Brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ,
The Lord Jesus uses many earthly pictures to give his brothers and sisters insight into the nature of the kingdom of God. We miss the point of the divine providence of God and the mystery of the glorious Gospel if we fail to search the Scriptures and hear what God has to say to us.The good news is that God in Christ has come into his broken world – spoiled by sin’s curse – in order to reconcile sinners to himself. In the sermon the Mount, Jesus taught the crowd and us who have been saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone and adopted into the family of God to seek first the kingdom of God. Whilst the whole of Scripture is given for our spiritual growth, today I ask you to join with me to consider the words of Jesus,
“Ask (pray, imperative, second person, plural, together pray); Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore to send out workers into his harvest field.”
“Pray together to the Lord of the harvest, therefore to
send out workers into his harvest field.” Mathew 9:38
The world is like a field of grain to be harvested. Christ our Lord sees the crowds and his heart is filled with compassion – the heart of our Lord is breaking because the people are harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. This brings to mind the many passages of Scripture that
also use the imagery of people being like sheep.
Psalm 23 ‘The Lord is my shepherd …’
‘We all like sheep have gone astray …’ Isaiah 53:6
Earlier in Matthews Gospel we hear what the prophet had written, “Bethlehem … out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.” (2:6)
The heart of our Lord Jesus Christ is moved to instruct his disciples to pray for labourers. Jesus calls and ordains that frail, flawed, weak humans labour to bring in the harvest – the harvest which is plentiful.
Our Lord did not give this job to the holy angels.
In the beginning of his ministry Jesus called some fishermen to follow him and become fishers of men. Was Peter the perfect disciple?
On the night his Lord was betrayed, Peter would deny him three times?
What about James and John – the sons of thunder?
The last words of Matthews Gospel are significant in the context of our text where the crucified and risen Christ declares, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Jesus calls all those he has redeemed to enrol in the school of prayer – the disciples asked Jesus,
“Lord teach us to pray.”
He instructed them What to pray
“Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be your Name, Your
Kingdom come, You will be done on earth as it is in
heaven… “
Why is prayer important?
There is much in the school of prayer to learn not only what the Lord wants us to pray, but also how to pray. Scripture clearly teaches that it is only as the Lord’s people humbly, in faith, with pure motives, led by the indwelling Spirit of the one true living God ask, pray without ceasing that the hand of the sovereign Almighty God moves to achieve his plan to save sinners. Prayer is the most important part of the thanks we owe to God for saving us – harassed, lost sheep who were dead in our sins, by nature enemies of God. We see the lost, burdened and broken sinners around us and with the same compassion of Christ, we are commanded to pray, Heavenly Father, Your kingdom come, your will be done. God could have entrusted the precious Gospel to his holy angels so that the harvest he has prepared could be harvested. The labourers who God has called are frail, flawed human beings like Peter, Paul, the 12, the 72 e.t.c.
“We do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord,
and ourselves as your servants for Jesus sake … We have
this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-
surpassing power is from God and not from us.” 2 Cor. 4:5,7
As an ambassador for Christ, Paul implored people, “Be
reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be
sin for us, so that in him we might become the
righteousness of God.” 2 Cor. 5:20,21
In as much as we are members of the body of Christ, we are to be praying the Lord of the harvest, send out workers into your harvest field.
Not all are called to be evangelists or teachers, but every believer is called to be faithful in prayer. My friends, I am coming towards the end of my ministry, I do not know who brought my name before the throne of grace asking the Lord to sent me into his harvest field, or who moved the heart of my wife to labour along side me, but it would seem to me that this was the sovereign, providential work of the Spirit of the living God to work this out his plan and purpose in His time. Missionaries, you are beginning your ministry in response the prayers of the saints who were moved to pray for you to go and labour, to bring in the harvest of lives God has preordained to save for all eternity.
May I encourage you with the promise of our Lord Jesus,
“And surely I will be with you always.”
Brothers and Sisters, it is very obvious that the last to be rescued from sins curse has not been brought into the fold – for then Jesus would have returned with his angels. So let us obey the Lord’s command to pray for more labourers – disciples who make disciples – and make disciples from all nations, tribes and languages. Remember how the Lord called, equipped and sent the Apostle Paul to be the Apostle to the Gentiles. During his ministry he repeatedly exhorted the believers to pray for all the saints and pray for him.
“I urge you brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus
Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join in my struggle
by praying to God for me. Romans 15:20
In his letters to the churches, prayer is primary and in the providence of God, the prayers of the saints move the hand of Almighty God to act.
No wonder the Psalmist sings, “Unless the Lord builds
the house the labourers labour in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen
stand guard in vain.” Psalm 127:1,2
Both the Old and New Testament tell of the plan of God to redeem a people for the glory of His Almighty Name. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done
great things for them … those who sow with tears will
reap with songs of joy.” Ps. 126
God says in Isaiah 41, “I have chosen you and have not
rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be
dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.”
It is by faith that we behold the father heart of God, the God who loves and cares for his children. It is by faith that we pray and work – Lord help me to be your faithful servant who hears your voice and obeys! The Psalmist testifies of God’s promise to his children:
“You hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will
take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength
of my heart and my portion forever…
But as for me it is good to be near God.
I have made the sovereign Lord my refuge.
I will tell of all your deeds.” Psalm 73:23-28
“God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.
Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil, and he
will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come
near to you.” James 4:6-8
Life is not always peaches and cream, easy peasy.
I am not sure what the thorn that the Apostle Paul was given but he writes,
“I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan,
to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to
take it away from me.
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my
power is made perfect in weakness… For when I am
weak I am strong.”
Let me ask, ‘How did Paul receive strength to labour in the Lord’s harvest field? As the saints interceded for him in prayer. By what means does the Lord raise up workers to bring in the harvest today? God does not change – as his people are faithful in prayer. May the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour who came into this world, full of grace and truth, teach us how to pray and move us to enlist in the ministry of prayer.
Amen.
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