Laboring for the Harvest
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Luke 10:1-16
When we picture the ministry of Jesus, it is easy to see Him at the center doing all the work.
He preached powerful sermons, healed the sick, cast out demons, and drew great crowds.
But in Luke 10 we see something important: Jesus never intended His ministry to stop with Him or even with the twelve disciples.
The harvest was far too great, and the need far too urgent, for just a handful of workers.
So He chose seventy others and sent them out, multiplying the work of the kingdom.
This reminds us that God’s plan has always been bigger than a few gifted leaders.
His plan is to use ordinary believers to accomplish extraordinary tasks.
Every follower of Christ has a part to play in the work of the gospel.
Paul says,
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
He is reminds us that the saints are equipped “for the work of the ministry.”
There are no spectators in God’s kingdom—only laborers.
Just as a farmer who is standing in a field of golden grain ready to be harvested.
The sun is setting, the hours are short, and he realizes he doesn’t have nearly enough workers to bring it all in.
That was the urgency Jesus spoke of when He said, “The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few.”
If more workers don’t step in, much of the harvest will be lost.
This is why Jesus sends out the seventy.
He is showing that the mission of God is shared by His people.
It isn’t about one man’s work but about the body of Christ working together.
D.L. Moody once said, “It is better to put ten men to work than to do the work of ten men.”
That is exactly what Jesus does here—He puts His followers to work.
As we study this passage, we are reminded that God’s people are sent with a purpose, supported by His power, and accountable to His message.
The question before us tonight is simple: Will we follow His steps by taking our place in the harvest field?
I. The Sending of the Servants
I. The Sending of the Servants
1 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.
2 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.
3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.
Jesus begins by making it clear that His mission is not limited to Himself or the twelve.
He is multiplying the ministry by sending out seventy others.
As we consider this sending, notice three key truths about servants:
A. Their Number
A. Their Number
Luke tells us Jesus “appointed other seventy also.”
The work of God requires more than a small circle of leaders.
It has often been said, and I have seen it often that it is about 10% of the membership of a church that does 90% of the work.
That ought not to be true!
The harvest field was too vast for twelve men alone.
By sending seventy, Jesus demonstrated that the mission belongs to all of His people.
Ephesians 4:12 teaches that pastors and teachers are given…
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
That means ministry is not the work of a few professionals—it is the responsibility of every believer.
If you are saved, you are sent.
But notice, Jesus not only multiplied their number; He also emphasized their need for one another.
B. Their Need
B. Their Need
Jesus “sent them two and two before his face.”
He did not send them out alone, but in pairs.
Why? Because the mission is difficult and the world is hostile.
Partnership provides encouragement when one is weary, accountability when one is tempted, and joy when God blesses the work.
I have seen in recent years and increase of church starts being sent out from churches by sending at least two families to go and start the work.
There is a lot of wisdom with that.
For years, missionaries and church planters would go by themselves to a new location, new city, to start a new church.
And many would get discouraged and quit.
Ecclesiastes 4:9 says,
9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
Even Paul, as bold as he was, rarely traveled alone.
He had Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, and others who stood by his side.
God designed us to need one another.
No Christian can thrive in isolation, and no servant of God should labor without fellowship.
Yet even with a partner, Jesus wanted them to understand the true nature of their calling.
C. Their Nature
C. Their Nature
Jesus described them as “lambs among wolves.”
This is a sobering image.
Lambs are weak and defenseless, while wolves are strong and predatory.
Jesus was reminding them that the mission would not be easy—it would be dangerous.
But He was also reminding them that they belonged to Him, the Good Shepherd.
Psalm 23:4 says,
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
And in John 10:11, Jesus promises,
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
You may feel weak in this world, but your safety is in the Shepherd.
The wolves may be strong, but the Lamb of God is stronger.
Having shown them who they were and what they would face, Jesus then gave them clear instructions for how they were to carry out their mission.
This leads us to our second main point—their instructions as servants of Christ.
II. The Instructions for the Servants
II. The Instructions for the Servants
4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.
5 And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.
6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.
7 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
10 But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
11 Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
After sending the seventy out, Jesus did not leave them to figure out the mission on their own.
He gave them very specific instructions for how they were to live, minister, and respond.
These directions show us what it means to walk by faith as servants of Christ.
Notice four instructions:
A. Travel Light
A. Travel Light
Jesus said, “Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.”
This was not a call to carelessness but to dependence.
They were to rely on God’s provision instead of their own resources.
The urgency of the mission meant they were not to be weighed down with distractions.
Philippians 4:19 promises,
19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Sometimes we are tempted to wait until everything is in place before we begin to obey God.
But Jesus teaches that we must go forward in faith, trusting Him to meet our needs.
I often teach my kids if they disagree, or see a reason they shouldn’t do something I tell them to do, it is better for them to obey first, then ask about it.
At the very least, move toward obedience so it doesn’t look like defiance.
And as they trusted God for provision, they were also to trust Him for peace.
B. Trust God’s Peace
B. Trust God’s Peace
5 And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.
6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.
Jesus told them to greet homes with peace, and if the peace was received, it would rest there.
If not, it would return to them.
This shows us that the gospel brings peace to those who believe, but not everyone will welcome it.
Romans 5:1 says,
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
When you share Christ, some will respond with joy and others with rejection.
But do not be discouraged—God’s peace is not wasted.
Even if it is rejected, His peace still rests upon His people.
And with peace in their hearts, they were to remain content wherever God placed them.
C. Be Content
C. Be Content
7 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
In other words, do not go from house to house looking for better accommodations or tastier meals.
Be thankful for what God provides and focus on the mission, not on your comfort.
Hebrews 13:5 reminds us,
5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
When I was in Bible College the college had a tour group that would travel and sing at different churches.
They would often depend on the hospitality of church members to house them and feed them.
I remember talking to friends about their travels and some of the accommodations were not ideal, some even awkward and uncomfortable.
Some of the food wasn’t the greatest.
But they were taught at the beginning never complain and always immediately express gratitude and grace.
Be content with what you are given!
One look of disappointment or disgust could completely ruin the testimony of not just that individual, but their college, their professors, even their pastor.
One of the greatest hindrances to ministry is discontentment.
When we complain about what we don’t have, we lose sight of the privilege of serving Christ.
With hearts anchored in peace and contentment, they were then free to carry out the boldest part of their instructions—proclaiming the kingdom.
D. Boldly Proclaim
D. Boldly Proclaim
9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
10 But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
11 Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
Jesus told them to heal the sick and declare, “The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.”
This was not merely a ministry of compassion but of confrontation.
They were to declare God’s truth regardless of how people responded.
If a city rejected them, they were still to announce the nearness of God’s kingdom and then move on.
2 Timothy 4:2 commands us to
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
Our responsibility is faithfulness, not results.
God does not hold us accountable for how people respond to the message, but He does hold us accountable for giving it.
So far we have seen the sending of the servants and the instructions given to them.
But Jesus didn’t stop there.
He also gave a sober reminder that those who hear the message are accountable for what they do with it.
This brings us to our third main point…
III. The Accountability of the Servants
III. The Accountability of the Servants
12 But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.
13 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
14 But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you.
15 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.
16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.
Jesus did not want the seventy to think that their mission was optional or that people’s responses were casual.
He reminded them that those who hear the gospel are accountable for what they do with it.
This truth brings both a warning to the hearers and a weight of responsibility to the messengers.
Notice two realities Jesus emphasized:
A. Greater Light Brings Greater Judgment
A. Greater Light Brings Greater Judgment
12 But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.
13 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
14 But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you.
15 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.
Jesus said it would be more tolerable for Sodom in the day of judgment than for the cities that had seen His works and rejected Him.
He named Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum—cities that had witnessed miracles, heard truth, and yet turned away.
Their privilege became their condemnation.
This principle runs throughout Scripture: the more truth a person receives, the greater the accountability before God.
Hebrews 2:3 warns,
3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
Revelation 20:12 describes the final judgment:
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
We live in a land where the gospel is readily available, where churches are open, and Bibles are everywhere.
That means our accountability is high.
Hearing truth every week is not just a privilege—it is a responsibility.
If rejecting the truth brings such severe judgment, we need to understand exactly what rejection means.
B. The Seriousness of Rejection
B. The Seriousness of Rejection
16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.
To reject the messenger is to reject the Master.
This truth gives weight to our witness.
When people turn away from the gospel, they are not simply rejecting our words—they are rejecting the very Son of God.
2 Corinthians 5:20 says,
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
An ambassador does not speak his own message but represents his king.
When you share Christ and someone resists, don’t take it personally, but do take it seriously.
They are rejecting not just you, but the Lord who sent you.
That realization should not drive us to pride or anger but to prayer and compassion.
Having seen the sending of the servants, their instructions, and the accountability of those who hear them, we now must consider what this means for us.
Conclusion
Conclusion
This passage reminds us that following Jesus is more than simply believing in Him—it is being sent by Him.
The seventy remind us that the mission is not just for a few people but it is for all of God’s people.
We are sent with a purpose, supported by God’s power, and we are accountable for how we proclaim His message.
The harvest is still great today, and the labourers are still few.
The world around us is searching for peace, for truth, for hope, and the answer is only found in Christ.
We cannot control how people respond, but we are called to be faithful in giving them the truth.
When they receive it, they receive Christ.
When they reject it, they reject Him.
Either way, our task is to obey.
Charles Spurgeon once said, “Every Christian is either a missionary or an impostor.”
Those are strong words, but they remind us that there is no neutral ground.
If we are following His steps, then we must be taking His message.
In 1793, William Carey, known as the father of modern missions, preached a sermon where he challenged the church with these words: “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.”
Carey believed that if God had commanded His people to go, then no obstacle, no danger, and no weakness should hold them back.
His willingness to obey led to a movement that carried the gospel around the world.
Like Carey, we may feel weak and unqualified, but we serve a great God who goes with us.
The seventy were sent into towns and villages to prepare the way for Jesus.
We are sent into our communities, our workplaces and families so that we can point people to the Savior who has come to bring them life.
The question for us tonight is simple: Will we follow His steps into the harvest field?
Will we carry His message with courage, compassion, and conviction?
The Lord of the harvest is still calling for labourers.
Will you answer His call?
