THE WORKERS ARE NEEDED

Recently, my wife and I had the opportunity to watch the movie Jesus Revolution. We were so impacted with the film itself, but what was even more impactful was to know that this was a real genuine move of God that took place in the 70s. Most call it the “Jesus People Movement”, but the way I see it was a bunch of hungry people searching for the truth. As we left the movie, I was reminded about the prophecy from a man named Bob Jones, who told about a 1 billion soul harvest of young people coming to Christ. I was also reminded of a vision from my pastor, Patricia Estes, about seeing multitudes of broken people coming to a dance floor with Jesus.

My heart was stirred, and I found myself studying Matthew chapters 9 and 10. At the end of chapter 9, Jesus tells His disciples something very important. He says “the harvest is great, but the workers are few.” And as I began to study chapter 9, all I could see was Jesus being the only worker to a desperate, hungry harvest. In chapter 10 Jesus sends His disciples out to be the workers that He told them to pray for in chapter 9. It’s funny how sometimes you will actually be the answer to your own prayer. 

Jesus also gives instructions, or we could even go as far to say protocol, to His disciples that they must abide to be the workers in the Lord’s harvest field. One of the first things that Jesus challenges is their need for security in provision.

“Don’t take any money in your money belts—no gold, silver, or even copper coins. Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed.”Matthew 10:9-10 NLT 

It’s important to note that God never does anything halfway, and what He is looking for is workers that will have the heart contacts of Psalm 23. We can trust God for security and provision, because where He leads He feeds, and where He guides, He provides. The Lord always pays for what He orders. Should you ever find yourself in a situation – where money would be the reason that we feel we cannot answer the call of God in our life then we must take a long look in the mirror and come to the realization that we might be operating in mammon instead of trust in God. Where there is purpose, there is always provision.

The second thing I noticed was, they were commanded to not fear persecution, or to even operate in the fear of man. In fact in Matthew 10:28 they were told don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in Hell. Thank God we don’t have to endure persecution in the way that the early Christians did, but even with that said, sometimes we still shrink back because we care more about being accepted by society, than being faithful to God. May we not be people that fall into the trap of being people pleasers, or even compromising our values because we fear what man will say or do. The fear of man is very dangerous, because it replaces the fear of the Lord and I believe His life. And if the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, then I submit to you that the fear of man might possibly be the beginning of stupidity. 

The third thing that really challenged me is found in Matthew 10:38-39 where Jesus says,

“ If you refuse to take up your cross, and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.”

The truth is there’s a cost of being a true disciple of Christ, and that cost is the laying down of our ideas, opinions, feelings, and even writing all to embrace a selfless way of living that reflects something much greater than ourselves. Following Christ is not about comfort or convenience. In fact, those two things can be described as a silent killer of an entire generation. If it’s comfort we desire, may we find it in the comforter (Holy Spirit), Himself. 

In conclusion, may we be those who trust God, whose promise is to prosper us not to harm us, but to give us a hope for a future. To also fear the Lord and not man. May we be those who are counted faithful by God himself. And be those who are willing to lay our lives down to find it. May we find comfort in the presence of the most high God, as we carry the heart of a Psalm 23 people. For the Lord is our Shepherd and we shall not want. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our life.