Resurrection Sunday - The Harvest is Plentiful

Rev Stephen Thomas

On Good Friday evening we shared about our faith and the prophesy of Isaiah. Jesus was wounded for us. And we are made whole by the blows he received. 

The reason he took the blows, the piercing of the thorns and the end of a spear is because it is all for us. He lead us on his pathway to our perfection. He carried the wounds so deep in us that no one but Jesus knows about the wounds. 

All this depends on our faith in Jesus as Lord. We all have stories on how our faith develops. 

On Friday, I shared about a man called Dr Fitts. I grew up as a baby with him and he read the bible to me in Mandarin. I would listen to him and hear stories about China. How he was driven out and stories about his faith. 

My faith began when I was 12 years old at a convention. A new believer sang an old old hymn called "Little is Much." That audience of 50,000 were in tears. Our faith is to hear the voice of God calling us. The harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few. Pray to the Lord of the harvest. Our faith is to response to what God wants us to do. 

Jesus not a only healed diseases that are contagious but also brings healing to the mind. 

Matthew 9:35-38

The Workers Are Few

35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Jesus calls each of us by faith to be workers in his harvest field. 

Matthew 8:18-22

The Cost of Following Jesus

8:19- 22pp – Lk 9:57- 60

18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

There is a price to pay to follow Jesus. 

Matthew 9:16-17

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. 17 Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Our faith is that Jesus put us in new wine skin so that our faith will mature. New wine of his personality and love so that we bubble before other people and they'll change. 

Matthew 22:14

“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

So where is your faith in 2014? Our faith is to be absolute and complete. To transform our life and affect other lives for Jesus. It will cost you but it is worth it and you will be rewarded with eternal life. 

Jesus moved from village to village and from town to town and preached. And there was no place for him to rest. Have you slept on hard ground? I have.  I used to sleep like that in Afghanistan. Jesus kept moving on. 

Jesus sat down for a meal with 12 men on Thursday and on Friday he was crucified. Jesus died on the cross before the sabbath began. This is the end of the old era and a new era is established by God. On Sunday he arose. Saturday became an empty day. Jesus resurrection became a new time for all time. He took us out of the old and bring us into the new. What? His saving grace. 

He gives us a new beginning. He shelters and protects us and he guides us. In this new era Jesus calls on our faith to be workers in his harvest field. The Lord of the harvest. And being active workers is imperative. We do not know when he will come again. But we know each day is one day nearer. 

We need to gladly labor for his kingdom. With joy. We are called to demonstrate to a broken world, a broken people with broken hearts to the joy of being complete in Jesus. 

How does all I say apply to my life and WIN? The answer is faith. 

In 1977, I asked God what he wanted me to do. My response was that I love Thailand and have been there before and the Lord says do it. He understand us. He knows us. Since that date I have lived an active ministry for 36 years in Thailand and with Thai people in America. God puts a call in our lives and he opens the door. 

17 years ago I met a man named Hudson Lee. Your pastor's father. We were with him at a place called Nasi Thong which meant Face of Gold. And we prayed over that place. But God took Hudson home 12 years ago and that place was left dormant. But we are back and God has a new era for WIN. 

You have any wounds? Yes you do. We all do. Jesus is the marvellous healer that turns our wounds for his glory. We may find a rocky bed or a pillow of hay but it is better for us. The cost of discipleship is great but it brings substantial rewards. Sorrow is replaced with hope. Pain is replaced with joy. Tears are replaced with laughter. Little is much when God is in it. 

We started by tilling the land and seeded the ground. We planted Jerusalem artichoke and it is growing. 3 feet high now. 

We have individuals supporting us but we want to be self supporting. Harvest is coming soon. It takes time to grow. And we want to tithe back to you so that you can help others. 

The time has come to have no place to rest as you are reaching Jerusalem. To move from village to village. Harvest is here. We are to announce that the cross is our victory. The empty tomb is our witness. 

Paul when he met Jesus he became a prophet and priest of the word and brought thousands to the kingdom. We all have met our Dr Fitts. Where does your faith stand? Do you remain in the quicksand of a sinful world or have you given yourself to your redeemer. A victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. 

Are you this day in tune with Jesus as your redeemer and friend? Are you out witnessing to people on this island? Our first memory of Penang was Georgetown. Now this island is one big enormous city and you are placed to touch the people on this island. You are called here for a purpose and a reason. Just like us in Thailand. 

We did not plan to be in Nasi Thong. It's just that when we got there God told us this is the open door. He calls you in your mind, in your heart, in your soul. Know that he is the Lord of your life. 

Rev Stephen Thomas introducing his wife Linda who presented a slide show of work progress at WIN.

Wonderful presentation by TOP's young adults.

Some of our Baptism Candidates getting ready for baptism at the 3rd Floor.