sowing_reaping
stuart | November 22, 2010
‘Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously’ 1Cor 9:6
For those of you not there, this was the basis for a sermon I preached last night. Just a few reminders to chew on…
The world around us is in spiritual ruins. The bottom line is that there is work to be done but for us as ‘the church’ there remains a harvest that is plentiful but a workforce that is few in number. And there’s work to be done. There is work to be done! We spend much of our lives ‘spectating’ - TV, internet, sport events, music events, whatever…we do a lot of watching…but when it comes to the work of God’s Kingdom we cannot be spectators.
I shared this thought last night. An image that God engrained on my mind (and heart) one morning last week while I sat down at the Marina in Carrick…
At this Marina there are alot of empty vessals, bobbing about, moored but made for water. These are vessals that, in days like these, need to ‘brave the elements’ – takes men/women of courage. Around the Marina there is a wall, it’s enclosed, it’s confined, it’s safety. If you sit long enough at the Marina (I did) you may see 1 or 2 brave men – up for it, rigging up, ready & willing to get out into the elements. But, the reality is, for most…on days like these, the comfort & warmth of the apartments overlooking the marina & the sea is far too easy an option.
For ‘the church’ these are stormy days. We are alot of empty vessals, bobbing about, moored but made for mission. We are vessals that, in days like these, need to ‘brave the elements’ – takes men/women of courage. Around the Church is a wall, it’s enclosed, it’s confined, it’s safety. If you sit long enough at the Church you may see 1 or 2 brave men/women – up for it, rigging up, ready & willing to get out into the elements. But, the reality is, for most…in days like these, the comfort & warmth of the Church (or perhaps even our living rooms) that simply overlooks the mission field is far too easy an option.
These are days when those who belong to Jesus cannot sleep walk through life. There is work to be done. Hard work. We must get involved. We must all (who claim to follow Jesus) see ourselves as missionaries. We must have long vision – living, not just ‘for the weekends’ but for the generations to come. We must actually speak about Jesus in these days – don’t just rely on your ‘good’ actions. And we must PRAY. Pray for all the above, pray for church leaders/teachers/preachers, pray for each other, pray for courage. Pray earnestly. And we need to pray for a sense of the greatness of this cause. Vince Lombardi (legendary NFL coach):
‘I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious’
Our cause is not good. It’s not even great. It is the greatest. One day, it will be all over on earth and we will lie in the fields in heaven, totally, completely fulfilled, having worked our hearts out in life…victorious. And we will see exactly why it was worth it and the reward will be indescribable.
Let this be a challenge to us all. As God’s people we must not hold back - Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
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