Lighthouse Church, Church on the Rock International

The clock is ticking. We see in the news prophecy being played out from Ezekiel 37. Time is running out. We must be about the work of God now. God has called us to reach people. What God has revealed to me in today's text is very meaningful to our lives.

Many of us today, don't want to take risks. It's a very common problem. However, we read in Acts 15 about men who 'risked their lives for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.' And I believe that God is calling us to take risks today. The Bible also talks about the man who 'buried his talents.' This man had a problem with trust, and was not willing to take a risk with the talents that God had given him.

The key in the kingdom of God is priorities. Jesus needs to be #1. We need to get stirred again because time is not an endless reservoir. Time is an opportunity and our opportunities can be missed if we don't use our time correctly. The early disciples foresook all to follow Christ. The call of our text is to give it all for Jesus.

Acts 1:8 says 'you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you shall be my witnesses.' We are all called to be God's witnesses and we need to be challenged once again to let our lights shine. Living life serving God is what makes life worthwhile. The entire Christian world marvels at Paul because he captured the spirit of risking it all. (Read Acts 20:18-24)

Luke 10:1-6 'After these things, the Lord appointed seventy others also and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them 'the harvest is truly great, but the laborers are few; therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into the harvest. Go your way; behold I send you out as lambs among wolves. Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. But whatever house you enter, first say, peace to this house. And if the Son of Peace is there; your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.'

This text reminds us all of what we are a part of. Jesus Christ has commissioned us to be soldiers in His army. In Luke 10, verse one, it says that Jesus commissioned seventy others. Today, God is releasing workers like these into the harvest field to do a work for God. We need to see that we are called to be part of this harvest. Not all are called to pastor; but all are called to labor in the harvest field. The most precious commodity in God's kingdom is not buildings or programs; but people. Workers in God's kingdom are precious. As you are reading this, realize there is unbelievable potential in your life.

In Luke 10, Jesus is giving us insight into what produces and releases workers into the harvest field. We have before us the Lord of the Harvest Himself. If we are going to be effective in the harvest, we need to see the necessity of work. We all like our comfort zones; but the essence of what Jesus is saying in this text is that we must move beyond our comfort zones. We must be willing to labor and to sacrifice if we want to reap the harvest.

In Luke 10:2, Jesus tells us that the harvest is great. That means there is much work to do and that what is lacking is not opportunity. What is lacking is the workers. The Kingdom of God is no place for lazy people. That is a contradiction to this text. The work ethic of prior generations, those that founded this great country that we live in; seems to be lost in this generation. Everything seems to be built for ease and convenience. Build something to make things quicker and easier and you can be an overnight success.

One man said, 'I love work, I can look at it all day long.' The same spirit has carried over into the church. We all want revival and church growth. We all want to see people's lives changed and healed. But to see these things, we need to work for it. There are no magic formulas. It all comes down to work.

In the Old Testament, Nehemiah was commissioned by God to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. It was a seemingly impossible task; but the Bible tells us that it was accomplished because the 'good hand of the Lord was upon them.' We can't do anything without this. We must have God's favor upon our lives and must have God's hand upon our lives. But the Bible also tells us that the wall was built because the people had a mind to work.

Behind anything that is worth anything there is a price that is paid. This is the image that Jesus is giving us in today's text. We need to risk it all. Luke 10:3 'go your way, behold I send you out as lambs among wolves.' It sounds risky doesn't it! When you risk all for God, when you work for God, there are those who might get upset with you; but as one man said, 'If you are going to lead the orchestra, you have to turn your back to the audience.'

Lastly, Luke 10:4 'carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals, and greet no one along the road.' I see here the need to be single-minded. This quality must be in every worker. Jesus is saying, don't get encumbered with the cares of life, keep your eyes on the goal. God's plans must be priority number one.

Are there any workers out there today? Do you want to venture with God? There's a need for workers who will risk it all, who are willing to work and willing to be single-minded.