Insights from Putting Up Hay
Mark 6:6-12, 30
Sermon #1 from the series “Life on the Farm”
Sermon Objective: God calls each follower to ministry and personal sacrifice.
Series Intro:
We are beginning a sermon series today from Mark’s Gospel called “Life on the Farm.” It will focus on some of the basics of the Christian faith. Specifically, we will be looking at are some of the non-negotiables that define Biblical Christianity.
Sermon Intro:
When I was growing up my family moved between two places; Conroe, Texas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma. There are plenty of big cattle ranchers in Texas and Oklahoma and summer work was always available. But summer work on a ranch was nothing short of back-breaking. Why? Because there was always plenty of shoveling (we’ll talk about manure in a week or two) and plenty of hay to be put away.
There are few farm chores more dreaded by a teen age boy that putting up hay. It is hot work; it is dirty work; it is heavy work; and it is long work. Personally, I find nothing romantic about this chore.
The average bale weighs 45 to 50 pounds. And most farmers pay you by the bale … the more you get out of the field and stocked in the barn the more money you make. It’s a fair day’s work for a fair wage; but you definitely earn every penny!
Looking at this farm chore from a distance affords you the luxury of seeing the parable within it. Of course, when you’re fifteen and doing it there are no lessons to be learned, but now I see the parable.
As we read from Mark 6, read with the imagery of baling hay in the back of your mind.
Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.
These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them."
They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
30The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.
I want to give you four words today that describe four transferable elements of from this modern day parable
1. DIRECTIONS
These were his instructions:
THERE IS A CLEARLY DEFINED TASK TO BE DONE
It doesn’t take a genius to put up hay; just about any 15 year old with a modicum of muscle and a good back to tackle the task. And most farmers are more than happy to “farm this work out” to an extra set of hands.
You do not need a complex strategy to put up hay either. First, you stack it on the wagon. Second, you stack it securely in the barn.
It sounds so easy! And that’s one of the points from my parable of the hay … anybody can understand the mission … anybody can know when it is being accomplished.
There are saints and entire churches that seem to overlook this simple point. When Jesus sent his followers he made sure they knew what was to be done. It was not a hide-n-seek game. It was not to see if they had grasped the unwritten rules. Jesus makes his intentions clear.
Mark’s Gospel tends to be very succinct and does not bother with much detail. He begins Jesus’ charge with these words: “These were his instructions:”
Matthew and Luke often give us additional insight. In Matthew 10 we receive more clarity for the mission at hand:
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: ’The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
You see what I mean? When Jesus gives a mission he makes it clear. That means that accomplishment is easy to detect. Sending the 12 out is an extension of what Jesus has been doing. They will be effective only as an extension of His work. They had no natural authority over evil spirits … only Jesus did.
Work for the Night is Coming (Anna Coghill)
Work, for the night is coming,
Work through the morning hours;
Work while the dew is sparkling,
Work ’mid springing flowers;
Work when the day grows brighter,
Work in the glowing sun;
Work, for the night is coming,
When man’s work is done.
1. Directions
2. DISTRIBUTION
He sent them out two by two
TEAMWORK MAKES FOR SUCCESSFUL AND PLEASANT WORK
My brother who lives in West Virginia has two horses. One is a pet and his wife competes with the other one.
Most of Keith’s land is wooded and he does not grow his own hay. He buys it. Well, sure enough, on one visit to his place the hay arrived. It is Keith’s responsibility to unload and put up the hay; which, in his situation is a two step process. His barn is not equipped with a conveyor belt to take the hay to the lofts so it has to be lugged up there by hand … and ladder. You can see where this story is headed can’t you?
Seeing as how I’m a good brother; I was “more than willing” to help with this nightmarish task. But we had a choice. We could each take a bale; lug it from the trailer into the loft, then climb the loft and stack it or we could work as a team.
We chose the team approach. One of us would toss the hay from the wagon into the loft and the other would stack it. After a while we’d trade places. The work went smooth, somewhat quickly (although putting up hay always seems like an eternity) and in some respects was enjoyable. We had a good time together that afternoon.
It is not by surprise that Jesus sends his laborers out in pairs.
• There is strength in pairs
• There is wisdom in pairs
• There is joy in pairs
• There is mutual support in pairs
• There is complimentary styles and gifts in pairs
In Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 it says:
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
I suspect that the ministry God calls you to is NOT a “lone ranger” type of ministry. Very few are. Chances are there are others with complimentary passions and gifts that you could benefit from. I know that it often appears to be easier to “just do it yourself” but I assure that you will find immeasurable rewards by bringing others alongside.
Look at Jesus --- he chose 12 men to help him with the task at hand.
Work for the Night is Coming (Anna Coghill)
Work, for the night is coming,
Work through the sunny noon;
Fill brightest hours with labor,
Rest comes sure and soon.
Give every flying minute,
Something to keep in store;
Work, for the night is coming,
When man works no more.
1. Directions
2. Distribution
3. DAUNTING
"Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them."
OBEYING CHRIST’S CALL ON YOUR LIFE IS HARD WORK.
If you have ever set on the bed of a tractor drawn wagon, and approached a 50 acre pasture filled with freshly cut and baled hay, on a 100 degree August afternoon, you understand the meaning of the word daunting. As a youth looking at something like that your countenance drops, you wonder if you’ll ever finish, and then to think that there are other pastures just like this waiting on you … well … I think the word “daunting” fits nicely.
There is no getting around it –putting up hay is hard work and there will be a personal cost.
Do you know why a lot of people fail to succeed at Christ’s calling? They give up. It gets hard. It becomes thankless. It has periods of pure endurance.
Jesus’ disciples were are representing Him. They were not being sent out as prima donnas. There was no pomp and circumstance. There were no five star hotels waiting at each ministry location. There were no special favors that they could exact from the town’s-people. They were not given a celebrity status (Jesus ran from celebrity status). Rather they are sent as servants.
They were to go in the power of love and they were dependent upon others responding to them in kind. In so doing they represented Jesus and Jesus’ kingdom.
The ministry at hand had four requirements love, faith, obedience and hard work.
Your call from God requires no less.
Work for the Night is Coming (Anna Coghill)
Work, for the night is coming,
Under the sunset skies;
While their bright tints are glowing,
Work, for daylight flies.
Work till the last beam fadeth,
Fadeth to shine no more;
Work, while the night is darkening,
When man’s work is o’er.
1. Directions
2. Distribution
3. Daunting
4. DOABLE
They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
It is easy to grasp the importance of putting up hay. You only need live through one year of drought and watch farmer and livestock suffer to see how important this is.
In 1998 my home state of Oklahoma was among the many Midwestern states that experienced a drought. Some farmers were buying hay from the east coast and having it trucked in. Some farmers were selling their livestock at pennies on the dollar.
Having a good store of hay and a source of water were life and death matters that summer.
I am sure there were plenty of 15 year olds moaning and complaining the year before about their summer job. I’m sure they thought it could be postponed until another day … but the farmers knew better.
This was serious work.
The work of the Kingdom has no ‘periphery” tasks. There is no “busy work” for the citizens of the Kingdom. Each task, each ministry, is a matter of life and death spiritually speaking. If it isn’t … we need not do it.
I talked to a friend of mine the other day. He’s a 37 year old layman in a far away place. He’s a good Christian man. He’s a wonderful husband and father, he’s moral, and he’s faithful to his church too. But he’s disobedient. My friend has a definite calling on his life and he is not following it.
He knows he has a calling – and most who know him know he does too. You can just tell. Now, he’s done a lot – A LOT – of preparatory work regarding his calling. He can tell you all about what is involved in the ministry to which he’s been called. He has done everything needed to be “qualified” … he’s just not doing it.
Let’s be clear here. My friend knows the directions, he knows the importance of partnering with others (distribution), and he knows the task to which he’s called is daunting.
He also knows it is doable.
With a tremor in His voice my friend said, “Ken someday I am going to stand before the living God and he’s going to ask me why I didn’t obey him. Everything I have done will burn just as wood, hay, and stubble (1 Corinthians 3:11) does if I don’t deny myself and follow God’s call.”
Conclusion:
Have you noticed that I am assuming you have a call from God? It is not by mistake. I do believe God has something specific and special he wants you to do for Him.
I pray you will follow the disciples who have gone before you and pursue it with passion.
Your God given ministry can be described with four words:
1. Directions
2. Distribution
3. Daunting
4. Doable
The role of the church is to equip you, encourage you, commission you, and hold you accountable for the ministry God gives you. But in the end, you, like my friend will stand before God Himself and give account for your faithfulness to Him and his call.
Throughout the Bible you are challenged to respond to God in obedient and promptness. You are to
• Wake up and understand the time (Romans 13:11)
• Live as if time is short (1 Corinthians 7:29)
• To use this time to do the Lord’s work (1 Corinthians 15:58)
• Now is the time (2 Corinthians 6:2)
• To not quit serving at this time (Galatians 6:9)
• Redeem the time (Ephesians 5:16)
• The time is near (Rev. 22:10)
I want you to come to the realization that my friend did recently. That his time is short and He will stand before God to give an account of his time.
I want you to hear those words:
Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. (Matthew 25:21)
Work for the Night is Coming (Anna Coghill)
Work, for the night is coming,
Work through the morning hours;
Work while the dew is sparkling,
Work ’mid springing flowers;
Work when the day grows brighter,
Work in the glowing sun;
Work, for the night is coming,
When man’s work is done.
Work, for the night is coming,
Work through the sunny noon;
Fill brightest hours with labor,
Rest comes sure and soon.
Give every flying minute,
Something to keep in store;
Work, for the night is coming,
When man works no more.
Work, for the night is coming,
Under the sunset skies;
While their bright tints are glowing,
Work, for daylight flies.
Work till the last beam fadeth,
Fadeth to shine no more;
Work, while the night is darkening,
When man’s work is o’er.
He who has ears to hear
Let Him hear.
