"Building a Church Through Outreach"
What are You Waiting For?
ELCOG 10/14/07
Text: Ecclesiastes 11:1-6
Today, I want to encourage you to get busy. I want to encourage you start planting your seeds. We are living in the last days and we must be concerned with the lost souls in our area. I know that you have heard this theme a lot over the past few years. I know that you think that I am a broken record, but I want you to become modern day John the Baptist declaring prepare ye the way of the Lord. Shouting across the city, "Get ready, Jesus is coming!"
Matt. 9:35
35And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
Matt. 9:36
36But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Matt. 9:37
37Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
Matt. 9:38
38Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
We need to take some lessons from Jesus. He was busy doing kingdom works; teaching, preaching and healing sickness and then he looked out and saw the multitude and his heart broke because he realized they needed help. His heart broke with compassion because he knew that somebody had to reach the multitudes. We need to first start doing the works of the kingdom. We need to be teaching, preaching and praying for the sick. We need to be busy working for God, but we can not have tunnel vision. Many church people today never look up and out. We keep our head buried in our work, our family, our leisure activities and we never look out. When will the church take up the great commission and go into all the world and preach the gospel.
The harvest is plenteous. There are plenty of people to win to the lord. There are plenty of people to preach the gospel to, but we must be willing to go. You must be willing to cast your bread on the water. You must be willing to share your gifts. As we share our gifts God will bring them back to us again.
Here is the problem with many of us. Other, than keeping our hands in the sand, we are still waiting for the perfect time.
We have a small stir from the messages that I preach, but it is not the right time. I’ll know when the stars line up just right, I’ll know when it’s my time to work, I’ll know when its time for me to give. After-all:
Eccl. 3:1
1To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
Eccl. 3:2
2A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
Eccl. 3:3
3A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
Eccl. 3:4
4A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
Eccl. 3:5
5A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
Eccl. 3:6
6A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
Eccl. 3:7
7A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
Eccl. 3:8
8A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
Now is the time to win the harvest. Solomon said that if you wait for the perfect time you will never get it done. There is no such thing as perfect timing, you just have to step out and start planting seeds. You have to get busy in Kingdom work.
Verse 6 says that it is important to stay busy and to plant a variety of crops, in other words, don’t just plant one thing expecting to have abundance. Some of the seeds that you plant may not produce.
Matt. 13:3
3And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
Matt. 13:4
4And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
Matt. 13:5
5Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
Matt. 13:6
6And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
Matt. 13:7
7And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
Matt. 13:8
8But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
Matt. 13:9
9Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
If you plant a little you will reap a little. Some people only plant a small crop and then they wonder why they are getting an abundance. Remember:
2 Cor. 9:6
6But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Gal. 6:7
7Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Gal. 6:8
8For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Gal. 6:9
9And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Stop waiting on the perfect season and start sowing. Start planting seeds and let’s us reap a harvest.
What are you waiting for? The perfect time? If you don’t start soon, you will not have the time to reap. **Please remember that it takes a little time to reap. If I plant today, it may be months before I reap. What if the ground is not prepared? What if the seed falls on thorns or rocks? That is why I must plant a variety of crops.
Matt. 28:18
18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Matt. 28:19
19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Matt. 28:20
20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Go therefore….. Go teach, go preach, go heal the sick and look for the multitudes. You are not alone. Christ is with you. I’ve been reminding you of this a lot lately, you are not alone. Christ is with you.
Heb. 13:5
5Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Heb. 13:6
6So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Go plant. The time is better than it has ever been. You must begin the planting. You must begin the work. You will never finish if you do not start. You can not finish a race that you have not started. "On your mark, get set, GO!"