Laborers In The Harvest – Part 2
Luke 10:1-20 (3-12)
January 20, 2019
As you are aware we are currently in our MISSION’S MONTH
And that has perfectly coincided with our study of Luke’s gospel
Since we are also examining the instruction of our Lord as He sent the 70.
We have started this new section which encompasses Luke 10
And one which we have labeled “The Necessity of Jesus”
• After learning who Jesus is and what He came to do.
• And after we have heard His mandate for following.
• Now we understand that that mandate is not optional.
Submitting to Jesus is necessary.
And that theme begins here with the record of Jesus sending the 70.
Here we learn that Jesus is so necessary that
He is actually sending laborers into the fields before the harvest
To make sure everyone knows who He is.
Now we started this section last time.
There are 5 points
#1 THE SOVEREIGN APPOINTMENT
Luke 10:1
Very simply put we recognized here that
The 70’s involvement in this mission was ultimately a matter of obedience
“the Lord appointed” them.
• As their Lord and sovereign King He has every right to appoint who He will and to send them where He will for whatever purpose He deems best.
And here He appointed the 70 to go
“to every city and place where He Himself was going to come.”
They in effect would be 70 John the Baptists;
70 forerunners who would go and prepare a city for the arrival of the King.
Often times we talk about mission work in FARMING TERMS.
• We understand that to produce a crop the field must be plowed
• We understand that the seed must be planted
• We understand that the weeds must be contained
• We understand that at times the plant must be pruned
• And ultimately the crop will be harvested
No doubt these laborers have been sent out to plow the fields
To get them ready for the seed which the Lord is bringing.
AND THEIR PRESENCE ONLY REINFORCES
JUST HOW IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY CHRIST IS.
He is so necessary that He even sends 70 delegates ahead of Him
To make sure the people don’t miss Him when He passes through.
And if you are curious as to THE EFFECTS of their ministry.
Consider stories like that of Zaccheus.
Luke 19:1-3 “He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature.”
• That was simply the day in which Jesus was passing through Jericho.
• You already see that a crowd was aware of it.
• You are also confronted with a tax collector who knew he needed Jesus.
Why?
Well obviously someone had gone before Jesus to Jericho
And had spread the word of Christ and His ability to save
And you have a man like Zaccheus who now wants to see Him.
That’s the type of impact they are expected to have.
And we are reminded that THE LORD STILL APPOINTS HIS FOLLOWERS
To go and tell the world how necessary He is.
#2 THE SPIRITUAL ASSESSMENT
Luke 10:2a
This is where Jesus enlightened us to a spiritual reality.
THE REALITY WAS THIS;
Namely that “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”
And we spoke of what that meant.
• That more than anything the harvest is an illustration of judgment.
• There is coming a day in which the Lord will bring the harvest.
• The wheat will be gathered into His barn but the chaff will be destroyed by fire.
The harvest is real, and it is “plentiful”
Or perhaps more accurately, it is GREAT.
It will encompass the whole world.
In explaining the parable of the wheat and the tares Jesus said:
Matthew 13:36-40 “Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. “So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.”
There is a great harvest coming, BUT THERE IS A PROBLEM.
“the laborers are few”
He does NOT say the reapers are few, but rather the laborers.
There are not enough people working the fields
To prepare it for the harvest.
There are not enough missionaries in the world
Preparing people for the judgment.
It is the greatest human need on our planet.
• Not for clean water
• Not for renewable energy
• Not for a cure to AIDS
• Not for harmony amongst Republicans and Democrats
What our world needs is Jesus
And therefore it desperately needs more missionaries.
The field of the world needs more workers.
That is the spiritual assessment that Jesus offers.
The Sovereign Appointment, The Spiritual Assessment
#3 THE SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENT
Luke 10:2b-12
In light of the need, what is the Lord asking for?
We saw the first specific last time and that was that we PRAY.
But perhaps the prayer request caught you by surprise.
• For the Lord did not say to pray for the lost.
• And the Lord did not say to pray for current missionaries
THE FIRST PRAYER REQUEST our Lord gave
In regard to the need for missionaries was this:
“therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (literally beg Him for more workers)
The first way that any of us get involved in missions
Is to pray that God will raise up missionaries.
We beg God to send workers into the fields!
And we talked about that last time.
THIS MORNING we move to a second specific assignment from the Lord.
We see it in verse 3, and it’s real simple:
(3) “Go;”
This command we should have expected.
After all, if you’re begging for people to go it only stands to reason that this would be the Lord’s next command.
It is so clear…
It is so often discussed…
And yet it seems to be so easily disregarded by the church.
LAST SUNDAY WE HAD THE MEETING
For anyone interested in going to Malawi this summer,
My main goal for that meeting was to help people
(especially those who have never done something like this before)
Discern if God was calling them.
And I’ll share a portion of that with you.
One of the things I commonly hear when it comes time for mission involvement is people make a statement something like, “I’m just not sure the Lord is calling me. I don’t want to go if He’s not calling me to go.”
That statement assumes that it would be a grave mistake
To take the gospel of Christ to a non-believer
Apart from God’s specific calling to do so.
And I do understand in part where that comes from, since we all want to be in God’s will.
But the bizarre part to me is that
While I routinely hear of people who are afraid to participate if it’s not God’s will,
I very rarely hear of someone who is afraid not to participate.
It’s almost like people make it out to a bigger sin to go than it is to stay.
But here’s what every believer must first know.
God has made the call to go abundantly clear.
The most famous is clearly:
Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Or we could look at:
Acts 1:8 “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
John 15:16 “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.”
John 20:21 “So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
Mark 16:15 “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”
Is it not clear that God’s word has already given the command to go?
Any other command in the Bible
We would readily assume was for us,
Yet we almost always demand secondary confirmation for this one.
We read the Lord commanding us not to commit adultery,
But we don’t hear people say, “I’m just not sure if God is calling me commit adultery or not”
We read the Lord commanding us to forgive our enemies,
But people don’t say, “I’m seeking God as to whether or not I should forgive that person.”
We read the Lord commanding husbands to love their wives,
But what husband would actually say, “Let me pray about it and see if it’s God’s will that I love my wife or not.”
And yet, that’s exactly how we treat God’s command
To go and take the gospel.
We demand some sort of secondary affirmation.
Beloved, can I make it clear? YOU ARE CALLED TO GO.
In all my life I’ve never heard of a person whom God chastised
For going to the lost and proclaiming the good news.
Now I’m NOT SAYING everyone in here should go to Malawi,
I don’t even want that happen.
I just want you to understand that whether it’s Malawi or somewhere else,
You are most definitely called to go.
And the explanation is so clear.
TURN TO: Romans 10
This is of course that infamous chapter regarding how a person will hear without a preacher, but let me give you a little more of the info to perhaps make the need more evident.
The chapter begins in verse 1
• With Paul expressing his desire that the lost be saved.
• Here the lost are specifically Israel.
• He desires for them to be saved, and he prays to God that they will be saved.
In verses 2-3 he explains why they are lost.
• Their problem is clear. They have a zeal for God, but it is misguided zeal.
• Their problem is a knowledge problem.
This last Wednesday night we talked to the youth about worship.
There are 3 kinds, 1 is true, 2 are false.
1 type of false worship is IDOLATRY – which is to worship the right way, but to worship the wrong god.
Another type of false worship is HYPOCRISY – which is to worship the right God, but to worship Him in the wrong way.
This is what Israel did.
They had the right God, and they had zeal, but their facts where off.
They had a knowledge problem.
Specifically in verse 3,
• They thought the way to please God was through works of the Law,
• When in reality it was through faith in Christ.
According to verse 4
• It is Christ who makes us righteous before God,
• Therefore that is the chief aim of God that all men submit to Christ.
BUT THE JEWS DIDN’T UNDERSTAND THAT.
Paul goes on to explain the truth they had failed to grasp in verses 5-13.
(Verses 5-8) He reveals that righteousness comes by faith, not Law.
• There is not some mystical or even literal journey which must be made to obtain God’s favor.
• What is required is faith whereby God grants righteousness.
(Verses 9-10) reveals that the specific faith God requires is faith in Christ.
• And that faith should ultimately lead to a confession of Him as Lord.
(Verses 11-13) reveals that anyone who confesses Christ will be saved.
That’s the truth, but the problem was that the Jews didn’t know that.
They had a knowledge problem.
They had been told wrong in regard to how to please God.
So THE SOLUTION then is for someone to teach them correctly.
• The solution is for someone to go and tell them the truth about what God wants.
• The solution is to correct their ignorance.
It is very simply a knowledge issue.
But at the same time Paul also noticed A PROBLEM.
In fact, he lists a series of problems.
(14-15) “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!”
In short,
• Men are never going to call on Jesus, if they don’t believe in Him.
• Men are never going to believe in Him if they never hear the truth about Him.
• And they will never hear the truth about Him if no one ever goes and tells them.
• And no one will ever go if they are never sent.
So again, do you understand the necessity of going?
And do you understand God’s mandate for you to do that?
THEN GO!
Quit debating it, quit rationalizing it, by all means quit spiritualizing it;
God has commanded us to go and teach the truth.
And here Jesus specifically commands the 70 to do just that.
• They could not work in the fields from the comfort of their living room.
• They had to go to the fields.
But THERE IS MORE HERE regarding their going that is important.
In fact, I want to give you 3 realities with regard to Jesus’ command for them to go.
1) JESUS IS AWARE OF THE DANGER AND SENDS THEM ANWAY (3)
“Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.”
So there is a command to go
Immediately followed by a brief description of the mission.
You are going as “lambs in the midst of wolves”
Matthew’s gospel expounds on that statement:
Matthew 10:16-18; 21-22 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. “But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles…”Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.”
Jesus is speaking about intense hatred.
Jesus is talking about serious and lethal danger.
“lambs in the midst of wolves”
Sheep are DEFENSELESS
• Sheep don’t even have teeth on the top, and so the best it can really do to an enemy is give it a good pinch.
Wolves on the other hand are RUTHLESS.
• They kill, at times even for sport or pleasure.
And Jesus chose this analogy to explain missions.
We are sheep in the midst of wolves.
Psalms 44:22 “But for Your sake we are killed all day long; We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
Paul even quoted that verse to speak of Christian suffering in Romans 8.
It is a fact that God’s people suffer at the hands of the world.
Just look at the book of Acts
• It was in Acts 4 when Peter and John were first arrested for preaching.
• In Acts 5 they were arrested again and this time also flogged.
Acts 5:40 “They took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them.”
• In Acts 7 Stephen was stoned to death.
• In Acts 8 a young zealot named Saul started pursuing any and all Christians;
putting them in prison; and even calling for their execution.
• In Acts 12 James was killed.
Acts 12:1-3 “Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread.”
• In Acts 14 Paul was threatened, and plotted against, and by verse 19 he was
even stoned.
Acts 14:19-22 “But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. But while the disciples stood around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe. After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”
And realities like that no doubt let to statements like:
2 Corinthians 4:7-11 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”
The darkness has always hated the light.
Sinful men do not like having their deeds exposed or confronted.
But I think we fully get that proclaiming the gospel is dangerous.
• I think that is in part an explanation for why so few believers are willing to do it.
• We know it’s dangerous.
But can I make one point here about that danger?
JESUS KNEW IT WAS DANGEROUS AND SENT THEM ANYWAY.
John 15:18-21 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. “But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.”
You DON’T find there a Jesus who is naïve to the reality of suffering.
• You have a Jesus who knew without a doubt what He was sending His followers into and yet He sent them anyway.
NOW THAT PRODUCES AN IMPORTANT QUESTION:
Why would Jesus knowingly endanger His own followers?
BECAUSE THE TRUTH REGARDING HIM
AND REGARDING HIS SALVATION IS NECESSARY!
It would be great if the world loved what we do,
But the fact that they don’t doesn’t change the necessity.
A lot of men died on the beaches of Normandy,
But the necessity of the mission outweighed the cost.
So we are faced with AN IMPORTANT REALITY.
The mission is more important than safety or comfort.
Does everyone see that?
(If safety and comfort are more important to us than the mission
Then there is something spiritually wrong)
Jesus, aware of the danger sends them anyway.
Let me give you a second reality.
2) JESUS IS AWARE OF THE LOGISTICS BUT TELLS THEM NOT TO CONCERN THEMSELVES WITH IT (4-8)
When we speak of logistics we are talking about things like
Supplies, and cost of travel, and lodging, etc.
He plainly tells the 70 NOT to concern themselves with those things.
“Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way.”
(that is don’t take extra supplies and don’t make visits to solicit funds)
Now, for fairness sake,
You need to know that this specific command was temporary.
Luke 22:35-37 “And He said to them, “When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?” They said, “No, nothing.” And He said to them, “But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one. “For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH TRANSGRESSORS’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.”
We have no problem now with missionaries who plan their logistics or who solicit funds to go. Jesus made that clear.
But Jesus specifically forbid these from doing that
Because He was making a point to them about their ministry.
Namely that THEIR WORK WAS VALUABLE
(5-8) “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ “If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. “Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house. “Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you;”
NOW FIRST WE SEE THAT
When they enter a house they do so with the promise of something.
• They enter with a promise of “Peace”
• They say, “Peace be to this house”
That is to say, they enter a house with A PROPOSAL,
That if you will house me and meet my physical needs,
Then you should know that I am here with an offer of peace.
Now that DIDN’T mean peace with me.
I am offering you peace with God.
Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
This is what we are talking about.
They are coming with a message
Of how a man can have peace with God.
And of course we know the answer:
Romans 5:1 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
The implication here is that this knowledge is extremely valuable!
And “If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not it will return to you.”
Which is just Jesus way of saying that
A man who values that peace will accept you, but some men won’t value it and won’t allow you to stay. That’s just reality.
But for those who do value your ministry:
Jesus says to take full advantage of it.
(7) “Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you”
• Don’t feel like a burden…
• Don’t fell unworthy…
And Jesus says why you should make yourself at home.
“for the laborer is worthy of his wages.”
You are providing an invaluable service to these people,
And they most certainly should compensate you for it.
Paul wrote:
1 Corinthians 9:4-7 “Do we not have a right to eat and drink? Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working? Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock?”
You are going (amidst great peril) to explain how to have peace with God. Don’t feel bad if they have to feed you for a month or two.
He went on to say, “Do not keep moving from house to house.”
• Don’t even worry if your visit is extended.
• What you are doing is valuable!
And (8) “Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you.”
• When they offer you care out of gratitude for your service,
• Don’t feel bad about taking it.
That’s just Jesus way of reminding the 70
That they are performing a necessary service.
Now, I think also implied here is a REMINDER OF CONTENTMENT
And to remember that the goal is spiritual.
One could see Jesus command to “not keep moving from house to house”
As a warning not to use your ministry as a means of milking it for all it’s worth.
We know about false prophets who were in it only for money.
Micah 3:5 “Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who lead my people astray; When they have something to bite with their teeth, They cry, “Peace,” But against him who puts nothing in their mouths They declare holy war.”
Jesus is at the same time warning these 70
About using their ministries for the purpose of gain.
HERE’S THE POINT: LOGISTICS ARE NOT YOUR CONCERN
• So Jesus is aware of the danger and sends them anyway.
• And Jesus is aware of the logistics but reminds that this is not the concern.
One more
3) JESUS IS ADAMANT ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF THE MISSION (9-12)
Of course we see here the command to “heal those in it who are sick”
As we have said, that had to do with credibility with regard to their preaching.
• These were the signs that their message was true.
• And as we have said, we don’t need that now because we have the New Testament.
But the point of their healing was clear.
USE THE MIRACLE AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET YOUR MESSAGE OUT.
And what is the message?
“The kingdom of God has come near to you.”
THAT’S THE POINT. Make sure you preach that.
Heal the sick so that you will have an opportunity to preach that, but preach it.
Well, what if they don’t listen?
That’s simple – preach it anyway.
(10-12) “But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ “I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city.”
Their listening has no bearing on your preaching.
You preach the message whether they accept you or not.
Similar to what God told to Ezekiel
Ezekiel 3:10-11 “Moreover, He said to me, “Son of man, take into your heart all My words which I will speak to you and listen closely. “Go to the exiles, to the sons of your people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or not, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.'”
Or Paul to Timothy
2 Timothy 4:1-5 “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
You go and tell these people that the kingdom is near!
Even if they don’t listen.
DON’T GET PRAGMATIC HERE.
Don’t let their response dictate your faithfulness to the message.
You just preach “that the kingdom of God has come near”
What does that mean?
(As we said, it’s similar to the ministry of John the Baptist; preparing people for the King)
Listen to the prophecy regarding John:
Isaiah 40:3-11 “A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. “Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley; Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” A voice says, “Call out.” Then he answered, “What shall I call out?” All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, When the breath of the LORD blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever. Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, Lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; Lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” Behold, the Lord GOD will come with might, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him And His recompense before Him. Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.”
Do you hear the message?
• The Lord is coming!
• Make the road smooth (John’s message of repentance)
• God’s glory will soon be seen.
• Tell the people how transient they are (i.e. like grass)
• And God’s judgment is coming
• But tell them God’s word is eternal and can save them
• And tell them the King is on His way and He is coming to save
• He is a gentle Shepherd who will care for them
That was the message.
Jesus told these 70 to go and preach it, whether they listen or not.
So we get the main command, it is to GO
But the realities we also see.
• The mission is more important than personal safety
• The mission is more important than preoccupation with a salary
• The mission is more important than practical success
This is the Lord’s command.
He sees the spiritual reality that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. SO…
• Pray for more workers
• Go to work
Clear enough?
John Piper said, “There are only 3 kinds of Christians when it comes to missions. Zealous goers; zealous senders; and disobedient.”
PRAY FOR WORKERS
OBEY GOD’S CALLING TO GO
