Mobilizing the Laborers
Written by Brigitta Tedja
Watch Pastor Paul’s full sermon here
We bless all the fathers in the house, whether physical or spiritual ones, and may you continue to make a profound impact to those who are under your care. With June being Mission Month, Pastor Paul continued on the series with a sermon entitled, “Mobilizing the Laborers.” May the Holy Spirit continue to anoint and guide us for God has a purpose for every one of our lives.
Pastor Paul began with a personal testimony after he received Jesus 42 years and how he continues to progress and change. He noticed that a desire to know God grew and the heart to share to family and friends and others also grew. In Matthew 28:17-18, when they met Jesus, they worshiped Him but some were still in doubt and were hesitant, but Jesus took the time and approached them. If you are still in doubt, Jesus is here in spirit and wants to use you. Jesus stated that all authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Him so that we can “go”—a mandate, a command, a commission to make disciples of all nations, baptize them in water and spirit, and teach them to observe His commandments. We are living in the end times, but Jesus said He will be with us until the end of the age.
After Pastor Paul received Christ, he returned to Indonesia after a year, for a purpose, and preempted his trip with a 30-day fast. He was able to share the Gospel to his father and to everyone in the villa where he was staying at the time, knowing that the Spirit in him is greater than he who is of the world. One of the workers received Christ and gave Pastor his amulets. Since it was already very late at night, instead of burning all the amulets, Pastor just put them under his bed and went to sleep.
The next morning his father asked what he prayed for the night before. Pastor said he prayed for protection and for no harassment. His father then pointed to the wall where there were hundreds of mosquitoes on the wall, and not one mosquito bit them while they slept. Pastor then showed his father the amulets he wanted to burn. His father accepted Jesus that morning and father and son burned all the amulets and broke their power and hold. This was Pastor’s first visit back to Indonesia, still one year in Christ—a baby Christian. You are also saved with a purpose and God will use you as well.
The worker who gave Pastor his amulets withheld from giving him all the amulets, waiting to see what would happen to him. Once he knew it was safe, he provided the rest of the amulets to be destroyed. After that villa experience, when Pastor and his father went back home, his father also gave up all the amulets he had to be burned. God is more powerful than what is in the amulets.
Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
Heaven is real. Hell is also real. Will you stay ignorant and not share the Good News? Jesus will come again as a Judge and King of kings, Lord of lords, and as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Let there be an impartation in your heart. You cannot be silent, ignorant, or stay passive anymore.
Luke 9:26 “For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, of him, the Son of man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory and in His father’s and of the holy angels.”
1. You are Being Sent Out
Luke 10:1 NKJV: “After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two-by-two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.”
Pay attention on how Jesus appointed seventy others. You will learn that this is amazing. Jesus has authority from Heaven and earth and no one else has authority like Jesus. In Matthew 10, He gave the twelve disciples the power over unclean spirits, to cast out demonic forces, and to heal every disease and sicknesses. Jesus has all authority and gave his disciples the power. He gave power to the 12, to the 70, and commanded all of us to “GO!”
How do you know if you have the power unless you go and do it? Pastor did not know he had the authority over the amulets until he did it. Jesus sent them two-by-two, into 35 groups. This is very simple, just do it!
Luke 10:2 NKJV: “Then He said to them, ‘The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
You are the laborers, the harvesters, do the simple thing of going out two-by-two to share the Good News. Pastor’s roommate with the same name, birthday, birth year, the “good Paul,” planned to go with him two-by-two to their friends and then to people they do not know. Pastor partnered with a friend and went to Cal Poly Pomona and asked what God wanted to do. It is simple and doable. The strategy was simple; one speaks while one prays. The language of love bypassed any differences, even with broken English. The man they witnessed to received Jesus and his countenance changed at that very moment. Seize the opportunity because the Spirit of the Lord is upon you to heal the broken-hearted, set the captives free, to proclaim the year of the favor of the Lord.
2. CARE Cells (CARE: Caring And Reaching Everyone)
One way to seize the opportunity is through CARE Cells. It is not a social club. It is alright to fellowship and eat together but remember to eat with a purpose. Make plans and share the Gospel. For example; once in a month, plan, dedicate, and make time to reach out. One week dedicated to “GO”, go two-by-two, and share the Gospel. Activate this. Unless you do it, you become passive. With many things going on in the nation, what are we going to do? With mass shootings everywhere, perhaps when you become an active Christian, you can change the atmosphere and the person you are sharing to.
Edmund Burke “For evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.”
Pastor shared the story of a 3YO child falling into the gorilla enclosure. The father thought the mother was taking care of their active son, he was passive, and the son was dragged around by the gorilla and spent several days in the hospital. This is a reminder to be proactive because people can die from you being passive. You are a sent one!
Romans 10:13-15 NKJV
For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear if nobody tells them?
And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it?
Pastor Paul was actively sharing the Gospel and within 2 years, all of his family members received Jesus! It was special when he baptized his older sister. What Pastor observed is that when we received the mandate, many still did not want to go. We know it in our heads, but we do not want to act upon it. Jesus loves the world so much that He wants everyone to be saved. Jesus provided us with the commandment and because we do not want to do it, Jesus provides us with the special gift of persecution. In Acts 1:8, they received the power of the Holy Spirit to become His witnesses to all nations. In Acts 8, you read the persecution was initiated by Saul (the terrorist) who put Christians to prison. Within four verses of Acts 8:1-4, they were scattered by force but preached the Gospel everywhere they went.
Do not be exclusive within your CARE Cell, for we are here for a purpose as these are the last days. Many evil things are out there. Let us respond to God’s Word without waiting for persecution to come to our doors without permission. Are we ashamed of the Gospel? Do not be too comfortable with your life. Do not allow any excuses to stop you. Whether you are an introvert or are afraid. It is very easy!
3. Overcoming Fear (Points of Power)
Know God’s heart.
1 Timothy 2:4 “God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Prepare personal testimonies.
Court of Law: Take an oath to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. You are a witness and you tell the truth of what you see, what you hear, and what you have experienced. It is not difficult if you say the truth. If you practice it more and more, it will become easier and easier.
Hang around with friends who are bolder than yourself.
Intentionally make plans to reach out and step out with faith.
With no intentionally, years will easily pass. Heaven and hell are real, so share the Gospel before it is too late.
Involve the Holy Spirit and take action.
Point of Power—take action!
Be in an environment where your faith is built up.
How? Join CARE Cell and may your conversations be simple, doable, and always involve the presence and testimony of God.
GYM story: RobRobert, COVID experience (discharged in 2 days), prayer
You will experience double JOY! Unlike sorrow that is cut in half when shared.
Continue building your passion for the Lord.
Listen to sermons, read and study biographies of great men and women of God—past and present.
Fire in our bones like Jeremiah.
Feeding on the things that inspire you to take risks for God.
Focus on what the Lord can do through you, not your shortcomings.
Excuse of not being perfect.
“Ordinary people displaying an extraordinary God.”
Remind yourself of what God has done for you, what He is doing now, and what He wants to do in and through you.
Just do it!
It is OKAY to be nervous. It is not OKAY if you are ignorant or remain passive.
4. Be Bold and Loving
Don’t be afraid of rejection.
Be secure, remember that your source comes from God, not man.
Be God-conscious, not self-conscious.
Know that you are loved by God and you are sharing the Good News.
It is as easy as a phone call to reach your unsaved friends or family
Do not take rejection personally.
If they reject you, know that not everyone will receive Jesus.
Luke 10:16 “He who hears you, hears Me. He who rejects you, rejects Me. He who rejects Me, rejects Him who sent Me.”
Matthew 10:14 “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off of your feet when you leave that house or town.”
Matthew 10:32 “Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in Heaven, but whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father.”
On this Father’s Day, we have a Heavenly Father who is much better than our earthly fathers. Pray and say, “Here I am, use me, God.” It is time to be activated and become engaged, to no longer stay passive. Go and make disciples of all nations. Go, far and near! Share the Gospel because if we are passive, someone will die not knowing Christ.
Prayer Points:
Pray that we understand the mandate to go and share the Good News, for God has a purpose for our lives.
Pray to know that we are being sent out with the power and authority from Jesus
Pray to no longer be passive
Go two-by-two, be laborers with intentionality
Develop a simple strategy
Just do it!
Pray for the congregation to join CARE Cells
Not a social club
Seize the opportunity
Do not wait until persecution comes
Pray to overcome fear, doubt, shame, and ignorance
Refer to Point #3: “Overcoming Fear”, Points of Power
Pray to be bold and loving
Refer to Point #4: “Be Bold & Loving”
Be the Salt & Light:
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THE PRAYERS BELOW ARE COURTESY OF:
www.presidentialprayerteam.org
Pray for Education:
The Agriculture Department announced that it is expanding a program to pay to feed as many as 34 million schoolchildren during the summer months, using funds from the coronavirus relief package approved in March. Eligible children’s families would receive $6.82 per child for each weekday, adding up to $375 per child over the summer months.
We pray for teachers, district boards of education, curricula writers, and students as they prepare for what is hoped-for in-person learning in the fall.
Pray for the American Economy:
The limited availability of existing single-family homes on the market is pushing prices to the highest levels on record. Low-interest rates are spurring desire among homeowners, but the coronavirus pandemic exacerbated a lack of inventory in the market, leaving buyers to compete for a limited number of homes, pushing prices higher. Employers could have trouble hiring workers quickly enough to keep up with the projected burst of economic growth in the coming months. Consumer spending at restaurants, hotels, and salons is already taking off as more people get vaccinated. But economic activity is ticking up faster than payrolls causing bottlenecks in hiring and wage pressures.
We pray for the discernment for governing officials as they continue to work towards economic recovery following the pandemic.
Pray for Our Military:
Many veterans of the Afghanistan War are glad to see American troops return home and the flow of casualties come to a stop. At the same time, some wonder if both the financial cost and the lives lost were well invested, given the less-than-victorious result. Veterans of Vietnam see their country again leaving behind unfinished wars and allies left to face the consequences—echoes of what happened in Southeast Asia. General Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, told Congress it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the U.S. to find, track, and take out counterterrorism threats in Afghanistan once all the American troops are withdrawn. He said terror groups in Afghanistan, including Al Qaeda and the Islamic State, continue to aspire to attack the U.S.
We pray for U.S. military leaders and for the troops of America’s wars, particularly for the wounded veterans who suffer physical and emotional loss.
Pray for America’s Foreign Relations:
Russia’s President Putin warned the West not to cross Russia’s “red lines,” saying Moscow would respond swiftly and harshly to any provocations and those responsible would regret it. “We want good relations . . . and really don’t want to burn bridges,” he told his parliament. “But if someone mistakes our good intentions for interference or weakness and threats to burn down or even blow up those bridges, they should know that Russia’s response will be asymmetrical, swift, and harsh.” China’s President Xi Jinping has called for a new world order in response to the U.S. attempting to create new supply chains and prohibiting high-tech goods from being sold to Chinese companies. He said the unilateralism of individual countries should not set the standard for the rest of the world. “Building walls and decoupling violate economic and market rules, harming others,” he said.
We pray for wisdom for America’s political and military leaders in how they address tensions with Russia and China.
GO! Be mobilized to share the Good News now!