Harvest is Plentiful but the Workers are Few

 
   In Church this past month, we have been studying the book of Matthew and I confess the messages have been some of the most challenging messages I have heard. I firmly believe that once you hear truths, you have no excuse to disobey them; for that is an act of willful sinning. I will be the first to tell you I am the biggest culprit of this offense. Sometimes, we fool ourselves into thinking that ignorance is bliss. However, concerning Godly matters, we have no excuse, for the principles and truths have been given to us explicitly in God's word and spoken into our hearts by the Holy Spirit if we are believers.

    One major theme of the study has been that Jesus possesses absolute authority. He has absolute authority over sin, disease, salvation, and death. As Pastor Platt says, "This is good news for us!"  He has the ability to penetrate to the root of all suffering-sin. He came to reconcile sinners to himself.  How incredible is that?! I simply cannot fathom why a perfect and Holy Lord desires my sinful self, but he does!! So much so that he DIED for it. He reigns over us supremely and brings hope and life.  Now these are remarkable truths that lead to ultimate freedom in Christ. But what are we to do with this?  If we believe that Jesus is our sovereign Lord and we commit our lives to serving Him, we must take it a step further and also believe that He warrants absolute allegiance from the world.

    I have realized that I am not called to merely celebrate the great news of Christ (although that is certainly something I should rejoice in daily) but I am called to tell others about it. I was challenged last sunday with this question: Am I willing to pay the price (whatever it may cost) to spread this news? Throughout the New Testament and especially in the book of Matthew, Jesus calls his disciples to go. He calls us to go to the diseased, to the dying, and to the social outcast- to all of those that are in need of a savior. As daunting as that seems, Jesus does not stop there. He calls us sometimes into dangerous situations and warns that we will be betrayed and persecuted. To me, this does not seem like the ideal informational God could have used to call others to Him. I mean, telling people that there will be suffering in following him isn't the best way to win over a crowd. But as I read through scripture, Jesus never tries to plead or entice people to follow him or convince them their life will be a great hallmark movie. Instead, he simply tells them that He is the way, the truth, and the life. And that, my friends is all we need. We live in a materialistic society where we constantly strive for more. Whether it involves a more expansive designer wardrobe, bigger houses, more expensive cars, etc. We buy into the lie that these things will bring about happiness. Now I am not saying that these things are sinful in and of themselves, but I do believe that if these things have greater importance than your relationship to Christ, then they are stumbling blocks in your faith. I assure you I am guilty of this more than anyone, so please know I am not criticizing. The Lord has just opened my eyes to the idea that I do not find true life in indulging in pleasure, society, or the safety and security of this world.  I find true life in letting all of these things go and clinging to Christ. Pastor Platt made a very bold and convicting statement that will not leave my thoughts. He said if we want a comfortable life in this world, then we need to stay away from Jesus. So we must ask ourselves, do we really want to be like Christ?

     Although this seems incredibly intense, radical abandonment to Christ is a beautiful thing! As convicting as this study has been, I have realized how much hope and peace exists in this. Although we are called to follow Christ wherever he may lead, the glorious news is that we are not doing this alone or by our own strength! God will take care of us! We have a Lord that loves us deeply and has great plans for us.  Our home is not this sinful world. It is my greatest desire to live out the days the Lord has blessed me with on this earth serving him completely until the day He calls me home and in great anticipation for the day Eden is restored. I have been gripped by the urgency of the gospel and incredibly convicted of my own apathetic attitude in the past. My prayer every day is that God will open my eyes to the lost around me and help me rely completely on Him. My prayer for the church and this generation is that we will not settle for the "health, wealth, and prosperity" gospel but truly be a people that follow boldly after the Lord and identify with Paul as he writes in Philippians that to live is Christ, to die is gain.

A Few Favorite Quotes

  I love reading books and listening to sermons.  The author/speaker has invested countless hours and often sought the Lord diligently while preparing and its a beautiful moment when you come across a line or point that strikes your heart to the core.  Sometimes, its an encouraging word that acts as a bandage for a wound or a phrase that provides immense truth and conviction that reverberates through our soul. These are only a minuscule amount of words that hold deep meaning to me. Some are funny, others entirely serious, but the truths are inescapable.

This is God's universe and He does things His way. You may have a better way, but you don't have a universe -Francis Chen

Jesus came to comfort the afflicted, but He also came to afflict the comfortable -Jesus Freaks

This is why the devil tries so hard to get Christians to be religious. If he can sink a man's mind into habit, he will prevent his heart from engaging in God -Donald Miller

We are involved in a spiritual war. The enemy is formidable, the scope is universal, involvement is inevitable. Spiritual retreat only leads to spiritual defeat. The stakes are eternal. [but] we are not alone in this war. We do not fight this war for victory; we fight from victory! -David Platt

This gospel saves, its what people need! Do we believe that? We must refuse to live in self-centered Christianity that hoards it and as those in church buildings that diminish the view and character of God.-Platt

Where is the weeping in our worship? Is there humility? If brokeneess and humility have no place in our worship, then God has no place in our worship. -Platt

What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. Tozer

[Man] is willing to share himself, sometimes even to sacrifice himself for a desired end, but never to dethrone himself. . . he is still in his own eyes a king on a throne -Tozer

We live out our lives sandwiched between a greater narrative and greater need. -Beth Moore

We are saved by grace for a purpose. He set us free so we can set others free. Not so we can have a little Christian "Bless Me" Club but so we can make a different in our dark world. Light is most effective in darkness. 

It is much easier for me to imagine a praying murderer, a praying prostitue, than a vain person praying. Nothing is so at odds  with prayer as vanity. -Bonhoeffer

One cannot simply read the Bible, like other books. One must be prepared really to enquire of it. Only thus will it reveal itself. -Bonhoeffer

Christians cannot be governed by mere principles. Principles could carry one only so far. At some point every person must hear from God, must know what God was calling him to do, apart from others. -Bonhoeffer