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Lectionary • Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

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Like Jesus, we lament the fact that the harvest is plenty but the workers are few; however, Jesus has already solved that “problem” through us!

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Scripture Reading

Matthew 9:35–38; 10:8-23 (NLT)

35 Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”...

7Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received! 9 “Don’t take any money in your money belts—no gold, silver, or even copper coins. 10 Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed. 11 “Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town. 12 When you enter the home, give it your blessing. 13 If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing. 14 If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave. 15 I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day. 16 “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. 17 But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. 18 You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me. 19 When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. 20 For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 “A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. 22 And all nations will hate you because you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, the Son of Man will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel.

Focus Statement

Like Jesus, we lament the fact that the harvest is plenty but the workers are few;

however, Jesus has already solved that “problem” through us!

Point of Relation

When I was an Iron Worker, and I had been working for as one for about a year, I had gotten the opportunity...

or the nightmare (depends who you ask)...

of being a foreman on a job.

For my Father-in-Law, it was an opportunity...

and he trusted that I could handle myself...

For me, however, it was a nightmare…as I felt I had no clue what I was doing.

Truth be told, I did have a clue and did fine in terms of knowing what needed to be done…

Yet, the nightmare became real because I was the ONLY person on the job as it turned out...

And it was WAY more work than what my Father-in-Law was led to believe.

To make matters worse, the site supervisor came over and yelled at me for “not getting the job done quick enough”.

Well, I had truly done as much as could possibly be done for one person...

And I remember lamenting to my Father-in-Law, how there should have been more than one person sent...

This was at least a 2-3 person job.

Sure enough, when my Father-in-Law came to help bail me out of that situation...

He confirmed what I already knew...

THERE WAS NO WAY that was a job for ONE PERSON.

Things to Consider

It is easy for us to get discouraged by a lack of people showing up to church for worship, fellowship, mission or anything we do.

The church is MEANT to be a FELLOWSHIP

It is DESIGNED by CHRIST to be SOCIAL...

and to be ACTIVE!

Yet, we find ourselves in a rut when it comes to drumming up the numbers to support the mission and the ministries of the Church.

And it is so much easier to see the problems than it is to work toward the SOLUTIONS!

What Scripture Says

Now, there are three major parts to our Scripture today.

The first part comes off as a sort of lament as well as call to action.

The second part is a leveling of sorts with his disciples in terms of what “action” is

and finally, Jesus warns us what such action will result in.

First, we see Jesus traveling through the towns around the area of his hometown, Nazareth.

Prior to our reading, Jesus had healed a paralyzed man, stating that “as the Son of Man” He has the authority on earth to forgive sins”...

a shocking statement to the Pharisees and religious leaders who knew full well,

theologically speaking,

that only God had the authority to forgive sins.

Period.

No one else had that authority.

So, what Jesus is claiming is seen as blasphemy by his opponents.

So, again, Jesus had healed the paralyzed man...

offending the Pharisees and religious leaders while at it...

Then he invited a sinful, despicable tax collector named Matthew to join him as a disciples...

No doubt further offending the Pharisees and Religious leaders,

as well as the sensibilities of some of his own disciples such as Simon the Zealot.

Then Jesus was questioned by John the Baptists disciples on why Jesus and his disciples did not fast like they and the Pharisees did.

So clearly Jesus was known for breaking with some religious observances

Jesus’ response…his disciples are celebrating his presence among them...

And that there will be time to fast when he’s no longer with them.

Again, I am sure this response upset some people’s sensibilities.

“Just who does this man think he is?!?!”

Jesus then heals another person…the daugther of a leader of a synagogue...

But before he can do so…another woman touches his garment and is instantly healed...

Jesus proclaimed her healing was because of her faith...

Again…Jesus claiming to KNOW things that ONLY GOD can know.

But not just claiming…SHE IS ACTUALLY HEALED to back up his claim!

Then Jesus healed a blind person, restoring their sight...

Claiming again that it because of their faith.

Finally, he cast out demons…to which the Pharisees…

who are very much NOT A FAN of Jesus’...

accuse Jesus of using demonic powers to cast out demons.

This, my friends, is where we find the beginning of the passage we read this morning:

Jesus had been traveling all throughout the area of his hometown and surrounding villages...

healing, casting out demons, teaching, and refuting accusations leveled at him...

And he is…to his disciples…lamenting that there are so many to care for...

And not nearly enough people to do the caring!

Does this sentiment sound familiar, sisters and brothers?

Does Jesus not seem to be lamenting something very similar to us...

There is much ministry we are doing and much more to be done...

Yet, where are all the workers?

The harvest is great…but the workers are few.

What does Jesus then instruct his disciples to do?

Pause

PRAY. He instructs them in verse 38 to

“pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest;

ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

Friends, let me ask you this question:

How often have you prayed for our church? Daily? Weekly? Semi-Monthly? Monthly? Yearly? Never?

Do you pray specifically that God will grow its numbers…and provide more workers for the harvest?

Are you praying intentionally and persistently?

It’s not that taking this action of praying is a magic pill or spell that whips up the results we want when we want it...

However, as I have said before, it is prayer that whips us INTO ACTION.

We see this in the next section of our passage which shows Jesus taking the prayer to its logical place…ACTION on the parts of those who pray:

In verses 7-15, Jesus tells the disciples what PRAYER will lead them to...

They will become the answer to their own prayers....

and as such, others will also become an answer to their prayers as a result of their faithful work.

In v. 7 Jesus commands his disciples to “GO” meaning that from that point they were no longer just disciples...

FOR THEY HAD BEEN SENT OUT into the communities to preach the GOOD NEWS…that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.

Thus, this is the first time, granted under Jesus’ tutelage, that the disciples are acting as APOSTLES.

The word apostolos in Greek means, “one who is sent”.

Clearly, a part of “preaching” the Good News is healing the sick (v . 8),

as well as living and traveling in humility (v. 9-10),

accepting the hospitality of the local residents (vs. 11)

and blessing that generosity (vs. 13).

What’s more, if one is rejected. Worry not. Let God handle that (v. 14-15).

You keep moving forward and sharing the Good News.

Finally, Jesus warns his disciples…his apostles…and buy extension us...

That we will not always be liked or accepted by following Jesus.

In verses 16-20 Jesus warned:

16 “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. 17 But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. 18 You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me. 19 When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. 20 For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

He continues on to say that family members will even betray those who follow Jesus…

simply because we follow him and they do not understand why....

Yet, the SAVED shall endure to the end! AMEN?!?!

What This Means for You

I mean, this is some seriously exciting stuff...

You, who follow our Lord Jesus the Christ...

You who are called by his very Name and Title..

You have been SENT by HIM to preach the Good News...

Not just me…not just Elders and Deacons…those who are “ordained”...

but YOU too.

For we are all ordained by Christ into a PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS!

You each have been gifted especially to witness to your faith in ways unique to you.

Whether it is visiting the sick,

Singing in the Choir and in Community choirs representing our Church...

Or it is in taking a leadership pposition...

or joining a committee to support its current leadership...

YOU ALL ARE CALLED…YOU ALL ARE BEING SENT OUT into our Newton mission field.

What This Means for Us

If we as individuals rise up to the occasion,

We as a church will benefit in ways that are TRULY divine.

For God calls and places the right leaders for the right times...

And God calls the right people for the right ministries, per their God-given gifts.

As a Church, as the United Methodist persuasion of the hands and feet and body of Christ in Newton...

We can have immeasurable impact…KINGDOM IMPACT…on our surrounding area.

I challenge you to be open to the call of Christ as we work to move forward from where we are to where God is calling us to be.

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