HELP WANTED
LUKE 10:1-2
I. INTRODUCTION
MANY OF US CAN ATTEST TO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED WINDOW SIGNS THAT READ EITHER HELP WANTED OR NOW HIRING. YOU SEE MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTERS, COMPANIES ARE SEARCHING FOR THOSE WHO HAVE A DESIRE TO FILL VACANT POSITIONS. MOST EMPLOYERS WANT INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DEDICATED, COMMITTED, LOYAL, AND DEPENDABLE. THEY DO NOT WANT THOSE WHO ARE GOING TO HANG OUT IN THE BREAKROOM, WATER COOLER, AND COFFEE MACHINE. THEY DO NOT WANT SOMEONE WHO IS GOING TO WATCH THE CLOCK ALL DAY. NO, THEY WANT SOMEONE WHO HAS A MIND TO WORK.
THERE IS A SIGN IN THE LOCAL CHURCH, AS WELL AS IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD THAT READS HELP WANTED. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF VACANT POSITIONS THAT NEED TO BE FILLED. THE LORD IS LOOKING FOR SOMEON HE CAN TRUST TO GET THE JOB DONE. GOD IS LOOKING FOR SOME DEPENDABLE AND LOYAL FOLK WHO ARE NOT IN IT FOR SELF GAIN, BUT FOR THE GAIN OF OTHERS. GOD IS NOT LOOKING FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT INTERESTED IN HANGOUT IN THE BREAKROOM, BECAUSE THERE ARE ENOUGH OF THOSE ALREADY. THEY COME TO CHURCH ON BREAK, THEY GO HOME ON BREAK, THEY GO TO WORK ON BREAK. FACT OF THE MATTER, THEIR LIFE IS JUST ONE BIG BREAK. AND BECAUSE OF THIS, THERE IS HELP WANTED!
II. THE TEXT
THIS TEXT REVEALS THE ASTONISHING INSIGHT OF OUR LORD AS HE RECOGNIZED THE ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF THE WORK, AND THE URGENT NEED FOR LABORERS. JESUS UNDERSTOOD THAT THE TASK AT HAND WOULD BE FULL OF CHALLENGES, DISAPOINTMENTS, FRUSTRATIONS, SOME JUBILATION, AND TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONS. NOTICE THAT THERE WAS MORE WORK THAN THERE WAS WORKERS, AND JESUS WANTED TO FILL THE VACANT POSITIONS. MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AS I OBSERVE THE CONDITONS OF OUR WORLD, I’M SURE THAT YOU WILL AGREE WITH ME THAT THERE IS STILL MUCH WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, AND ALL OF US HAVE OUR CRITICAL ROLE IN WORKING FOR THE MASTER.
JESUS INSTRUCTED HIS DISCIPLES TO PRAY THAT THE LORD OF THE HARVEST WOULD SEND MORE WORKERS INTO THE FIELD. NOTICE THAT IT’S THE LORD’S FIELD, AND MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WE MUST BE PRAYING THAT GOD WILL SEND FORTH MORE WILLING WORKERS INTO THE WORLD IN AN EFFORT TO GET THE JOB DONE.
THE FIELD IS THE WORLD, AND THERE ARE SOME CRACK ADDICTS THAT NEED REHIBILITATING, SOME SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES THAT NEED A HELPING HAND, THERE ARE THOSE ON WELFARE WHO DON’T FARE WELL, THERE ARE THOSE WHO ARE STUMBLING IN THE DARK PATHS OF SIN, WHO STAND IN THE NEED OF SALVATION, THERE ARE THOSE WHO ARE DOWNTRODDENED WITH THE CARES OF THIS WORLD, AND WE NEED TO OFFER THEM JESUS WHO IS FAR BETTER THAN ANYTHING THIS WORLD HAS TO OFFER.
III. THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD
GOD IS LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE MORE COMMITTED TO THE ORGANISM THAN THEY ARE TO ORGANIZATIONS. IN OTHER WORDS, GOD IS LOOKING FOR THOSE WHO MORE COMMITTED TO THE CHURCH THAN THEY ARE TO THEIR CLUBS AND SOCIAL GROUPS. WE OUGHT TO FEEL GUILTY WHEN WE LET THE WORK OF THE CHURCH FALTER WHILE WE GIVE MORE TIME AND EFFORT TO WORLDLY GATHERINGS.
ALL OF US FROM THE PULPIT TO THE DOOR MUST BE PRAYERFUL AND DILIGENT IN OUR WORK FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD. EVERYONE OF US OUGHT TO MAKE EVANGELISM A PRIORITY. ALL OF US OUGHT TO MAKE KINGDOM BUILDING OUR BUSINESS. AND MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, GOD WILL HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE IF WE NEGLECT THE TASK THAT HE HAS PLACED BEFORE US. THEREFORE, WE OUGHT TO BE BUSY TELLING THE WORLD THAT GOD IS IN THE HIRING BUSINESS.
