ἀποστέλλω
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A deacon whose faith had been revitalized during a Sunday night evangelistic service came to the minister to tell him he was now ready to live for Jesus and available for service. The minister prayer with him, thanked him, and assured him that he would be called upon. Later that same night a widowed mother in the church called the minister and said she was desperate for a ride for her young son to the hospital the next day for a long-scheduled appointment with a specialist doctor. The hospital was 50 miles away in the city, and her ride had fallen through. Smiling to himself at the seemingly providential provision of God, the minister called the deacon and asked him to take this task. At first, the deacon protested that he would have to take a half-day off of work, but relented under the minister’s gentle reminder that he had said he was available for service.
So the deacon arranged the time off work and went to the woman’s house the next morning. The mother was unable to go because of her other children, so he carried the little boy (who was unable to walk on his own) out to his pickup and set him down beside him in the seat. When they had driven awhile, the boy said, “You’re God, aren’t you?” The deacon said, “No, of course not. Why would you say that?” The boy said, “Last night I heard my mother crying and praying to God to send someone to take me to the hospital. I thought you must be God.” The boy was quiet for a minute, and then he said, “If you’re not God, you work for him, don’t you?”
The deacon paused and with tears in his eyes and a thrill in his heart, said, “Now more than ever, son. Now more than ever.”
Working for God
sacrifices
great joys.
Title of sermon
apostle
“one who is sent”.
Adapted from
booklet by
Derek Morris
Plentiful Harvest
Plentiful Harvest
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.
Plentiful harvest
What is harvest?
Matthew 13:39 (ESV)
... The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.
Harvest is at
2nd coming
Revelation 14:15 (ESV)
And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.”
Harvest is ripe
at second coming.
For both
righteous
unrighteous
Harvest could be
end of world.
final harvest.
Could also mean
current mission work:
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.
Speaking of present harvest
harvest of that day.
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.
Specific strategic plans
for current mission work.
What does it mean?
Harvest is great?
Talking about
here and now
not at 2nd coming!
People today
need good news
waiting for friend
share truth.
Pentecost
So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
Easy to say
on that day...
“Harvest is great!!!”
Some don’t feel
that way about
their circumstance
time
place
great or not???
Bumper Crop?
or Crop failure?
Woman at the Well
Woman at the Well
At first glance
harvest is not great!
John 4:4–7 (ESV)
And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey,
--
was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.
A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”
Single woman
doesn’t seem promising
truly “spiritual?”
Disciples think
let’s pack bags
move on.
Jesus sees somethings else.
Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.
Amazing story
woman goes to city
tells story of Jesus
Stay 2 more days.
Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.”
Harvest looked bleak...
turned out opposite.
For our community
we need to see
with Jesus’ eyes.
Like servant of Elisha
pray to open eyes.
Believe in
plentiful harvest.
The Half Full Glass
The Half Full Glass
They say
it’s in the way
we look at it.
Glass half full
or half empty.
It becomes what
you believe it
to be!
If we believe
harvest is great.
It becomes a
self-fulfilling prophecy.
Current Harvest
How to count?
Starfish on beach
after hurricane
millions
Can’t make difference.
Made a difference to that one!
How do we view
harvest?
If we don’t believe
people are seeking
we don’t try
to share anything!
One day
great preacher
Stephen.
Having an
evangelisic sermon.
large crowd listening
“harvest great”?
Lets see response
But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Big crowd
instead of accepting
they killed him!
Failure?
That sermon kept
ringing in mind
young man...
Saul.
The harvest came
a bit later.
Acts 9:6 (NKJV)
So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” ...
That sermon
finally bore fruit...
First impression
not good sermon
not good fruit
not good place
not good ethnicity
not good spirituality
not receptive.
Paul went on
to convert thousands
to truth.
That is God’s math.
What we realize is:
The Harvest is Always Plentiful
The Harvest is Always Plentiful
Even when
doesn’t look that way
at first.
What is the Real Problem?
What is the Real Problem?
So then,
what is really
the problem?
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.
Harvest is great!
Problem?
Not enough workers!
Jesus gave command
Great Commission
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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Called the Great Commission
command from God
final words
of this book.
“Great Commission”
some have said:
“Great Omission”.
What was this for?
11 disciples?
No!
spoke this to all
every Christian!
Jesus said:
“laborers are few”
Are they really few?
Lots of Christians!
Few laboring laborers!
"The harvest truly is great, but the Iaboring laborers are few."
Distracted Laborers
Distracted Laborers
Where is our mind?
Where are our priorities?
The Parable of the Two Sons
The Parable of the Two Sons
“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go.
I wonder.
Why did second,
not work?
Why?
liar?
hates father?
secret plans?
nooooo....
Just… got busy?
Parable of Banquet
Parable of Banquet
Guests invited
why didn’t they show?
Excuses:
First Excuse
But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’
2. Second Excuse
And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’
3. Third Excuse
And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’
What are the reasons
they didn’t go?
Distractions:
properties
transportation
relationships
Problem?
Priorities!
What can be done?
non-laboring laborers
distracted
discouraged
What can be done?
Conversion!
Conversion of Peter
Conversion of Peter
“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
Last supper
still unconverted
betrayed his Lord
After crucifixion
Jesus forgave him...
After resurrection
Peter so sorry
truly repentant
truly converted
He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Truly converted
truly ready
to become a laborer!
Why not enough
laboring laborers?
heart issue
lack of conversion
lack of Spirit.
Some years ago another young man named Simon entered pastor’s office. He had spent his teenage years in East Los Angeles. The Lord Jesus Christ rescued this young man from a life of violence and crime and called him to be a laborer in the Lord's harvest. Simon had already seen God work in his life in marvelous ways, but he had become distracted and discouraged- not by the present, but by the past. Some nights he sat on his bed looking at his gang tattoos, wondering, Can God really use me, after all I’ve done? He was a classic example of a modern distracted and discouraged laborer.
As Simon sat in the pastor’s office, tears filled his eyes and rolled down his cheeks like liquid prayers. As pastor listened to his heart cry, God gave him a word of hope for him. "We don't have to stay where we are," I explained. "Nor are we bound by what we used to be." Simon embraced the good news of God's Word. Divine grace renewed him, and the Spirit of God empowered him. Just a few weeks later, as Simon was sharing the good news about Jesus with others, God impressed him to tell his life story. Until then he had been too ashamed to tell it in public. But not anymore! At the end of his testimony Simon gave a simple invitation, and 15 people received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord.
A few days later Simon received a call from a Christian mission organization asking him to serve on a mission team in South America. He worked in the city of Salvador, in northeast Brazil, visiting people in parts of the city to which not only the locals were afraid to go but even the police refused to enter. God even used Simon’s old gang tattoos to earn him a little respect among the local gang members. As a result of those meetings, 5,000 people chose to become fully dedicated followers of Jesus.
God only needs
consecrated
converted
surrendered
workers
He can do the rest!
Praying the Radical Prayer
Praying the Radical Prayer
Radical Prayers
Elijah and rain
Elijah Widow’s Son
Today God has
challenged us
pray radical prayers...
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.
May not sound radical
but it is.
Is Jesus asking us to
make a request?
to express a desire?
No!
more intense than that.
The Greek verb:
deomai means
"to beseech,"
"to plead earnestly,"
“to beg.”
Do you sense
the intensity
of that word?
It is so much stronger
than simply
"to pray."
Earnest Prayer
Earnest Prayer
Other uses:
While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”
leper begging for cleansing
The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,
man just freed
from legion of demons.
And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child.
Father of
demon possessed son!
Do these examples
seem like
calm request?
Other example
“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
Satan seeking
eternal damnation
of Peter!
Jesus prayed!
for him.
his eternal life!
The prayer is
earnest prayer.
Jesus’ Command
Jesus’ Command
Something else
the verb is
imperative.
Luke 10:2 (ESV)
… Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.
Not a request
Not a
“if you have time”
Not a
“if you feel like it”
This is a
command from God!
Fire, get out!
Even more
Currently Praying
Currently Praying
The verb is aorist imperative.
Present Imperative
vs.
Aorist Imperative
Present Imperative
Keep on praying!
Aorist Imperative
start praying!
You haven’t started
praying yet?
Why haven’t we?
have not sensed
the urgency.
Question!
Why pray
for laborers?
God already knows need.
God already wants workers.
God already trying to convict.
Why pray about it?
Throwing Out Laborers
Throwing Out Laborers
Luke 10:2 (ESV)
... Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.
“Send out Laborers”
Not best translation.
Send out
ἀποστέλλω
sent out ones
apostles
Apostles are
sent out ones.
Broad sense
all Christians
sent out
all apostles...
But this is not
word used in verse.
this word
ἐκβάλλω
much stronger word.
Means
cast out
throw out.
Not
“sent out”
But
“thrown out”
Apostle John employs
ἐκβάλλω when
the disciples cast their nets out of the ship (John 21:6),
when the enemies of Jesus picked up rocks to hurl at Him (John 8:59),
when Herod had John the Baptist thrown into prison (John 3:24).
Jesus cast demons out of people!
Cast out,
very strong word.
These are not
weak prayers.
weak answers.
Personal Prayer
Personal Prayer
Before praying
for others
we must
pray for ourselves.
Before we ask God
throw out others
into harvest.
Must pray for self
Me to be
thrown into harvest.
Fear and Inexperience
Fear and Inexperience
Very next verse:
Luke 10:3 (ESV)
Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs...
Sheep not
powerful
intellgent
strong
wise.
Worse
Jesus says
“I am sending you out as lambs...”
Sometimes we feel
we just can’t
we don’t have
experience
knowledge
ability
It seems clear,
that’s exactly who
He wants!
Lambs are not
wise
powerful
elegant
But they are
humble
submissive
These are the traits
Jesus is looking for
in His missionaries!
Wilbur was just a lamb when he gave the Lord of the harvest permission to use him. He had been a Christian all his life, but he was immature and inexperienced as a worker in the Lord's harvest. In March 2002 he received an invitation to preach a series of sermons in Kenya, Africa. His reply was terse and to the point: "You know I don't preach! “He could just as well have said, "I'm just a lamb! Choose a mature sheep like Billy Graham!"
Surely God would select someone more experienced, more spiritually mature, than him. But Wilbur decided to ask God for a sign. After all, Gideon had asked for one to know whether it was indeed the Lord who was directing him to lead the army of Israel. So Wilbur knelt in prayer and said, "God, I have never asked for a sign before, but I need to know that this is what You want me to do." Immediately these words came to his mind: What are you requesting a sign? I have asked you to go into all the world, and I will be with you! The answer was so clear. All this 70-plus-year-old "lamb" could say was "Thank You, Lord."
A few weeks later Wilbur e-mailed the local coordinator in Kenya and asked, "How many do you think will be attending the meetings?" The response shocked him.
They expected approximately 5,000 people during the week and more than 10,000 on the weekends. When Wilbur read those numbers, he again confronted the painful realization that he was just a “Iamb.” He said to his wife, "There is no way that I could face that many people and preach those sermons."
Wilbur wanted to serve God. He was willing to pray the radical prayer, giving the Lord of the harvest permission to throw him out into His harvest. But he was struggling with the radical internal challenge of being an immature and inexperienced lamb. Many of us can relate to his sense of inadequacy.
It is our job
to listen
to go
to serve
God will take care
of the rest.
End Sermon Here???
The Dangers of Laborers
The Dangers of Laborers
After radical prayer
Jesus sends out
those who he
just prayed with.
I didn’t read
the entire verse:
Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.
Just warns them
there is danger in
following Him.
Lambs among wolves!
This work
won’t always be easy.
Lambs are defenseless
against wolves.
Fear
biggest reason
why Christians don’t
serve for Jesus.
Fear of
rejection.
lack of knowledge.
lack of abilities
bad results
Ask yourself
what are the odds
of lambs among wolves?
We must stop
thinking about
our abilities
our strenghts
our powers.
In this work
those are useless.
This is job
complete dependance.
In this work,
Jesus is calling all!
Men
Women
boys
girl
old
young
serve as sheep!
That's a lesson Christopher learned when he was a young teenager. One Sabbath afternoon he decided to go downtown with some friends to sing Christian songs and talk to people about Jesus. Without any experience with street witnessing, they were just lambs.
But their hearts were willing, and God blessed their labors. Partway through the afternoon Christopher needed to use the men's room. While he was washing his hands, an older teenager came in and began to attack him verbally. 'You're stupid! I think it's stupid to love Jesus!" Although Christopher felt intimidated, he replied, "l Iove Jesus!"
Suddenly the door of one of the stalls opened, and a very large man emerged. More than six feet tall, he must have weighed at least 300 pounds. Walking up behind the older teenager, he said, "I love Jesus!"
Startled, the aggressive teenager left-like a wolf with his tail between his legs! Christopher had never met the stranger before, and he has never seen him since. But I have no doubt that God used that man to remind Christopher that even though you're just a lamb among wolves, you don't need to be afraid. Jesus will never leave you or forsake you!
Appeal
Appeal
Today
I exhort you.
Pray this
earnest prayer
for yourself.
"Lord of the harvest, I earnestly beg You to throw out laborers into your harvest, and you have my permission to begin with me."
Let’s allow Christ
to throw us out.
Go where he leads.