| It is amazing a land of such wealth and prosperity | | | | going to be a surplus of called workers in the WELS |
| suffers shortages. Since it hasn't rained this year, we | | | | until the day after Jesus has come back. |
| have a bit of a water shortage here in what may | | | | We are the Lord's answer to the peace shortage. |
| become a permanent drought. According to some, | | | | Jesus gave his missionaries these instructions. |
| farmers have a worker shortage so we need illegal | | | | "When you enter a house, first say, 'Peace to this |
| immigrants to harvest America's fields and orchards. | | | | house.' If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest |
| The newspapers tell us there is a security shortage, | | | | on him; if not, it will return to you. When you enter a |
| with al-Qaeda daily growing in power and expertise. | | | | town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. |
| "What can we do?" most experts bemoan as they | | | | Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The |
| ineffectually wring their hands waiting for their | | | | kingdom of God is near you.' But when you enter a |
| consulting paychecks to be cashed. | | | | town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and |
| When it comes to matters of faith, America seems to | | | | say, 'Even the dust of your town that sticks to our |
| be on the short end of the stick also. Polls reveal most | | | | feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The |
| Americans believe in a God, but a majority of them | | | | kingdom of God is near.' I tell you it will be more |
| aren't sure how to get there. Here's the real kicker -3 | | | | bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. |
| out of 4 Lutherans (Barna, 2001) agree that works get | | | | He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects |
| you into heaven! Our synod is facing a financial | | | | you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him |
| shortage, for the what, sixth year in a row? And if we | | | | who sent me (5-12)." |
| end up closing one of our preparatory high schools | | | | There's a shortage of peace on earth. We're the |
| some swear we will have a shortage of workers. | | | | cause. Our sins have separated us from God, Isaiah |
| "What do we do?" say the religious leaders as they | | | | tells us. We've got the chip on our shoulders. That's |
| plan for the purchase of retirement homes in some of | | | | why we call natural disasters "acts of God." That's |
| the neat places their business travel brought them to. | | | | why, when terrible things happen, we ask, "Why did |
| Am I the only who thinks this is crazy? Hasn't it hit you | | | | God let this happen?" There's this feeling deep down |
| that we are the answer? I mean, not to some of | | | | that God is out to get us. That's a guilty conscience at |
| these problems, because it's not the preacher's duty to | | | | work inside us. |
| tell you which detergent to use, whether to switch to | | | | We are the Lord's answer to the peace shortage. The |
| xeriscape or keep that lawn, whether to vote for or | | | | missionary's job was to spread the message of |
| against your representatives in Washington because | | | | peace. "Peace to this house." It wasn't a 60's idle wish, |
| of their stand on immigration, but the church problems, | | | | "Peace, man." It was the peace that came through the |
| it must have dawned that | | | | forgiveness of sins God would accomplish through |
| We Are the Lord's Answer. | | | | Jesus the Savior. That was the Kingdom of God. The |
| 1.To the worker shortage (1-4). | | | | time was near when all sins would be paid for on the |
| 2. To the peace shortage (5-12, 16). | | | | cross. Already now, God was making his appeal to |
| 3.To the security shortage (17-20). | | | | hurting and hateful mankind, "Be reconciled to God." |
| Jesus thought so. He sent out seventy-two | | | | "Yeah, but what if they don't listen to me." |
| missionaries as advance men for his arrival at towns | | | | Oh, come on! You've never had kids that didn't listen to |
| and villages. Luke records his words for us. | | | | you? What did you do? You kept talking to them until |
| "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask | | | | they listened. And the kingdom of God is a lot more |
| the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out | | | | important than getting their feet off the living room |
| workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out | | | | sofa. |
| like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag | | | | "But I don't like being rejected." It's not you they are |
| or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road (Luke | | | | rejecting. You are just the mailman delivering the |
| 10.2-4)." | | | | message (and what a wonderful message it is). If they |
| Jesus had work to do and he had to do it fast. He | | | | reject the message they are rejecting Jesus and the |
| didn't have nineteen years, like I've had here in one | | | | God who sent him. Look at it the other way. Not a one |
| congregation. He had less than three years, max, for | | | | of us would brag, "They became a Christian because |
| an entire country. He needed more workers. He tells | | | | of me." That's the work of the Holy Spirit. That's |
| his followers to pray for workers because the souls | | | | because of what Jesus has done to pay for their sins. |
| were there for the saving. It seems they did pray. | | | | That's the result of the Father's love for all mankind. No |
| Matthew's account records a bit of a time lapse | | | | one would be so megalomaniac as to claim credit for |
| between Jesus urging them to pray and Jesus sending | | | | saving another soul. And no one should have such a |
| them out. But after they pray, Jesus turns around and | | | | high opinion of themselves as to take people's |
| tells them they are the answer to their own prayers. | | | | rejection of the Gospel as a rejection of them. The |
| They are the Lord's answer to the worker shortage. | | | | message is still the same and the outcome will still be |
| Two-by-two he sends them out on a mission so | | | | the same. The kingdom of God is near. People are |
| urgent, they weren't to dilly-dally along the way and | | | | going to enter heaven. So get the word out! We are |
| they weren't to waste precious time worrying about | | | | the Lord's answer to the peace shortage. |
| what they would eat or dragging around needless | | | | And to the security shortage. |
| luggage. | | | | The missionaries were tremendously successful. "Lord, |
| I'll just cut to the chase today on this one, because it is | | | | even the demons submit to us in your name (17)." |
| hot out and there's no place like home. You and I are | | | | Heady stuff. The Holy Spirit had enabled them to |
| the Lord's answer to the shortage of workers. | | | | perform miracles as signs that they were men sent |
| Haven't we all prayed that a close friend, a son, a | | | | from God. That is what the Jews expected. Their |
| daughter, a spouse or other relative, be converted, be | | | | prophets often were miracle workers as proof of their |
| saved by finally believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior? | | | | credentials. Naturally, the missionaries were pumped up |
| If we think we haven't, what in the world are we | | | | about it. Jesus puts it into perspective. |
| praying for in the Lord's Prayer, "Thy kingdom come"? | | | | "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given |
| Isn't it that God's saving grace come to us and through | | | | you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and |
| us to others? And what has happened to those | | | | to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will |
| prayers? God hears them all, but are we hearing his | | | | harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits |
| answer? When will it dawn on us that we are the | | | | submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written |
| ones the Lord wants to spread his saving message to | | | | in heaven (18-19)." |
| those so near and dear to us. "Ah, Pastor, I've tried. I've | | | | Yes, their work is delivering a knock-out blow to Satan |
| talked and talked and talked until I'm blue in the face!" | | | | and his hellish minions. Jesus pictures their work as |
| Well, keep trying, but don't keep banging your head | | | | stomping on serpents and scorpions, symbols of evil. |
| against the wall in the same place. Keep living our | | | | They are overcoming the enemy. The devil cannot |
| Christian life as a testimony to those people. I meet a | | | | harm their soul. But that's not where the problem will |
| lot of non-Christians who know members of our | | | | come from. |
| church and when I mention that name, they say, "Oh, I | | | | "However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, |
| know him/her. He/she is a great person!" Well, if that | | | | but rejoice that your names are written in heaven |
| person is a consistent churchgoer, what a powerful | | | | (20)." |
| testimony there is that they are a great person | | | | They must focus on the eternal life that has been |
| because they have a great God. If they are a | | | | given to them and, by God's eternal promises, assured |
| delinquent, barely making Christmas and Easter | | | | to them. What good is power over the devil if you |
| services, what kind of Christian testimony does that | | | | throw your own faith away? What good is spreading |
| give this nice unbeliever who needs to realize church is | | | | the Word of God, if you determine along the way it is |
| where he needs to be on Sunday mornings to find out | | | | all a bunch of myths and fairy tales? |
| how to get to heaven? Deeds, not words. Maybe that | | | | I know a lot of pastors who, you just get this feeling, |
| unrelenting Christian example you give in your life is the | | | | had to be pastors. It was the only way they were |
| persistent river the Holy Spirit will use to cut through | | | | going to actually listen to sermons-their own! I know a |
| that bedrock of unbelief so the person you love will | | | | lot of people who had to be Sunday School teachers, |
| finally take the time to hear the Word of God and by | | | | because that was the only way they were going |
| hearing, come to faith. | | | | review those saving stories about Jesus. I know many, |
| I would be a complete idiot not to mention the public | | | | many young men and women who had to go to |
| ministry. I've been here, almost twenty years. Who is | | | | Catechism class, because that was the only way they |
| this congregation going to send into the ministry to | | | | were going have the building blocks of their faith |
| replace me? I'm 53, that's 12 more years until | | | | memorized so they would have the answers at the |
| retirement. Golly, there is no time to lose, because if a | | | | weirdest times when friends asked them what they |
| young man enters high school today, he's got just | | | | thought about life after death or God. |
| enough time to get though college and seminary to be | | | | Jesus promised us that by believing in him and diligently |
| my replacement. And I'm not going to even mention all | | | | studying his Word, we would know the truth and the |
| the other pastors this congregation has talked our | | | | truth would set us free. Free from the insecurity of not |
| synod into sending into this town (4). Don't we feel a | | | | knowing where we are going to be when we die is |
| responsibility to help restock for them, too? There is | | | | one of the biggest freedoms that comes to mind. |
| not another profession like it in the world. Never will | | | | So, there you have it. |
| you be bored, never will you be lonely. You will be the | | | | We Are the Lord's Answer. |
| messenger that brings so much comfort and joy to | | | | 1.To the worker shortage (1-4). |
| people who do not know where else to go. And, lest | | | | 2. To the peace shortage (5-12, 16). |
| the girls think they are being left out, I've got a secret | | | | 3.To the security shortage (17-20). |
| for you. Our teachers in the school aren't getting any | | | | We going to be part of the solution? Or are we going |
| younger. We've got to have not only preaching | | | | to be part of that wimpy, whiny band of hang wringers |
| ministers, but teaching ministers as well. There is never | | | | waiting for the next disaster to fear? |