It is awesome to consider that our LORD has great compassion for HIS sheep; Old Testament and New Testament alike speak to God's love and compassion for the scattered sheep. HIS passion for HIS own glory and HIS lovingkindness moved HIM to send HIS son to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 9:10).
Jesus teaches us how to pray, to pray that the LORD of the harvest will send out workers...we are told that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few!
The last two Sundays in class we have discussed how God through HIS precious Word inspires us or moves us to pray, it tells us what we should pray or it informs our prayers and sometimes those very prayers become incarnate through us, meaning our acting in faith is the answer to our own prayer. I believe that this is one of those places. We pray to the LORD of the harvest to send laborers and then HE sends us if we will have eyes to see and ears to hear.
Mt 9:36-10:1 --Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 “Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
10:1 Jesus summoned (called) His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
So the need is great, just look at our own community, church, class, your family and my family...the need is great and you and I are among the called...praise God!
Rom 1:6 including yourselves who are also Jesus Christ’s by calling:
Ro 11:29 since God’s gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable.
1 Co 1:24 Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom,
It is an awesome and wonderful thing to be among the called...
Rom 8:29-32
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
To be called means that you are justified, to be justified means that you are glorified! Wonderful news and incomprehensible blessings brings great responsibility. What is that responsibility? Those that are called are sent, they are sent as sheep among wolves...but you are not sent our naked. You are sent with the very authority of JESUS CHRIST!
Mt 28:18-20
The Great Commission
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
As we move and mobilize to Love Memphis remember you have been called and you have been sent by the one who has ALL AUTHORITY OVER HEAVEN AND EARTH.
Consider all of the instances of faith in our reading the past few days...the question to us is will we ACT IN FAITH ON THE PROMISES OF GOD and experience the incredible JOY HE long to share with us, HIS children, as we journey with HIM.
Father in heaven enable your children, enable us to combine faith and trust in YOU to do what YOU have called us to do...to simply surrender ourselves to YOU and YOU alone and say "Here am I, send me." Please Father do this in a manner that brings YOU glory and fills us with YOUR joy, the joy of our LORD and Savior. We love you, we love you...we love you! In Jesus name, Amen.