Sermon Central
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Wanted: Willing Laborers For The Kingdom
Contributed by Kirk Devine on Jul 20, 2001 (message contributor)
Summary: There is much work to be done in the Kingdom, but few workers to do it.
WANTED: WILLING LABORERS FOR THE KINGDOM
As I continue along my journey up the King’s highway, I have witnessed some eye-opening situations in the church today… The Lord has allowed me to observe some troubling signs of the times… I’ve had the opportunity to see what I believe is perhaps the greatest problem facing us today... It is a problem that I believe has plagued, infected, and infested the body of Christ; the church as a whole. Let me suggest to you that the greatest problem facing us is not the gang problem on the outside, not the drug pusher on the outside, not the moral values of our youth, not ungodliness... Not unrighteousness, not darkness on the outside, not sin on the outside.... Let me suggest to you that the greatest problem facing us today is not what’s going on, on the outside... but what ain’t going on, on the inside…!!! We’ve taken on the mindset of the Laodicean church, which was neither hot nor cold concerning the things of God… They went about their usual routine of doing things.
The fact of the matter is that they were in such a state, that the Lord Himself said that because they were neither hot nor cold, that he would literally ’spit them out of His mouth!’ And the problem is that our lukewarm churches of today are rapidly becoming a nausea, which grieves the heart of God…
In the book, “Every Believer, A Minister,” Dr. Rex D. Edwards graphically paints the pathetic picture of far too many Christians today. “We sing the words of the hymn ‘Onward Christian Soldier,’ and wait to be drafted into His service. We sing ‘Oh, For A Thousand Tongues,’ but don’t use the ones we have… ‘Serve the Lord with Gladness,’ yet we complain when someone asks us to do something…” To prevent ourselves from falling into this category, we need a to change our mindset about the church.... God’s church! It’s time that we, as the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, who died and rose again… Move from a state of survival to a state of Revival…!
That is what the church is doing today.... Surviving! It’s time that we move from a state of existence to a state of persistence concerning Kingdom business… We have a survival mentality in the church.... "We’re neither hot or cold… We’re just Lukewarm… Operating at room-temperature… Unenthusiastic… Nonchalant… Just simply surviving..." And because of our lukewarm, narcosis-like attitude towards the things of God, we’re finding many vacant seats among the pews…!
But I came by to let you know that God has called the church to do more than survive...! God has called the church to do more than exist...! He wants us to move from a place of survival to a place of Revival.
In order for us to be successful, there are some concepts that we must grab hold of… Jesus shows us here in our text that there is a job to be done… There is a need that must be fulfilled… I believe what Jesus is telling us here is that there is a need for some workers… There is a need for some laborers… There is a need for some folks who are willing to get their hands dirty for the cause of Christ…
We live in a world today where everybody is looking for somebody… Major corporations are looking for college graduates with marketable skills… Hospitals are looking for medical students and scientists who have graduate at the top of their class… Financial institutions are looking for people with MBA’s and top-notch portfolios ready to take on Wall Street single handedly…
The Marines are looking for The Few And The Proud… The Army is looking for those who are willing to Be All That They Can Be… The Navy is looking for those who want not just A Job, But An Adventure… The Air Force is looking for those who want to Aim High…! Everybody is looking for somebody…! You’ve got men looking for women… Women looking for men… And unfortunately in some cases, you’ve got men looking for men and women looking for women…! Everybody is looking for somebody…! And because we’re living in such perilous times…
Because we’re living in such a messed up world… Because there’s much to be done… Our text informs us that the Lord likewise… Is looking for somebody…!
The Lord is looking for someone who is willing to give their all… The Lord is looking for someone who is willing to help in the harvest of the lost… The Lord is looking for someone who is willing to labor… For the Kingdom…!
But what constitutes a willing laborer…? What separates him from everyone else…? How do I make sure that I’m doing my part in our move “From the Seats To The Streets…?” The text gives us three points to consider as we seek to reach others through the harvest. The first thing we must do is….
