Title: Jesus Calls Workers / Luke 10:1-12
Content: Jesus Calls Workers
God wants all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Therefore, it is God's will that the gospel be preached to all peoples in the world. There are still many unreached people groups who have not heard the Gospel. Also, even if the Christian population in Korea is about 11 million, we are not satisfied with this. This number is only one-fourth of the total population, and the gospel must continue to be preached to the rest who are three times as many. Jesus is calling people who will work hard to evangelize. The text tells us this.
First, Jesus sent workers.
Earlier, Jesus called the twelve disciples for a special purpose. Mark 3:14-15 explains that the purpose is to be with the Lord and to send them to evangelize and to have the authority to cast out demons. Luke 6:13 points out that the Lord called them apostles. The original word translated "apostle" means "one who is sent." Perhaps because of the meaning of the word, the Lord did not use the title at the time he chose them, but when he sent them afterward. Because it doesn't make sense to call those who are not sent "sent." In 9:1-2 it is recorded that the Lord gave them power and authority and sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
Jesus did not wait for the twelve disciples to finish their training, but sent them out to evangelize the twelve disciples in training. And besides the 12 disciples, he appointed 70 others and sent them out in pairs to evangelize. The twelve disciples who live and live together with the Lord are still in their weakness, but these 70 were not able to do anything less than that, and it is unlikely that they would have been any better. When Jesus sent them, he said, "I am sending you out as lambs among wolves." These words reflect the Lord's concern for them. Because this means that they are weak as lambs. Nevertheless, Jesus sent them to evangelize. He didn't wait for them to become spiritually mature disciples, but he sent them, though they were immature. That was the Lord's will. That is why evangelism is so desperate. In fact, experience shows that evangelism strengthens our faith and leads to spiritual maturity.
Second, Jesus calls workers.
Jesus was not satisfied with sending the twelve disciples. So he appointed 70 other men besides them and sent them away. But they weren't enough either. When Jesus sent them, He told them to pray to God that He would send workers to the harvest with them. The Lord did not need a small number of workers, but a large number of workers. Not only did he need workers then, but he also needs workers today. There are so many people dying without hearing the Gospel. There are so many people who live an unhappy life because they do not know the Gospel. If anyone is saved, it is the will of the Lord to evangelize. Many people have already responded to the Lord's call and have jumped into the harvest field. Who will respond to the Lord's call today and jump into evangelism? The workers the Lord is looking for are not perfect disciples. The worker the Lord uses is not a disciple who is not always aware of the temptations of sin and always lives unwaveringly. The workers that the Lord wants are those who come forward in obedience to the Lord's will, even if they have shortcomings or have little years of faith.
The first Baptist missionary to Korea was Malcolm Fenwick. He was a layman in the hardware business in Canada. Although he had never received a theological education, he obeyed when the Lord called him. He testified of how he came to be a missionary.
That evening I heard from a brother named Wilder from India about a dying man desperately searching for water in the desert. Brother Wilder said: If you pour water into a colorful glass jug and pour it into a gorgeous glass, you will be gratefully received. However, even if water was poured into a dirty and crumpled can, he would have been gratefully received and ate it and saved his life. All he needs is water.
After hearing this simple example, I had a will in my heart. The attitude of the past, which made excuses for not getting an education or not studying theology, was thrown out at once. I thought that at least a crumpled and shabby canister could deliver the water of life.
It's okay if you haven't been there yet. From now on, obey the Lord's call. In Matthew 20, Jesus gave a parable about the workers of the vineyard and the wages. In Israel, around the end of October, the grapes are ripe, and it is said that a lot of rain falls after that. Therefore, if the farmer does not harvest quickly, the farming he has built up to that point will be in vain. For this reason, even an hourly worker is welcome during harvest season. Jesus compared God to the owner of a vineyard who is looking for workers in the morning. The owner of the vineyard went out at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock and called the workers. 3 p.m. is 9 a.m. and 9 a.m. is 3 p.m. And at 11 o'clock, 6 pm, he went out and still called the staff. "Why do you stand here playing all day long?" ?쏽ou also go into the vineyard??(verse 7). Some people are called at such a late hour.
The prophet Isaiah heard the voice of God. "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" He responded to God's call by saying: ?쏦ere am I; send me??(Isaiah 6:8).
Notice that it was the workers who prayed for more workers to be sent, not the bystanders. Thousands of Christians are praying that they send others to do the work they don't want to do.
Shortly after New Year?셲 Day in 1983, a house next to Suuri Sale Theater in Dobong-gu, Seoul caught on fire, and a five-year-old child was burned to death.
occurred. A working woman was cooking in the kitchen at around 7 in the morning when she heard a "pop" sound, and then a fire broke out. Then, the fire escaped without screaming once. The teacher, who was sleeping in the room, seemed to hear a noise from the kitchen, but believed that the housekeeper would be in the kitchen, and was tired and continued to sleep. At this time, the husband who arrived after going for a walk in the morning was startled to see a fire, so he hurriedly jumped up and rescued his wife and child, but the life of the child could not be saved.
How much would you have resented the housekeeper who ran out without yelling once for the fire to live only for herself? They only screamed once...