The harvest is overwhelming and there is a shortage of laborers, but the Master of the harvest is infinitely more interested in his harvest than we could ever be. He commands us to pray that he will “cast out” more laborers into his harvest field.
Jesus approached his disciples, some of whom were worshipping while others doubted, and reminded them that all authority had been given to him. Based on that authority, he commanded them to make disciples.
What God provides must be received by faith. What is received by faith must be announced in faithfulness. Only as this gospel is proclaimed and the Lord opens the eyes of the lost are people converted. The power is not in our presentation, but in our Savior.
Satan not only tried to attack with threats from outside the church, but from corruption from within. Persecution could scatter a community of believers, but wrong teaching or values could fracture an assembly. The purity of the church is important to God.
The greatest opposition you will face in giving the gospel may not be from secular sources, but from those who are devoted to a dead religion. This chapter tells Christ’s body what they can expect and how they are to respond.
Our morality is founded on our theology. What we believe determines how we act. How can we please God with the money and resources which he has entrusted to us? Two biblical principles can help us please God, and they stem from two of God’s attributes: his sovereignty and his goodness.