Sermon Tone Analysis

Title: Send Forth

Theme: Petitioning for Laborers for God’s Work

Series: Girding up the Church

Listen as I read Matthew 9:35-38, “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.

When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.

Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.’"

(Matthew 9:35-38)

Jesus Christ is compassionate for souls

Jesus Christ is compassionate for souls and the greatest compassion that can be expressed by the Body of Christ is for the souls of mankind to know Jesus as Savior and Lord.

People are apt to go astray much like sheep without a shepherd.

Souls who do not walk closely in step with the Holy Spirit of Christ are very likely to fall prey to the flesh, the lures of the world and the lies of the devil.

Without true shepherds, pastors to feed the people the Word of God and the help of Christians exercising their Spiritual gifts, those in this world and even the flock of God will be harassed and helpless against everything that sets itself against God, Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit.

It takes more than just one pastor in the church to maintain a spiritual hospital where lost souls can be born again, receive a powerful thirst for the Word of God and learn to say “Jesus teach me to pray.”

Jesus knew this and that is why in today’s Scripture He exhorts us to pray for laborers for the work of God.

No child of God is able to do this work on his own.

He must have the help of other Christians.

I recently read the story of Martin Luther, the great reformer of the church, and about his friend who agreed to pray for Martin as he went out to do battle for the souls of the people of his day.

Much like in the times of Christ when Jewish people were without true shepherds, the people of God in Luther’s time were helpless to overcome the sins that were destroying the reputation of the church.

There was only a form of godliness in the priest, thus the church was denying the true power of God to save a man from the bondage of sin.

Much like today where there is a false grace being taught by CEO’s, where only a form of godliness is loved over the true message of repentance.

Martin Luther and his friend established an agreement.

Luther would go down into the dust and heat of battle for the Reformation of the church while his friend would stay in the monastery and uphold Luther in prayer.

One night Luther’s friend had a dream.

He saw a vast field of corn as big as the world with one solitary man seeking to reap it – an impossible and a heartbreaking task.

Then he caught the face of the reaper.

It was Martin Luther.

Luther’s friend caught the message, not one man can do the job alone.

Two sad things happen in all churches that find themselves not properly girding up in prayer.

One, people in the church expect the preacher of the gospel to come up with that vision that will intrigue great numbers to come into the church.

Two, the pastor of the church expects people in the church to do what God has not gifted them to do.

These two wrong perspectives rob heartfelt time for prayer, petitioning the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers, thus leaving the church shorthanded.

God’s Word has the answer, pray with the authority of God’s Word.

I would propose to you that the harvest of souls and the amount of discipleship done in the Body of Christ is up to God.

The church of Jesus Christ may be a part of making disciples of Christ if she has the same compassion for the lost that Christ had.

She must be committed to Jesus’ call to go and make disciples.

(Matthew 28:20) She must stay dedicated to expressing a genuine faith in God’s Word and walk in faithful obedience to the Lord’s call to pray for laborers for the whole work of God.

The Great Commission is to make disciples of Christ.

(Matthew 28:20)

The church that is girded up for the true work of God has a heart to make “disciples” (mathetes) who believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ and His apostles.

A church that is girded up has disciples of Christ who rest in the sacrifice Jesus made for them on the Cross of Calvary, disciples who have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of Christ and who imitate Jesus’ life.

Just what laborers do we need to make true disciples of Christ?

The truths found in today’s text can equip the child of God to meet Jesus’ supreme Christian challenge, to pray for laborers for the church.

Enter the “Throne of Grace” with praise

It is a sad thing when the work of God is at a standstill in any local church.

A work can go slowly because of a lack of committed workmen or when keys workers are overworked.

The first thing in girding up the church is to enter the “Throne of Grace” with praise.

Psalm 100:3 says, “Know that the LORD is God.

It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.

For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.”

(Psalm 100:3-5) Thank the Lord for His Holy Spirit empowered gifts to the church of Christ given for the purpose of edifying the Body of Christ.

(Prayerfully Read 1 Corinthians 12-14; 12:8-10, 28-30; Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Peter 4:11; 1 Corinthians 12:7)

In writing about the Holy Spirit given gifts to the Body of Christ the Apostle Paul writes, “Now to each one the manifestation of the [Holy] Spirit is given for the common good.”

(1 Corinthians 12:7) We express praise to the Lord by making time to learn what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit given gifts and seeking Him for understanding on how to exercise those gifts through sacrificial love.

(1 Corinthians 12-14) We express praise to God by appreciating those who exercise their gifts in this Body of Christ for the good of others, by thanking God for them by name, and thanking them with a true and right heart.

When someone does a good job, tell him.

When someone is feeling like their laborers for the Lord are going nowhere, remind them that as long they are serving sacrificially, the Bible says there will be fruit from their labors in His time if they do not give up and if they serve Him wholeheartedly.

(Hebrews 6:9; 1 Corinthians 15:58) The Holy Spirit’s presence will be among those who express true appreciation for what the Lord has done and is doing through His servants who experience the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Trust only in God for the raising up laborers for the church

The church that is girded up has Christians who express true appreciation for the work of the Holy Spirit of Christ working through the servants of God and she has Christians who trust only in God for the raising up laborers for the church.

Jesus said, “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field."

(Matthew 9:38) The Apostle Paul tells us, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.

There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.

There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6) The New American Standard Bible tells us, “But one and the same Spirit works all these [gifts], distributing to each one individually.”

(1 Corinthians 12:11)

Christians are to trust in God alone for Holy Spirit gifted laborers because the gifts are not selected by individuals or personally solicited or handed out by anyone.

Christ sets the example, He prayed all night getting direction from God His Father before calling forth the original 12 apostles of the New Testament Church.

(Luke 6:12-16) If Jesus sought God in prayer then Christians can be real disciples of Christ and pray to God for Holy Spirit filled and empowered workers.

Anointed leaders to lead the Body of Christ in Spirit and truth

The Lord wants Christians to depend upon Him alone and the church that is girded up in prayer has anointed leaders to lead the Body of Christ in Spirit and truth.

In regard to congregational worship the Body of Christ is to sing the praises of her glorious Lord.

Ephesians 5:19 says, “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.

Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(Ephesians 5:19) Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16)

The church that is girded up with laborers for the work of the Lord has workers who are hungry for the whole counsel of God’s Word.

Not much is said in the New Testament about the congregational singing service, however, clear directions are found in the Old Testament.

In 2 Chronicles 29 we read of a king by the name of Hezekiah.

The Bible says that he “…trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel.

There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him.”

(2 Kings 18:5) His first official act was to cleanse the Lord’s temple of its pollutions.

(The Expositors Bible Commentary) After the purification process, the Bible says, “He stationed the Levites in the temple of the Lord with cymbals, harps and lyres in the way prescribed by David and Gad the king’s seer and Nathan the prophet; this was commanded by the Lord through His prophets.”

(2 Chronicles 29:25) Hezekiah was putting together a gathering of the city officials, they were having a public worship service in the temple and Hezekiah was following the directions given by God through King David in order to have a service that was pleasing to the Lord.

King David, the man after God’s heart, (Acts 13:22) had a powerful desire in his heart to build the temple of God.

(2 Samuel 7:2) However, he was not permitted to undertake the construction of God’s house.

(2 Samuel 7:5-7; 1 Chronicles 22:8) Although he was not involved in the actual building of the temple of God, he did prepare for it in plans and material.

(1 Chronicles 22:1-19; 28:1-29:9) He was also God’s agent in setting in order the method of temple service.

We read all about that in 1 Chronicles chapters 23-26.

All this was the leading of God, through David to set in order corporate worship.

In 1 Chronicles 25 we see that music is to be considered and approached as being ministry in the house of God.

Therefore, the preparation of the song service should be approached and received with the same approach and reception as the proclaiming of God’s Word.

Music is ministry to the Lord and to the Body of Christ and it must be blanketed in prayer and guided by the truths of God’s Word.

Listen to what the Bible says about music for the house of the Lord for public worship.

“David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals…” (1 Corinthians 25:1) “All these men were under the supervision of their fathers for the music of the temple of the LORD, with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the house of God.

Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the supervision of the king.

Along with their relatives--all of them trained and skilled in music for the LORD… Young and old alike, teacher as well as student, cast lots for their duties.”

(1 Chronicles 25:6-8)

The church that is as hungry as Hezekiah was about having public worship services which are pleasing to the Lord will look to God’s Word and see what His instructions are.

In regard to the song service for the house of God Christians ask God for music ministers who are “trained and skilled in music” (lamad).

(1 Chronicles 25:7) The church is to be praying for music ministers who have studied, are able to be taught and able to teach others about music for the house of God to oversee the music ministry.