Be Involved For God - I Am Involved I Am Prepared For Eternity Series

It is also our 1st week in this month of October with the theme “I Am Involved, I Am Prepared for Eternity”. Now some of us may not know that this is also the anniversary month of the whole JIL Church Worldwide. And for 43 years God has been faithful to this ministry because many people are also involved in spreading the gospel not only here in the Philippines but in the whole world. Our church has been recognized not only here in the Philippines but in the whole world because men and women of God has been involved and committed to proliferate God’s word all over the world.

How many of us wanted to be recognized as they work for a company they are working, or even for the church they belong? However, before we can be acknowledged and be recognized, there should be involvement. You see many wanted to be acknowledged and yet they don’t want to be involved.

Our theme verse for this month is found in Matthew 9:37 but let me use the verses from 35 to 38 for today’s message…

Be Involved for God!

Matthew 9:35-38

35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

On a similar passage we can read in…

John 4:35-38

34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.35Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.36Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.37Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true.38I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

These 2 passages happened in the lives of the 12 disciples as Jesus continue His public ministry. But little the disciples did not know; they were being trained by God by showing them how to minister to people publicly. And another principle of God is going to be shown to them and it is to be involved. Jesus is telling them the levels of involvement. These levels will determine how deep God wants us to be involved.

“Tell me and I forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I learn” – Benjamin Franklin -founding father of USA.

“Sabihin mo at maari kong makalimutan, ipakita mo at maari kong matandaan, isama moa ko at maari akong matuto.”

What are the Levels of our Involvement?

1. Many were just Informed. Marami ay nakaalam lang.

36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

For others, their involvement is simply knowing information. It is enough for others to be aware of the things around them without being affected and take no action. They never wanted to be involved because they simply don’t care.

But in verse 36, we saw Jesus moved with compassion because He saw the crowd’s specific need.

What did Jesus saw on people’s need? The Bible says they were…

Harassed – they were threatened. Their harassment came from the Roman government and from their religious organization. Because of that their freedom was threatened as no one could help them.

Helpless – they were alone. Most of the crowd were living in fear, they need a hero who will save them from their hopeless condition as many of them were sick and they needed deliverance and freedom.

Hopeless – they were like sheep without a shepherd. For the Jews, a shepherd is a role that is important. They look at them as leaders who will lead their flocks for security, shelter, and food.

Jesus was fully informed of their situations, just like us. We see our…

• Countrymen suffers because of this pandemic. What have we done? Did we do our best to contribute for welfare of this nation?

• Churchmates weakened their faith because of the limited church fellowship. What have we done for them? Have we encouraged them to attend even on virtual service?

• Covid 19 cases in our country. What have we done to stop or limit its spread?

Our country has many needs, many lost their lives because of this pandemic, and even inside the church has many casualties. Even most of our churchmates are now nowhere to be found? Are we just sitting and standing because it’s enough for us to be informed only? Do we still care?