Maintenance Mode

Christians are called by Jesus to live in this world in a way that brings honor and glory to God through our good works. We are in a passage in Titus that talks a lot about how we are to live as people maintaining good works. So, open with us and follow along in Titus chapter three.

While you are standing, please take out your Bibles and open them with me to the New Testament, the book of Titus. If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and one of our ushers will bring you one. We are in Titus chapter three. Titus is near the end of your Bible, so open to the very last book, the book of Revelation, and turn to the left. You will find a series of small books: 1st and 2nd Timothy, then Titus, and then a little book called Philemon.

We are going to begin today right about the middle of the chapter, in verse 8. Titus 3, verse 8. There, the Apostle Paul writes, "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 and our minds, our ears, Lord, that we would hear your word and that we would understand it by the moving of your Spirit. We believe and trust that these things are given by inspiration from you.

They are useful in our lives for doctrine and, at times, for reproof and correction, so that we would be instructed in righteousness and ready for every good work. So, God, do work, and I pray that as we consider these things together, they would have an effect. It should be 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 tend to repeat that point multiple times. You become a little bit repetitive.

The authors of Scripture are no different. Even inspired by the Spirit of God, 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 have been in this passage in Titus chapters 2 and 3 for the last several weeks. We see that there is a repeated concept that comes up in chapter 2, verse 7, then again in chapter 2, verse 14, then again in chapter 3, verse 1, and finally in the passage we're looking at today, in chapter 3, verses 8 and 14. Paul keeps coming back to this point quite a bit, so you can very clearly see that he has a point 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, so 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. Then he goes right into chapter 3 and carries the same idea, stating that God has saved us as a special people.

People are to be ready for every good work. Not only are we hopefully to be people who are passionate about good works, but we are also 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 stating, "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 the boiler of our life and engages us to move toward good works.

A lot of times, when we think of the concept of good works, we contrast it with bad works. We could all come up with a long list of bad works—things that 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 contrast to all the bad things we could do. When we think of good works, we often 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 and don't tear them down—peacemaking, gentleness, and humility. These are some of the good works that he says should be evident in our lives.

One of the things that happens is that when you begin to see these qualities evident 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 taking place inside of us.

Directed by some new impulse to walk in this way, none of us are by nature obedient, humble, gentle peacemakers. However, as we begin to see this, it is an indication that something has drastically changed in a person.

So, how does that work? The Bible describes the conversion experience, a religious conversion experience, under the term "born again." These are the words that Jesus used in John chapter three during an interaction he had with a very religious man. Jesus said to this religious man, who probably had a lot of good works in his life and was one of the most religious people of the day in Israel, "Unless you are born again, you will not enter into the kingdom of God."

Jesus describes this conversion, the born-again experience, as something that happens to a believer by the Spirit of God. It is the fulfillment of what the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel spoke of 2,500 years ago when he prophesied that God would do a new work by a new covenant. He would remove the stony heart from us and give us a new heart of flesh, along with the indwelling power of the Spirit of God.

It is phenomenal to consider that God, by His Spirit, causes His presence to be in us. 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 encounters 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.

This repeated concept keeps coming up. What question then arises? We are to be a people who are passionate for good works, ready for good works. How can we be those who are ready for good works? When you start to piece all the things together from Scripture, you find that one of the...

Things that prepare us to be a people ready for good works include the work of God's Word in our lives. You're in Titus chapter 2; just turn a couple of pages to the left to Second Timothy. In Second 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. This is so that the man or woman of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. There's 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 longsuffering and teaching. The Christian is redeemed by Christ's sacrifice on the cross, redeemed from every lawless deed, so as to be set apart by God's grace and to become a people that are zealous for good works, ready to complete those good works as the Word of God is at work in their life.

With that in mind, we come to the passage in verse 8 of 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, constantly affirm this: that 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: be careful to maintain good works. I couldn't say it any better than the simple point found in the passage.

Scripture instructs us to be careful to maintain good works. If you're a follower of Jesus, this is what we should be committed to—not to gain a better standing with God, because it doesn't give us a better standing with Him. By God's grace, you are saved; you didn't earn your position with God through your 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 followers of Jesus, 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 point: 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?

The answer to the first question is clear. We have already seen some of the things we should maintain, such as humility, gentleness, and being peacemakers in this world. Ultimately, anything that aligns with the character and command of God constitutes the good works we should be committed to. We could spend a lot of time theorizing about what constitutes good works, and we would likely be 95 percent correct in our assessments. As followers of Jesus, we should be careful to maintain these kinds of good works.

Now, regarding the second question: If I already have this right standing with God according to His grace, why should I be careful to maintain these good works? For one, good works are a right response to God's grace. When I consider what God has done for me—the salvation He has given me in spite of who I am—I am reminded that the Scriptures make it clear that when we were still dead in trespasses and sins, according to His mercy and grace, He saved us. When we were His enemies, God demonstrated His love toward us; while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

When we begin to comprehend the magnitude of the grace that God has given us, it should inspire us to want to maintain good works.

Good works are important for several reasons. The first reason 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, which is probably the largest message we have recorded of Jesus in the Bible, it seems very clear that this was a central theme of His preaching wherever He went. In this sermon, 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, therefore, honoring and glorifying to God, who saved us.

Our good works serve as 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." Not only are our good works a response to God's grace and glorifying to God, but they also provide a good witness in the world.

As you study through the breadth of the New Testament, it becomes clear that our good works will produce a good outcome for us. It may be beneficial to note that I place this as reason number four. We are not performing these works merely to receive a good outcome, but it is a natural result of walking in alignment with God's character and His commands. Doing good works is beneficial for us in this life, and it has the added impact of being beneficial for us in eternity. The New Testament makes this very clear: we will reap a reward in eternity.

There is a well-established principle in the Scriptures known as the sowing and reaping principle. Sometimes people refer to concepts like karma, which is an Eastern philosophy that does not align perfectly with the biblical idea of reaping and sowing. However, the Scriptures do teach that you will reap what you sow. Therefore, 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. This provides a compelling reason to engage in good works.

Now, let’s turn to what the text says in Titus chapter 3, verse...

It says in the text that we should be careful to maintain good works. He finishes with this: the end of verse 8 states that these things are good and profitable to men. Not only are these good works beneficial to us, but these good works at work in the world 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 are looking out for number one. Self-preservation is one of the first laws of human nature; we are seeking to preserve ourselves.

However, the important aspect of this that 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's 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 look for in a family picture. We are totally self-absorbed with ourselves; I am—it's just the way that we are by nature.

But 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. We begin to be Christ-like in this way. In Philippians chapter 2, Paul says in verse 3, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit." This is 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 the chapter.

Philippians chapter 2, after Paul says in verse 4, "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 Himself.

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 doesn't generally love themselves. We are, speaking generally, really good at loving ourselves. However, 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 here in this passage.

He immediately moves from that and says 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 gives 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 states that we should avoid things that are unprofitable and useless.

So, 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've 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 him. Don't do it while he's watching a football game or a golf match, unless you want him to say yes to you going and buying that new bracelet.

It is a perfect time to talk with him about that because he'll press, "That's fine, that's great," and then later on, you can say, "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 focused on that and not just our focus but our time. We all have the same amount of time, and I think every single person can relate to this. When I ask anybody how they're doing, about 90% of the people will say, "I'm busy."

We all feel very busy, and since we're so busy with 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 that we don't engage with. Paul here says to avoid engaging with those things that are unprofitable and useless.

What kind of things are unprofitable and useless? Well, first, he says to avoid foolish disputes. The word "foolish" in the original Greek is "moros," which is where we get the English word "moronic." Paul is essentially telling us to stay away from moronic controversies. One commentator even called them "stupid things." I think Paul has to tell us this, inspired by the Spirit of God, because we are all really good at latching on to stupid controversies.

This is why things like all the crazy YouTube videos that are out there exist. We're so passionate about them. I had a conversation with a highly intelligent person this week who is totally convinced that we live on a flat Earth. This is a very intelligent person, someone I greatly respected in the past. As I was having this conversation, part of me was just like, "Okay, alright, I'll give that to you, but I'm not interested in having the useless conversation."

So, I'm sorry if you believe that, but we can talk later. No, because I'm avoiding foolish disputes. Paul also advises us to avoid genealogies. Apparently, there were...

Those in the church at Crete and those in the early church context 2,000 years ago placed a lot of stock in their genealogical line. You can see this in the Apostle Paul in Philippians chapter 3, where he talks about his former conduct as a religious Pharisee. He describes himself as a Pharisee of the Pharisees, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews. He was very interested in his genealogical line.

You may think that we don't do that sort of thing anymore and that it's not as big of a deal in our day, but I would suggest that, in some sense, it still is. I have had plenty of conversations with people over the years who are very proud of their lineage in the church. Maybe they were saved at a Billy Graham crusade, or perhaps they attended Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa when it was still in the tent. For some people, that means a lot. They might say, "I went there when it was at the tent," and while that may mean nothing to you, for others, it is a significant part of their identity.

Some people might say, "I was baptized by Chuck Smith" or "I was married by Romain." These names may mean nothing to you, but for some, they carry great weight. However, when Paul advises us to avoid genealogical discussions, I think the point is that we need to understand that the present vitality of our faith is more important than our past experiences. Where are you at today?

Paul says to avoid contentions; other translations refer to these as debates and arguments. It is perfectly fine to have strong convictions about your faith, and I believe we should. However, there is rarely any fruit produced when we engage in contentious, argumentative debate. Hardly any good comes from that. You may have experienced this: when someone becomes contentious and argumentative in their convictions, those are not the kind of people you ultimately want to be around. I find myself avoiding people like that, just as the Scriptures suggest, because I simply do not want to spend time with them.

The next hour was spent 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," and then they respond, "No, but you need to understand." I would insist, "No, I agree with you. I don't know why we're talking anymore about this."

The Proverbs are true when we read things like Proverbs 16:24: "Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones." Paul also says in Colossians 4:6, and I like it 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? I want to engage in a conversation with that person. If you find that a lot of people are avoiding conversations with you, it's not them.

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 positions 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 bandwidth, he advises us to focus by avoiding those things that are unprofitable and useless.

We are not only advised to avoid situations that are foolish and ultimately useless, but we are also told to avoid people who routinely return to these things. Look at verse 10: "Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned."

Point number four: point number three was to avoid what is ultimately unprofitable. I love the fact that you guys challenge me when I forget to mention one of these points. People ask me, "Do people even use these?" Yes, I guess they do.

Do point number four: reject those that are self-seeking and divisive. The word "divisive" is the Greek word "heretic," which is where we get our English word "heretic." You may already have an idea of what "heretic" means, but I am pretty sure that your understanding is more influenced by medieval Christianity than by what is seen in this concept in the Bible. A heretic, in this context, is not just a person who holds a divergent doctrine; rather, it is 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 say, "I can see rejecting those that 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. They have no problem dividing the body of Christ, the church, because they want people to come to their side.

Now, in saying to reject those people, which is strong language, 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 am not one. However, if you are of that more gracious and merciful temperament, you might say, "Well, we should give them another chance." Paul does here in this passage. He says to reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition. He indicates that he will give them a chance, but inexperienced, constantly harsh, and habitually divisive people generally indicate a deeper character 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.

Strong language can warp a person's character; something about their character becomes 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 mentioned that there is actual neurological research showing that a person who is deceptive begins to create new neural pathways in their brain, making 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 for divisiveness. People who are routinely divisive create a new nature within their brain, which is not good.

Paul advises us to reject those people. One commentator noted that this does not mean grace is never extended, as the person has already received a second chance. Another commentator suggested that some sympathetic, untaught saints might argue that perhaps these individuals have reformed this time. However, Paul points out in verse 11 that such people will not reform; they have turned inside out, are subverted, and are in a state of constant sin. They are beyond remedy. He concludes with the observation that our local churches would have fewer divisions if pastors and officers would observe this important principle: reject those who are self-seeking and divisive.

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 in Titus chapter 3. He writes, "When I send Artemis to you or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me at Nicopolis, where I have decided to spend the winter." Paul is on a journey visiting churches with which he has already established relationships, some of which he planted. On this journey, he left Titus on the island of Crete and has been moving up through Greece. Nicopolis is on the west coast of Greece, right on the Adriatic Sea, near the heel of the boot of Italy.

He mentions that he has decided to stay there for the winter, which is a nice place to be. If you know anything about that part of the world, it's a pleasant location to spend the winter. It’s almost like he’s a snowbird. He says, "I'm going to stay here; it's nice on the coast of Greece in the middle of winter." So, when one of these two men—either Artemis or Tychicus—comes to you, then you should come to me quickly, as they are effectively Titus's relief.

I must send one of these guys down there to relieve you out of Crete, but when they do come to me, quickly send Zenus the lawyer and Apollos on their journey. Zenus the lawyer and Apollos were probably the ones who brought this letter to Titus on the other end of Crete, and they have more to do than just go to Crete. Paul says they are not your replacement, so send them on their journey quickly, with haste. Note this: they may lack nothing. Provision then is what he says.

In verse 14, Paul expresses, "Let our people"—I love that he refers to the churches as "our people." This is our people here. Let our people learn to maintain good works in what way? To meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful. He then says, "Greet all who are with me. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be to all. Amen."

Let our people learn to maintain good works to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful. Point number five: let your fruitfulness abound to the needs of others. Christ's love at work in His church is manifest through the way that the church produces the very practical fruit of meeting the needs of those who are in need. He says to make sure that you provision these two individuals as they go on their way in this journey—Zenus the lawyer and Apollos. Make sure that you provision them.

This is a great opportunity for you to exhort those who are our people, the church, to learn to maintain good works by taking care of the needs of people. One of the dangers for a church is that it can begin to become an insular crowd of people who all have the same view on every little point. Anyone who doesn't share that same view is pushed out, and then they just argue and debate among themselves constantly. It becomes not a Church of the Living God, but a dead one.

Debating society often leads to a loss of focus on the work that God has already called us to do, which involves good works. He says 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 them 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 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 discussion that does not lead to action is 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, serving as a good witness in this world, and beneficial for us both now and in eternity. It is also profitable for all those we engage with.

Let our people learn to maintain good works to 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.

As a closing exhortation, I want to highlight a very simple way we can meet some needs. This past July was amazing, and this month we are going to have a straightforward outreach through our Spanish Ministry, providing back-to-school backpacks to kids in our community who are in need. Last year, we distributed about 200 of these backpacks, and I want to do about the same this year. This event will take place on July 22nd, so you can participate and help us make a difference.

Be a part of this very simply. On the back of your sermon guide, we've had this on here for the last three weeks. If you'd like to give to help with that or to serve, all the information is on the back, so you can simply take a look at that when we go in just a moment.

I was at a pastors' conference this last week, and during the second exhortation, one of the pastors, as he was closing, shared something that stood out to me. He said that he's 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 and 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 said, "Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

Every Sunday when I drive to church, I drive north on the 15, and as I do, I pass all these homes along the 15. There are so many people in our community who need Jesus and so many people who are weary, like sheep with no shepherd. Jesus was moved with compassion for them. I find myself driving here, whether it's Sunday or throughout the week, just moved with compassion, looking at Leicester. I don't know how to reach these people, Lord, with Your grace.

But Jesus said to pray 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 maybe for the next several weeks: that you would begin to pray that very simple prayer. "God, would You send forth laborers into the harvest to reach these people?"

Now, I'm going to give you a little warning. In the very next chapter, Matthew chapter 10, Jesus gathered His disciples and sent them out. So, a little warning, but we should still pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into the harvest. You might find a new passion for good works growing in you to reach out into this community, which would be a good thing because there are 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...

The challenge of the Scriptures and some of these things, Lord, may be repetitive; perhaps 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. You are, as the Scriptures say, the Lord of the harvest. As we see around us, within ten miles of this building, there are nearly half a million people. So many of those people are weary, scattered like sheep having no shepherd. God, 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 reason, we pray. We ask it in Jesus' name.