LOYAL WORKERS FOR OUR LORD (Matthew 9:35-38) 8-31-08 The story is told of a man who took a week of vacation and went to the beach. While walking on the beach he found a bottle and low and behold a genie came out and granted him one wish. He said I would like a good job with good pay where I had nothing to do all day long. Poof! He found himself back at his office, sitting behind his desk and working for the government. Now of course that is only a joke and I like to think that most people that work for the government do a good job. I also would like to think that everyone who belongs to a church does a good job for our Lord. However, the truth is that only a small percentage is truly working for the up building of God’s Kingdom. This is Labor Day Weekend. What do you think of when we say those words, a day off from work with pay or respect and honor given to the working man? And these are good things, but as a Minister I think of workers for our Lord at this time of the year and how we here at Blake’s Chapel, like any other church, are in need of workers for our Lord. Let’s make that loyal workers for our Lord. In his book, “Every Believer,” Dr. Rex Edwards paints a pitiful picture of the way most Church people view the church today. He said, “We sing ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’ and we wait to be drafted into His service. We sing, ‘Oh for a thousand tongues to sing,’ and we do not use the one we have. We sing ‘Serve the Lord with Gladness’ and complain when someone asks us to do something.” He goes on to say that in order for any church not to fall into this category, they need to change their thinking about the church. They need to see the church as God’s church and themselves as being a part of that church, thus becoming willing WORKERS within the church. It’s time for the church to move from a state of survival, to a state of revival. Too many churches are happy just to be surviving. Many pastors will say, “We are holding our own,” like that is something to be proud of. God intended for His Church to do more than just survive. However, in order for us to be successful we must be willing to do our part to advance the Kingdom of God. We live in a world today where everyone is looking for someone else to do the work. The Marines are looking for a few good men. Major corporations are looking for the best college graduates. Hospitals are looking for nurses and doctors. Schools are looking for teachers and as a country we are looking for a new president that will help our country to move forward. Our Lord is looking for those who will be willing to give their best to HIM, and be loyal workers. Our Lord was comparing a worker to the farmer. When we think of a harvest we think of the farmer. And for the farmer everything depends on the harvest. A farm cannot survive without the harvest. Oh, it might do all right for a year or two but if it was not to produce a harvest for number of years, it would soon cease to exist. Likewise, the church cannot survive without reaping new harvests. Harvest time was the happiest time of the year in Palestine and the churches that are the happiest today are those who are reaping fruits for our Lord. Show me a church that is not growing and I will show you a church without joy. What constitutes a good worker? What sets him apart from others? In the work of our Lord there are three things to take into consideration when one considers working for Him. First, the harvest is truly plentiful, but the laborers, or we might say, the loyal workers are few. In other words, there is MUCH to be done, but so few to do the work. Now the work isn’t here in this building, but is out there in the World. Our Lord was interested in workers for the harvest. The word harvest comes from the Greek word meaning to reap or to gather. I don’t know much about farming, but I do know that harvesting is done on the outside of building. This suggests to me that we have got to go outside these four walls in order to reach others. As someone once said, “We have got to get off of our ‘blessed assurance’ and go into the highways and by-ways and compel men, women, boys and girls to come to Christ.” If we are not careful we will find ourselves becoming more concerned with “church” work than with Kingdom’s work. You remember how Martha was so concerned about her housework that she forgot about Jesus being there. Perhaps she was thinking about the lamb in the oven to the extent that she forgot about the Lamb of God being there in person. Now working for the Lord is a full time job. But friend, it is not only full time employment, but full time enjoyment. So many people have the impression that it is a Sunday morning thing. But the Bible tells us that Satan is like a roaming lion, seeking whom he may to devour. Now lions are always on the prowl and we can be sure that Satan is always on the lookout as well. This being the case, we must always be on guard. As loyal workers for our Lord we must always be ready to share a testimony and God’s love with those that we come into contact with. Now, if we are going to be workers, we have got to be qualified. How can one know whether or not he or she is qualified? Peter said that we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that you shall show forth His praises who have called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Peter is saying that there is something different about believers. We are NOT like everyone else. At least we ought not to be. We have been called out of darkness into His marvelous light and friends, we are called not only to walk in that light, but to share that light with others who are still in darkness. The harvest would be useless without workers. For you and I, the harvest is HERE, in this community. It is now up to us as to how great the harvest will be. You and I are qualified as workers because we have been chosen by God HIMSELF to do the work. We have been called out. I, myself, have always been thankful that it is God who does the calling and not someone else. One of the greatest things about working for our Lord is that when we share our faith with others, we are blessed. We think that when our Lord said that it was more blessed to give than to receive that He was speaking about material things, but I believe that He was also speaking about spiritual matters. For truly there is no greater blessing than knowing that you have touched someone else’s life for the Lord. Those who do NOT share their faith are hindering their spiritual growth, and are apt to lose ground. Most of you here will agree that God called you to follow His Son. If you are going to follow Him, you must serve Him. It is only when one begins to truly work for the Lord that he will find out for himself that God is able to use him in mighty ways. It is not so much who we are that counts with God, but rather WHO HE is and our willingness to be USED by HIM. Are you nervous when you think about sharing your faith with someone? That’s natural. But friends, we are not to depend upon our words, but upon the words that God gives to us. As our Lord told His disciples many years ago, “YOU shall receive power when the Holy Ghost has come upon you, and YOU shall be my witnesses.” He’s saying the same to you and me today. It is NOT you or I, but the Holy Spirit, that living waters, living within us. And it is the Holy Spirit that gives us the power to walk right, to talk right and to live right. And the power to witness; oh, we have all the power that is needed to do all the work that is needed. The thing we must consider is whether or NOT we are willing to engage in the Lord’s work and to what extent. The harvest is plentiful, more plentiful today than ever, but the workers are so few. Listen. The harvest is ready. We don’t need to postpone the harvesting. We need to see that the work for the harvesting is NOW. It is not only work of the pastor, or the deacons, but it is work for every believer. The best reason for working for our Lord is because we love Him. If you truly love HIM, then I want you to consider becoming a loyal worker, one that will work consistently for our Lord. And if you are already in His service, I would ask you to ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal to you just how faithful you are in your work for Him. Let me say in closing that we are not saved by works, but the Bible says “faith without works” is dead. May God give to each one of us, the desire to become a Loyal Worker in His vineyard. |
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