-2, prayed for them, and they left hurriedly and excitedly to accomplish Jesus’ mission. 

Point:

Never forget that you are not alone. Sure, you have a partner but perhaps even more comforting is that Jesus is there with us. Supporting us. Working through us. Remember what you are living out and speaking of is a life saver. 

Romans 1:16 ESV

[16] For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

When Entering The Harvest Fields, Remember...

I. Jesus’ Preparation

II. Jesus’ Caution vs. 2, 4-11

Luke 10:2,4-11 ESV

[2] And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. [4] Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. [5] Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house!' [6] And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. [7] And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. [8] Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. [9] Heal the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'

Illustration:

There are all kinds of warnings in life.

Most products we purchase have labels warning about improper use. I found a great list of these kinds of warnings. Believe it or not, these are all real.

- a label on a snow sled which says: "Beware: sled may develop high speed under certain snow conditions."

- a fishing lure, with a warning that reads: harmful if swallowed.

- A warning on an electric router made for carpenters cautions: “This product not intended for use as a dental drill.”

- A warning label found on a baby stroller cautions the user to “Remove child before folding”

- A container of underarm deodorant says, “Caution: Do not spray in eyes”

- A cartridge for a laser printer warns, “Do not eat toner”

- A cardboard car sunshield that keeps sun off the dashboard warns, “Do not drive with sunshield in place”

We can laugh about these, and think, who would be foolish enough to need such warnings?

But apparently someone did something goofy enough, or some lawyer, thinks somebody is, or will be, foolish enough, or should we say, stupid enough, to think about eating toner from a laser printer cartridge, or driving with the sunshade in place.

Point:

Jesus gives some pretty large cautions to His disciples. He puts restrictions on what money they can bring, what clothing they should wear, and even what footwear they are to wear…or not wear in this case. He even talked to them about what they were to put into their bodies and how they should treat people they meet on the way. Jesus was wanting to make this journey uncomfortable. He was wanting to make it hard. Why? On the surface He was teaching them dependance on God. Don’t depend on anything other than God to meet their needs. Have you ever noticed how suffering binds people together. Jesus told them not to take anything for their journey so that they would have a shared experience together. Suffering and hardship can build camaraderie, closeness, and connection between people. 

Point:

So, where is your harvest field? If Jesus is sending you and me into the harvest field, just where is it? Our harvest field is our work, our school, our neighborhood, our gym, and the ballfields. Your field is pretty much your community. Everywhere you go. I know church members who use their hospital visits to give our Bibles and share the Gospel with doctors, nurses and orderlies. So, if you know where your harvest field is, how should you approach it? Well, you should go as Jesus’ disciples did. 

Enter The Harvest Field...

A. Prayerful vs. 2

Point:

“Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Jesus tells us to pray to the Lord of the harvest. Not just pray but to pray earnestly. The word being used here is deomai (Day-oh-My). It means to desire, to want, to ask, or even to beg. Do you hear what is being inferred? Without prayer, daily prayer, moment by moment prayer we will not have what we need to accomplish God’s mission. Prayer is the main ingredient to turning our hearts to God and hearing His call. When you get up in the morning, you better pray up!

B. Vulnerable vs. 3-8

Point:

Jesus sends out His disciples with little physical support. They were vulnerable. As humans we spend a great deal of time on security. We should. There is nothing wrong with being prepared and want to protect ourselves. However, sometimes God calls us to unsafe places and unsafe people. He calls us to lay our desires and lives aside for the furtherance of His Kingdom. 

Example:

Just the other day Bill Browning came to meet with me. Bill is our Senior Adult Director but it is a part time job. He was also working for a local dealership here in town. He and Sylvia had been praying for a while about what God was calling them to do. You see, they want to devote their lives to the people of this church and the community. They wanted to get serious about the Gospel and felt that God was calling them to sacrifice one job so they could be more devoted. He met with me to tell me that was what he was going to do. Bill and Sylvia are giving up income for the cause of Christ. They are more vulnerable, at least in a worldly sense, than they once where. However, you might make the case they if they are doing what God wants them to do, they are more safe than ever before. I heard a statement a long time ago that the safest place to be on planet earth is in the center of God’s will. The most unsafe place is outside of God’s will. 

C. Mindful vs. 9

Point:

[10] But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, [11] 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.' It can be frustrating when the message of the Gospel is rejected. No one likes to be rejected and Jesus knew this. He knew that the message would not always be well received. He wanted the disciples to go into this opportunity with eyes wide open. Some would say “yes” and others would say “no”. Some people may even mistreat them and hurt them. 

Jesus tells them to simply move on. Go to the next house. Speak to the next person. Again, when we are actively sharing a witness for Christ, we simple sow the seed. We plant. God grows. Leave that person to God and let God do the work. We have our part to play and God has His. 

2 Timothy 4:5 ESV

[5] As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

When Entering The Harvest Field Remember...

I. Jesus’ Preparation

II. Jesus’ Caution

III. Jesus’ Mission vs. 10-11

Luke 10:10-11

[10] But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, [11] 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.'

Point:

When we hear the word “kingdom,” we tend to think of the place over which a king rules. But in Aramaic, the primary language of Jesus, the word malku pointed not so much to the place of royal rule as to that rule itself. Where we read “kingdom” in Mark, we might substitute “rule” or “reign” or “sovereign authority.” When Jesus said “The malku of God is near,” he was pointing to the coming of God’s authority and power. He was fulfilling the role of the messenger of Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation that the God of Israel reigns!”

Years ago, I used to think that Jesus’ announcement of the kingdom being near meant something like, “You can go to heaven after you die.” Now I realize that I had mistaken Jesus’ primary message. Though his Good News does relate to what happens after death, it also has everything to do with this life. In Jesus, God was beginning to reign on earth in a new way, in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Under God’s sovereign authority, righteousness would triumph over injustice and multifaceted peace would fill the earth.

Through Christ, you and I can live today under the reign of God, however incompletely. When we seek God’s agenda for our lives, when we live for his purposes and glory, when we bow before him in worship, we are experiencing the kingdom of God, in anticipation of that day when all the earth will flourish under the glorious reign of God.

Point:

Remember the mission that Jesus speaks of. God’s Kingdom is near. You are a part of His Kingdom. You are literally the physical embodiment of God’s Kingdom, living in you, on earth. So, be God’s Kingdom. Tell others about is arrival and when it will return!

“We talk of the Second Coming; half the world has never heard of the first.”

― Oswald J. Smith

So what is the mission?

Matthew 28:18-20 ESV

[18] And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

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