Hartland Spring Convocation 2019: Ye Shall be Witnesses

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Hartland Institute of Health and Education

Jason Sliger

The Need for Missions

Father in heaven, we are grateful that we can come together as a church family.

And even though we may not know each other intimately, as friends, as fellow students, as co-workers, We have a commonality, Lord, and that is You are our Father.

And Lord, we've come here tonight because we want to hear a word from You.

And so Lord, we invite the sweet presence of your Holy Spirit to grace us with his presence.

That you would take the words that are spoken, mold them and shape them, that they may be applied to our hearts the way you intend.

I remember it like it was yesterday, even though it was 21 years ago, I was sitting in a hot, muggy country, looking at an airport that I was just about to get into to travel back home.

I had just been in this country for 2 and a half weeks.

I was on the Negros Island in the Philippines.

Nobody here from the, ah, there was a couple back over there.

And it was my first mission trip as a young person.

And we had just done a 2 week prophecy seminar.

I remember I was standing there, this life transforming experience had just happened over the last 2 weeks.

And I'm looking into this airport, and as I'm looking into this airport, I see all of these people all over the place just milling around, poor, middle class, outcasts of society, some just hanging on the fence, looking at all of the foreigners as they were coming off the plane into the country.

And as I sat there and as I reflected over the past 2 weeks of my life, I was remembering all of the terrific things that had happened in my time there.

While I was there, as I mentioned, we helped with a Bible Prophecy Seminar and I was part of the group that was helping with the kids meetings.

We had just as many people in the kids meetings as they did in the adult meetings.

I was just full to overflowing and it was such a wonderful experience.

But I remember seeing as I was there in the Philippines, this was my first time out of the United States other than the United Kingdom.

And I remember while I was there seeing people who were not very wealthy.

I remember seeing people who didn't have very much but were happy because just because they were happy Filipino people are wonderful people.

They were happy with the little that they had.

I met people there who didn't have very much, but they felt it their obligation to give me something.

And I thought to myself, please don't give me anything, just keep it for yourself.

I met beautiful people while I was there, and it changed my life.

But the 1 thing that changed my life that I will never forget in my entire life, unless the Lord gives me some sort of mental illness, is seeing every night, watching sugar cane trucks packed with people trucked to the meeting every single night.

I will never forget it as long as I remember standing there on the street corner before we would go over to do the kids meetings and I remember standing there probably my mouth was just just my jaw was dropped open as I watched this happen.

These people packed in the back of the truck like sardines and they would come in night after night after night to sit on bamboo benches to hear the Word of God preached.

Be thankful for the chair that you're sitting in tonight.

And as I stood there night after night watching this happen, because I didn't wanna miss it each night, I was a new Christian, I'd just given my heart to the Lord, I was fresh in my conversion experience.

And this was a very impactful moment for me.

And I thought to myself, Lord, is there that many people on this little island that want to know the truths of God's word, that they are willing to be packed in the back of trucks like sardines to come and sit on an uncomfortable bench and sit there for hours to hear the word of God preached, there probably was more people than who came.

And as I was standing there, sweat coming down my face as I was getting ready to go inside that airport, I remember vividly it was like a lightning bolt that just flashed through my mind.

This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for witness unto all nations and then the end shall come.

Just flashed through my mind as I was standing there getting ready to go into the airport.

And as I was thinking about that Bible passage, I didn't really understand the full implications of what was going on inside of my mind, but in my infancy, in my conversion experience, it made sense to me that if I wanted to do my part to hasten the coming of Christ, there was only 1 calling.

If I wanted to do my part, I don't know about you, I'm looking forward to going to heaven, amen?

And as I thought about it, you know, I thought, why would anybody want to stay any longer here on this earth than is necessary?

I mean, I'm looking all around me at people who are struggling to make ends meet, but yet they have beautiful hearts and beautiful personalities.

And I thought to myself, who would want to stay here any longer?

If I want to do my part to hasten the coming of Christ, there is only 1 calling and that calling is to take the gospel to the world.

I'd like to share with you some of those things that I've learned in our time together over the weekend.

But I'd like you to turn with me to our passage of Scripture that we read just a few moments ago in our Scripture reading, Matthew chapter 9 and verse 37.

We're going to get into Matthew chapter 10 a little bit more on Sunday morning, so please don't miss that.

Matthew 10 is a vital passage for those who are considering themselves as missionaries.

But we're looking at Matthew 9, verse 37.

The Bible says this, Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous.

Now I know that as a gospel worker, sometimes it's hard to see that.

You look out into the world, you hear the stories of the Bible workers, those are great testimonies, weren't they?

But I know what it's like to pound the pavement, following up on leads and doing Bible work and following up on evangelistic leads.

Sometimes it's hard to believe that promise that the harvest is plenteous, but my Savior said it, therefore I believe it.

And It thrills my heart to know that there are people out there that Jesus considers part of his harvest.

I was encouraging as the first part of the passage is, the second part kind of takes your breath away.

You know, anybody who's used to the agricultural thing knows that when the harvest comes, you have to act promptly.

You have all of your workers lined up, you have all of your equipment lined up, you have everything ready to go, because when that harvest happens, you don't have long.

You've got to get out there and harvest what you have planted.

So this is a crisis that the Bible is talking about.

There is a harvest that is waiting to be gathered in, Jesus tells us, but he says there is a what?

The problem is that there is a lack of workers.

Now, I don't know about you, but when I read this Bible passage my heart goes out to those who Jesus considers part of the harvest.

Because those who are part of the harvest need the harvest workers to come and harvest them.

Matthew Henry in commenting on this Bible passage, he says that there are loiterers who are many, but there are laborers who are few.

I don't want to be a loiterer when the harvest is plenteous.

The harvest is plenteous but the laborers are few.

There is not enough workers to harvest the fruit.

So what happens when there's not enough workers to harvest the fruit?

You've probably been here working on grounds or working in the agricultural department.

I remember what it was like when I was in high school going out into the harvest fields.

If you don't get out there at the right time, what happens to the fruit?

It rots and it falls to the ground and it's only good for fertilizer at that point.

Day after day, according to statistics online, 6, 300 people will die in the course of our time together here tonight preaching this sermon.

Many of them will go to graves having never even heard the name of Jesus, let alone what He has done for them.

Does that make you feel uncomfortable in living the American dream here in North America?

Does that make you a little uncomfortable?

The Need for Missions

Transcript

Parent Conference

Sponsor

Recorded

Related

Plenary

Why is Jesus Always Talking About Plants

1h

Plenary

The Lamb and the 144,000

1h 9m

What Is a Christian?

What Is a Christian?- Part 3

50m

Dylan McWilliams Weekend

Our Tactical Advantage, Part 2

1h 4m

Sharing the Cross Connection

1h 16m

Alistair Huong: Them That Dwell on the Earth

Sunday and Them That Dwell On the Earth

56m

The Cross & The Great Controversy

Redemption and Conflict

35m

AMEN 2013: Plenary Sessions

Healing the Right Arm

25m

The Remnant Responds

1h

David Guerrero Weekend

01 As It Was so Shall It Be: What Is A Christian Suppose To Do?

51m

Plenary

Our Day in Prophecy

1h 33m

The Lord’s Vineyard

39m

Sound Doctrine