Series: Luke
Sermon Title: And on that farm, there was a…Worker.
Passage: Luke 10:1-3
Reno Campus
Pastor Dave Pretlove
Carson Campus
Pastor Dusty Braun
Campus Announcements / Service Moments
Reno Campus
- Baptism Class August 11
- Foundations: Baptism Class for Kids
- Baptism August 18
- Men’s Breakfast | Aug. 24th
- Women’s Retreat | Sept 20-22
Carson Campus
Series: Luke
Sermon Title: And on that farm, there was a…Worker.
Passage: Luke 10:1-3
Why we work at Jesus’ farm.
- The stakes could not be higher.
- The opportunity could not be better.
- The need could not be larger.
- The invitation could not be clearer.
- The risk and reward could not be greater.
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
- How does the passage in Luke 10:1-2a emphasize the high stakes involved in spreading the message of Jesus?
- Is the size of the “harvest” intimidating?
- How do I perceive the urgency of serving and sharing the Gospel in my daily life? Read 2 Corinthians 5:20, how does this influence your sense of urgency?
- Jesus sent the disciples out in groups of two instead of by themselves. How can we encourage and support one in serving on teams and sharing the gospel with others?
- Why do you think so few people are willing to share the gospel message? Why are the laborers few?
- What opportunities do I have right now to serve others and share the message of Jesus?
- What fears or risks do I face when sharing my faith, and how can I overcome them through trust in God?
- How does the reality of hell and people spending eternity without God motivate us to reach the world for Christ?
- John 5:17 says the Father is always working, just after healing on the Sabbath (seen as an inopportune time).
- In regards to “Go…” in Luke 10:3, how does this relate to the harvest, and our convenience, when considering God’s perfect timing?
- How is discipleship more than just conversion and baptism?
PERSONAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
- How can I better recognize and respond to the spiritual needs of those around me?
- How often do I pray for more workers to join in the harvest, and how can I increase my dependence on God in this mission?
- What practical actions can I take to align my life more closely with the Great Commission?
- Are there patterns of sin in your life that make you think you’re unworthy of being a laborer?
- How can I be more attentive to the opportunities God places in my path to witness to others?
- What steps can I take to become more compassionate and proactive in addressing the spiritual hunger in my community?
- What practical actions can I take to align my life more closely with the Great Commission?
SCRIPTURES TO MEDITATE ON:
RESOURCES:
- ARTICLE | YOU’LL NEVER WISH YOU DID LESS | DESIRING GOD
- PODCAST | FUTURE OF DISCIPLESHIP | ED STETZER
- PODCAST | WHAT ESPN CAN TEACH YOU ABOUT… | CAREY NIEUWHOF
MONTHLY SPIRITUAL PRACTICE TO TRY: False Self
Brian Boecker says “The call of spirituality is to be fully human and fully alive.” As Christ’s followers, we understand that we have an old self and a new self. Our old self was fully alive but needed to“die” in order for us to become fully alive. The wrestling between our old self and our new self will be an unending struggle, even the apostle Paul admits to the same struggle. (Romans 7:15-18) Ruth Haley Barton once said, “…there is a truer self waiting to be recognized and breathed into life by the Spirit of God.” The war between the false self and the true self is real and for some of us, is fought throughout our lives. Franciscan priest Richard Rohr feels that there is no more challenging spiritual issue than the “problem of the self.”
Taking the time to do the deep work of self-recognition as well as self-surrender to become who God intends you to be is the transformational journey of the Christian life. One could argue that this may be the most important spiritual practice to prioritize and initiate. If one does not unpack and deal with their false identity, when you begin to instill new spiritual practices they sit on a false foundation and will ultimately fail.
So why do people fear dealing with their false-self? Some are ignorant, some lazy, but some are fearful of what they may find or who God will shape them to be. The life hidden with Christ in God is one of such growing union with God in love that God’s presence becomes the context of our daily life, God’s purposes become the matrix of our activities, and the values of God’s kingdom shape our life and relationships; God’s living presence becomes the ground of our identity, the source of our meaning, the seat of our value and the center of our purpose. And that way of being in the world is life indeed!
“We need solitude if we intend to unmask the false self and its important-looking image. Alone, without distractions, we put ourselves in a place where God can reveal things to us that we might not notice in the normal preoccupations of life.” (Calhoun, Adele Ahlberg. Spiritual Disciplines Handbook)
Here are a few steps to begin with to initiate false self-recognition.
- Create time and space for solitude.
- Invite the Holy Spirit into the time and confess any distractions.
- Pray Psalm 139:23-24
- Search inside yourself and ask, what is false about my persona that I believe based on scripture.
- Invite God to begin the removal of the belief, attitude, or action.
- Replace it with a truth from scripture.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT:
The harvest of God is plentiful. This statement of scripture is really interesting because oftentimes I fall into a negative cognitive loop that plays a lie over and over that the harvest is small. Given our cultural moment in modernity, a post-Christian society, it often feels like the “harvest” of God is dwindling. But that is a lie the enemy desires for you and me to believe and shackle our courage to live on mission.
People are all created with a spiritual component to them. It truly is the most real aspect of who they are. Our bodies come and go, our minds can come and go both of these can be impacted by age and illness. However, our soul is the truest part of us that is not impacted by the circumstances of our world. It is impacted completely by the agreement of lordship, who or what it aligns and submits to. Every person recognizes and desires at some point to connect their soul to the creator. This is why the command in Matthew to “Go and make disciples” is crucial and our obedience is needed. Satan knows the harvest can be plentiful so he tries to intimidate the harvesters.
Studies demonstrate that our spiritual formation and development are directly tied to giving ourselves away through serving, especially serving the kingdom of God. Todd Adkins, director of Lifeway Leadership, says it like this: “You can’t grow into spiritual maturity apart from using your gifts for service in Christ.” Servanthood is a demonstration of obedience, an exercise in faith, and a revolution against selfishness. Serving empties us of our “me-first” tendencies, seeking to outdo others in showing honor (Romans 12:10).
We see throughout the gospel that Jesus demonstrates the idea of serving as well as setting aside your “position” or “rights” to do so. In fact, The people whose faith life inspires me tend to be people whose life corresponds to selfless service. We all desire to be a part of something bigger than ourselves and contribute to something that matters. Well, there is nothing bigger or more important than the Kingdom of God. The Harvest is plentiful and it needs people who are growing into maturity to set down their desires and step up to harvest.
ROB HANS | SPIRITUAL FORMATION PASTOR