Sermon Notes by Dr. Greg Sloop, Lead Pastor of the Kannapolis Church of God, from the Sunday AM Service October 30, 2016
Luke 10:1 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. 2 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.
A Team
In the Name of the Lord
The Greatness of the Harvest
The Labor of the the Laborer
3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. 4 Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. 5 But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.
Go
Purity and Innocence in an Evil World
Dependance on the Lord
Peace Speakers
Discernment
7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.
Stability
Receive the Blessings of the Lord
9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’ 12 But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.
Do the Work:
Heal
Preach
Proclaim the Lordship of Christ
Mark 12:1–11 (NKJV)
12:1 Then He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.
The Father has left the farm (vineyard) in our hands.
Jesus has gone back to the right hand of the Father
2 Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers. 3 And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
God sends servants, ministers, fellow Christians into our lives.
How do we respond to the people and the ministry the God sends into our lives?
4 Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. 5 And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.
God sends us multiple opportunities to receive Him, to receive instruction, to grow in Him, to become the best husbandmen that we can be for the glory of God.
Don’t throw rocks at the messenger.
Don’t wound the Word of God.
Don’t send away the Savior.
Don’t kill the Cure!
6 Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those vinedressers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.
God sent His son to die for our sins.
He died to pay the price for our sins
We must be responsible for His Sacrifice
9 “Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.
We deserved punishment for the death of Christ
10 Have you not even read this Scripture:
‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
11 This was the Lord’s doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
Don’t reject the Savior
He is the only worthy Cornerstone of our lives and the kingdom
God is looking for faithful, committed husbandmen for His kingdom, His vineyard.
Become committed, Be committed, Stay committed!
Build on the Cornerstone and thrive!!
James 5:7–8 (NKJV)
7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Be patient in laboring for the kingdom
See your growth and your ministry through to the end.
2 Timothy 2:3–7 (NKJV)
3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
Endure
Stay Focused
5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. 7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.
Play by the Rules
Reap the Harvest
Live with Understanding
Takeaway Thoughts
God has called and is sending a team into the harvest
There is work (hard work) to be done
Build your life (work, repertoire, farming skills) on the Cornerstone of Jesus
Be a patient, committed Farmer