Getting some much needed work done * Get off the sidelines

Luke 10: 2

² “And he said to them, “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.”

What is this harvest in this passage?  Here, Jesus is talking about a spiritual harvesting of people. 

It is an illustration of the good news of Jesus Christ.
This harvest refers to the Great Commission Jesus gave in Matthew 28: 19-20: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

I recently read an article on how the church could be compared to a huge football game where there are 60,000 people in the stands watching 22 people do all the work in the field… and the church is standing on the sidelines and shouting, “Go, team, go!” …while God is saying, “I want you down on the field. I want you to carry the ball.”

Sadly, the laborers are few because many are unwilling to be laborers in the harvest. 

Now, this doesn’t mean that everyone has to go overseas as missionaries… what it means is  that each and every one of us has a role to fulfill.   

In today’s passage… Jesus is speaking in a parable. And we’re all familiar with a harvest… as we’ve been gathering our produce and our harvest season is ending.

But, if we look closely at this parable… it’s pretty clear that Jesus doesn’t want us to sit passively by… and just watching the harvest; He wants us to participate, to join in.
And just like with our own gardens we recognize that the time to harvest is limited. …There is a sense of urgency.

In the same way, time is limited for our neighbors, and colleagues, and family members to come to know Christ.

Jesus recognizes this urgency and out of His love for us, He calls us to join in.

He wants us to get our hands dirty… …to get off the sidelines, and share the good news of the Gospel with others.

This is the harvest Jesus is talking about.

It was an exhausting day but I got it accomplished. 
God Bless!