Introduction

Good morning, family. It's a beautiful day the Lord has made, isn't it? I hope you're all doing well and feeling blessed. Now, let's get right into it. We're going to be chatting about something that's really close to my heart today. We're talking about the need for laborers in the harvest, the role of teaching in spreading the good news, and how we can all be laborers for Christ.

I was reading a book by A.W. Tozer recently. Now, there's a man who had a way with words. He once said, "The world is perishing for lack of the knowledge of God and the Church is famishing for want of His Presence." That quote really got me thinking. We live in a world that is in desperate need of God's love and His truth, and that's exactly what we're going to be talking about today.

Let's take a look at our scripture for today. It's from Matthew 9:35-38. It says, "Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'"

Isn't that something? Jesus himself is telling us that there's a big job to do and not enough workers to do it. He's calling us to step up to the plate. We're going to be talking about what that means for us today.

Now, before we get into it, let's bow our heads and pray. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for your Word and for the opportunity to gather together and learn from it. We pray that you would open our hearts and our minds to what you have to say to us today. Help us to understand your Word and to apply it to our lives. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen.

Alright, family. Let's get into it. We've got a lot to talk about.

Understanding the Need for Laborers in the Harvest

When we read the words of Jesus in the book of Matthew, we can't help but feel a sense of urgency. Jesus looks out at the crowds and sees their needs. He sees their sickness, their confusion, their hunger for truth. And His heart is moved with compassion. He sees a harvest that is ripe and ready, but there are not enough workers to bring it in.

Wheat illustration. Think about a field of wheat, golden and ripe, swaying in the breeze. It's a beautiful sight, but it's also a ticking time bomb. If the wheat isn't harvested in time, it will fall to the ground and rot. It will be wasted. That's the picture Jesus is painting for us. The world is full of people who are ready to hear the good news of the kingdom of God. They are ripe for the harvest. But there aren't enough workers to bring them in.

Transition. This is where we come in. Jesus is calling us to be those workers. He's calling us to step out into the fields and bring in the harvest. But what does that look like? How do we become workers in the harvest?

Firstly, we need to recognize the urgency of the situation. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. There are people all around us who are in desperate need of the love and truth of God. They are like sheep without a shepherd, harassed and helpless. We can't afford to sit back and do nothing. We need to step up and take action.

Secondly, we need to be willing to get our hands dirty. Harvesting is hard work. It's not a job for the faint of heart. It requires dedication, perseverance, and a willingness to get down in the dirt. In the same way, being a worker in the kingdom of God isn't always easy. It requires us to step out of our comfort zones, to reach out to people who may be different from us, to share the truth even when it's unpopular.

Thirdly, we need to rely on God's strength and guidance. We can't do this on our own. We need the power of the Holy Spirit working in us and through us. We need to be constantly in prayer, asking God to give us the words to say and the courage to say them.

Lastly, we need to remember that the harvest is God's, not ours. We are simply workers in His field. It's not about us or our efforts. It's about God and His kingdom. Our job is to be faithful, to do the work He has called us to do. The results are in His hands.

Transition. So, let's step out into the fields. Let's be the workers that Jesus is calling us to be. Let's bring in the harvest.

The Role of Teaching in Spreading the Gospel

Teaching is of course the main tool Jesus himself used in sharing the Gospel ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO