Pray for workers

Preached on 14 June 2026 @ Christ Church, Billericay.  Recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjpozCozY1s from 26:10 to 43:04

Prayer

Father God, guide us as followers of Jesus, shaping our lives in His way and His wisdom. Help us grow as faithful disciples who reflect Your compassion in our daily walk.

Ordinary People

Jesus and his disciples have been travelling through the towns and villages of Galilee. We can read some of the things that have been happening in the previous chapters. He is proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.

Kingdom of God.

The promise of Daniel 2:44 is coming to pass.

“In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.”

The expectation would be high, but anyone can say the Kingdom of God is near. It’s easy to say, but what does it mean. In our time we have plenty of people who are willing to stand up and tell us all how they would magically improve society, but what are any of them actually doing?

Jesus isn’t trying to raise a mob, He is demonstrating to the people what the Kingdom of God means by healing every disease and sickness. In a time when there was almost NO meaningful medical practise, this was truly something they needed, it was truly something revolutionary.

Harassed and helpless

Jesus notices the people suffer harassment and feel helpless. We still have those people today. Go into any town centre and watch the people for a while. Many may look like they have their lives under control, but most of them probably don’t. For a few, it’s obvious that they’re struggling, and I’m not only talking about the homeless.

They are like sheep without a shepherd.

Not about them

In this passage, Matthew is not really talking the people, he is really talking about Jesus’s disciples, the 12 who were with Jesus then. It is for them to look after the harassed and helpless. What he says also applies to Jesus’s disciples now – the millions, including You and I who follow Him in our daily lives.

Too few workers

Jesus calls the 12 together and tells them “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” All those people they are looking at, all those people Jesus has healed – many of them are ready to be claimed for the Kingdom of God.

Instruction to Pray

Then we hear Jesus say something really unusual “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Hardly ever do we hear Jesus give instructions to pray for something specific. He does plenty of teaching about how to pray. Some encouragement to always pray and not give up. The other instances of direct instructions to pray relate to very specific short term situations. For example, in the Garden of Gethsemane, he tells his disciple to pray that they do not fall into temptation. When He’s talking about the destruction of Jerusalem, He says pray that it will not happen in winter, or on a Sabbath.

This instruction to pray for workers in the field to collect the harvest doesn’t seem to only apply to this occasion, but for all time. That makes it a unique command.

How often do we pray for workers in the field to come and collect the harvest in our town? When was the last time I heard that in any of our intercessions? – I can’t remember.

How God answers prayer

Maybe we don’t pray this prayer because of what happens next. Jesus immediately gets them in to teams and sends them off to be workers in the field. They become the answer to the prayer they haven’t yet had time to pray. Our God answers our prayers, and maybe we don’t want to be that answer.

Training

For the disciples it’s time to put into practice what they have been watching Jesus do. If we look back at chapter 8 and just reading the headings we will see what’s been happening:

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy

Jesus Heals Many

Jesus Restores Two Demon-Possessed Men

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralysed Man

Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman

Jesus Heals the Blind and the Mute

Now, it’s their turn! We might consider this a training exercise.

The disciples - pairs

It is interesting how the disciples are listed in 10 verse 2. Simon and Andrew, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew, The other James and Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot.

If you want to check the names here against the names in the other gospels there are plenty of places that will help you with that, I’m not talking about the names. I’m seeing that they are paired up. He sends the twelve out in pairs, not as individuals. If you’ve ever had the JWs knock at your door, you’ll know there are always at least two. Yet so often we have ONE evangelist. I think we may have missed something important here.

The disciples – take nothing

Then they are given some instructions. They are in a mixed area, there are Gentiles, Samaritans, and Jews living there. Jesus tells them to only go to the Jews, they are the people who will be best able to understand the message. They are the people who have the greatest expectation, and they are the people whose leaders are letting them down so badly.

The message they are to take is the same one Jesus has been proclaiming – ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Then they are to do what they have seen Jesus doing – heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.

Nothing difficult really!!!

There are more instructions in the following verses, that seem to make it even harder:

⁹ Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— ¹⁰ no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.

So, leave your jackets and coats on the chairs, put your wallet and bank cards with them, and off you go to Basildon, or Pitsea, or Vange perhaps, to bring the message that the Kingdom of God is near. You’ll have to walk, or perhaps hitchhiking might be allowed.

You should have a lovely Sunday Afternoon.

My Experience

I remember doing some Evangelism training. In 2011, Warner took me to a “Through Faith Missions” training weekend in Woking. In those days they were doing walks in the surrounding towns and villages, “The Walk of a Thousand Men” it was called. We slept on the church floor on the Friday night, and attended various classroom sessions, then did some practice.

Firstly we had a survey and were allocated a street. This is door-knocking in disguise. Then in the evening we were taken to the local Wetherspoons. The objective here was to engage the men in the pub in relevant conversation. We were given enough money to buy ourselves and someone else a pint. That was all we were allowed to have with us. For each of these things we were paired up with others on the training course.

Even with the training, to say that I was out of my comfort zone would have been a massive understatement. Doing the survey was not too bad, but the best conversations we had were with members of other churches. As for the pub, there were no conversations, except the one I had with my fellow novice. Near the end of the evening, I asked one of the leaders to show me how it was done. He was only marginally more successful and didn’t manage to establish a real conversation.

Reflection

After my licensing, at a reception in the church hall I answered a number of questions for our congregation. One of the things I said there, was that if I believed that God said “Go”, I would go. That promise has to be tested from time to time.

These experiences are never a waste of time, some of the classroom sessions had been really useful, and I learnt a little about myself and my mission too. If I were to undertake this type of evangelism, I would need a lot more training and a very specific call.

The disciples

So, how did the disciples get on? Annoyingly, Matthew doesn’t tell us, but fortunately Mark does:

6¹² They went out and preached that people should repent. ¹³ They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

Much, much better than the little group of trainees in Woking 15 years ago. I can think of four reasons why that might be:

• I was exploring my calling, as I suspect others were. The disciples were hand-picked by Jesus for this specific task.
• The disciples had seen a number of miracles first hand. If you talk to people who have seen or received miracles, you will see they have a different approach, a kind of enthusiasm and excitement you can’t get any other way.
• The disciples were offering to fulfil a real need – healing, we were only offering conversation, so far as the people we were speaking to were concerned.
• It’s possible the disciples were recognised in the towns and villages. We were most definitely not, coming from a town 30 miles away.

Conclusion

Jesus looked at the crowds with compassion—harassed, helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He still looks upon our towns, our neighbours, and our generation with the same compassion today.

His response was not simply to feel compassion; it was to call and send ordinary people. People with doubts, fears, limitations, and very little equipment—yet people who had been with Him.

The harvest is still plentiful. The workers are still few. And the command to pray for workers still stands, none of us should forget to pray this prayer regularly and repeatedly. And when we pray that prayer, we must be ready for God to place our own names among the answers, even if He has never done that before.

May we be willing to go where He sends, to speak as He leads, and to trust that the God who calls ordinary people also equips them with extraordinary grace.

Amen.

References 

https://sermoncentral.com/sermons/enter-into-his-gates-100-psalms-melvin-maughmer-jr-sermon-on-assurance-of-salvation-63700

Expositors Bible Commentary for both readings

Matthew for everyone - Tom Wright 

https://www.psephizo.com/biblical-studies/the-pattern-and-practice-of-ministry-in-matthew-9-to-10/

https://desperatepreacher.com/texts/mat9_35/mat9_35.htm

https://www.1517.org/articles/gospel-matthew-935-108-pentecost-3-series-a-2023

https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-11/commentary-on-matthew-935-108-9-23-3

https://biblehub.com/q/who_are_the_lost_sheep_of_israel.htm 

https://3cephas-notes.blogspot.com/search/label/evangelism 

gemini created the image and answered questions.  copilot suggested prayers, and some text.  

Through Faith Missions training weekend

On Friday I took a half day's holiday.  I packed a rucksack with way more than I needed and headed to the train station to meet Warner.  We were on our way to Woking to attend the Through faith missions training weekend for Walk West Dorset.  My agenda was slightly different.  I just wanted to understand what it's all about.  There were two practical sessions in the training.  One was Pub Evangelism, the other was door knocking.  The polite way to put my feelings about taking part would be to say that I was well outside my comfort zone.  Very apprehensive. 
After a false start, I forgot my sleeping bag!, we made it to Woking in plenty of time.  A meal at the Wetherspoons was very welcome, and then it was off to Christ Church in the town centre for the training event.  The church has rooms everywhere and is an ideal place for this type of event.  There were 25+ of us in the room overlooking the worship space.  It was very comfortable - I wasn't.  Plenty of tea and coffee and a very interactive training session.  The clock ticks round, and it was soon time to visit the pub - a process I usually look forward to.  We are kitted out with 'Walk of 1000 Men' t-shirts and sweatshirts.  As a novice - a first timer I was hoping to be paired with someone who had at least tried before. It was not to be.  We were completely incapable of approaching people and talking to them.  Eventually, I buttonholed one of the more experienced guys and asked him to show me.  Not really much success there either.  The one of the leaders had a try.  He managed a two or three line conversation with someone - and then I did learn something - but only with time for reflection later.
Bed involved sleeping on the floor.  I had borrowed my daughters inflatable bed, so I wasn't too uncomfortable.  Sleep though eluded me for a long time.  Too much to think and pray about.  When I did start to doze there was free unscripted entertainment outside.  Three times that happened.  Then it was morning as daylight began streaming through the roof even with the blinds down further sleep was impossible.
Breakfast was brought in by the local breakfast expert. Every church should have at least one!  I enjoyed it as you can tell.  Then more training, but this morning it was hard to concentrate after a poor night. 
Lunch was served in the church, by the café staff.  It was the first time for years I had eaten mince.  In the rush to book the weekend dietary requirements had been omitted.  I'm sure it was good, but I don't enjoy the taste as I used to.
Then to the door-to-door exercise.  We take a survey.  It is the warmest April day since ... records began.  Most people are out.  From about 20 houses we get 8 (I think) answers. A few are prepared to do the survey - two are from another local church.  Only one person got beyond the end. 
I'm not sure who was more nervous - us or the people we visited.
Reflecting on the experience now I have to ask if the results are a net positive. Does this approach put the people we visit under too much pressure? Are most the people we spoke to closer to making a commitment to Christ or further away?  Is this an effective way to turn people around? I feel for two of the people I spoke to in particular.  Jesus only put the leaders of the faith under pressure.  With everyone else He was very gentle.
I don't have answers.  If I ever get any I will, of course, blog about it. 
Some of the other training elements were very positive for me.  A chance to reflect on my testimony and see that it stops rather a long time ago was very useful.  A testimony that says nothing about the now needs updating.  There was also some practical training on schools work and the legal requirements that go with it which was very helpful.  Then there's the manual to read ...
Finally, there was the interview.  A check to see that the applicants are OK for the task they are being asked to do.  There is a rule of life to sign up to, which I had to stop and read (ALWAYS read the small print - especially when God's involved.).  I didn't have a problem signing that, it's pretty much how I try to live anyway.
So to the journey home.  By now it's latish on Saturday.  By the time we get to Waterloo the Drain (Waterloo  & City line) has closed for the weekend.  Northern line trains aren't stopping at Tottenham Court Road (the next most obvious route), so it's the Jubilee line to Stratford.   The journey home much less comfortable than the outward one.
My interviewer had warned me that if I decided to do a walk I would come under spiritual attack.  As I left the hall I had a pain in my right heel.  I didn't think much of it until I was walking home from Billericay Station.  Looking so see what was wrong I noticed blood on my sandals.  When I got home I found a spike about the thickness of a staple, but sharpened to a needle like point had gone through the sole of my sandals and had repeatedly scratched and penetrated my heel.  Very painful.  Reminded me of Genesis 3:15.