Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."
I completely understand this passage of Scripture. Right now for my Junior High small group program I am desperately short of adults to help disciple students. Parents seem to have no problem dropping their kid off but seemingly don't want any part of helping make sure their student and others students get discipled. Since when did ministry become a babysitting program? Is there something wrong with people in the church that they do not want to serve? Am I such a poor leader that I cannot attract people to serve? Is the JH program off-base in that people don't serve because they don't see it as important enough? I am so lost and confused as a leader right now. I feel like a failure and hurt so deeply for my students. I don't know what to do next. What happens next? Do I need to re-tool the program? Do I need to just give up? Do I start begging? I don't know. Is the church relevant to people anymore? Do people actually care about what Christ says or do they just like the idea of being a Christian? I am so thankful for my leaders that do serve, but it just seems that there is never enough.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Workers For The Harvest
Posted by Landon at 11:54 AM
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4 comments:
Ok I feel bad for not being there, but you have me to count on as soon as I get back! Sorry that it is so rough. You and the fam and all of LP are always in my prayers.
PS- I think that its awesome that your live feed knows I am in spain.... kinda creepy though
Why does Students and Childrens Ministries always suffer? I work in the Preschool area, and we are constantly needing help. Parents get mad because we can't take their kids (due to ratios, not enough help), yet they never step up and serve. We have quite a few faithful servant ministers, but with the increase of children, we are constantly struggling.
I know this might sound harsh however I did not say it. Your answer brother is exactly what you quoted. Jesus said "The workers are few" which is because the believers are few Matt 7. Where there is a weak gospel preached which is no gospel at all Galatians 1:1-10; there also will be a place where goats are training goats to be sheep. Where there is a light view of the cross there is no view of the Truth.
Spurgeon said it this way
“The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them...providing amusement for the people is nowhere spoken of in the Scriptures as a function of the church...the need is for Biblical doctrine, so understood and felt that it sets men aflame.”
The real problem is that the church should not have to be relevant to the people. The word already is. It is just that man according to scripture hate God and want nothing to do with him and know one wants to preach that anymore (its probly not relavent).
Until we see that all men have no intentions to come to God and that they are wicked like Gen 6:5 states " The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every c intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." and that we cannot convince anyone by being relevant to them; to "accept Jesus into thier heart". Then will we depend on sola scriptura and see men saved, then will you see a willingness to serve; and not serve the "church" but men will start to serve their savior that saved them from what they deserve.
So the question is not why can't you find people to serve? the question is when are we going to preach the Truth with no compromise or silly gimics to get kids to come foward and pray a prayer (which you will never find in scripture) and will never save a soul.
I think the best thing to do is go to God's word and see how much of your ministry is based on scripture, not in a legalistic way) but in Truthand love, if you cannot find it then squash everything repent of doing your own works (which we are guilty of at times) and go to God. It does not matter if you have 3 grown-ups for ever 1 kid. Because if God is not part of it then is it all dead without hope.
I hope that God gives us all a spirit of repentance and grow us in holiness, Go to God not man, you can only trust Him and Him alone.
Wow, I'd say you made a pretty big leap from a ministry calling out for volunteers to a ministry where "the believers are few" and they use "silly gimics to get kids to come foward and pray a prayer (which you will never find in scripture) and will never save a soul." In fact, prayer does save souls. And I wonder which gimics you speak of . . . I have been there for worshipful music and messages that speak of the truth of sin and death all aimed at reaching the kids who are there searching. I have also been there for goofy games and foosball all aimed at having fun. Nowhere does the Bible say fellowship can't be fun. Maybe you need to understand the heart behind this post -- a pastor asking fellow believers to step up and serve -- and not read into it a pastor who takes a "light view of the Cross" and question whether God is a part of his work. Let God judge the heart of this man and his work; it is for us to Love God and love people. I know you love Him but your response was not loving to His people.
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