The Challenge of the Harvest

It seems to be the norm or pulpits or something like CNN or Fox News, and in so doing they are marginalizing the gospel of not ignoring the great commission of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ commands us, as recorded in Matthew 28 to go and make disciples of all the nations unwanted Christians have always been concerned with social justice and rightly so on. While Christians should and have in the past been involved in the political process.

The greatest need of our country can remind you this, the greatest need in our country.

In fact, the greatest need in the world is not whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump is going to be elected president.

The greatest need of our country here in the United States of America and throughout the world is the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is our greatest needs and I say that because as we come up to election. I fear that many of us including followers of Jesus Christ were becoming a bit distracted. We may be putting out faith in a particular mind in the particular woman, rather than in the living God. And of course were concerned, and rightly so you should be the next president who should be the next Supreme Court justice. All of these things are very very important but can I remind you of the words of the apostle Paul in the first century, but I'm not ashamed of the gospel for this upload of God for salvation to everyone who hears, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile.

That was said in the first century. I'm repeating it here in the that we should never be ashamed of the gospel. Why it is the greatest fire in all of the universe is the only power that can save souls is the only power that can deliver someone from the bondage of darkness and translate them into the wonderful, marvelous ending lines of the kingdom of God. The marvelous God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have ever lasting life simple message, a message that many of us learned of their mother's knee as it were a message that we teach our children a message I preach from his pulpit because it is only that message I can forgive guilty sinners and therefore we must never compromise the truth of the gospel. Remember, we must never try and change the message of the cross of Christ to make. It is a lot more user-friendly. I got a message that makes people feel good about themselves. This message, the life transforming message of the gospel is so powerful it is so important. It is so vital. It is so life-changing that everyone in the world was here Jesus saves.

That is salvation in no one else.

This is the highest name. The name of Jesus ever going to hear the words of Jesus this morning.

If you have your Bible. I encourage her to turn to Matthew chapter 9 if you're visiting if you're here for the first time, let me say that we are consecutively going through the gospel of Matthew that out commitment at Calvary. As to the exposition of the word of God that my calling is to glorify God through the exposition of his words were going a verse by verse chapter by chapter is a word through this magnificent gospel and learning so much from the very words of Jesus as we have here recorded first for going to read Matthew nine verses 35 through 13 eight Jesus when survived all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every affliction when he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

Get the picture. Jesus is the good Shepherd and excited crowds and Matthew records here in verse 36 he had compassion for them. Why was that they were harassed they were helpless. They were like sheep without a shepherd on the weather going lost can find their way home helpless sheep. This Jesus looks on them. He has compassion for them is already sad that we have to enter by the narrow gate of the season crowds there are not broad road which leads to destruction.

When you see people when you see the crowds.

Perhaps a football game, masses of crowds gathered together when you look out in your neighborhood. You see people walking during the business.

Do you have compassion for the coming visit as it moves you to think that these are people without Christ John Milton in his famous Paradise loss is a brilliant line. He says the hungry sheep look up and I'm not that hungry sheep a lot harassed sheep helpless sheep and that there is no one to feed them. There is no one to tell them the life-changing message of the kingdom of God giving this true United States underlies many people profess the name of Jesus within the truth. Our nation the greatest country in the most powerful country in the world with all of his privileges that we have from our finding fathers to this day, isn't it true that our nation is falling further and further away from our biblical roots. What's the problem. Yes, there may be economic problems or maybe call that there may be all kinds of social injustices, but the basic problem is a spiritual one, is that we have largely forgotten God crowds harassed and helpless.

You see this is the challenge of the harvest we must share our faith that whether we did do Jesus tells its first pray pray for Christ followers to be sent into the harvest is not what Jesus says when he sees the crowds without a shepherd.

Verse 37 he says the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers laborers into his harvest.

The problem is not with the harvest. The harvest as users is plentiful. There are many, many sheep is not a problem with the harvest. I remember as a little boy turned 11 years old when we lived quite close to us and there was a farm was a Roxbury farm and I don't know if you've picked raspberries with the farmer we were told was looking for people to pick his raspberries, and so my older brother and younger brother and I find ourselves at the farm along with some other children. In fact, some adults and became very obvious, listening to the farmer that there were so many raspberries ready to be picked that he didn't have enough to harvest them and we could see them these plump respirators not so much because of the Scottish son, but because of an abundant rain and the swallowing and they came if you ever picked raspberries you like them like that is ready to be picked because they come so easy off the husk. The raspberry is not right. It keeps sticking to the husk and the farmer does on the husk he wants of fruits and so we would, and without little fingers. Please, raspberries with them in the basket and present them to the farmer, the more we picked the more we got paid. The harvest is plentiful as the picture. The picture is of the farmer looking out the dish crop and it is plentiful pits abundant abundant respirators beautiful. Please visit were waiting to be harvested all problem is not with the harvest you have a problem that you don't have enough people to share Christ with his problem that we don't have enough opportunities to tell people about Jesus Christ that is not the problem. Think of all the opportunities we have at Calvary church to display and proclaim Jesus first responsibility is to display Jesus but his people look at us as they get to know us, they see something of the love of Christ something of that grace of Christ something of that patience of Christ.

So you're at work you're trying to impact your calling for Christ reported is that your kind that your patient that your helpful you're trying to reach her neighbors important it is that they see that you are trying to love their them as you love yourself first. We display Christ and then as God gives us opportunities we proclaim when we tell people about, we can say the harvest is plentiful. Do you know that hundreds as hundreds of children students adults come onto our compass by just coming on a Sunday, but through champs sports thank you to those of you who serve an important ministry. You know that hundreds of families come onto the campus at Calvary during the week with her child development center. Yes, literally hundreds of children and many of them with a champs sports whether child development center are coming from on church homes. Many of them lost. You do see them.

These two people give compassion for them is Jim Caswell a passive mission said on the Calvary connect. We have 82 missionary units in 40 countries.

Wonderful, isn't it, that here at Calvary and the ups and downs of the life of Calvary. I think it's fair to say that we stood steadfast, including a focus on missions in their finances and sending out missionaries throughout the world.

The harvest is plentiful a radio ministry. The verdict is having more and more stations. United States, Eastern Africa in my native Scotland. We have abundant yes abundant opportunities to go into the jails and prisons of North and South Carolina with the opportunity to bring the gospel to young women who are considering having an abortion. Think of all of our neighborhoods as we bring challenged by be a light for literally thousands of neighborhoods we are impacting through the life and ministry of Calvary church, the harvest is plentiful. What is it in our city and in our Metroplex.

I love living in Charlotte have never lived in a place along as admin and Charlotte for over almost 15 years and one of the many reasons I love living in Charlotte and is that we have people from all over the world. A lot of Southerners try to get used to grits and some others of their strange habits.

I love Southerners. No disrespect to them, but is wonderful that God's grace is that it brings people from all over the world right to our doorsteps and the vast majority of them have never had the gospel of Jesus Christ we have the flavor of that with this morning with some of her different nations to hear that little girl sing in Spanish Romanian Polish from the Philippines Telugu so good to know what he was saying all I thought please God, with the bagpipes this morning turning up, seriously, is an incredible incredible here at Calvary church with many many nations. I don't want to remind you that our Lord Jesus Christ transcends all boundaries transcends all nations, all colors of skins. All ethnicities that every single person, whoever you are, whatever they come from, whether they look like you and sunlight you are what whether they're completely different that every single one of them needs to hear about Jesus Christ, so don't resent them once they know they can come to our beautiful city. There were different, they respond different. Some of them drive very differently. Let me tell you see through the eyes of Jesus sheep without a shepherd.

The harvest explained I find that tremendously exciting.

Could you imagine being in the community.

A small community which is never changing, rather than a large community like Charlotte which is growing with people, not just from overseas with drug every every state.

People come here people from Canada, you name it they come here right to your doorstep.

Some of your live right next door to them and thought that his grace in his sovereign purposes has brought this person to you and I'm saying this is the challenge of the harvest season to season. We build bridges to the music, which would mean build a bridge, a personal connection present on the weather this will give it to you. Some reach that person to show them the love of Christ to engage them in some level to relate to them where they are.

I read that between 80 and 90% of new converts are initially contacted within the context of their daily life you that most people come to Jesus Christ because they meet someone like you and me who lives our faith and tells her faith as people come to Christ through masters aides through radio or television to all kinds of ways but most people come to saving faith through that personal contacts and if you came to Christ because someone told you, but Jesus, we returned to the family is a tough one is the tough one is you are there resistant Richard the person at work. The collie perhaps the calling that you find a little difficult about that boss to seems to be inflexible.

The person you just may casually pray what Jesus is saying is this so important. The problem is not with the harvest do not blame the harvest. Do not say I don't have enough opportunities to tell people about Jesus Christ that is not harvest a plentiful harvest but there's a problem is what Jesus says, verse 37. The harvest is plentiful but there's a problem. The labelers are few. Yes, there are many enthusiastic followers of Jesus Christ going at the harvest. I trust that many of you are doing that, but many of us are not what were muted. We saw last week, the man who is new. That's what devil does he tries to stop us.

He tries to silence as he tries to create fear within us tries to say well that's for someone else to be mobilized. We must meet the challenge which God is bringing to us what where do we start what what what I'd begin to do or do I need to be part of a committee do we need to strategize take a course on evangelism. All of these things are important. All of these things have their place and we do these things at Calvary. The first thing however Jesus says is pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. I was challenge for the setting is pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest. This is not just praying for people from Calvary church to go arts overseas missions. We do pray for that and there's a dry when particularly when people within our own community are called by God and are thrust out in the harvest is a great prayer but Jesus is thinking of something else.

Pray for yourself. Pray that each one of us, who is an authentic follower of Jesus Christ. We tell others about I'm asking Jesus is asking you to pray earnestly we do not will you pray earnestly that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers. Yes, from Calvary church into his harvest. Pray turn to Colossians chapter 4 a where we see Paul really saying the same thing I think is in a very helpful passage as we think of going into the harvest cautions for verse two talking to new believers, not probably most of them have less biblical knowledge theological knowledge that you have early church. Notice what he says cautions for to continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful and it was Thanksgiving at the same time. Pray also for us, that God may open the door to us for the door for the word to declare the mystery of Christ on a kind of which I am in prison, but I may make it clear which is how I ought to speak, walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious. Season with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person is an interesting Paul is asking for prayer that God will open the door for the word to declare mystery of Christ, you praying for new doors to open is not quite sure of where to begin here.

Yes, I have spoken my family had the word whatever about the maturity to proceed. Pray that God will open the door for you and for Calvary this thing of it what you doors is God all things for us in the Calvary church in your neighborhood that neighborhood that seems to only unreachable.

Pray that God will open the door for that person. Pray that God will open the door for you in your sphere of influence your family or friends. Your work. All of us contact people you you contact people you know people that may never come to Calvary that I can speak to the zoo boa constrictor, but you can pray that the door will be opened and pray for new ways of penetrating and engaging the culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Notice Paul says, verse five walk in wisdom toward outsiders. Let them believe that the shape that's harass wise wise sometimes as followers of Jesus were not wise.

Charlotte's we protest were angry under that walk in wisdom pray for God to give you wisdom as you try and reach that person rupture of the brother or sister that lives on the other end of the world and you have to call them for you to email them, pray for wisdom before you do that that the dog will give you the right words. Be wise respect to the integrity of each individual. Remember you're talking not to a project, not to take a little box. Not to boast of how many people you spoke to think of that person an individual for whom Christ died. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders was wisdom skill in living be skilled this is why we need God's help.

Notice that our speech should always be gracious. Verse six that season with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person noted this is not just 1234 that mechanically repeats as I contact this person to build a bridge. This person, I got a beginning of a friendship of some mutual respect beginning to develop a friendship with this person and then I need to gracious speech. How do I contact you. I communicate this person. You see the Lord with Nicodemus very different approach to the woman. The Samaritan woman their moral woman in John chapter 4.

Our Lord Jesus. Of course his perfect wisdom always meant people at the point of baked though he knew their hearts.

We don't that's the goal is in the that we would meet the person at the point of the walk in wisdom have speech.

Season with salt and pray that doors will open know this is this a door for the word not just for the door to be kind to people. We certainly must be kind, such as the door for social change, although that may well be necessary. It's a door for the word is a door for the gospel. This is our priority, the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the message entrusted to us. Jesus is saying, pray, pray, pray for the Christ for Christ followers to be sent into the harvest but don't only pray. Secondly, goal depending on Jesus and Jesus alone versus one through eight of chapter 10, your Bibles, there Matthew chapter 10 verse one called to him his 12 disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast the mother to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the 12 apostles are these for assignment is called Peter and Andrew his brother James the son of Zebedee. John, his brother Philip and Bartholomew Thomas and Matthew the tax collector James the son of Alpheus and Thaddeus Simon the zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. These 12 Jesus sent out instructing them go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no tying of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and proclaim as you go, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at and heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying give without pay. First is a look at the harvest time to pray so I could lay on to go in that the goal depending on King Jesus alone to go by faith we see these verses, verse one. But Jesus called to him. The 12th it is Jesus who does the calling.

They didn't volunteer Jesus called and we thought of the calling. Recently we thought of the call of Matthew, Jesus chose the 12 disciples follow me as we go that wonderful when people then hear the call of Jesus, these disciples be called by Jesus to spend time with Jesus and listen to his words the side of the hillside listening to his teaching on the sermon on the Mount. This spend time with them.

The witnesses, his miracles, like the calming of the sea now say no I told you I've trained you equipped you have seeming action that you have to go out and proclaim the gospel of the kingdom of heaven that spend time with Jesus was.

Will Sanders says we slander God by our very eagerness to work for him without knowing as were talking about going and sharing your faith.

I have to pause and ask, do you know Christ.

I mean a personal relationship with Christ that I know you know about Jesus Christ. The gospel is knowing Christ is having a relationship with Christ and Saunders are so right is sometimes people want to starve good but first we must know Christ as our Lord and our Savior to be saved by his grace in the spent time listening to him again I say as we go as we go, sharing our faith is were being alighted is essential that we never ever neglect our time listening to Jesus. Yes we do that from his pulpit.

We do that in our life groups. We do that in our Bible studies, but you will you are you must spend time every day in this book, listening to Jesus you know if you never really studied the Gospels is a great place to begin.

Matthew Mark Luke John were going through Matthew relatively slowly. I understand what read the Gospels saturate yourself with the voice of Jesus. See Jesus in action understands that his burial and his resurrection so the disciples are called by Jesus. They spend time with Jesus we see him in action and now they are being sent out go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Did you know this is a read the names of them seem to be paired. Simon and Andrew, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew Mark says in his account in Mark six or seven. They were sent out 2 x 2.

That's encouraging is that this regards. We want to encourage one another. Pray for one another, share the successes and the failures and who is he sending out these men perfect man wonderful trains of their faith altogether know they don't invite Jesus told in chapter 8 that their faith was little you of little faith.

Men of little faith midsentence. Read the Gospels we understand that these disciples often were very slow learners. It took a while for them to get the point is that the repeated several times in their hearts were hardened. These disciples who follow Jesus, sometimes at Eagle problems say they wanted to know who was the greatest of these disciples sometimes argued among themselves unfamiliar you think you got to be this perfect Christian understanding all your theology of your apologetics all and you memorized half the Bible, and then you glide know that is not what we have in the Gospels.

That's not what we have in the book of acts.

What we have is this that those who truly know Christ. From that moment that witnesses for Jesus Christ. Of course we should betrayed. Of course we should be helped and prayed for, but we who have had this meeting with Christ long should it with others and are there to do the same as Jesus did. What did he preach the kingdom of heaven as it had exactly the same message. What did he do heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, that's exactly what they do. And of course they have unique apostolic authority that the characteristic of a troop also laws signs and wonders. Second Corinthians 12 hours 12 there are people today who call themselves apostles that on apostles. They can't raise the dead, they can heal the leper that the very power of Christ within us, within them as they went, what were they doing. They were moving from theory to practice. There were moving from observation to application and this is what we must do this is the challenge of the harvest. One of our strong parties at Calvary can also be one of her weak points is that what you mean John will their strong points at Calvary.

As we focus on the word of God.

We want people to know the word of God.

When you come you don't me to get political, travel. You want to talk about what's going on in our world. You certainly don't want some little inspirational message that when when it's tough the tough get going and all of that kind of claptrap know you want the meat of the word you want to be in the Scriptures is good so we have like groups to teach the word we have Bible studies, we have biblical counselors. We emphasize the word of God. That's a strength.

But if it stays there is a failure. The goal is not so that we get fatheads full of biblical and theological knowledge that we can answer all the questions these disciples are with Jesus, the perfect teacher. The landing from teak from Jesus there being equipped by Jesus but the goal is to send them out into the harvest was an abundance of sheep that harassed and helpless.

Jesus is one person, so he said no it's time for you to go out and to do what I doing Centerton commission go and make disciples of all nations. It's comfortable is that learning the Bible. I like to learn the Bible. I don't have many classes course is gone and the Bible in my life through seminary and through other things I love to study and since I do every day. I love it was easy to stay in the Christian Bible is it's comfortable in the Christian Bible lesson with boring people, but the main. If you are wise to have people you like in your Bible is great of fellowship you learn together you are you together is very good list on the biblical pattern is time you are your bubble time unit out of the nest, as it were, like a mother bird pushing little birds are the nest time to fly. Time to go. You see that's that's fearful among unbelievers.

That's true as a goal. But remember there helpless. That harassed and Jesus is saying for you to go into the harvest and think of the example of the disciples.

They were nothing special in and of themselves, whether there were 12 very ordinary man. There were a very unlikely bunch to be entrusted with the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ was facing you that I would've been doing in the viewing the rejected number of them wind you mean honestly, we think of anywhere but they were called by Jesus. This is key. They were called by Jesus not on the basis of what they were, what with his power they would become key in being a disciple. The disciples were called by Jesus not on the basis of what they were. They were in the great religious leaders in Israel, the most educated. They said they didn't have it altogether. Jesus called them not based on what they wear. But, what with his power with his equipping. They would become. This is the transformation of the gospel doing this and that you follow Christ your transformed and I see them.

I live with God taking the most unlikely people and I think this book and they do in evangelism. What could they do in children's ministry bucket day doing music in God and his grace is a miracle. He takes ordinary people like you and me and transforms them into his very image and this is key to being an authentic follower of Jesus.

I find it very encouraging. Find this encouraging. Jesus knew the faults and weaknesses. The doubts they knew that Thomas would David you the Jesus that pleaded with that IM would all abandon them, but he calls them and in the sovereign purposes of God. This unlikely bunch of his motley crew. If it were, other than to this become the very foundation of the church of Jesus Christ. Paul says that in Ephesians 2, verse 20 that the church is built on the prophets and apostles. These unlikely think of that with a different personality. Think of Peter is mentioned first in verse two. Always when the disciples are listed. It is mentioned first. He's a rock he's a leader is Peter that preaches on Pentecost great man, but leaders are sometimes impulsive leader sometimes speak too much leader sometimes overconfident leader sometimes think too much of themselves and speak too quickly. That's Peter. Then there's Andrew and says verse through Andrew. He is the brother of Peter, but he is as it went in the shadows of Peter, probably a bit introverted we have in Scotland. He is the patron saints and Andrew Irish have chosen Patrick nonbiblical character we choose a one of the disciples, Andrew, and got the Scottish flag to show you because in the Scottish flag. The cross is the St Andrews Cross. The legend is true. Andrew went to Scotland went to this time that we call St Andrews audit. Some Valley Cove. Andrew supposedly ended up inside Andrew's but in any event, whatever the reason, he is the pension saint of Scotland is individual whose client is in the shadows keeps his opinion to himself is very sensitive to others.

Very humble individual and you can understand that that typifies the average Scott so we call and a picture and say but as you read the Gospels. Peter is a great preacher the crowds with Andrew is the individual who quietly brings people to Jesus whenever you're like that in the realness pulpit but you have a wonderful gift, a winsome way of speaking to people.

My wife can do this. Yeah I got one of the answers but often the person listens more to my wife, who, in a quiet way wins them over and points them to Christ. Then there's James and John verse two. There's a fisherman near the Sons of thunder mean that a bit volatile of volatile disciple when you want to eliminate that gnosis Jesus of calling Jim's and and then there's Thomas verse three mean like denying Thomas as you know, the pessimistic kind of individuals are always diving your right to do an exciting project in the give you 10 reasons why it won't work. That's Thomas is a pessimist at the skeptic. He's the one who when he doesn't see the resurrected Christ.

He says I will never believe unless I see the marks of the nails in his hands and his feet skeptic but is also the one who says of the resurrected Christ, my Lord and my God there's a promise than theirs. Matthew I talked to him the other Sunday, a former tax collector sold himself onto the Romans made a dubious living collecting taxes and the ripping people off, but know he's following Jesus.

Then there's farther Simon the zealot's with the zealots is a revolutionary nationalist. He hates the Romans. The plotting against Roman occupation.

These individual legs got the concealed weapon and therefore been called by Jesus to put a knife to the throat of Matthew man who is a Jew and that he sells out to the Romans they would never ever be together but no, both are called to be servants of Jesus and then of course there's Judas Mark says verse for the one who betrayed him false disciple Judas is here slipped in become the right thing, your faith is an authentic trust.

No trust that you are a true follower of Jesus, I notice these 12 are solely dependent on King Jesus. Versus nine through 15 and the will will come of this very quickly acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts back for your journey or two tunics or sandals or staff for the laborer deserves his food and whatever time the village you enter find that was where the unit and stay there until you depart as you entered I was greeted and if the houses were in a let your peace come upon it with him is not where they let your peace return to you.

And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave the house or time. Truly I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Nevada than for that time was the point, as the go there to totally trust as you as you like. Was the lesson totally trust Jesus you're totally dependent upon can Jesus then instructed first versus five and six to go to the lost sheep of the house of the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Matthew is presenting Jesus as the King of the Jews and we know that historically the gospel goes first to the Jew and then to the Gentile.

That's Romans one, verse 16 and so they are not to go to the Samaritans were read them not to go to gentle territory, whether first to go to Israel first being a light in your own home in your own neighborhood in your own people who would God have, to evangelize your family. You can use anyone he wants to use you to tell family member about Jesus's love to be a missionary in China. I hear there's a great need for for the gospel and showing others that Liz. But if you shoot Christ the general neighborhood. Why would you be concerned about China when you've not yet begun in your own neighborhood in your own streets among your own colleagues at work among your fellow students college starting first or Jesus is going to command the disciples wonderfully to go and make disciples of all the nations as truth but here first. As they begin to go to the lost house of Israel and there to travel light to live by faith, depending solely on Jesus that ought to be motivated by money Jesus promises that all of their needs will be supplied.

Some of you have Philippians 419 is one of your favorite versus my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus, we sometimes take that out of context but let me tell you this as you go by faith as you are the light as you share your faith Jesus Christ will give you all of the power all of the words all of the help you need with you to do your to step out in faith to trust. We saw the other Sunday faith dispels fear. What is the greatest problem in evangelizing and sharing of faith. What would freight yes we can be lazy, but most of us there's a fear of fear of rejection of feet of not knowing a fear of someone will ask a question that we don't know a fear of embarrassment or fear of rejection. Many, many fears put them aside and trust Christ divine power and divine provision for the divine mission of sharing our faith that it is you will have divine power of God's power. God's provision of the divine mission of sharing your faith. Is this a divine mission.

Yes, Jesus is saying. Pray for the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers go to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go excited to go.

You see a may be rejected.

Yes, I can guarantee some people will reject you know that they do this the last two words, if someone doesn't listen to your words.

But listen to the apostle this true they can do miracles they can do things that you can do it you can do.

They can raise the dead, and still people will not believe some of them will reject you and will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah for that time judgment is coming. Don't think you have failed because someone rejection will see next week rejected Christ rejected the apostles, and some are going to reject you. Some people you think I'm going to listen to. I'm going to reject you. Some people that you think are not going to listen to will listen to all the sovereign purposes of God is he meeting the challenge of the harvest means that we leave the consequences to the Lord, my worry, I'm not a salesman I can save more people than you are or what your score of this month 50 I did and what about you know were not salespeople were displaying Christ were proclaiming Christ with wisdom with grace, with the parlor of God and leaving God to do the saving to realize that judgment will come on those who reject Christ's when I was a student under universe they think is about 20.

I went for one summer about with what was called Scottish counties evangelistic movement: scam and that we would go to a time enormous multi-new Scotland where there was no church are certainly no evangelical church or church that was very small at a church that was very dead and we would make generally stayed in the school and that the morning sweet time of prayer with the time in the word at time of encouragement time would be encrypted in the afternoons. Most of us went door-to-door will sort meetings for children in the evening we invite people in for a gospel meeting for the evangelistic meeting as evangelist we preach. After that, we would like. So glad go to our coffee bar, pub, and that tell people about Jesus. As we went door-to-door we were when that by twos to man to two women and that so I went a member for a whole week.

I was with a young man same age as I was Finley Bissett.

Unlike me, Finley had come from a totally non-Christian home, you never had the gospel totally under never gone to church and one Sunday evening he told me he told the whole group is the one Sunday evening. It was walking the streets of Glasco really going to place of entertainment about or something like a compass on the young man looking for some action is aware restless in his own spirit and he's walking and a medical took place 2 Miracles Will Take Pl. the first miracle was that a man at the door of the church stopped Finley incentive. Would you like to come into church service and what self-respecting printing your old Scotsman goes never be the church goes to church on a Sunday evening and Finley said I don't know what it was felt I needed to go in here what was being said. So he found himself in a church. The man stood up and presented the gospel of Jesus Christ. Finley had never had in his life and the second medical took place when he surrendered his life to Christ.

Wonderful he was. I think about you later nine months or so.

A recent convert to Jesus Christ not having the background I had not not having a privileges I had growing up, but then he was and if anyone was on fire for Jesus Christ. It was Finley Bissett. And so we would go door to door and the going door to door in Scotland in his heart was people to want to speak to your door. They make gestures which are not very helpful.

We say things are kind, but from time to time someone would stop and would present the gospel member as if it were yesterday a woman being very nasty closing. The one thing I do want to hear that stuff as were walking from the house. Finley was very very serious is that the Finley were you thinking and he said John is there someone in the Bible talk about a great white throne. I said yeah that's Revelation 2 into the great white throne and he said doesn't say that those whose names are not written in the book of life are thrown into the lake of fire is here we are in the rejecting the gospel. He couldn't believe it because it was such good news to him as a young man he knew he was a sinner. He knew there was something wrong in his life and when he heard the gospel. He embraced Christ that was dramatically saved as wonderful, but that doesn't always happen right people rejected Jesus is saying to the disciples judgment is coming for the so I don't want you brothers and sisters to be discouraged when people reject the message it happens. What are we learning pray for the harvest you laborers.

What are we to do two things to pray and you to go with is easy to remember what the message pray and go.

Our mission is being and making authentic followers of Jesus Christ, will you personally accept the challenge of the harvest with every means to you know we have as was said in Calgary connect to say again to you. We have the lights we have a slide on that and we heard that we have ongoing training next Sage beginning in October 10. You can sign up for this with pastors Abu was the focus is being a light in your neighborhood but you going to learn principles that will help you not just in your neighborhood. But beyond your neighborhood, but were going to begin praying for those in our neighborhood so that God in his grace will lead you to someone who needs Jesus Christ.

You can register, you can call because it will get more information about it. All of the equipping all the training that you need will be given to you, and you can register on the website for the October training when she sees her decision to lift their eyes with the harvest is a neighbor some of the work family member who do you see pray that God will use you to tell people that neither is there salvation in any other for that is none other name under heaven given among men whereby must be saved. Present magnificent Christ to a needy world you do that. Father, help us sometimes were lazy sometimes are fearful. Sometimes we leave it to others. So I pray that your spirit will touch our hearts that we will respond in faith with courage and uses father for a mighty revival in this community may be so for you all the glory in Christ name