[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning the 7th of July, 2019 at Pilgrim Reformed Church. Look for the video of our services on our Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
“Help Wanted… Inquire Within”
Have you ever seen a sign like that posted in a store window? The store already has some employees, but business is good so they need more helpers. Did you know that Jesus once put out a Help Wanted sign? Well, figuratively speaking, perhaps.
Listen and follow along to what the Apostle Luke recorded in his Gospel account, chapter 10, verses 1 through 11 and verses 16 and 17, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
Have you ever seen a sign like that posted in a store window? The store already has some employees, but business is good so they need more helpers. Did you know that Jesus once put out a Help Wanted sign? Well, figuratively speaking, perhaps.
Listen and follow along to what the Apostle Luke recorded in his Gospel account, chapter 10, verses 1 through 11 and verses 16 and 17, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
1 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. 2 Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. 4 Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. 5 But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. 9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’"--Luke 10:1-11, 16-17 (NKJV)
16 "He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”
17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”
Let us pray… Father God, You give us Your word in our Holy Bible, everything we need to get through this life and be prepared for our next, eternal life. Thank You, Lord, for Your great kindness and mercy. Please help us to study and better understand Your word, and what it really means to us. Now speak to us this morning, Father, that we may hear and follow Your message this day. Give us clearer vision into Your will for our lives. This we pray in the holy name of Jesus. Amen.
The sign in the store window read: NO HELP WANTED. As two men passed by, one said to the other, "You should apply -- you'd be great."
An exasperated farmer was once heard to exclaim, "The hardest thing about milking cows is that they never stay milked."
Some jobs are easier than others, but all jobs need to be done, and they should be done right. One often overlooked way we can serve God is in how we perform jobs, especially our normal, daily tasks. Martin Luther once noted, "The maid who sweeps her kitchen is doing the will of God just as much as the monk who prays, not because she may sing a Christian hymn as she sweeps but because God loves clean floors. The Christian shoemaker does his Christian duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship."
In his letter to the Colossians, the Apostle Paul tells us, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men...” [Colossians 3:23 (NKJV)] Whatever it is we do, we should do it the best we can, just like we are doing it for God.
In our scripture reading, Jesus tapped seventy of His disciples and sent them out in pairs to the cities He Himself planned to visit. Did you know that Billy Graham followed that same example for his crusades? Rev. Graham would send two of his people into each city on the schedule to do all the advance work in preparing for his visit. Maybe this is why he was so successful in bringing people to Christ through those crusades, because he closely followed the example of Jesus. This should serve as a pretty big hint to us all, to do things as Jesus did.
So Jesus sent them out with specific instructions, chief among which was to pray to God for more helpers. In this Jesus was not only looking to be able to offer salvation to more of the people, but also to increase the number of true disciples that would help bring even more to Him, to redemption and salvation.
The harvest is great, there are so many out there in the world that need to know Jesus as Lord, as their personal Savior, yet there are so few willing to tell them about Him. And family, if there were not enough workers in Jesus’ day, the odds are stacked even greater against Him now, in this present age. There are literally billions of people on this earth who may never have even heard of Jesus, or if they have, they don’t know Him, they don’t follow Him.
Of course, little has changed in mankind’s history. Genesis chapter 8 verse 22 tells us there will be a need for harvest as long as the earth exists. After the flood, God made this promise…
Yes, God was talking about the physical harvesting of crops, but doesn’t the same hold true for the spiritual harvest as well? We can see countless references in our Bible of the acts of sowing and reaping being applied to the daily actions and spiritual nature of man. In Galatians chapter 6 verses 1 through 10, Paul speaks of the harvest that sin produces…
What we sow, we will reap, and not only of the flesh, but of the spirit as well. If we play with fire, we will be burned. The question is, do we want to be burned forever? Do we want our loved ones or our friends to burn forever?
Jesus wants us to help sow His seed now, the seed of truth and righteousness, because there is a great harvest to come. In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus warns that the final harvest will be at the end of the age, when the angels will reap the non-believers, the lawless, from the earth and cast them into the eternal furnace of fire. We want to make sure we are among the wheat, and not the tares, the weeds.
Jesus asks that we help prepare others for this harvest. He sends us out as lambs among wolves. He commissions us to spread the Good News of salvation, to make more disciples and laborers, before it is too late.
In just a few moments, we will be celebrating our Lord’s last meal as we join together in the holiest of Christian sacraments: Holy Communion. In his 1st letter to the church in Corinth, Paul cautions us not to come to our Lord’s table in an unworthy manner. We must examine ourselves, judge ourselves, to be sure we are right with God before we can partake of the body and blood of Jesus. Otherwise, Paul says, we will be just as guilty of Jesus’ death as those who had Him nailed to a cross.
If we’re holding a grudge, get rid of it now. If we’re harboring hatred or misgivings, now is the time to cleanse our hearts of them. Let us take these next moments to pray and repent. In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You bless us so richly, and You blessed us most by sending Your Son to us, to die for us so that we might live. Thank You, Father, for so great a gift. Please forgive us when we take that gift for granted. Forgive us when hesitate to do as Jesus commands. Please help us as we labor in His fields. Strengthen and encourage us to continue His work.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help…
Lord Jesus, it is our greatest desire that when our time on this earth passes and we come to You in our eternal home, that You will welcome us with the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Thank You, Lord, for giving us the opportunity to serve You as You prepare for the great harvest to come. Please help us carry out the mission You set before us, to bring more people into the family of God before the day of that harvest.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord, our Master, our Savior. Amen.
The sign in the store window read: NO HELP WANTED. As two men passed by, one said to the other, "You should apply -- you'd be great."
An exasperated farmer was once heard to exclaim, "The hardest thing about milking cows is that they never stay milked."
Some jobs are easier than others, but all jobs need to be done, and they should be done right. One often overlooked way we can serve God is in how we perform jobs, especially our normal, daily tasks. Martin Luther once noted, "The maid who sweeps her kitchen is doing the will of God just as much as the monk who prays, not because she may sing a Christian hymn as she sweeps but because God loves clean floors. The Christian shoemaker does his Christian duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship."
In his letter to the Colossians, the Apostle Paul tells us, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men...” [Colossians 3:23 (NKJV)] Whatever it is we do, we should do it the best we can, just like we are doing it for God.
In our scripture reading, Jesus tapped seventy of His disciples and sent them out in pairs to the cities He Himself planned to visit. Did you know that Billy Graham followed that same example for his crusades? Rev. Graham would send two of his people into each city on the schedule to do all the advance work in preparing for his visit. Maybe this is why he was so successful in bringing people to Christ through those crusades, because he closely followed the example of Jesus. This should serve as a pretty big hint to us all, to do things as Jesus did.
So Jesus sent them out with specific instructions, chief among which was to pray to God for more helpers. In this Jesus was not only looking to be able to offer salvation to more of the people, but also to increase the number of true disciples that would help bring even more to Him, to redemption and salvation.
The harvest is great, there are so many out there in the world that need to know Jesus as Lord, as their personal Savior, yet there are so few willing to tell them about Him. And family, if there were not enough workers in Jesus’ day, the odds are stacked even greater against Him now, in this present age. There are literally billions of people on this earth who may never have even heard of Jesus, or if they have, they don’t know Him, they don’t follow Him.
Of course, little has changed in mankind’s history. Genesis chapter 8 verse 22 tells us there will be a need for harvest as long as the earth exists. After the flood, God made this promise…
22 “While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease.”
--Genesis 8:22 (NKJV)
1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For each one shall bear his own load.
6 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
--Galatians 6:1-10 (NKJV)
Jesus wants us to help sow His seed now, the seed of truth and righteousness, because there is a great harvest to come. In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus warns that the final harvest will be at the end of the age, when the angels will reap the non-believers, the lawless, from the earth and cast them into the eternal furnace of fire. We want to make sure we are among the wheat, and not the tares, the weeds.
Jesus asks that we help prepare others for this harvest. He sends us out as lambs among wolves. He commissions us to spread the Good News of salvation, to make more disciples and laborers, before it is too late.
In just a few moments, we will be celebrating our Lord’s last meal as we join together in the holiest of Christian sacraments: Holy Communion. In his 1st letter to the church in Corinth, Paul cautions us not to come to our Lord’s table in an unworthy manner. We must examine ourselves, judge ourselves, to be sure we are right with God before we can partake of the body and blood of Jesus. Otherwise, Paul says, we will be just as guilty of Jesus’ death as those who had Him nailed to a cross.
If we’re holding a grudge, get rid of it now. If we’re harboring hatred or misgivings, now is the time to cleanse our hearts of them. Let us take these next moments to pray and repent. In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You bless us so richly, and You blessed us most by sending Your Son to us, to die for us so that we might live. Thank You, Father, for so great a gift. Please forgive us when we take that gift for granted. Forgive us when hesitate to do as Jesus commands. Please help us as we labor in His fields. Strengthen and encourage us to continue His work.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help…
Lord Jesus, it is our greatest desire that when our time on this earth passes and we come to You in our eternal home, that You will welcome us with the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Thank You, Lord, for giving us the opportunity to serve You as You prepare for the great harvest to come. Please help us carry out the mission You set before us, to bring more people into the family of God before the day of that harvest.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord, our Master, our Savior. Amen.
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