The Church has failed to know and understand her primary assignment. We talk about
everything the gospel has brought and we have gained through it, except the
true gospel and heartbeat of the Father:- that men be saved and come unto the
knowledge of the truth. The present-day church has no compassion for souls. We
have ignored the real reason for our being believers. What we go through is
nothing and will be nothing if only we will give ourselves to God's business.
We focus more on self-preservation fretting over things we shouldn’t. This is
one of the reasons we cannot be true labourers-We are SELF CENTERED,
NEED-CONSCIOUS and NEED-DRIVEN.
ONE
OF THE EASIEST WAYS TO MATURE IS TO TAKE UP RESPONSIBILITIES.
When
we willingly take up the responsibility of fulfilling God’s desire, our
capacity is enlarged. Anyone who signs in to be a labourer has signed in for
accelerated growth in all ramification.
God
has given us the privilege to undertake this task as labourers. Let's count it
as such. It is important we start from what is most important, which is praying.
There is a problem with our commitment if we have to be forced to pray.
Jesus didn't just ask us to pray, he gave us the prayer point.
If
you truly PRAY, you will GIVE and also PREACH. Many times¸ all we use our
faith for is to RECEIVE from Him. You don’t become spiritually strong if all
you do is come to church, hear the word day in and day out and you are not
imparting anyone. How many have encountered Christ through you, how many
are growing in the knowledge of Him through you?
This
was the reason Jesus told His disciples that they should pray to the Lord of
the harvest to send forth labourers into His harvest. “Then He said to His
disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the labourers are few.
Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His
harvest."
Matthew
9:37-38
We
have said, that, we have three types of labourers namely;
PRAYING,
PAYING AND PREACHING LABOURERS
Remember,
the takeoff point is prayers. If we truly pray, in the place of prayers, God
will give us the inspiration and light on how to go about winning souls, also
in the place of prayers, compassion and passion for souls will well up in our
hearts.
One
major trait of a labourer is WILLINGNESS. Do whatever God asks you to do
willingly and gladly, that’s one way you will also receive from Christ. This
was a trait of the early church. They were not forced to gather, they did so
willingly. When Saul encountered the Lord, his first question was, “Lord, what
would you have me do”? This ought to be the question of every true believer in
Christ.
PREACHING
LABOURER
Another
word for preaching is proclaiming. Preaching is more than just talking, It
isn’t just about preaching the gospel. It is about your whole life proclaiming
and revealing Jesus. In thoughts, words, action and your entire lifestyle. As
believers, we ought to allow our faith/profession in Christ to speak in every
aspect of our lives. There should be no separation. We shouldn’t have a secular
life different from our lives in Christ. Both should go hand in hand.
See
Deut. 6:1-13. The Israelites were a shadow of the real to come and God laid out
His commandment to them which was to be obeyed and not analysed. We are a type
of Israelites and more is expected of us. Many times, we don’t pray as we
should. If we are truly shining, we will be persecuted. You can’t deny Christ
and expect His power and glory to show forth in your life. We are in a pruning
season, if we interpret it correctly, we will bear more fruit but if otherwise,
we would be cut off. Our attitudes and misplaced priorities hinder God in our
lives.
WE
ARE TO USE ANY AND EVERY OPPORTUNITY AND PLATFORM TO REVEAL CHRIST.
Acts
1:8 tells how Jesus told the Apostles to stay in Jerusalem until the Holy Ghost
comes and they were to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and unto the
uttermost parts of the earth. Still, this injunction was not carried out
because the Apostles and disciples continued to live in Jerusalem even after
the Holy Ghost had come and God was adding to them.
Acts
8: 1, 4. But great persecution came that scattered them all over the places(
Judea, Samaria...) Jesus had told them to go. If we do not go willingly, we
will be forced to do so. The good news, however, was that, as the scattering
came they went about preaching the gospel of Christ. This scattering was
pruning and thank God, they interpreted it correctly and they kept bearing
fruit wherever they went.
TRAITS
OF LABOURERS
- A
true labourer is full of PASSION which is birth out of COMPASSION
- A
true labourer is WILLING. One who does the work willingly.
Let
us be labourers indeed.
