To Send Out Workers into His Harvent Field

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To Send out Workers into His Harvest Field

BIG IDEA: How do we know that workers are the key to bringing in the harvest? Jesus gives us 3 INSIGHTS

The verb for “to send out” in Mt.9:38 is Ekballo, it’s a very strong word meaning “to drive out, to push out.”
The term Jesus uses for “workers” here recurs in 10:10, indicating that the workers Jesus wished to send forth into the harvest were his own disciples. He trains us in our life with him so we can reach the world for him, making other disciples who in turn can carry on the work (28:19). IVP Commentary on Matthew

INSIGHT #1: Jesus gave us the PLAN

What were the last recorded words of our Savior? v.8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses . . .” Jesus didn’t ask for volunteers- “Okay, which of you guys will be my . . .” He didn’t pick a select few- “Alright, let’s see, Andrew, Philip and Judas not Iscariot . . .” He didn’t call his followers to convenience- “Hey, I know you guys have busy schedules, but if you don’t mind could you put in a good word for me when you get a chance?” No, He simply laid it out in plain, straightforward terms: “You will be my witnesses” The Greek word for witnesses here in v.8 is MARTURIA, we get our English word martyr from it. It means “to bear witness, to testify, to confirm;” originally the word came out of a legal setting; as in a court of law where witnesses would appear to give evidence, or to testify in a trial of past events; but eventually it came to refer to those who were willing to witness for Christ by their death. Jesus doesn’t call us to mediocrity- but to significance. We are to be His special communicators; in fact this message is so crucial that we should be willing to lay down our lives in order to make sure it’s delivered.
“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Rom.10:14,15 According to one study: 2% of all American Christians share their faith on a regular basis. A recent Promise Keepers survey revealed that 90% of all Christian men have never shared their faith one single time. Does that sound like the book of Acts to you?

INSIGHT #2: Jesus gave us the PLACE

Many have pointed out that Acts 1:8 forms a broad outline for the entire book of Acts. v.8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” Acts chapters 1-7 spell out the birth of the church and its growth in Jerusalem; chapters 8-11:18 describes the martyrdom of Stephen and the scattering of Christians to Samaria & Judea; and finally chapters 11:19-28 detail the missionary journeys of the apostle Paul to the ends of the earth.
Ralph W. Neighbor Jr. in an article entitled “Pre-evangelism” says: “In today’s culture, a secular man may live for years without being touched by a Christ permeated climate. The harvest we now reap is primarily composed of converts from the church-related society. The truth is, today’s Christians have precious little contact with the outside world. Few believers can honestly report as many as 5 intimate friends who are unbelievers.” You see if we’re not careful we can hide behind our stained glass walls; we can insulate and isolate ourselves in order to protect our faith; we can sing our hymns, raise our budgets, listen to sermons and teach the Bible to our children- but if that becomes our goal, how can we ever realistically expect to have an impact on our world?”

INSIGHT #3: Jesus gave us the POWER

The Master had specifically instructed His disciples to wait for the empowering of the Spirit before undertaking their mission. That much is clear from v.4: “On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.’ For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." Again v.8 “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” Isn’t it obvious? God’s work is not to be accomplished thru human resources alone. The mission that Christ has assigned us will never be accomplished in our strength. The apostle Paul testified in I Th.1:5 “Our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.” Or I Cor. 2:3-5 “I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom but on God's power.”
Christian communicator Mark Cahill frequently begins his messages with these thoughts: “Every 7 seconds 7 people die, by the time you put your head on the pillow tonight over 600,000 people will have entered their eternal destiny- heaven or hell.” Then he says: “I have a very simple question for you: Do you care? Here’s the much tougher question: Do you care enough to do something about it? Because if you do not care enough to do something about it- then the reality is, you do not care.” When it comes right down to it, that’s the biggest problem confronting the church today- we insist that we care about those heading into a Christ-less eternity, but our actions often dictate otherwise. Isa.6:8 “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”

APPLICATION: What specific gifts, talents and abilities has God’s Spirit given you to reach the lost?

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