The Laborers Are Few
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Today’s secular society tries to convince us that wealth, fame and power will make us happy. It’s not true! Unsatisfied by money, notoriety, and control, people frequently turn to alcohol, drugs, porn, and other sources of pleasure trying to satisfy their ravenous thirst for happiness. Who will proclaim the truth? Who will speak up about God? Who will share the Gospel of Jesus Christ? The need has never been greater. Are we being called? The laborers are few. Please read more.
Throughout chapter nine in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus shows and teaches His followers precisely what it means to be one of His disciples. When He encountered the tax collector, He tells him, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.” Chapter 9 reveals the accounts of many miracles. Jesus cured the woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years, He healed the two blind men, He drove the demon out of the mute demoniac, and He “went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness.” This chapter concludes with verses 37-38 which state, “Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”
Take a minute to reread the entirety of chapter nine. Like any great leader, Jesus demonstrates by example. Many people were wounded and hurting. Jesus’ disciples witness His healing touch. God inspired the Gospel writers to record these events to teach us how to minister to others.
Here we are, over two thousand years later, and we are still surrounded by so many wounded and hurting people. The proponents of secularism spew forth the false doctrine that lasting happiness can be found in the excesses of this world. Right now, the secular society seems to be winning out. Religion is being pushed into the corner and Christians are frequently ridiculed. Change is needed and it is needed now. Who will step into the breach and speak the truth?
Jesus is calling for today’s Christians, like the great saints of the past, to step forward, speak out and risk it all for the sake of His Kingdom. Immediately following His statement about needing workers, Jesus says this in Matthew 10:1, “Then he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.” Jesus has always empowered His followers to do amazing and miraculous things.
Do you believe that there are followers of Jesus who still have these powers today? Do you believe Jesus has equipped you with all you need to speak out against the heresies and falsehood of our modern era? Do you believe that Jesus can give you words of healing to help the many broken, wounded, isolated, hurting, and unhappy people in our world? I do!
Later in Matthew chapter ten, Jesus instructs His apostles to go out to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He told them to make this proclamation, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”
These crazy times in which we live are littered with shattered lives. The covid-19 pandemic alone has left a mess in its wake. All the wealth, power and pleasures of this world are not the solution for happiness, but Jesus is!
Jesus is still looking for more laborers. Jesus is counting on you and me. Will we sit idly by and watch as religious values erode? Christianity is on the decline. Secularism is on the rise. What will it take to stem this tide? It took tremendous courage to be an early Christian. It cost many their life. It takes courage today too.
In 2 Timothy 4:3-5 we read, “For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths.” My friends, are we living in that time? It goes on to say, “But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry.”
Jesus needs on fire evangelists in His labor force. Revelation 3:16 tells us, “So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” The time for the work of the kingdom is here and now. We can no longer afford to be lukewarm Christians.
Heavenly Father, the words from 2 Timothy 3:16-17 assure me that I am competently equipped for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness and for every other good work. Help me never to waiver in my commitment to be a laborer for your Son’s Kingdom. Amen!
As always, I love to read your comments below as well as hear from you personally by clicking here.
Special Note
Last week I invited everyone to accept the PEACE TRAIN – HARMONY CHALLENGE. Many of you did so. If we avoid spreading conflict in the world and instead, we spread the Gospel message of peace, together we can change the world. Performing random acts of kindness in the name of Jesus is just one simple way to become a much-needed laborer for His kingdom. Join the challenge today.
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I wonder if this covid event is truly God’s trying (again) to get our attention and turn our hearts back to Him. I was thinking just the other day, “where are the evangelists of national stature telling the politicians, and all of us, that God is using covid to get us to change our lives. Seeking the worldly things we think will bring us peace – wealth, more stuff, leisure activities, etc. – in fact, do not satisfy. Only by turning back to God will we begin to find the peace and contentment we seek.”
Then it hit me, we are the evangelists who need to tell others this message. We are to be the prophets of our day.
This is the message God has given me in the timing of my new book It’s Not Your Money, Finding the Peace of Putting God First being available next week. We are stewards of all of God’s gifts to us. Changing our attitudes and priorities in life, and so striving to live as stewards, we are thus called to a deeper discipleship – to put God first in every facet of our lives, including with our money. As odd as it sounds, and as counter-cultural as it is, only by doing that will we have the chance to experience the peace we seek.
Brian,
A call to be Christ in a broken world.
Come Holy Spirit with your grace & give me wisdom to know what to do & say.
God bless,
Michael T.
Amen!
I do love God and I try so hard to do the right thing everyday and forgive others who have hurt me. God has given me a forgiveness heart for the most part. I give until hurts almost to a fault.
I want to be a disciple but sometimes my occasional sins brings me back and although I confess I still have an issue with mainly one that I know its very selfish on my part and I have had priest tell me it’s not a mortal sin and others say it is. I feel in my heart it’s still wrong. I’m assuming you know what I’m talking about. Other then that I drink some and sometimes more then I should.
My heart does go out to Jesus and I want to be with Him always.
Please keep me and family in your prayers and I hope I can make a difference one day.
Steffen
St. Paul also had his thorn in the flesh. He ask God three times to remove it but God did not. Paul discovered that God’s grace was sufficient. Here is what is said in 2 Corinthians 12:6-10
Although if I should wish to boast, I would not be foolish, for I would be telling the truth. But I refrain, so that no one may think more of me than what he sees in me or hears from me because of the abundance of the revelations. Therefore, that I might not become too elated, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times* I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
Steffen, you and all of us are in good company. Like Paul, we struggle, but God grace is sufficient for all of us!
Brian