10/16/2023
Are we praying for God to call us to perform some great task for His kingdom? Do we have a desire to do wonderful things for our Holy Father? Sometimes we take it upon ourselves to determine what that task might be. Brothers and Sisters, let’s stop trying to determine for ourselves how God can best use us, and pray instead that He shows us what He already has prepared for us to do, and that is to spread the gospel.
“Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."”
Matthew 9:37-38 ESV
Quite often we perceive our skills and natural abilities to be a blessing that God Himself should come to recognize and use, but truthfully, He already knows what we are capable of, and those things we feel are our exceptional talents are not nearly as wonderful to Him as we might think them to be; after all He gave them to us in the first place. Jesus selected every disciple to become an Apostle, not because of their gifts, nor to talk about how we can better obey the Law of Moses, or live in this world that we find ourselves in, but ultimately to go out into it and spread the good news of the coming of God’s Son Jesus.
If a Pastor isn’t, first and foremost, preaching the gospel from the pulpit, and calling for those wishing to be saved to come forth, then He has missed his primary calling. If we praise God for having provided us with shoes and neglect to thank Him for sending us on a journey in them to save souls, then we have missed our greatest calling. If we have fed the hungry, given water to the thirsty, welcomed a stranger, clothed the naked, or visited the sick and imprisoned, and not taught them about the gospel of Jesus Christ... then we have missed the greatest call of all.
All of these things and more were taught to the twelve disciples, but none of them were their primary calling... the real call was to spread the gospel of Jesus to all the world! Which disciple did Jesus specifically send into the world to feed the hungry? How about to clothe the naked, or these other mercies? The answer is... none, yet all of them were taught that once saved this is how we as Christians behave and present ourselves.
This bothers us doesn’t it? Last Sunday we might have preached a wonderful and powerful sermon about feeding the poor, then either neglected to make an alter call, or simply mentioned salvation casually in Passing. Perhaps we worked at the local food bank and served 500 meals, but didn’t tell a single soul about Jesus Christ. Some of us might have gone to the bedside of a sick or dying person and provided them comfort, but never offered them the all-important eternal comfort of the gospel. Did we give a man drink who was thirsting, and yet never mentioned the living water of Jesus? If this describes us then we have missed our ultimate calling.
There is an age old saying for such things... “He couldn’t see the forest for the trees!” If you are like me, then you often find yourself concentrating on the trees while missing altogether the vastness and magnificence of the forest. We do this by concentrating on a single work for the kingdom of God and miss the call that brought us there in the first place, or by searching for how to best use our talents without listening and waiting for God to direct us. God gives us the gifts we need to win souls. The things we bring to the table are good, after all He gave them to us, but those things we are so proud of don’t determine the success of God’s mission through us.... they are just undergrowth that can keep us from seeing the forest.
Don’t get me wrong, it is very important to teach others how to love one another, to be good neighbors, and to show mercy to the needy, but our primary calling is always to plant the seed of salvation, by spreading the gospel! If we do this then the other things of faith will grow, and follow.
“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Matthew 6:31-33 ESV
Going out to spread the Gospel Word can be as simple as turning to the person beside us in church. Do we really know the heart of every man or woman who sits on our pew? How about in our Sunday school class, or our midweek bible study? If we are teaching, we should always make provision for salvation, and invite those around us to discuss that with us. Always invite strangers to Christ, but ask the prodigal sons to return too. But, do we really know who they are? Maybe one of those prodigal sons is a man who we have thought of as a saint for many years... do we really know his heart today?
I am not being holier than thou here... this is something that has convicted me, and from time to time I find myself guilty as well. I suffer prayerfully, wondering how many times I have taught and then walked out of my classroom while leaving a heavy burdened soul behind, or how often I haven’t recognized a man whose faith was waning and in need of encouragement in the gospel.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."”
Matthew 11:28-30 ESV
Are we too busy admiring the trees to see the forest that needs our attention? Are we so busy searching for something great to do for God that we miss the greatest and most glorious of them all? Are we spreading the gospel news of Jesus?
“And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”
Mark 16:15 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for calling me into your field at harvest time. Thank you for placing me in a position where I can be of service to you by preaching or teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Circumcise my heart Father, and by doing so, make me painfully aware of the souls in need around me. Give me insight Lord into the suffering of those who are hurting, or those who are bearing a load of guilt and sin that could crush them. Lead me to pray with the faint and encourage them in their faith. If I do anything for you Father, let it be centered on bringing or returning to you the souls I come in contact with each day. If I preach, let none of my sermons end without a call to your grace, and let my spirit feel the call of the missionary as strongly today as when I first believed. If I feed the hungry let me speak to them of the manna that you provide through your Son Jesus. If I visit the sick, let me dab there forehead with more than cool water... lead me in prayer with them regarding the still waters of salvation. Always Father, always, help me to stay focused on my one true call... to deliver the gospel to the world... one sermon at a time, one meal at a time, one cup of water, one visit to the sick or imprisoned, or one piece of clothing at a time. Then Father, give me the words in prayer to pray with them that will quicken their souls, and bring them swiftly to you.
Rich Forbes