The Harvest is Plentiful
God wants us to be His endtime workers that help bring the gospel to the ends of the earth and make disciples of the nations!
MATTHEW 9:35-38
35 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. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
TOP FIVE EXCUSES NOT TO BE A WORKER IN THE HARVEST
- Being a public witness isn’t effective like it was in Jesus’ time. There are better ways with social media, church plays and friendship evangelism.
Biblical Answer: In John 14:23-24 Jesus taught that if you love Him you will obey His commands. Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:19-20 and Mark 16:15-20 to go into the entire world and preach the gospel and make disciples. Therefore, we must preach like the prophets of ole’- whether people listen or not. God told Ezekiel, “You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious” (Ezekiel 2:7) and as watchmen the people will know “that a prophet has been among them” (Ezekiel 33:33).
- I don’t need to be a public witness as long as I witness somewhere.
Biblical Answer: In Mark 1:38 Jesus said, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” Notice Jesus preached in the villages publicly and in the synagogues (Mark 1:39 & Luke 13:26). Jesus did both indoor and outdoor preaching, however, He never neglected preaching in public.
- I know “good” churches and pastors that don’t street witness, so I don’t have to either.
Biblical Answer: It reads in Luke 10:1-3, “1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.’” Now imagine if you were with Jesus that day when He sent out the seventy-two into the streets to prepare the way for Him, would you say, “Jesus, the rabbi down the road says I don’t have to do this.” God forbid! It’s really that simple- obey Jesus over man.
- I’m too scared to talk to people I don’t know, I want to wait until I’m ready.
Biblical Answer: Luke records in Acts 1:8 that Jesus promised to give us power for the specific reason of being His witness. Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Receive the power of the Holy Spirit to be a public witness for Jesus!
- It’s not my calling.
Biblical Answer: Paul commanded Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:5 to, “Keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” It doesn’t matter what your specific calling is; everyone is called to do the work of an evangelist.
Matthew 22:9-10, “9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.”