“1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Luke 10:1, 2, NIV.

This is my prayer.  Jesus said, “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”  I am praying that this will happen.  I am praying that God will stir you from your heart to come on board and be one of the workers that is willing to go out into the harvest field.

We often look down on those who could work and don’t.  We say, “Why don’t you get a job?”  There are places in Maine and in the US where people will line up in the morning to take any job that will come their way.  They want to work, but often find there is not enough work to do.

That is not true in God’s kingdom.  He is coming to the job center, the church, and through me he is appealing to you to help with the harvest, to help with evangelism.

You sent me to Congress in Boston this year.  The theme of the conference was, “Whatever it takes.” I heard many good speakers and especially went to workshops that would help me help you be a better laborer in the harvest field.  I am praying that you would come on board.  I have had people come to me in this church privately and tell me, “Ed, I am on board.  I want to be used of God to help those who don’t know Jesus know Him.”  I am praying for more.

I heard an interesting statistic.  If every professing Christian won three people to Christ in the United States, all our country would be full of born-again Christians within 40 years.   Jesus wants us to spread seed and let it fall on whatever heart it may and let the people decide for Christ.

           I want to see us raise the level of awareness of Jesus.  That is what it means to glorify someone.  You lift them up.  You talk about their good points.  You quote them when their words can help others. 

           The Jesus film is going out.  We will be taking a special offering in a couple of weeks.  I spoke to David Livingstone, the representative for the Jesus film in Boston.  He prayed for us and for our church.  I pray that God will use that to let people see Jesus.

We have good news.  The good news is Jesus, God’s Son, came and died on the cross.   Our sins, all of them, can be forgiven.  He rose to give us eternal life.  It’s ours through Christ.  He comes into our lives and says, “Take my hand, follow me…” and as we do, we find that life gets better, that with redemption comes a lift.

What a privilege that he will use us to work in the harvest, to spread the good news.  I don’t know about you, but I am fearful of some people, afraid that I won’t be able to answer questions asked me, afraid of rejection and looking the fool.  You would think that with all that baggage, God would find someone else to do his work.  But he doesn’t.  He says, “Do what you can, the best you can, and leave the rest to me.”

           Ok God, if that is what you want, count me in.  Are you in?

           Let’s be honest.  If we hope for the world to come to church to hear about Jesus, we may be sitting here for a long time, ‘cause it won’t happen.  Jesus wants us to go out into the field, out into the highways and byways and bring them in.

So we send you.  Go…. Wait a minute, you are already on the go.  Then as you go, make disciples. 

This morning I want to make three statements that summarize an effective laboror for the Lord Jesus Christ.

We do want to be effective.  For the Christian, having our life count for Jesus is of great importance.  If your heart is open to receiving the Word of God and you want to be truly effective, you may want to write down these three statements, meditate on them.  Then, if you agree and believe that God agrees with these, then I pray that these three statements might find root in your life so that you will produce fruit.

• Statement #1: A good message delivered by a good messenger will have a better chance of making an impact than a good message delivered by a bad messenger.
• Jesus: “34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism 35 but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached-- 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. 39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen--by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”” Acts 10:34-43, NIV.
• Nicodemus: “23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. 25 He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man. 1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no-one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”” John 2:23-3:2, NIV.
• Statement #2: Build a strong support base and then move out to do good works.
• Eph. 2:8-10: “8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no-one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:8-10, NIV.  The workmanship part comes from our support base, the good works happen out in the field
• Heb. 10:24-25  “24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
• Statement #3: Retire when you die, not before (1 Cor. 15:51, Phil. 1:21)
• “58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58, NIV.

So this is what seems to be the labor that God wants us to do.  He wants us to love people in practical ways and do it in the name of Jesus.

                    If you ask the person on the street why they do what they do, they will tell you that they are good because they like someone, the person is family, it just seemed the right thing to do.

                    But our love for people takes on a greater dimension.  We love people with a deeper love than we did before because we realize that the people we love, Jesus loves.  And the people we don’t love, Jesus loves them too.

                    And out of our desire to glorify God, in order to better represent his message, we add to our words a life that is pleasing to God and helpful to the people who know us.

                    I know we are trying.  Out of a love for Jesus, people faithfully work in the exchange shop, lead grief support and divorce support groups.  Out of a love for Jesus, we have reached out to help people in our community who have been in need.  Some of it has been done in an open way, much of it behind the scenes.

                    One reason that many of you are here today is because you saw the love of God through the hands, feet, mouths and ears of Christian people.

                    Are we perfect?  No.  But God has called us to use both our walk and our talk to glorify Him.  He is asking you, in Jesus’ name, to live your life for Him.  To serve others for Jesus’ sake and for his glory.

                    Some of us find ourselves resisting doing good works.  We find other things more important.

                    But I want to challenge you in the name of Jesus, be the one to pray for someone going through a hard time, be open to use your talents free of charge to those in need, be the one who buys coffee for your workplace, take the time to visit the sick in the hospital or those you know in nursing homes.  But do it in the name of Jesus, looking for opportunity to spread seed.

                    Don’t be silent as you do this.  We serve a great God.  He is the one who gives us all we have.  He deserves the credit, the glory, for what he has done and for the changes he is making in us.