"Wanted: Harvesters"

This is long Solomon about like to welcome you to our program today. You know it's a tremendous honor the God's given us to be on stations all around the nation bringing the truths of God's word as it is uncompromising and straightforward and I'm so glad you tuned in to listen and be part of that. Thanks again for your support and your generosity that keeps us on the radio and now let's get to the word of God to find the father of modern open air evangelism. We need to go back about 270 years to a man named George Whitfield, George Whitfield lived in England.

He was an ordained minister in the Church of England and in 1739 he went to Bristol England because he had a burden on his heart to reach the coal miners who lived near Bristol, England. Now the coal miners lived in Bristol were a rough bunch.

As a matter fact, they were known for their violence. They lived in a squalid ghetto that visitors didn't dare enter because they beat them up. And so Whitfield went there and asked the churches in the town of Bristol if he could use their church buildings to hold meetings to try to reach these minors. The townspeople were so afraid of the minors that they told him absolutely not. And so as a response. George Whitfield began to go to those people in the open air. Now the ministers who told him that he could not use their churches also said Whitfield George. They are on interested and they are unreachable waste of time.

Whitfield and believe that in so in 1739, he stood on a hill outside the mind, and as these minors empty out of their dingy hole in the ground where they'd been from sunup to sundown, Whitfield began telling them about how God loves them and he began telling them about how God wanted to forgive them and how God wanted to give them a new life and before long there were over 10,000 minors standing in listening to him on this rock outside of the entrance to their minds.

Whitfield wrote in his journal and I quote he said they were glad to hear of a Jesus who was a friend to those whom the world despised before long I began to notice white gutters on their cheeks made by tears rolling down faces made black by the dust from the coal pits hundreds and hundreds of them were moved up to a sound and thorough conversion." And on Sunday, March 8, 1739 he wrote this he said no less than 20,000 were present. Blessed are the eyes that see the things that I see to behold such crowds of minors and poor people standing about in silence, listening to the word of God and to hear them singing into hear their singing run from one end of the Glen to the other is both solemn and surprising credit what I've given you is a lesson in spiritual truth.

The very spiritual truth that Jesus Christ is going to comment on in our passage this morning that there is no such thing as people who are unreachable. There is no such thing as people who are on interested and people who are a waste of time and when Jesus wants to convince us of that this morning because we have a culture out here that many Christians are convinced is unreachable and is a waste of time and I'm telling you it's not true and God needs to motivate our hearts to be more involved than we are. In reaching people in our world and a lot of that comes from seeing our world away. Jesus saw it, so let's look at the Bible together and see we can do that. Chapter 10 of Luke's Gospel verse one after this the Lord appointed 72 others and sent them to buy two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go now. What was the mission of these people that he sent where you find it down in verse nine verse nine says heal the sick door there and tell them the kingdom of God is near you.

Now what does it mean when Jesus said to them you to tell them the kingdom of God is near you. What exactly were they trying to tell these people well you know there's a lot of people who think that you become a member of the kingdom of God by doing certain stuff or by not doing other certain stuff. I mean if you're Catholic you told it to become a member, the kingdom of God.

You gotta be a faithful church member. You've got to be baptized. You gotta take communion. You gotta go to confession and do all kinds of things that you Jewish to become a member, the kingdom of God. You got a fast on Yom Kippur. And then you hope for the best in your secular American you're told her to become a member of the kingdom of God.

You need to try not to be any worse than your neighbor to do a whole bunch of good works and hope when God puts it all on the scale in ways that out that you come out looking all right, but what does the Bible say what the Bible say about the kingdom of God dwelt right back in chapter 9.

If you look back with the blue chapter 9 it says in verse 27 Jesus said, I tell you the truth. Some of you are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God and then seven days later, Jesus took three of his disciples, that is, some of them up on a mountain in the Bible says he was transfigured before them. He pulled back the veil on his true divine nature and allow these three men to glance into glimpse and see the glory that belong to him as the second person in the Godhead.

Now folks, the Bible teaches that they saw the kingdom of God. But what did they see what they saw was Jesus Christ revealed in all of his glory is what the Bible is telling us is if you want to know what the kingdom of God is the kingdom of God is Jesus Christ is Jesus Christ and all that he is and all that he did for us. Jesus Christ is the kingdom of God and win these people when proclaiming the kingdom of God is near you.

What they were proclaiming is Jesus Christ is coming to the style. These 72 men were not set out to offer people rules and regulations, and rituals of rosaries and restraint in reforming religion and rhetoric.

They were set out to offer people.

Jesus Christ, they were offering people the opportunity to acknowledge him as the Messiah of Israel the opportunity to trust him as their personal savior and the opportunity to accept him as the Lord of their life because that's how you become a member of the kingdom of God. Jesus said, John chapter 10 verse nine I tell you the truth I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, they will come in and go out and find past and you know for every one of us here this morning. The number one most important question in our life is are you and are trying to use the right gate to get eternal life and get into heaven.

The gate is personal faith in Jesus Christ, not church.

Not good works, not religiosity, or any of these other things and this is the message that Jesus sent the 72 people out to preach, but I hope if you're here that you're able to look at your life and say I know the gate and argues the gate. Let's go on. Luke chapter 10. Well, it says in chapter 10 that he sent them out and he said to them in verse three go, I am sending you out like lambs of among wolves. Now why would Jesus say stuff like that to them. Well, the reason is because it was true.

I mean think now the religious leaders of Israel had uniformly rejected Jesus, they threw everybody out of the synagogue who confessed Jesus. They were actively seeking a way to kill Jesus to Jesus's disciples.

I'm sure it looked like they were going out like lambs in the presence of walls and I'm sure that these 72 guys must've wondered what Jesus whom we going out to preach to anyway. Is nobody out there interested Lord. All that's going to happen is that were going to go out there and get our spiritual teeth kicked in. That's what's going to happen because there is nobody out there who wants to hear what we've got to say it was against this backdrop, the Jesus shares a great spiritual truth with them that you and I need today. Look at verse two. Jesus said the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out more workers in the harvest field will Jesus really save them. Jesus said listen guys don't worry about the opposition out there.

Don't let them blind you to the real condition of the fields out there.

Jesus said that you listen to me fellas. I know the heart of every man, every woman and every child in the world.

Every one of and I'm telling you that there are lots of people out there who are ready, that there are people out there were hurting. There are people out there whose lives are empty on the inside. There are people out there who are searching and there are people out there who are ready to listen and ready to think about me and ready to believe the harvest is plentiful.

The problem is not a lack of harvest but a shortage of harvesters is a what's the action item from all of this, the Jesus comes up with the right in verse two.

There's two of number one Jesus says you all go on out there.

Like I told you in harvest for Christ. And number two.

Pray that more Christians will respond to the voice of God and get out there and help with the harvest and what you notice, Jesus never told spectators to pray for more harvesters. He told harvesters to pray for more harvesters to come out in the field and help not at the end of our passage, but it leads us to ask the really important question and you know what it is what is so what right.

Let me answer the question. George Barna, by the way, is a very fine Christian you know he's a demographer and does a lot of great stuff he wrote a book called the Barna report what Americans believe and I like to read you something from it.

He says and I quote inviting people to church is one thing inviting people who are not already believers is quite another story, barely 1/3 of Christian adults have ever invited someone to church who's not already involved in a Christian church.

He goes on to say a recent nationwide study conducted among unchurched adults indicate that 25% would attend church. If a friend ever made the effort to invite our best estimate is that the unchurched population of this country is roughly between 60 and 70 million people. That means that 15 to 18 million adults are waiting to be asked to go to church that's more people to live in all of Belgium or all of Holland.

It's twice the population of New York City." The folks I know that inviting people to come to church is not the most crucial issue. I know that talking to them about their personal relationship with Jesus Christ is. But listen, if only 30% of Christians have ever invited non-Christian even come to church doesn't it make sense that even fewer have ever spoken openly about our relationship to Christ with non-Christian people and my question is why.

Why don't you people like you and I who know Christ. Go out there and do more to try to reach people. Well I don't know there probably lots of answers but it seems to me in my contacting 23 years with fellow Christians that the single greatest reason is that we don't see the world the way Jesus saw that's the greatest reason. In other words we say to ourselves, pay nobody out there wants to hear what I have to say nobody out there is interested in Jesus Christ.

It's a waste of my time on the go out there and embarrass myself nobody out there wants to hear what I have to say nobody care if you think like that you not gonna talk much about Jesus Christ. But folks, that's not the way Jesus saw the world that we show you how Jesus all the world to find the same truth but was to see it set a different way. John chapter 4.

Here Jesus is the middle of Israel in the land called Samaria and is talking to Samaritan's nephew been with us to remember that the Samaritans were a race of half breeds.

The Jews hated him they consider them to be unreachable.

They consider them to be unworthy of salvation. They consider them to be beyond the reach of the grace of God and Jesus here in John Forrester's letter prostitute to faith in Christ and as a result, she in turn heads off to go get the whole rest of the town until look what happens. Verse 39 chapter 4 verse 39. Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony that he told me everything I ever did. So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them any stay two days because of his words. Many more became believers and they said to the woman. We don't believe any longer just because of what used to now we have heard him for ourselves and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world. How many Samaritans came to Christ. I don't know 50 maybe 100, maybe hundreds, probably. And isn't it interesting that this is a group of people that the Jews considered to be unreachable. Beyond the grace of God, unworthy of salvation.

And yet Jesus Christ went to a group that was considered to be uninterested in unreachable just like George Whitfield in 1700 years later and look at the harvest for God that they read. That's why Jesus said look back up at verse 35 said to his disciples, you guys look around and you say this for months until the fields are ready for harvest.

But Jesus said, I tell you guys.

Open your eyes and look at the field, not the fields of grain, but the fields of humanity. They are already right heart and folks and sees God and he knows the true state of everything.

If this is the way he sees the world that I'd like to say to this is the way the world really really tragic. Is that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are so few I want to read your couple letters like I get letters all the time to say that the people out there who were not ready to believe, listen to this.

This is from a foreign exchange student from Japan dear lawn hello how are you thank you very much for making time to read my letter. I'm a graduate student in linguistics at Georgetown University.

I got to know this church through the friendship program by people of the world. That's our international ministry here and have been attending this church for more than a year now. I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. In March 1993. The joy and peace that I have now is what I didn't expect. I didn't even know before. I'm so happy that he drew me near him and gave me eternal life, which is much more important than the MA that I came to America to get a great I'll finish my study next May and go back to Japan were all my family members are not Christians. I've been pretty much scared to go back and thinking of staying in the states for another year or two and I kept on praying to God to show me what he wanted me to do and for this prayer. I got his answer last Tuesday by being informed very sad news that my grandfather got in the hospital. I knew at that moment that God wants me to go back and show his love to the people in Japan and soften their hearts. I don't want to tell you up for too long, but I want you to know that I was born here in McLean Bible church got another deal on Solomon I'm a German exchange student studying at Georgetown University for one year to the people of the world program I got in touch with my host family and when I first got here, they invited me to church and ever since I haven't missed a single Sunday at McLean living in the United States is very exciting. But if somebody asked me what I like best. I'd say it's McLean Bible church, not while and the love of God that came into my life.

Do you know, I grew up as a somewhat Catholic family in East Germany. I was baptized when I was a baby and went to Sunday school once a week but I never realize the importance of Jesus for my life until I was arrested by the East German state security service for political reasons.

I was 19 at the time and I spent two years in jail with my father when the wall came down in November 1989, my dad and I were freed from prison and my entire family moved to West Germany. I have so many plans and dreams, the greatest of which was spending a year in the United States studying and I'm very grateful that God made my dream come true.

I praise God for you and the whole community of McLean Bible church court touching lives with the love of God. My life has certainly never been touched before, like this until I came to the United States. One more lady works for WI and Z in Miami dear Sirs a note of thanks on Saturday, November 19 us several years ago I arrived at Washington National Airport at 4:30 PM.

I was in the area from Miami, Florida for job interview after getting off the plane. I made a phone call to a friend was unable to pick me up so I was instructed to take the Metro into the district. Upon leaving Miami I had not checked the travelers forecast and was dressed quite inappropriately for Washington's weather.

I had on cotton attire and it was about 35° and raining here leaving the airport a young couple stuff. The yellow piece of paper in my hand which I then stuffed in my pocket as I left national airport with heavy bags to walk to the Metro station. It was raining. It was cold and I really felt abandoned and alone. It began raining harder. My bags got heavier and the Metro station seemed farther than ever. I saw telephone booth and when interest I began to cry.

I looked in my pocket for Kleenex and pulled out the track I'd been given and as I read the Scriptures.

I was comforted and reassured that God really loved me. I just thought you might want to hear how I was touched to the dedication of believers who took the time to be at the airport. Imagine how many others have been touched as well and she signs present a whole drawer full of weeks. My point is that there are people in your family already lists there are people in your office already lists there are people in your apartment building and in your neighborhood who are open and ready to listen their people on your campus or in your school.

There are people in jail and people in nursing homes will ready to listen. There are people out there who will ready and willing to listen if you don't believe it. Come down and read through my drawer. I tell you something. 23 years ago I was a pretty unlikely looking candidate for someone to give their life to Jesus Christ and that there a lot of you here who are Christians today who a few years ago were pretty unlikely looking candidates yourself aren't you glad that there was somebody who read the word of God and believe the word of God and saw the world the way Jesus sought and was willing by faith to go out there and talk to people and you were one of my question to you is to me is are we willing to believe Jesus Christ in that same way.

Go out to sing at the got my calculator this week and began to little bit of cipher. I figure this 1400 adults here on a given Sunday morning and every one of us, dedicated ourselves to speaking to one person a day about Jesus Christ or getting out one piece of information about Jesus Christ. A day do you know in one year. If we all did that we would touch half a million people for Christ. Raza Kennedy done yes, but it means that there are people doing me good.

Have to see the world the way Jesus Christ said it really is and put our lives in our faith on the line and get out there and get in the harvest field and get to work, stop sitting on the sidelines praying for others to go do it and get out there and do it ourselves. I met a guy yesterday and we're standing right here as we are practicing and he said to me you never believe it. He said you know my wife thought of two friends we know who are really non-Christian norms and my wife said why don't we call and invite in the common I said you got a beginning and she said no. I let her call and she called she said gallantly. I said the coming is only can you believe that there actually going to come be surprised. He said well yeah I am a civil God bless you for asking know God bless your wife. God bless you wife for taking the risk.

Hey, what's the worst that could possibly happen they say no, maybe you might get a little blood in your face and be a tiny bit embarrassed.

That's the worst that could possibly happen is somebody so worth the price. I think it is and you know what I'll bet you there a lot of people out there who would say yes if you just ask him 25% with Barness as a means of you asked for people you're bound to hit one underneath all that plastic they put up their people were hurting people who are lonely people who are searching and if we've got the answer from with God in their people who willing to listen. If were willing to talk friends were not interested in being a maintenance church nor maintenance churches maintenance churches. This is their body together already agrees with this and let's just take care of them were not interested in being a country where interested in being a kind of church and maintains our people absolutely but also the kind of church that says is a whole lot of other people out there that need Jesus Christ. We need to go out there and we need to reach her do her best we can. We want to see hundreds of people coming of Christ.

But you know what, no matter church programming can do that church programming doesn't reach people people reach people so how many of you will get out of the stands and on field that's the question I got for you this morning. Let's pray about heavenly father, thank you for speaking to our hearts this morning. Lord we we want you to challenge us to challenge us to get out of our ruts to get out of our comfort zone to be willing to take a risk for Jesus Christ because everyone of us here were Christians.

Somebody took a risk for us or we would be a Christian today Lord Jesus I pray that you would help us see the world the way you see it that underneath all the smoke and mirrors. There are people out there who don't have answers and who want answers and were willing to listen if we're willing to talk to them with love and compassion and tenderness. So, Lord Jesus, I pray that you would take the members of this church family who know Christ and you would make us missionaries to this culture of ours and Lord, even if we get rejected once or twice help was simply to pass it off as well. That's what the disciples got to but to keep sowing seed.

Knowing if we sell enough within a hit good ground floor work in our hearts and make this real for our lives and grant that we might be able this Christmas season as a church family to see hundreds upon hundreds of people come to believing faith in Jesus Christ, or that would be the best Christmas present this church could ever give you. May we do our best to see that that happens, we pray in Jesus name amen been listening to their wetlands underline the Solomon plan is an outrage in Milan found in ministering to listen to today's message, or for more information visit our lab assignment. Solomon ministries.org. Thank you for your support.

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