Let me share a few passages that highlight this important reality: The Bible teaches that we have all been given gifts by God that are to be used in service to His people, and that everyone is needed. One way to discern this is by examining your spiritual gifts. Where can you head out into the harvest field? There are so many people out there in need of the Shepherd, in need of knowing His love and care. It is all so that people would hear the gospel and be transformed.īut as Jesus said, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Praying after service, praying on Tuesdays. From teaching Sunday School to leading a community group. From making a meal to visiting to sending a card. We want people to know the shepherd, to be cared for by the shepherd and by his under-shepherds.Įvery aspect of service at this church is connected to that, from cleaning the bathrooms to serving food to greeting to the Power Point to AV to singing on a worship team. Have you entered the harvest field to work? Where do you need to step out today?Ī church where people are being transformed by the gospel of Christ into His likeness, who in turn bring the gospel of Christ into our community and world, calling others to be transformed by the gospel of Christ.Įvery part of what we do as a church should be about that vision of seeing people transformed by the gospel of Christ. Like you once were, there are so many others in need of a shepherd, in need of people who will care for them and lead them to Jesus. In need of someone to care for them.Įvery one of our stories of coming to faith in Jesus is the story of people who went out of their way to fulfill this call. There are people out there in need of a shepherd. Look at the compassion that Jesus has on people. So why serve? I’d like to suggest that this passage gives us one strong motivator. To each and every one of you, thank you for serving the Lord here at NewLife. There are plenty of other people doing informal acts of service. And that is just in the official ministries. You are saved not by what you do, so nobody is gaining brownie points with God by giving and serving.Īs I prepared for today, I contacted each ministry leader about volunteers, and found that you are currently filling 167 volunteer slots, from preparing meals to counting money to cleaning the bathrooms to leading community groups to praying with people after the service to watching little ones in the nursery. Plus, since we preach that you are saved by grace, not by works, guilt or the prospect of earning favor with God can not be a motivator to getting people to volunteer. No one has any obligation to be here, let alone give of their time to serve God and serve others here. One of the unique things about being a pastor is the reality that I’m the only one paid to be here. And so he tells them to pray to God to send more workers out. He uses a farming analogy to talk about how there are many people out there to be cared for and brought to God, but few people willing to go out there and do the work. And so he tells his disciples that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. In Matthew 9, Jesus is going around preaching about the kingdom of God, healing diseases, and Matthew writes that when he looked at the crowds of people, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. As I was considering what to preach on today, the passage I just read came to mind. This morning is our third annual Volunteer Celebration Sunday. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." 37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:35-38 - Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
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