Titus 3:8

This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly: that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men, but avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law, for they are unprofitable and useless. Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.

When I send Artemis to you or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. Send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey with haste, that they may lack nothing. Let our people also learn to maintain good works to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful. All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.

Father, as we open the Scriptures today, we pray that you would open our hearts, our minds, and our ears, Lord, that we would hear your word and understand it by the moving of your Spirit. We believe and trust that these things are given by inspiration from you and are useful in our lives for doctrine and, at times, for reproof and correction, that we would be instructed in righteousness and ready for every good work.

So God, do a work in us. I pray that as we consider these things together, they would have an effect that is evident to us today and throughout the rest of this week, that you are at work in our lives, transforming us by the renewing of our minds so that we, in some measurable way, would be more like you in our conduct. So God, work in us, we pray. We ask this in Jesus' name. And all those that agreed said, Amen.

You can be seated. One of the privileges that I have as a pastor-teacher is not only to teach the Bible but to teach people how to study the Bible. That's something that I've been privileged to do for a very long time. In doing so, one of the things that you teach people to do when they are studying through the Scriptures for themselves is to take note of repeated ideas or repeated phrases in the Scriptures—things that come up over and over again.

I'm sure you can probably identify with this. When you're trying to get a point across, you have a tendency to repeat that point over and over again. You become a little bit repetitive. The authors of Scripture are no different. They are inspired by the Spirit of God, and when they have something they are trying to emphasize, they repeat it.

In the section of Scripture that we're in, Titus chapter 3, we see a repeated concept that comes up in chapter 2, verse 7, then again in chapter 2, verse 14, and again in chapter 3, verse 1. In the passage we're looking at today, it appears again in chapter 3, verse 8 and chapter 3, verse 14. Paul keeps coming back to this point quite a bit, so it is clear that he has a message he is trying to drive home, and it has to do with the concept of good works—good works at work in our lives as followers of Jesus.

At the close of chapter 2, Paul says that the grace of God has appeared to all people, bringing salvation and teaching us that we should live righteously in this present age and that we would be a people who are zealous for good works. God's desire is that He would transform us to be a people who are passionate about good works. He then goes right into chapter 3 and carries the same idea, stating that God has saved us as a special people to be ready for every good work. Not only are we to be a people who are passionate about good works, but we are also to be ready for every good work.

When you look at the whole scope of what Paul is saying in this passage, it becomes very clear that God's grace saves us apart from our good works, but He saves us for good works. This concept is emphasized quite a bit in the New Testament, particularly in Ephesians chapter 2, where Paul says, "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." He immediately follows this by saying, "For we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works." We are not saved by our good works; we are saved by grace through faith, but we are saved for good works.

When you put all this together in Titus chapters 2 and 3, you see that God's grace is in us like a fire that heats up the boiler of our life, just like a steam engine. Hopefully, that grace at work in us heats up that boiler of our life and engages us.

To move toward good works, we often think of the concept in contrast to bad works. We can all come up with a long list of bad works—things we may have done or might do—that we would immediately classify as not right, unethical, or immoral. Generally, we think of good works as the opposite of all the bad things we could do. When we consider good works, we think of charity and service.

However, I find it interesting that the things Paul identifies in this passage as good works include obedience to authorities, wholesome speech—words that build people up rather than tear them down—peacemaking, gentleness, and humility. These are some of the good works he says should be evident in our lives.

When we begin to see these qualities in a person's life, it serves as an external indication of something that has transformed internally. By nature, we are not humble, gentle, or peacemakers. Therefore, this transformation must be something occurring within us, directing us by a new impulse to walk in this way. None of us are naturally obedient, humble, gentle peacemakers. When we observe these changes, it indicates that something has drastically changed in a person.

So, how does this transformation work? The Bible describes the religious conversion experience using the term "born again." These are the words Jesus used in John chapter 3 during an interaction with a very religious man. This man likely had many good works in his life and was one of the most religious people of his day in Israel. Jesus told him, "Unless you are born again, you will not enter into the kingdom of God."

Jesus describes this born-again experience as something that happens to a believer through the Spirit of God. It fulfills what the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel spoke of 2,500 years ago when he prophesied that God would do a new work through a new covenant. God would remove our stony hearts and give us new hearts of flesh, along with the indwelling power of the Spirit of God. This indwelling of God's Spirit is a phenomenal thing.

To consider that God, by His Spirit, causes His presence to be in us is essential. When the presence of God is in us, He begins to transform us by His grace. One of the first things that a person who has experienced this born-again experience notices is a new desire—a new desire to do things that are in alignment with the character and the command of God. These are the good works being at work in a person.

In Titus chapter 2, verse 14, Paul says, "Christ gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed." God wants to rescue us from all these lawless deeds and purify for Himself a people, His own special people, who are zealous for good works. If it is true that Jesus died to redeem us unto good works, then we need to be those people who are, as stated in Titus chapter 3, verse 1, ready for good works. You can see it there at the end of verse 1. This repeated concept keeps coming up.

The question then is, how can we be a people who are passionate for good works and ready for good works? When you start to piece together all the things from Scripture, you find that one of the things that prepares us to be a people who are ready for good works is the work of God's Word in our lives. If you are in Titus chapter 2, just turn a couple of pages to the left to 2 Timothy.

In 2 Timothy chapter 3, at the end of the chapter, Paul says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and it is profitable." The Word of God, Scripture, is useful or profitable in our lives for four things: doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, so that the man or woman of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. There is that concept again. We can be thoroughly equipped to be ready for every good work by the working of God's Word in our lives.

This is why the very next verse states, "I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: preach the Word." I charge you to be committed to proclaiming the Scriptures. Preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, and exhort with all long-suffering and teaching. The Christian is redeemed by Christ's sacrifice on the cross, redeemed from every lawless deed.

A lawless deed can set us apart by God's grace and help us become a people who are zealous for good works, ready to complete those good works as the Word of God is at work in our lives. With that in mind, we come to the passage at verse 8 in Titus chapter 3. Paul says, "This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly." Titus, as you oversee a gathering of followers of Jesus, a church on the island of Crete 2,000 years ago, you are to constantly affirm this: those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works.

So today, if you believe in God and have put your trust in Christ for salvation, the exhortation that Paul gives to Titus, which you are to continuously affirm to those who have believed, is that they should be careful to maintain good works. Point number one on your outline is to be careful to maintain good works. I couldn't say it any better than the simple point found in this passage of Scripture: be careful to maintain good works.

If you are a follower of Jesus, this is what we should be committed to—not to gain a better standing with God, because it doesn't improve our standing with Him. You are saved by God's grace; you didn't earn your position with God through good works in the first place. However, having now been given a perfect standing with God because of the sacrifice of Jesus, we should be those who are careful to maintain good works. Paul reiterates this in verse 14, saying, "Let our people learn to maintain good works."

As a follower of Jesus, if that is who you are today, we should be careful to learn to maintain good works—not for our position with God, but because we have been saved by His grace. Two logical questions arise from this simple point about maintaining good works. First, what are the good works that we should maintain? Second, why should we maintain those good works? If we already have a perfect standing with God, why maintain those good works?

These are simple, logical questions. The "what" side of this is clear. We have already seen some of the things we should maintain, such as humility, gentleness, and being peacemakers in this world. When you come right down to it, anything that aligns with the character of God is a good work we should strive to maintain.

The commands of God are the good works that we should be committed to. We could spend a ton of time writing down things that we could theorize to be good works, and we would probably be 95% right on every single one of those things. As a follower of Jesus, I should be careful to maintain those kinds of good works. But why? If I already have this right standing with God, according to His grace, why should I be careful to maintain these good works?

Well, for one, good works are a right response to God's grace. When I consider what God has done for me—the salvation that He has given to me, in spite of who I am—the Scriptures make very clear that when we were still dead in trespasses and sins, according to His mercy and His grace, He saved us. When we were His enemies, God demonstrated His love towards us, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. When we begin to comprehend the magnitude of the grace that God has given to us, that should inspire us to want to maintain good works and to walk in these things.

So the first reason that we should seek to maintain good works is that it is a right response to God's grace. Secondly, it is honoring and glorifying to God to do so. In the Sermon on the Mount, probably the largest message that we have recorded of Jesus in the Bible, it seems very clear that this was kind of His message that He would preach just about everywhere He went. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Our good works are honoring and glorifying to God, who saved us.

Our good works are in response to God's grace; they are honoring and glorifying to God; and third, our good works are a good witness in this world. This aligns with what Jesus said in Matthew 5:16: "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." It is a good witness in this world.

As you study through the breadth of the New Testament, it becomes clear that not only are our good works in response to God's grace, not only are they honoring and glorifying to God, and not only are they a good witness in this world, but they will produce a good outcome for us. Now, maybe it's good that I put this down as reason number four. We are not doing these works just so that we can get a good outcome from them, but it is an outcome that, as we walk in a way that is in alignment with God's character, will naturally follow.

In His command, we do good works that are beneficial for us here. However, it has the double impact of being beneficial for us in eternity. That's what the New Testament makes very clear: we will reap a reward in eternity. There is a very clear principle in the Scriptures known as the sowing and reaping principle. Sometimes people speak of concepts like karma, which is an Eastern philosophy. It doesn't align perfectly with the idea of reaping and sowing in the Scriptures, but there is a concept in the Scriptures of sowing and reaping. You will reap what you sow.

Being a person who is passionate about good works, ready to do good works, and learning to maintain good works will have a beneficial outcome for us both now and in eternity. There is a good reason to do good works. The text in Titus chapter three, verse eight, states that we should be careful to maintain good works. It concludes with this: these things are good and profitable to men. Not only are these good works beneficial to us, but they are also good and beneficial to those who are in this world.

Point number two on your outline is that we should seek those things that are profitable for ourselves and for others. Quite frankly, every single one of us here in this room today is inclined by our nature to seek those things that are profitable for ourselves. We are all, by nature, self-seeking. In fact, God essentially created you in that way because it is good for your ongoing life in this world to be self-seeking. We are all, by nature, those who look out for number one. Self-preservation is one of the first laws of human nature; we seek to preserve ourselves.

However, the important aspect of this, which is Christ-like, is that we should seek those things that are profitable not only for ourselves but also for others. This is where we see the influence of God's grace at work in our lives. This is where we begin to see Christ-likeness developed in us. You are the first person you think about when you wake up in the morning. Unless you are shocked out of sleep by an infant, you are the first person that you...

Think of when you wake up in the morning and you're the first person that you look for in a family picture. You're totally self-absorbed with yourself. I am too. It's just the way that we are by nature. However, we begin to see God's work in us when we start to love our neighbor as ourselves. We begin to look out not only for our own needs but also for the needs of others. In this way, we become Christ-like.

In Philippians chapter 2, Paul says in verse 3, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit." That's problematic because we are all filled with self-ambition and conceit. But in lowliness of mind, each of you should esteem others better than yourselves. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others. This is essentially Christ-like. To prove it, go ahead later on today and read the remainder of Philippians chapter 2. After Paul says in verse 4 to look out not only for your own interests but also for the interests of others, he goes on to say, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ." He then describes the mindset of Jesus in coming to this world, the incarnation, and dying for us. He was putting our needs above His own.

Now, Jesus did command that we should love our neighbor as ourselves. The modern interpretation that many people in our culture have taken is that you need to learn how to love yourself before you can love other people. My pushback on that is that I've never met a person who struggles with loving themselves. Generally speaking, we are all really good at loving ourselves. It is God's work in us that helps us to become those who seek the profit not only for ourselves but also for those who are in our lives.

This is the exhortation that Paul gives in this passage. He immediately moves from that and states in Titus chapter 3, verse 9, "But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law, for they are unprofitable and useless."

Look at the contrast he provides in this passage. At the end of verse 8 of Titus chapter 3, he says that you should seek those things that are good and profitable for yourself and for others, for all people. Then, in verse 9, he emphasizes that we should avoid things that are unprofitable and useless. We have this contrast: seek what is profitable, and reject and avoid what is unprofitable and useless.

I'm sure you've noticed that all of us have limited bandwidth. What I mean by that is that there are a lot of people in our culture today who really value their ability to multitask. However, research has shown that multitasking is essentially a fallacy. We like to think that we can multitask. We have devices and computers that can multitask; they can do multiple things at once. But none of us really multitask as well as we think we do.

Every lady in here knows this very well. If you have ever tried to carry on a conversation with your husband while he's watching a football game, you know you cannot multitask. If you want any sort of strong communication with your husband, don't do it while he's watching a football game or a golf match. Unless you want him to say yes to you buying that new bracelet, that is the perfect time to talk with him about it because he'll probably say, "Yes, that's fine, that's great." Later on, you can remind him, "You told me I could get it." No big deal.

We cannot multitask. Research has proved this over and over again. We have a limited amount of bandwidth that our brains can process at any given time. When we're focused on something, we need to be truly focused. Not just our focus, but our time is also limited. I think every single time I ask anyone how they are doing, about 90% of the people respond, "I'm busy." We all feel very busy. Since we're so busy and have very little time and bandwidth, we need to focus our attention on those things that are really important. This means we have to be decisive about the things we don't engage with.

Paul here says to avoid engaging with things that are unprofitable and useless. What kind of things are unprofitable and useless? First, he says to avoid foolish disputes. The word "foolish" in the original Greek is the word "moros," from which we get the English word "moron." Paul is essentially telling us to avoid moronic controversies. Stay away from things that are moronic. One commentator even called them stupid things. Avoid stupid things. I think Paul has to tell us this, inspired by the Spirit of God, because we are all really good at latching onto stupid controversies. This is why all the crazy YouTube videos out there exist.

Because we're so passionate about this topic, I had a conversation this week with a highly intelligent person who is totally convinced that we live on a flat Earth. This person, someone I greatly respected in the past, held this belief firmly. As I was having this conversation, I found myself thinking, "Okay, I'll give that to you." However, I wasn't interested in having a useless discussion. I’m sorry if you believe that, but we can talk later—maybe not, because I'm trying to avoid foolish disputes and genealogies.

Apparently, there were those in the church at Crete and in the early church context 2,000 years ago who placed a lot of stock in their genealogical lines. You can see this in the Apostle Paul’s writing in Philippians chapter three. He discusses his former conduct as a religious Pharisee, mentioning that he was a Pharisee of the Pharisees, from the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews. He was very interested in his lineage.

You may think that we don't engage in that sort of thing anymore, that it's not as significant in our day. However, I would suggest that, in some sense, it still is. Over the years, I have had plenty of conversations with people who are very proud of their lineage in the church. Perhaps they were saved at a Billy Graham crusade or attended Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa when it was still in the tent. People often mention these experiences, and while that may mean nothing to you, for some, it is a big deal.

For instance, some might say, "I was baptized by Chuck Smith" or "I was married by Romaine." These names may not resonate with everyone, but for certain individuals, they carry significant weight. When Paul advises us to avoid genealogical discussions, I believe the point is that we need to understand that the present vitality of our faith is more important than our past experiences. The question we should ask ourselves is, "Where are you at today?" Paul emphasizes the need to avoid contentions, which other translations refer to as debates and arguments.

It is perfectly fine to have strong convictions about your faith. I think that we should have strong convictions about our faith. However, there is rarely any fruit produced when we move into the area of contentious, argumentative debate. Hardly any fruit comes out of that.

What ends up happening, and you may have experienced this, is that someone who becomes contentious and argumentative in their convictions is not the kind of person you ultimately want to be around. I find myself avoiding people just as the Scriptures say. I often think, I don't want to spend the next hour arguing over this point of Scripture that, at the end of the day, we probably agree upon. I can't tell you how many times I've had conversations with people where I said, "I agree with you." Then they respond, "No, but you need to understand." I find myself repeating, "No, I agree with you. I don't know why we're still talking about this."

The Proverbs are true when we read things like Proverbs 16:24: "Pleasant words are like honeycombs, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones." Or what Paul says in Colossians 4:6, which I like in the New Living Translation: "Let your conversation be gracious and attractive." Do people want to talk to you, or do they constantly avoid you because they think, "Oh, I don't want to get into a conversation with that guy"?

If you find that a lot of people are avoiding conversations with you, it's not them. It's not. Paul advises us to avoid strivings about the law. This is interesting because the word "strivings" here literally means armed conflict. I have yet to have a conversation about Scripture descend into physical harm, but I will say I've had plenty of people over the years who have made an appointment to meet with me, coming armed to the teeth with all their reasons for why they believe the position they do from the Scriptures.

I think it's good to have a strong apologetic argument for why you believe what you believe, but it's all in the way that you speak. Paul says anything unprofitable and useless is not worth your time. Since we have very limited time and limited bandwidth, he advises us to focus. We focus by avoiding those things that are unprofitable and useless. We are not only advised here to avoid those sorts of things that are foolish.

Unprofitable and ultimately useless, these kinds of situations should be avoided. In verse 10, it says to reject a divisive man. That’s a strong word: reject. After the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.

Point number four is to reject those who are self-seeking and divisive. The word "divisive" is the Greek word "heretikos," from which we get our English word "heretic." You may already have an idea of what "heretik" means, but I’m pretty sure that your understanding is more influenced by medieval Christianity than by what is seen in this concept in the Bible. A heretik, in this context, is not just a person who holds a divergent doctrine; rather, it refers to someone who has decided that they are right and everybody else is wrong. This is what this concept speaks to.

We are to reject those who are self-seeking and divisive. You might think, "I can see rejecting those who are divisive, but where do we get to reject the self-seeking?" These are people who are given to division because they want to align others to their position.

Now, in saying to reject those who are self-seeking and divisive, you might be one of those who has a more gracious and merciful temperament. God bless you; I love gracious and merciful people because I’m not one of them. If you are of that more gracious and merciful temperament, you might say, "Well, we should give them another chance." Paul does mention this in the passage. He says to reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition. He indicates that he is willing to give them a chance.

However, in my experience, constantly harsh and habitually divisive people are generally an indication of deeper issues.

There is a character problem. There's an issue, a deeper problem. Christ can surely transform and change a divisive person, but the pastor cannot allow such a person to remain within the fellowship unless they are transformed, because they will cause division. Paul says to reject this divisive person, having gained the knowledge through repeated exhortation that such a person has become warped. This is strong language; they have become warped in their character. Something about their character has been corrupted.

I was listening to a gentleman speak this last week, and he made the comment that lying warps the fabric of your soul. He was saying that there is actual neurological research showing that a person who is deceptive begins to create new neural pathways in their brain that make it more likely they will be deceptive in the future. The more you are deceptive, the more deceptive you will become. I believe this is also true with divisiveness. People who are routinely divisive create a new nature within their brain, which is not good. Therefore, Paul says to reject those people.

One commentator noted that this does not mean grace is never extended, for the person has already received a second chance. Another commentator mentioned that some sympathizing, untaught saints might say, "But perhaps they have reformed this time." However, Paul points out in verse 11 that such people will not reform, for they have turned inside out. They are subverted and in a state of constant sin; that is, they are beyond remedy. He finishes with this: our local churches would have fewer divisions if pastors and officers would observe this important principle—reject those who are self-seeking and divisive. Quite frankly, these strong words come from one of the most encouraging commentators you could ever find, a man by the name of Warren Wiersbe. If you know anything about Warren Wiersbe, you know he hardly ever says a harsh word.

Paul closes his letter with these final words. Look at verse 12 of Titus chapter three: "When I send Artemis to you or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there." Paul is on a journey visiting churches with which he already has a relationship, some of which he planted. On that journey, he left Titus on the island of Crete, and now he has been moving up through Greece. Nicopolis is on the west coast of Greece, right on the Adriatic Sea, near the heel of Italy.

The boot of Italy is a nice place to spend the winter. If you know that part of the world, you can understand why someone would choose to stay there. It's like being a snowbird. Paul decided to remain in coastal Greece during the winter. He mentioned that if Artemis or Tychicus come to you, then you should come to me quickly. These two are effectively Titus's relief. Paul planned to send one of them down to relieve Titus in Crete, but when they do come, he instructed to send Zenas, the lawyer, and Apollos on their journey.

Zenas and Apollos were likely the ones who brought this letter to Titus on the island of Crete. They had more to do than just go to Crete, so Paul emphasized that they are not replacements for Titus. He urged that they be sent on their journey quickly and with haste, ensuring that they lack nothing. Provisioning them was essential.

In verse 14, Paul expresses a sentiment I love: he refers to the church as "our people." He encourages our people to learn to maintain good works, specifically to meet urgent needs so that they may not be unfruitful. He concludes with greetings to all who are with him and those who love them in the faith, wishing grace to all.

Let our people learn to maintain good works to meet urgent needs so that they may not be unfruitful. Point number five is to let your fruitfulness abound to the needs of others. Christ's love at work in His church is manifested through the practical fruit of meeting the needs of those who are in need. Paul emphasizes the importance of provisioning Zenas and Apollos as they continue their journey. This is a significant opportunity to encourage our people, the church, to learn to maintain good works by taking care of the needs of others.

One of the dangers for a church is that it can begin to become self-focused.

An insular crowd of people often shares the same view on every little point. Anyone who doesn't share that view is pushed out, leading to constant arguments and debates among themselves. As a result, it becomes not a church of the living God, but a dead debating society. What ultimately suffers is the work that God has called us to do, which involves good works. He saved us by His grace to be a people who are passionate about good works. The preaching of the Word of God should prepare us for these good works, and then we go out from this place to maintain good works and meet the needs of those who are in need.

William Barclay, a great commentator, noted that there is a danger that people might think themselves religious simply because they discuss religious questions. It is much easier to engage in theological discussions than to be kind, considerate, and helpful at home, or to be efficient, conscientious, and honest at work. There is no virtue in sitting around discussing deep theological questions when the simple tasks of the Christian life are waiting to be done. Such discussions can often be nothing more than an avoidance of Christian duties.

Paul was certain that the real task for Christians lies in Christian action. This is not to say that there is no place for Christian discussion, but discussions that do not lead to action are largely wasted time. We do not have a lot of time, so we need to be focused and committed to the work that God has called us to do. This work is a response to His grace, honoring and glorifying to Him. It serves as a good witness in this world, is beneficial for us both now and in eternity, and is profitable for all those we engage with.

Let our people learn to maintain good works and meet urgent needs so that they may not be unfruitful. One of the ways that fruitfulness is produced in our lives is by working these things out in our daily lives. With that in mind, I have two closing exhortations that fit perfectly into this text. One involves a very simple way that we can meet some needs. This month, July, is remarkable, and we are going to...

We are planning a very simple outreach through our Spanish ministry by giving backpacks for school to kids in our community who are in need. Last year, I think we distributed about 200 of these backpacks, and I want to do about the same this year as well. This event will take place on July 22nd. You can be a part of this very simply; on the back of your sermon guide, we have included information about how to give or serve. Please take a look at that when we go in just a moment.

I attended a pastor's conference last week, and during the second exhortation, one of the pastors shared something that stood out to me. He mentioned that he has begun to encourage his church to pray the prayer of Matthew, chapter 9, verse 38. I haven't memorized the whole Bible, so I had to look it up to remember what Matthew 9:38 says. Verse 36 states, "But when Jesus saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them because they were weary and scattered like sheep having no shepherd." Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." In verse 38, He instructed them, "Therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

Every Sunday when I drive to church, I head north on the 15 freeway. As I do, I pass by many homes, and I see so many people in our community who need Jesus. There are countless individuals who are weary, like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus was moved with compassion for them, and I find myself driving here—whether it's Sunday or throughout the week—just filled with compassion. I look at these people and think, "Lord, how can I reach them with Your grace?" But Jesus said to pray to the Lord of the harvest that He would send out laborers into His harvest.

So, I would like to ask you to do something with me this week, and perhaps for the next several weeks. I encourage you to begin praying to the Lord of the harvest. Pray that very simple prayer: "God, would You send forth laborers into the harvest to reach these people?"

Now, I want to give you a little warning. In the very next chapter, Matthew chapter 10, Jesus gathered His disciples and sent them out. So, while I give you this warning, we should still pray to the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers. You might find a new passion for good works growing in you to reach out into this community.

Good thing. Because there's a lot of people who need the grace of Christ. Amen.

Would you stand with me for a closing prayer?

Father, I thank you for the challenge of the Scriptures. Some of these things, Lord, may be repeats; maybe we've heard them before, but it's good to be reminded of these things again. I praise you that we have been saved by your grace, not of our works, but you have saved us for good works. I pray that we would be those who see a growing passion in our hearts for good works, and that we, by the working of your Word, would be ready for those good works. Then, we would step out to maintain those good works.

So God, would you pour out your Spirit to enable us to do that?

Lord, we do pray, as the Scriptures say, that you are the Lord of the harvest. Within ten miles of this building, there are nearly a half million people. So many of those people are weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. I pray that you would send forth laborers into that harvest, that those laborers would be able to share the good news of your grace and your compassion.

God, we thank you for your grace. Do work in our lives by that same grace, we pray. For we ask it in Jesus' name. And all those who agreed, say amen.