[The following is the manuscript of my sermon delivered on the 6th of September, 2015 - Labor Day weekend. Look for the video on our Vimeo channel, http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
Tomorrow is Labor Day - the traditional end of summer vacation. It’s the last little break before school kicks into a higher gear and work gets back to the normal grind.
Labor Day is a public holiday that honors the American labor movement and the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of this country. While most folks have the day off from work or school, many still labor, even on Labor Day. For some, work is never done.
I think it safe to say that Jesus never took a day off. During His ministry, He always willingly and lovingly did His Father’s work here on earth. But even He could not get it all done. Even He needed help to reach all the masses of people. Listen and follow along as I read to you of just one of those times when Jesus was hard at work during His ministry on earth, as recorded by the Apostle Matthew in his Gospel account, chapter 9, verses 35 through 38, from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible…
Labor Day is a public holiday that honors the American labor movement and the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of this country. While most folks have the day off from work or school, many still labor, even on Labor Day. For some, work is never done.
I think it safe to say that Jesus never took a day off. During His ministry, He always willingly and lovingly did His Father’s work here on earth. But even He could not get it all done. Even He needed help to reach all the masses of people. Listen and follow along as I read to you of just one of those times when Jesus was hard at work during His ministry on earth, as recorded by the Apostle Matthew in his Gospel account, chapter 9, verses 35 through 38, from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible…
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.”
--Matthew 9:35-38 (NLT)
Let us pray… Father God, speak to us this morning the message You would have us hear. Touch our hearts with Your Holy Spirit and etch Your word there. Move us to do Your will and our Lord’s work on earth. In the blessed name of our Lord Jesus we pray. Amen. Amen.
Have you ever felt over-worked and under-appreciated? “Bits & Pieces” magazine, in a 1994 issue, carried a notice found in the ruins of a London office building. The office memo, dated 1852, included the following:
When I was employed by corporate America, we always used to joke that the company would soon start charging us for the electricity to run our computers to do our work on. Some things stay the same, but a lot has changed over the years, and while we still complain, the plight of the worker is much lessened today than ever before. Time and labor saving devices abound, and are usually available at affordable prices.
And advances in information technology give us near instantaneous communications with almost any location on the globe. Do you remember all those wallet-sized photos of our kids and grandkids that we’d show to anybody and everybody we could? Today we simply post high resolution images taken with our phone on Facebook for thousands to view.
Whether we realize it or not, we have more time to play and enjoy ourselves than ever before in history. So what do we do with all that time when we’re not laboring?
In our scripture reading this morning, we see Jesus hard at work. He has been traveling from town to town and village to village, and not in a nice air-conditioned RV driven by one of His disciples. No, our Lord Jesus and all His followers walked pretty much everywhere they went, along dusty roads and paths. That alone would be more than enough work for most of us.
Close your eyes and imagine walking from here to say Welcome, and talking to folks there. Then head out to Midway, and on up to Winston-Salem, and then back down through High Point and Archdale. Swing around to Thomasville then head off to Denton. These were the kind of distances Jesus and His followers walked – all the time.
But walking was just their means of travel, not their job. Verse 35 of our scripture indicates that once they got to a town or village, the real work began. There, Jesus would spend time in the local synagogue, teaching and sharing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He would heal the people of every kind of disease, illness, and infirmity. In fact, He was usually mobbed everywhere He went just for His healing power.
But notice what Matthew says next, in verse 36. Everywhere He went, when Jesus saw the throngs of people clamoring all around Him, He had compassion on them. He cared about them because they all seemed so confused and helpless. Just like sheep wandering around without a shepherd to lead them. When I read that verse, I sense a note of sadness on our Lord’s part, that He felt so sorry for the people.
Verse 37 seems to confirm that there are just too many people with too many needs for even Him to be able to help them all. “The harvest is great, but there just aren’t enough workers to bring it in. There are all these souls to be saved, all these poor lost sheep to be returned to our Father’s loving arms, and I just can’t get to them all.” Then Jesus instructed His disciples to pray to God that more workers be made available for this effort.
Jesus often used word pictures to convey His messages to Hs followers and the people in general. This imagery of workers bringing a harvest in from the field is one He painted often, especially in parables, for it is one the people of that time could relate to and understand.
The field is the world, this world, this age. The harvest is all those souls that can be saved, all those who might believe in Jesus as the Son of God, who would follow Him as their Master and Savior. And the Lord who is in charge of the harvest is, of course, God. So we are to pray to God that He provide us with more followers of Jesus who are willing to help make new disciples and to refresh those who may be going astray.
In chapter 10, verses 1 and 2 of his Gospel account, the Apostle Luke uses the same request from our Lord to relate a time slightly later when Jesus sent His disciples on a mission…
Have you ever felt over-worked and under-appreciated? “Bits & Pieces” magazine, in a 1994 issue, carried a notice found in the ruins of a London office building. The office memo, dated 1852, included the following:
- This firm has reduced the hours of work, and the clerical staff will now only have to be present between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays.
- Clothing must be of a sober nature. The clerical staff will not disport themselves in raiment of bright colors, nor will they wear hose unless in good repair.
- A stove is provided for the benefit of the clerical staff. Coal and wood must be kept in the locker. It is recommended that each member of the clerical staff bring four pounds of coal each day during the cold weather.
- No member of the clerical staff may leave the room without permission from the supervisor.
- No talking is allowed during business hours.
- Now that the hours of business have been drastically reduced, the partaking of food is allowed between 11:30 and noon, but work will not on any account cease.
- The supervisor will nominate a senior clerk to be responsible for the cleanliness of the main office and the private office. All boys and juniors will report to him 40 minutes before prayers and will remain after closing hours for similar work. Brushes, brooms, scrubber, and soap are provided by the owners.
- The owners recognize the generosity of the new labor laws, but will expect a great rise in output of work to compensate for these near Utopian conditions.
When I was employed by corporate America, we always used to joke that the company would soon start charging us for the electricity to run our computers to do our work on. Some things stay the same, but a lot has changed over the years, and while we still complain, the plight of the worker is much lessened today than ever before. Time and labor saving devices abound, and are usually available at affordable prices.
And advances in information technology give us near instantaneous communications with almost any location on the globe. Do you remember all those wallet-sized photos of our kids and grandkids that we’d show to anybody and everybody we could? Today we simply post high resolution images taken with our phone on Facebook for thousands to view.
Whether we realize it or not, we have more time to play and enjoy ourselves than ever before in history. So what do we do with all that time when we’re not laboring?
In our scripture reading this morning, we see Jesus hard at work. He has been traveling from town to town and village to village, and not in a nice air-conditioned RV driven by one of His disciples. No, our Lord Jesus and all His followers walked pretty much everywhere they went, along dusty roads and paths. That alone would be more than enough work for most of us.
Close your eyes and imagine walking from here to say Welcome, and talking to folks there. Then head out to Midway, and on up to Winston-Salem, and then back down through High Point and Archdale. Swing around to Thomasville then head off to Denton. These were the kind of distances Jesus and His followers walked – all the time.
But walking was just their means of travel, not their job. Verse 35 of our scripture indicates that once they got to a town or village, the real work began. There, Jesus would spend time in the local synagogue, teaching and sharing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He would heal the people of every kind of disease, illness, and infirmity. In fact, He was usually mobbed everywhere He went just for His healing power.
But notice what Matthew says next, in verse 36. Everywhere He went, when Jesus saw the throngs of people clamoring all around Him, He had compassion on them. He cared about them because they all seemed so confused and helpless. Just like sheep wandering around without a shepherd to lead them. When I read that verse, I sense a note of sadness on our Lord’s part, that He felt so sorry for the people.
Verse 37 seems to confirm that there are just too many people with too many needs for even Him to be able to help them all. “The harvest is great, but there just aren’t enough workers to bring it in. There are all these souls to be saved, all these poor lost sheep to be returned to our Father’s loving arms, and I just can’t get to them all.” Then Jesus instructed His disciples to pray to God that more workers be made available for this effort.
Jesus often used word pictures to convey His messages to Hs followers and the people in general. This imagery of workers bringing a harvest in from the field is one He painted often, especially in parables, for it is one the people of that time could relate to and understand.
The field is the world, this world, this age. The harvest is all those souls that can be saved, all those who might believe in Jesus as the Son of God, who would follow Him as their Master and Savior. And the Lord who is in charge of the harvest is, of course, God. So we are to pray to God that He provide us with more followers of Jesus who are willing to help make new disciples and to refresh those who may be going astray.
In chapter 10, verses 1 and 2 of his Gospel account, the Apostle Luke uses the same request from our Lord to relate a time slightly later when Jesus sent His disciples on a mission…
10 After this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them two by two ahead of Him into every city and place where He Himself was about to come. 2 He said to them, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
--Luke 10:1-2 (MEV)
In Luke’s telling, Jesus picked 70 of His disciples and sent them out in pairs ahead of His travels. The Rev. Billy Graham followed this example for his great revival crusades. He would send out advance teams into cities where he planned a crusade as much as a year ahead of time, to make all the preparations and get everything in order.
The number 70, though, is Biblically significant and easily lost if you just quickly read the passage. Some versions report this as 70 while others say 72, but this figure refers back to Genesis chapter 10 and the numbering of all the nations on earth following the great flood. The old Hebrew text lists 70 names while the Greek lists 72.
The number being 70 or 72 isn’t as noteworthy as the significance of the number. Jesus sent the same number of disciples into the world to “help with the harvest” as the number of nations that God placed back into the world right after the flood. In Genesis, God was preparing the world to come alive again after its watery destruction. Here, Jesus is trying to prepare the world so it can live again after He returns and the earth is remade.
But even 70 or 72 additional workers is not nearly enough to bring the harvest in that Jesus has planned. We need far more workers in the field than that today!
As we contemplate joining this work force, we could use some tips, such as why someone else would be interested in following Jesus. During His ministry on earth, He attracted great throngs to Him by His healing powers and the other miracles He could perform. That was just to get their attention. Once He had their focus, then He would preach and teach. Because He wanted them to understand that His miracles were not why they should follow Him, that there was something much more important involved.
For example, listen to this exchange the Apostle John recorded in his Gospel, chapter 6, verses 26 and 27, not long after Jesus fed the 5000…
The number 70, though, is Biblically significant and easily lost if you just quickly read the passage. Some versions report this as 70 while others say 72, but this figure refers back to Genesis chapter 10 and the numbering of all the nations on earth following the great flood. The old Hebrew text lists 70 names while the Greek lists 72.
The number being 70 or 72 isn’t as noteworthy as the significance of the number. Jesus sent the same number of disciples into the world to “help with the harvest” as the number of nations that God placed back into the world right after the flood. In Genesis, God was preparing the world to come alive again after its watery destruction. Here, Jesus is trying to prepare the world so it can live again after He returns and the earth is remade.
But even 70 or 72 additional workers is not nearly enough to bring the harvest in that Jesus has planned. We need far more workers in the field than that today!
As we contemplate joining this work force, we could use some tips, such as why someone else would be interested in following Jesus. During His ministry on earth, He attracted great throngs to Him by His healing powers and the other miracles He could perform. That was just to get their attention. Once He had their focus, then He would preach and teach. Because He wanted them to understand that His miracles were not why they should follow Him, that there was something much more important involved.
For example, listen to this exchange the Apostle John recorded in his Gospel, chapter 6, verses 26 and 27, not long after Jesus fed the 5000…
26 Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”
--John 6:26-27 (NKJV)
In effect, Jesus said, “You come looking for Me because of the miracles I can perform, but what I truly offer you is far greater and more enduring than any food or healing I might provide for your physical body.”
Why do we come looking for Him today? Why would others, especially those who don’t yet know Him, come looking for Jesus? He told us right there – everlasting life. Too many people are hung up only on the here and now. They don’t want to think about tomorrow, much less what happens after their life on this earth is ended. We may need to offer them food for today before we can show them Jesus’ offer of the food that endures for all eternity. We may need to help provide healing for their minds and hearts and bodies before they will accept the Lord’s promise of salvation and a new body after their resurrection.
We can’t perform miracles. We can’t feed 5000 men with just a couple small fishes and loaves of bread. We can’t heal the lame or give sight to the blind just by touching them. But God can, through us, if that is His will. And we can definitely feed the 50 or 60 at the homeless shelter with a few pounds of ham and potatoes and a bunch of deviled eggs. We can help heal a heart that’s hurting, a spirit that’s weak, or even bones that are broken by providing medical assistance. And most of all, we can show God’s love and mercy through the love and mercy we ourselves freely give. We can show the comfort and hope that is in Jesus. And we can show all this by our labors, and by the manner in which we labor.
In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 11, verses 28 through 30, our Lord Jesus says…
Why do we come looking for Him today? Why would others, especially those who don’t yet know Him, come looking for Jesus? He told us right there – everlasting life. Too many people are hung up only on the here and now. They don’t want to think about tomorrow, much less what happens after their life on this earth is ended. We may need to offer them food for today before we can show them Jesus’ offer of the food that endures for all eternity. We may need to help provide healing for their minds and hearts and bodies before they will accept the Lord’s promise of salvation and a new body after their resurrection.
We can’t perform miracles. We can’t feed 5000 men with just a couple small fishes and loaves of bread. We can’t heal the lame or give sight to the blind just by touching them. But God can, through us, if that is His will. And we can definitely feed the 50 or 60 at the homeless shelter with a few pounds of ham and potatoes and a bunch of deviled eggs. We can help heal a heart that’s hurting, a spirit that’s weak, or even bones that are broken by providing medical assistance. And most of all, we can show God’s love and mercy through the love and mercy we ourselves freely give. We can show the comfort and hope that is in Jesus. And we can show all this by our labors, and by the manner in which we labor.
In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 11, verses 28 through 30, our Lord Jesus says…
28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
--Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV)
And that goes not only for those Jesus seeks to save, but also for them who would help Him do the seeking -for those workers in the field helping to bring in the harvest.
Do you feel heavily loaded down and overburdened? Come to Jesus and He will give you rest. Are you afraid to strike out and try to help save souls while there is still time, while there is still a remedy? Take our Lord’s yoke, learn from His word and His example, work like He did. He’ll be there in the trenches right beside you. He’ll help carry your load when it gets too heavy. He’ll even give you the words to say and the actions to take when you get stalled or stumped. Simply go to Him in prayer and ask Him to.
Family, there are so many people out there in the world that have never had the opportunity to learn about Jesus and the offer of salvation, of comfort, of rest, of peace He gives. The harvest yet to be brought in numbers in the billions! And that is a staggering number! How could we possibly bring that much harvest in?
A little at a time. The Gideons are great at working this particular field, bringing thousands to Jesus each year. We help with that harvest by providing them with financial support and with our prayers.
But even here, in Lexington and Davidson County, there are so many souls that need to be reached and saved. Here, close to home, we can made a difference. We can stride into this field and begin the harvest. And we can do so by using the tools of love and caring and compassion, by employing the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus sent to dwell within us, by giving of ourselves as Jesus gave to us all.
Jesus will do the saving. We just need to help people come to Him. And we can do that by showing them why we came to Him and how He has changed us.
Family, the harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray to the Lord of the harvest that He might send more workers into the field. And that He empower each of us with the strength and courage to help with the harvest ourselves.
This Labor Day, and every day, be a worker for Jesus.
Amen.
Let us pray… Father in heaven, Your Son Jesus instructed us to pray to You and ask that You might send more workers into this field because there is yet so much more work to do. There are so many souls in this world to reach, so many that have never heard Your word, so many to spread the Good News of salvation to. Please anoint more of Your servants to help with this task.
Father, we know that You have also called us to this service. Jesus commanded us to go into the world making disciples of all peoples. But Father, we are timid in our testimony. We are bashful, almost ashamed, to bear witness of the great wonders Jesus has done in our lives to a scoffing, scornful, mocking world. We fear how they might treat us because of our faith. We ask for Your forgiveness, Lord, for our hesitation, and for courage to stand up for our convictions.
Hear us now, loving Father, listen to our hearts as we silently cry out to You when the words just will not come…
Lord God, we know Jesus needs us to work Your fields, for the harvest is ripe for the picking. Embolden us, Father, with the strength of will to approach all we encounter and share how Jesus loves us with them. Empower us to carry out the great commission our Master and Savior left us with. And may our labors for You not be in vain, but may we bring a rich harvest to You. This we pray in the name of Him who gave His all for us, the precious name of Your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
Do you feel heavily loaded down and overburdened? Come to Jesus and He will give you rest. Are you afraid to strike out and try to help save souls while there is still time, while there is still a remedy? Take our Lord’s yoke, learn from His word and His example, work like He did. He’ll be there in the trenches right beside you. He’ll help carry your load when it gets too heavy. He’ll even give you the words to say and the actions to take when you get stalled or stumped. Simply go to Him in prayer and ask Him to.
Family, there are so many people out there in the world that have never had the opportunity to learn about Jesus and the offer of salvation, of comfort, of rest, of peace He gives. The harvest yet to be brought in numbers in the billions! And that is a staggering number! How could we possibly bring that much harvest in?
A little at a time. The Gideons are great at working this particular field, bringing thousands to Jesus each year. We help with that harvest by providing them with financial support and with our prayers.
But even here, in Lexington and Davidson County, there are so many souls that need to be reached and saved. Here, close to home, we can made a difference. We can stride into this field and begin the harvest. And we can do so by using the tools of love and caring and compassion, by employing the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus sent to dwell within us, by giving of ourselves as Jesus gave to us all.
Jesus will do the saving. We just need to help people come to Him. And we can do that by showing them why we came to Him and how He has changed us.
Family, the harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray to the Lord of the harvest that He might send more workers into the field. And that He empower each of us with the strength and courage to help with the harvest ourselves.
This Labor Day, and every day, be a worker for Jesus.
Amen.
Let us pray… Father in heaven, Your Son Jesus instructed us to pray to You and ask that You might send more workers into this field because there is yet so much more work to do. There are so many souls in this world to reach, so many that have never heard Your word, so many to spread the Good News of salvation to. Please anoint more of Your servants to help with this task.
Father, we know that You have also called us to this service. Jesus commanded us to go into the world making disciples of all peoples. But Father, we are timid in our testimony. We are bashful, almost ashamed, to bear witness of the great wonders Jesus has done in our lives to a scoffing, scornful, mocking world. We fear how they might treat us because of our faith. We ask for Your forgiveness, Lord, for our hesitation, and for courage to stand up for our convictions.
Hear us now, loving Father, listen to our hearts as we silently cry out to You when the words just will not come…
Lord God, we know Jesus needs us to work Your fields, for the harvest is ripe for the picking. Embolden us, Father, with the strength of will to approach all we encounter and share how Jesus loves us with them. Empower us to carry out the great commission our Master and Savior left us with. And may our labors for You not be in vain, but may we bring a rich harvest to You. This we pray in the name of Him who gave His all for us, the precious name of Your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
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