Helpers for the Harvest

And he didn't run out after after Wednesday night.

So I guess we consider that a win.

But anyways, glad good to have him here tonight.

And he's he's a preacher. And that's that's that's who we

like to have in is, is people who like to preach God's word.

And I know how to expound God's word, not just tell a bunch of

stories and everything else. But we're glad he's here.

And so, Pastor Zoom and you come up and preach for us.

Amen. Thank you for having me.

It's a blessing to be here with you.

And I'm enjoying the fellowship with your pastor and with you as

well. And it's great to have this

emphasis over the weekend on missions.

Missions is the heartbeat of God, isn't it?

And so it's never a waste of time to give time to this

wonderful and very important theme.

It's right at the heart and soul of what we need to be involved

with as a local church. Turn with me, please tonight to

Matthew Chapter 9. Matthew Chapter 9, and we're

Matthew 9 · chapter mention Matthew 9 · chapter mention

going to read verse 35 to verse 38, Matthew Chapter 9, and verse

Matthew 9 · chapter mention

35 to verse 38. The Bible reads, and Jesus went

about all the cities and villages, teaching in their

synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, and

healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on

them, because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep,

having no shepherd then save he under his disciples.

The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few.

Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send

forth labourers into his harvest.

The title of the message tonight is Helpers for the Harvest

Field. Helpers for the harvest field.

Let's pray and ask for the Lord's help now as we look into

this message. Lord, we just pray that you'll

be with us tonight. Lord, thank you for those who've

made the effort to come out. Lord, on a Friday night after a

busy week. We pray now that you would

undertake for us, Lord, that you administer to us.

We pray for that strengthening by your spirit in the inner man,

Lord, that we might have hearts that are receptive.

Lord, receptive to hear from you.

We pray that you'd stir our hearts afresh for this great

theme of world missions. Lord, give us a heart.

We pray for souls. I love the souls and we pray

that You would just be with us now.

Pray for myself, Lord, that you just empty me of self.

Fill me with Your Spirit and speak through me.

Now to the blessing and edification of the hearers here

tonight. We pray in Jesus name, Amen.

There are three times recorded in the Gospels where the Lord

Jesus Christ speaks about the need of the harvest field.

The 1st is the one we just read here to the 12 disciples before

He sends them out two by two on their first official

evangelistic tour. Then the Lord Jesus spoke about

the harvest field when He sent out the 70 disciples there to

preach the gospel in Luke chapter 10 and verse one and

Luke 10 · chapter mention

two. And then the Lord Jesus again

spoke of the harvest field in John chapter 4 and verse 35

John 4 · chapter mention

after he had led the woman of Samaria to saving faith in

himself. And so we could, we can see as

we look at these examples that the harvest was on the heart of

the Son of God. And you know, if we're going to

truly be like the Lord Jesus Christ, then we need to have his

heart for the harvest field. And we talk a lot today or

there's a lot of talk today about being like the Lord Jesus

Christ. But if we don't have a heart for

the harvest field, then we are not much like him.

Because if you're going to get close to the heart of the Lord

Jesus Christ, you will find that He has a heart for the harvest

field. Was it not his final instruction

to the church before he ascended back into heaven to go into all

nations, to go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the

name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Ghost, teaching

them to observe all things whatsoever I've commanded you

and along with you alway even to the end of the world.

There. That was Christ's final really

set of instructions that he left the church as he then ascended

back into heaven and until he comes.

That is to be the primary work of the church.

We are not to get distracted with with with with all the

different causes out there and many of those causes may even be

good. But we must remember that the

primary mission, the primary purpose of the church is to win

the world for the Lord Jesus. And as you look at the life and

ministry of the Lord Jesus, he taught much about the subject of

prayer, didn't he? But it's interesting to me that

really this is the only specific prayer request that Jesus Christ

made to his disciples. He taught on prayer, and there

were commands about prayer, but but as far as a request of the

Son of God, this is about the only one we find.

And again, it highlights how close this is to the heart of

God. And so tonight we need to adopt

3 heart attitudes in relation to the harvest field.

And we can see them here in our text.

Number one, we need what I would call a compassion for the

harvest. A compassion for the harvest.

Look back at verse 35 and verse 36.

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages teaching in

their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom and

healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on

them, because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep,

having no shepherd. And so our Lord Jesus Christ is

our perfect example in this matter of compassion.

What love we see in the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ, love that

is indescribable. Love that the human language

cannot fully express. And Christ had such love in his

heart for the lost, and we need that same love and compassion.

So Christ's compassion was demonstrated by a number of

things. We see it demonstrated in in in

two areas. Firstly, his laborers among the

lost, his laborers among the lost.

In verse 35, there we see Christ's compassion there in

action in his laborers among the lost.

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages teaching in

their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom and

healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

And so Christ went to the lost. And here's our example.

You say that's very basic, yes, but we actually need to go.

And there are, there's a school of thought out there in many

Christian circles that says, well, when I get an opportunity

to witness, I'm willing to witness.

And I just witnessed by my life. Listen, we need to be careful,

don't we, not to pit one truth against another.

You do need to be witnessed by your life, but you also need to

be a witness by your lips. And evangelism needs to be not

just a passive reactive thing. We actually need to be

intentional in our evangelism and actually go and seek to make

contact with sinners for the cause of the gospel.

Jesus said follow me and I'll make you fishes of men.

And any fisherman knows that that fish don't generally just

jump into the boat of their own accord.

You have to go and find them. And so the Lord Jesus went both

to the cities and the villages with the gospel and it shows

that his heart was to seek to reach every Sinner in that area

with the gospel. He went to the large population

centres, He went to the smaller population centres.

And that's a good model by the way, for us to follow.

And you see that even in the book of Acts with the apostles,

they tended to maybe plant churches in the major population

centres. But then from there the gospel

can ripple out into the community and out into the into

every locality there. And so we see our Lord's heart

to reach every soul regardless of their locality.

Christ went to the lost and we need to go to Matthew 2819,

verse 2019 and 20. Go ye therefore, and teach all

nations, baptizing him in the name of the Father, and of the

Son, and of the Holy Ghost, et cetera.

There, Mark 1615. He said to them, Go ye into all

the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

John 1516 You have not chosen me, but I've chosen you and

ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that

your fruit should remain. And so we need to go with the

gospel. That is our mandate, that is our

mission. And we see that example in the

Lord Jesus. So Christ went to the lost, then

he preached to the lost, lost. Verse 35, He went about all the

cities and villages. Notice this next word, teaching

in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the

Kingdom. So our Lord Jesus Christ was

preeminently a preacher of the gospel and that is God's primary

method that He has chosen to reach the lost, not movies, not

programs, not para church organizations, but the preaching

of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And so we see in Christ ministry the centrality of the preaching

of the gospel. And what I find interesting is

you look at the order of the verse he preached, then he

healed and that's the correct order because, you know, a lot

of missions today is humanitarian, deals with the

needs of the body, but does not address the needs of the soul.

Now, folks, I'm not against having compassion for people's

physical needs, and we support men in countries where you know

they can't shut up the bowels of compassion towards people who

are in need. If you've got someone who's

literally starving, you can't as a believer just ignore that.

But the point is, we see in the ministry of Christ that

preaching was always the priority.

Then as the needs arose, He fed the hungry and he healed the

sick. And that is the correct order

because most of missions, I forget the percentage now, we

studied it in missions class that Bible college, something

like 70% or 80%, whatever. The majority of missions today

is humanitarian and leaves the gospel out.

Now folks, what is the point of helping people's bodies only for

them to die and go to hell for eternity?

We need to make sure that we make the sole the priority.

People need to be saved and that's the priority in missions.

And then yes, as we have ability and as the needs arise, we can

minister in other areas. That's the correct order.

Christ preached the lost, but He also transformed the lost.

Look back at verse 35, he went about teaching in their

synagogues and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom and

healing every sickness and every disease among the people under

score the word every there cross was not like the modern faith

healers who probably heal no one and perhaps some I don't know

but anyway, the Lord Jesus Christ he healed every sickness

and every disease among the people.

We could say this, the Lord Jesus was the answer to these

people's needs. And we know that the greatest

sin, the greatest sickness that people have today is as they did

back then was is the sin sickness.

And the Lord Jesus is still the answer to sin, sick souls.

And notice that every single disease and every sickness was,

was, was healed by the Lord Jesus Christ.

And it doesn't matter what sin you are bound up in, the Lord

Jesus is the answer. Doesn't matter if you're bound

in drugs, Doesn't matter what your particular besetting sin

is. And we need to remember that,

that the Lord Jesus is the solution.

Jesus Christ is the answer for every Sinner out there, no

matter what sin holds them captive.

We live in a world full of broken people, people with

broken hearts, broken homes, broken marriages, broken moral

morals. You say, who can heal all that

brokenness from sin? The Lord Jesus Christ.

So can you see Christ's compassion for the lost?

We see it in his laborers among the lost.

If you have a love for the lost, you will labor to see them

saved. But His compassion is

demonstrated secondly in his love for the lost.

And here we look at that compassion more specifically

here it's demonstrated in his laborers among the lost, but

it's also demonstrated in his love for the lost.

We see Christ's heart was moved verse 36.

But when he saw the multitudes, he was what moved with

compassion on them. So our Lord Jesus was his heart

was moved for people. I don't know about you, but

that's is something that I find a challenge because it's just so

easy for any of us to just go, to grow cold towards people.

And we know it shouldn't be that way, but it's just in our own

humanity, our love is very limited.

Human love only takes you so far.

Human emotion only takes you so far.

But if you're saved, you have the Lord Jesus living inside

you, and he can give you his heart for the lost.

And we need to learn to pray that, Lord, would you give me

your heart for lost people? So Christ was moved, we could

say, by the sight of the people, but when he saw the multitudes,

he was moved with compassion. That word saw is an interesting

word. It means to perceive or discern

with the eyes. In fact, this Greek word is

often translated by a King James translators as no.

In the New Testament 282 times it's translated as no.

And so it refers not to a casual glance, but it refers to a

knowing look. To look with knowing to look

with discerning. It was a loving look.

You know, we need to remember in this busy world in which we live

to someone's pause and really see people because you know,

America feels like Australia here, everyone's, you know,

people to see places to go, running here, running there,

busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, busy.

And I understand we do have things we need to do.

But it wouldn't hurt at at times for us to pause and really think

about the fact that the masses of humanity just floating around

us are largely headed to a Christ less hell.

Now what's interesting to me here is that this scene of the

multitudes was in the context of Christ being actively involved

in seeking to reach the multitudes.

We've seen that in verse 35, the Lord Jesus is out being active

in seeking to contact people and give them the gospel.

And as he was out amongst the people and as he saw them, his

heart was moved. And that is the right order.

You know, some Christians have this idea.

Well, when I get a burden, then I'll go.

No, you need to go and then you'll get a burden.

So don't, don't wait because I understand and I understand we

can pray for a burden. But if you will go and actually

involve yourself in seeking to reach people, what you will find

is your heart will get involved. That's the correct order.

So don't wait till you get a burden, then go, go and get a

burden. I find that, you know, most

Saturdays, I'll be honest with you, I don't feel like going

soul winning in my flesh. So, pastor, what's wrong with

you? Well, I'm glad you're more

spiritual than I am, but I'm just saying, humanly speaking, I

don't really feel like it. Now the spirit in the spiritual

realm, sure, but I'm just saying we're we're very weak to get up

on a Saturday morning, give some of my time, right and go out.

All right, The flesh doesn't like to do that.

But here's what I found. If I will just ignore my flesh,

make the decision to go. I always come back glad I went,

and my heart gets stirred, because what you do is you obey

the Lord, and you step out and you go.

And guess what? The Spirit of God will do the

work in your heart when you're obedient.

The Lord Jesus exhorted the disciples, Lift up your eyes and

look on the fields, for they are white or ready to harvest.

John 435. We really need to open our eyes

and look means you may have to put your smartphone down

occasionally so you can look at someone else and something else.

And people need the law, don't they?

Went for a walk around one of your outdoor shopping malls not

far from here and just to get a feel for, you know, America and

Virginia or whatever. And, you know, just I like to

observe people. That's part of a shepherd's job

is to watch sheep. So I like to observe people.

And I'm just looking at people's faces and watching people.

And, you know, people here look very similar to people back

home. They don't really look very

happy. And it's interesting, isn't it,

Because we're surrounded in our countries by tremendous

materialism. Anything pretty, all your heart

could wish for. People are miserable, not happy.

Why? Because stuff can't replace the

Savior. Stuff can't really fill your

heart with joy. You need to know the Lord Jesus

Christ. I even tried to say hello to a

few people sitting there eating my cold rock ice cream, which

wasn't much chopped, but said hello.

And people looked at me strange. I think they were trying to

figure out where I was from. But the point is you need to

stop sometimes and look and think about where people are

headed. Now the phrase here moved with

compassion, means to feel pity or sympathy.

It's actually a very strong word.

As you studied the word, the root word actually referred to

the internal organs. This word is translated bowels

in other places. So the reference is to the

heart, to the inner man. It speaks of the seat of

affection. So this was this was the Lord

Jesus. He felt a pity and he felt a

sorrow for the multitudes in his heart.

This was a strong, very strong and powerful feeling of

compassion. You can read multiple verses.

In fact, I found 9 references in the gospels to Christ's

compassion for sinners and what a heart he had for the lost.

Aren't you thankful for it for the Lord Jesus compassion.

Second Peter 3 verse 9. The Lord is not slack concerning

2 Peter 3:9

his promises. Some men count slackness, but

his long-suffering to to us would not willing that any

should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

That's the heart of Christ. And let's just, let's just state

this why? Why we're on that verse.

The Lord Jesus loves every Sinner, not just some sinners.

We totally reject the Calvinistic idea of limited

atonement. Jesus Christ came to die for the

sins of the entire world, not just a select group of people.

And if you believe in Calvinism, you're basically saying that he

only really loves some and not others.

That's not the Jesus that I find in the Bible.

So his heart was moved by the sight of the people.

Then we could say His heart was moved #2 by the plight of the

people. Look back at verse 36 again.

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on

them. Why?

Because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep,

having no shepherd. It was the spiritual misery of

the people that so powerfully moved our Lord's heart with

compassion. As He looked at those people, He

saw where they were really at. We could say they were weak

because they fainted. They were weak.

They fainted. You know, sin has that effect,

doesn't it? It weakens, it doesn't

strengthen people. People think if I just, if I

can, just, if I can just indulge this last and that last, I'll be

living my best life. No, it sin ruins people's lives.

Sin, sin. Sin brings wreckage and

breakage. And Christ saw that they

fainted. They were weak, we could say.

They were wounded and we're scattered abroad.

The Greek word here means to cast down, to throw down to the

ground. And so we could say sin brings

sorrow and scarring and senselessness to the life.

Can you see that? They were just scattered abroad?

Isn't that a picture of our world?

People just wandering about and people just just just lost

without hope and without purpose in life.

They were wandering as sheep, having no shepherd, no

direction, and no protection. That's the reality, isn't it?

The bulk of humanity go through life not really knowing the

answer to questions like why am I here, where am I going or what

is the purpose of life? That's the case, isn't it?

And you're thankful that when the Lord Jesus saved you, He

gave you real purpose. You have a reason to live, but

think about the average person out there.

What are they really living for? What does life mean without the

Lord Jesus? It's meaningless, isn't it

really? And that's the reality.

People are lost and people are wandering and ruined by sin.

You say what's the answer? The Lord Jesus Christ?

And where are they going to hear about the Lord Jesus Christ and

where are they going to hear about the gospel except a gospel

preaching spirit empowered local churches and Christians obeying

the Lord and going. You know, there's an old song

that I heard growing up and it said in the course I think it

was let me see this world, dear Lord, as though I were looking

through your eyes. For if once I could see this

world the way you see, I just know I'd serve you more

faithfully over us like the Lord Jesus to truly see the world

with love as he sees. So we need a compassion for the

harvest. Pray for it, but follow cross

example. Go in obedience.

Go out and involve yourself in seeking to reach people with the

gospel and the Lord will give you a burden.

Go and get a burden. Don't wait for a burden.

Sometimes that can become an excuse.

Well, I'm just, I'm just waiting, pastor.

I'm just waiting, pastor, until I get a burden.

No, no, no, don't, don't, don't use that as an excuse.

You need to go. So then the second, the second

thing we need, not only do we need a compassion for the

harvest #2 we need a vision of the harvest, a vision of the

harvest. Look at verse 37 there, read it

with me on the count of two, will you 1-2 then say, if he and

his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers

are few. Verse 38 as well, pray ye

therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth

laborers into his harvest. So we need a vision for the

harvest. The harvest truly is plenteous.

In John 435, Jesus exhorted the disciples to lift up their eyes

and look. And so we need a compassion for

the harvest, but we also need to get a vision for the harvest.

We need the vision for the vastness of the harvest field.

It's a vast harvest. Jesus said that the harvest

truly is. The harvest truly is plenteous.

That's a vast harvest, isn't it? And it is.

It's described in the Bible as plenteous.

Matthew 937. We just read that.

It's described by our Lord Jesus as great.

Luke 10, verse 2, it's described as the world.

Luke 10:2

Jesus said that the field is the world.

That's a big harvest. And that's our mission, to reach

the World with the precious message of the Gospel of Christ.

Lift up your eyes and look not on the field singular, but on

the fields plural. Not a vision for just one part

of the harvest field, but a vision for the great harvest

fields of the world. That's so important, isn't it?

And it's great to invest time and energy in a particular

mission field. But let's remember to look upon

the fields plural and seek to have a heart for the fields

plural and look out and see what the Lord Jesus would have for

us. And so we need to get a vision

for the local field where God has placed us.

That's where it starts really, doesn't it?

We could say this missions begins at home.

I'll challenge you. I'd say you have no right

jumping on a plane to go to another country to sew in there.

If you're not willing to sew in here, something wrong with that.

And I've seen Christians that were literally willing to jump

on a plane and go on a missions trip and go and knock doors or

speak for the gospel in another country, but you couldn't count

on them to show up to the outreach service of the church.

Something wrong with that model because missions begins at home.

You say, how do you know? Because when the Lord Jesus gave

the Great Commission in Luke 4024, verse 47, he said these

words beginning at Jerusalem. So he told the apostles you to

go and, and, and reach all nations essentially there.

But he said that it was to begin at Jerusalem.

In fact, just look at that verse, Luke chapter 24, verse

Luke 24:47

47, Luke chapter 24 and verse 47, and that repentance and

Luke 24 · chapter mention

remission of sin should be preached in His name among how

many nations, right? That's the global vision there.

But notice this phrase beginning at Jesus said you start right

here where you are all nations. That's the vision, that's the

mission. But you need to begin at

Jerusalem. That means for you, you need to

begin here in Richmond. This is your, this is where God

has placed you. This is the corner of the

harvest field that God has you in.

And you need to have a heart for the local field as well as the

global field. Do people not need the gospel in

this area? I think they do.

Virginia needs the gospel. Richmond needs the gospel.

The USA needs the gospel, doesn't it?

Absolutely. Australia needs the gospel.

The answer to this nation's needs, ultimately is the gospel.

Not politics, not the Republican Party, definitely not the

Democrat Party, whatever party. That's not the point.

The point is, the answer for this nation, as well as every

other nation, is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So we need to get a vision for the local field where God has

placed our church, your church. We need to get a vision for the

mission fields of the world and pray and give and go as God

calls. What a vast harvest we have.

We need a vision for it. China, 1.3 billion people,

India, 1.2 billion people, African continent, 1.2 billion

people, North America, 579 million people, South America

422 million people, Middle East 411 million.

And it just goes on and on and on.

Even in your own state here, almost 9 million people in this

state and the whole population of the world is over 8 billion.

And we have been commanded to preach the gospel to every

creature that that's enough work to keep us all busy till the

Lord Jesus comes. We don't have time to get

distracted on this para church ministry and that para church

ministry and this charity and that charity and they may do

some good. And I've had to think about this

as a pastor because your heart feels, you think, boy, that's a

good cause. You know, that's a great 'cause

that they're doing there yet. But we have to come back to what

is the primary work of the church.

That's right. And, you know, as I read the

book of Acts, I just don't see political activism as being the

primary focus of the church. Now, should we care about our

nation? Yes.

Should we pray for our nation? Yes.

Should we have some involvement in the political process as salt

and light? Certainly, but I'm just saying,

read the book of Acts, which is the mission manual of the New

Testament, and you will not find the apostles on the whole

really, really going around preaching politics.

Now, I love your president, but he's not the Savior and some

almost talk like he is. He's not that female pastor he's

got. She's a doozy and needs to sack

her. But anyway, on her third

marriage, she shouldn't be a pastor because she's a woman.

She definitely shouldn't be because she's had three

marriages. That's disgusting.

Anyway, All right, But you understand what I'm saying.

What did the apostles do? What did the early church do?

They shook the world with the gospel.

They turned the world upside down for the gospel.

And guess what? Do you really want to help your

nation? Do you know the best thing you

can do is win souls? Because guess what happens when

people get saved? They change their values.

We have people in our church who used to be left wing voters and

now they vote more conservative or more in line with biblical

principles. Why?

Because when they got saved, they got a new set of values.

It's very hard to get pagans to accept Christian values.

And you've got these groups out there.

We have them in Australia too, that spend millions and millions

of dollars trying to get pagans to accept biblical values.

But pagans don't accept biblical values but save people do.

So even from that perspective, if you really want to help your

nation, the best thing you can do is get out there with the

gospel. That'll in the long run have a

much bigger impact than all this lobbying.

You know, the world we're living in is just passing on into

eternity. What a vast harvest field.

There are 56 approximately 56,000,000 deaths per year, 4.6

million deaths per month. Over 153,000 deaths per day,

over 6000 deaths per hour, about 106 deaths per minute, and

almost 2 deaths per second. It's pretty sobering.

Every second that passes, about two people are passing into

eternity. Can you see why?

The Lord Jesus said the harvest is plenteous, but the labor is a

few. So we need a vision for the

vastness of the harvest field. We need a vision, secondly, for

the ripeness of the harvest field.

In John chapter 4, the Lord Jesus said that the harvest

John 4 · chapter mention

fields were white or ready to harvest.

John 435. Do you know there are souls that

are ready to be harvested right now?

There are. I know many are hard to the

gospel and many don't want to be saved.

But there are people who are right now in our world, even in

this city, no doubt willing or ready to be saved.

They just need someone to tell them.

That's important because sometimes I understand it's a

challenge. We're living in difficult times.

We're getting close to the return of Christ, perilous

times. And a lot of hearts are hard.

But sometimes we can make it sound like, well, no one's

really getting saved anymore. And we're just so close to the

rapture. And I think we are.

And therefore we just, you know, we make it sound like the

problems in the harvest field, but actually the problem has to

do with the laborers. That's the issue even in

Australia. In Australia, look, honestly,

it's hard yakka, trying to, you know, witness to people because

most Australians are secular. We have a Christian heritage in

our nation. But most people, their attitude

is she'll be right, mate, don't bother me.

You can have your religion. In fact the Australian mindset

is you can believe whatever you want, just don't bother me,

bother me with it. Don't tell me I'm wrong.

And so, but you know, even in Australia we find we go outdoor

knocking and almost every time we have opportunities, there are

people out there who are still willing to hear the gospel if we

will go. So we need a vision for the

vastness of the harvest field, the ripeness of the harvest

field. We also need to catch a vision

for the scarceness in the harvest field or understand the

scarceness in the harvest field. Look back at verse 37.

Then say if he under his disciples, the harvest truly is

plenteous, but the what labor is a few.

So the issue is not a harvest. So the problem is not a harvest

problem. We have a labor problem.

We have a labor shortage when it comes to laborers for the

harvest field, the old commentator Matthew Henry said.

We have loiterers many, but laborers few.

We need laborers. This local church needs

laborers. The mission fields of the world

need laborers. Belize needs laborers.

Every country needs laborers. That's, that's, that's the

crying need of the hour. I don't, I have not met one

faithful pastor who says I'm all good now, I've got enough

laborers. It just doesn't.

It's just, it's just the needs just go on and on and on and on.

And laborers are needed in this most important work of reaching

people for Christ. It's just comes down to simple,

simple mathematics. If 10 people go out so many on

Sunday morning and even speak to two people each, that's 20

people contacted for the gospel. If 20 people go out and even

just speak to two people each, that's 40 people who have been

touched by the gospel. We trust If 50 people goes out,

go out and even just speak to two people each, that's 100.

Do you see the issue? Do you see what I'm saying?

We just need laborers. And the more laborers, the more

people can be contacted for the gospel, the more people can be

impacted with the gospel. Romans 10/14 How shall they call

on him and whom they have not believed?

And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?

And how shall they hear without a preacher?

The answer is they won't hear. So as we think of the harvest

field, we need a compassion for the harvest.

We need to get a vision of the harvest.

And then thirdly and lastly, we need then a supplication for the

harvest and look for the therefore in verse 38.

In fact, read it with me the verse on on on the count of 212.

Pray ye therefore, the Lord of the harvest that he will send

forth laborers into his harvest. So we need a compassion for the

harvest. We need to get a vision for the

harvest and then that will lead us, we trust to this

supplication for the harvest. Therefore, on the basis of what

I've just said, that's what the word therefore means.

When you see the word, therefore stop and see what it is there

for and it connects us to what is just being said.

The Lord Jesus has just spoken about the fact that the harvest

is plenteous, but the laborers are few, and then he gives us

the solution. Prayer is the solution to this

labor shortage and the and the the shortage of laborers should

drive us to our knees, should drive us to the Lord Jesus to

seek his working to meet the need a supplication for the

harvest. And so we note there the problem

motivating the prayer. It's the it's the labor

shortage, the problem of the lack of laborers that drives us

to prayer. This word prayer is an

interesting word. It means to beg or to make

petition. You study the grammar of the

word. It's in the Eris tense, which

gives the command a sense of urgency.

And so we have this sense of urgency laid upon us to pray for

the needs of the harvest field. We could say our prayers for the

harvest field need to be earnest and passionate.

That's the kind of prayer God wants to hear.

And we'd have to work something up in our emotions and sort of

manufactured sense. But we just need to have a heart

to pray. And there needs to be

earnestness in prayer and fervency in prayer.

And no doubt the lack of laborers for the harvest field

is due in part to the prayerlessness in churches.

What's Christ's answer to the labour shortage here?

The harvest is plenteous. We need labourers.

Christ's pray, pray the Lord of the harvest that he will send

forth labourers into the harvest field.

Well, if we have prayerless churches, we are not going to

see labourers raised up and sent forth.

The kind of churches that are going to see labourers raised

up, trying and sent forth are churches that are praying

centres, prayerful churches, churches that are serious about

prayer. And sadly many churches today,

and I include independent Baptists in that many churches

today have many programs and not enough prayer.

And prayerless churches are powerless churches.

Little prayer, little power, much prayer, much power.

We need to get back to the place of prayer, serious prayer as a

church, if we're going to see the needs of the harvest field

addressed. You know, when men work, men

work, but when men pray, God works.

When men work, men work, but when men pray, God works not

against programs, not against the church being well organized.

We try to do that on our in our church as well and to have a

schedule and all those things. Those things aren't sinful.

It's we to do things decently and in order.

And there are various facets to the church ministry, but let's

not forget to, let's make sure that prayer doesn't get buried

beneath the programs and prayer gets pushed to the side.

Now it needs to be very much a central part of the life of the

Church. I'm not surprised that many

independent Baptist churches aren't sending out missionaries

anymore. Half of them are closing their

prayer meetings. They don't even have a prayer

meeting anymore. That's the trend today.

By the way, I was someone wrote me recently, someone who

obviously listens to my sermons online from America, actually, I

forget which part. And this brother, I believe he's

probably a brother in cross, was just broken hearted about what's

happening in his church. New pastor came in and basically

got got rid of the prayer meeting and turned it into like

a little program thing, 2 minute devotion, this modern thing and

just, well, it's just powerless, isn't it?

God's methods haven't changed. And, and you look at the early

church and they they prayed and they preached and they prayed

and they preached and they prayed and they preached.

That's kind of the heart of it, isn't it?

Really? What is the church supposed to

do? Well, pray and preach is right

up there on the list. Pray much and preach much and

God will still bless. I mean, look at the early church

in the book of Acts and look at the power in that church and say

why? Because they prayed, they

prayed. They were a praying church.

So that's the trend today. Shut down the prayer meetings,

shut down the Sunday night service.

Let's have less church and less church.

Let's have programs. Well, all you're left with then

is a substitute fake power. Most churches out there today,

if you turn the band off, there would be no more sense of power.

And if your power comes from the band, that's not a genuine power

because the true power of God is not dependent on a band.

The problem that motivates the prey, it's the problem we have

of a lack of laborers that should motivate us to go and beg

God for laborers. Consider then the person to whom

we pray, the person to whom we pray.

Pray ye therefore, who? The Lord of the harvest, Well,

he's the only one who can solve the problem, isn't he?

He's the one who has the power. The Lord Jesus is the one who

has the resources that we need. So what do we do?

So few good churches today, so few preachers that are faithful

to the gospel, so few laborers. What shall we do?

Pray to the Lord Jesus about it. He has the power and the

resources to meet the need. He's the Lord of the harvest.

Let's just remember that the Lord Jesus is the director of

world missions. It's his harvest field.

We have the privilege of serving in it, but it's his.

He's the director. He's the one building his

church, and we have the privilege of laboring for him

and with him. So we need to go to the Lord

Jesus about this labor shortage and make it a serious point for

prayer in our churches. Person to whom we pray.

The point of the prayer. The point of the prayer, verse

38. Pray you therefore the Lord of

the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his

harvest. That word send forth is a very

strong word. It's the word Ek balo.

It means to cast out or to thrust forth.

And that's what we're praying for.

We're praying that God will raise up faithful men and thrust

them forth into the harvest fields of the world, cast them

forth into the harvest fields of the world.

That's a wonderful thing. When God will do that in a

church and we see people raised up and trained and then sent

forth to take the gospel. And God will call some to go

out, as it were. God calls some to stay and keep

home base running. And I'm very conscious as a

pastor. I pray for, I really pray for

two things. I pray for laborers to be raised

up and sent forth. I also pray for laborers to

strengthen the home base because if you want to, if you want to

do much for missions out there, you need a strong base here.

And maybe that's your role. It may not be that God's called

you to be a full time pastor or a missionary, but you can be a

laborer in the local field and support in prayer and support in

giving and get behind what God is doing through the mission

efforts of the church. And that's a very, very

important role. We need that.

So while I'm not called to be a full time pastor or missionary

or evangelist, you know every Christian can do something for

the harvest field and every Christian needs to do something

for the harvest field. We need a we need churches where

everybody takes to heart this need for laborers and we can all

do something for the cause of the harvest field.

We need believers who will reach out to their home mission field.

We've talked about that. We need believers who will give

generously to the work of missions.

We need believers who will join the local church team and

strengthen the home base so that more can be done for missions.

Every gospel preacher needs a strong team of workers to help

keep him at his post. Your pastor needs help.

So how do you know? Because every pastor needs help

and it's all part of being a laborer and doing something for

the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The point of the prayer, send forth laborers, then think about

the performance following the prayer.

And I'll just say this, if so many admissions is made a top

priority in our prayers, then we will be more likely to make it a

top priority in our schedules. If you really get a heart for

the harvest field and you really start to pray as Jesus has

commanded us here, He's asked us to pray about this.

It's an interesting thought, isn't it?

The Lord Jesus is asking us to pray about this.

Could you do it for the Lord Jesus?

If He's asking you to pray for it, then you better pray for it.

It's obviously very important to him.

And here's the thing, if the Lord Jesus asks us to pray for

this, I believe if we actually do pray for it, we can expect an

answer. He's going to do it.

We've been praying for the last 10 over the last 10 years since

started pastoring Northside for laborers and God has answered.

We've sent out one man to Africa, trained him, send him

out. We recently sent out a man to

the other side of the country to take over a small work that

needs a pastor. We have several young men going

through our Bible college ministry at the moment and we're

looking forward to seeing what God is going to do with them.

One at least has a definite calling on his life and and and

and others, you know, open to what God would would do.

And and you say, well, isn't it? That's wonderful, but it's

because of prayer. We've been praying God's raised

up laborers use us as a church. We want to send forth laborers,

Lord, and we want to be a part of what you're doing.

So if you will pray for souls, you will probably be more

willing to go out and try to reach souls.

We need to put legs to our prayers, don't we?

We need to go. We commanded both to pray ye and

go ye, pray ye and go ye. So never underestimate the

place, the part that you can play in reaching souls for the

Lord Jesus Christ. And so helpers for the harvest

field. We need helpers for the harvest

field. And we need the Lord's heart for

the harvest field. Do you have a heart for the

harvest field? I trust you do.

Let's have every head bad and every eye closed.

Do we have a heart for the harvest field?

Would you surrender and say, Lord, here am I, send me.

Maybe you need to be willing say, OK, Lord, I'll take that

step of faith, even though I'm I'm afraid I'll take that step

of faith and join the solemn efforts of the church.

Lord, I'll be a part of of this church's missions giving Lord,

I'm willing to do something on the local church team.

I'm willing to pray and to give and to go.

Do you have that heart, the heart of the Lord Jesus for the

harvest field. Now you're willing to play your

part and to be used of God as we seek to reach the World.

For Cross pastor, you come and finish us as you feel it.

Amen. Let's send our seats with our

heads bowed and our eyes closed. I know that as a church, we do a

lot and we we do a lot in this area.

But can you do more? Do you pray the way that you

should? That's, that's something that

we've been emphasizing a lot more recently.

Do you pray the way that you should be praying for, for

souls? And do you see them or like you

mentioned, you're just busy running around trying to do the

things that have to be done. That's one of the reasons why we

have the card contest. It makes you think about it.

And hopefully you didn't stop this the second the card contest

got over. Hopefully you're still giving

out those cards. Hopefully it's a habit and it's

something that you you need to consciously think about.

It's something that you need to consciously do because we are

busy and we do have a lot of things going on.

But are you, are you doing everything you can the cause of

Christ here abroad and everywhere in between?

Father, we thank you so much for the message.

I pray that you would just continue to allow her to speak

to our hearts. And I pray that you'd help us to

respond to the message in a way that's pleasing to you.

Thank you again for all you do for us in Jesus name, Amen.

As the piano plays, If God spoke to your heart, tonight you come.