Jesus said the following in Matthew 9:

37Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Reinhardt Bonke said the following – the day of reaping with a sickle is past. The time for the combine harvester has come.

He also said: an unpreached Gospel is no Gospel at all.

A combine harvester is an extremely versatile and dynamic machine for bringing in the harvest – but even with a well qualified driver it cannot move without fuel. In the end the person who fills the tank plays just as big a role in gathering the harvest and seeing the fruits of the labour. You can have a very dynamic church and a well qualified preacher – but without the person who fills the tank – without our contributions to the mission – the lights will go out and the doors will close. Our contributions are what keep the church running.

Every single person in the body of Christ is important – plays a role in it functioning as a vehicle for salvation.

Through faithful use of our resources – time, money, skills, etc – the gifts bestowed upon us by the grace of God, each according to our special and unique capacity – we will see increase.

On that day on which we are to give account of our lives – when we are to prove our stewardship over the many mercies God entrusted us with, those who exerted themselves dutifully will receive their reward while those who left their gifts unused will be deprived of what they were entrusted with.

On that day on which we are to give account of our live we are not going to be asked what we preached, but rather what we did.

Giving to the poor, supporting the gospel and sowing into the Kingdom is trading with what we have – and the returns will be rich.

Those who have heard and are stubborn and uncharitable will find their riches are empty and perish – eaten away by moth and age.

Another principle at work in my life is this: we keep what we have by giving it away.

If we hold on to that ‘thing’ – that finite and perishable ‘thing’ – it will be all we have.

However, as we fill the cups of those around us in faith and faithfulness to God, we will see Him fill our cups every time.

How can God fill a cup that is full? Will the water not stagnate if it does not move?

What is most important, above all, is that the things that are important to God must be the most important to us.

Beyond our desire for a full cup – a full and prosperous life – must be the desire to please God.

For our hearts to break at the sight of that which breaks His heart.

A church that does not seek the lost is lost itself.

My hope and prayer is that God will speak to you to give – to fill the cups of those around you – so that you may become a living testimony of the grace of God.

That you will see increase in your storehouse. That God will prove Himself faithful to you and that the Gospel will continue to be preached and reach the lost.

May His Kingdom come, and His will be done in us, through us and around us.

In Jesus name.

Amen.

I remember years ago, as a volunteer in Hillbrow doing urban missions, I sat at a soup kitchen listening to testimonies from the local homeless population.

An older man got up and went to the front. The room fell silent as he started sharing. “I have never seen God give me bread or shelter…” He started. And I felt my heart jump. I thought to myself – this is not a testimony.

But the older man continued.

“But I have seen His children acting as his hands and feet to provide to our needs.”

Over the years this statement has stuck with me. This idea has shaped my ministry over the last 12 years. It is as Richard Rohr so beautifully puts it. Presence over preaching…

Peter shares the same kind of thought with us in his first epistle. In 1 Peter 2:9: he tells us that we are a royal priesthood, a chosen generation – a peculiar people – called out of darkness with the purpose of proclaiming his goodness to those who have not yet seen his love.

I like how the older translations put it – to shew forth the praises of Him who called us out of darkness. Not just to talk about it – but to practically demonstrate the Kingdom – to be ambassadors rather than citizens.

The old homeless man had a point. God uses us to facilitate His miracles. God uses us to provide and see to the needs of those who need Him. God uses us to care for the poor and disenfranchised. He uses us to bring about change. Gd works in us, He gives through us – and if He is present in our hearts, we will see His Kingdom present itself around us.

As believers and children of the Most High God, followers of the teachings of Christ we realize that we have a mission. This mission is given to us in Matthew 28 – in verse 16 the 11 disciples (sans Judas) go to the mountain in Galilee where Jesus had instructed them to go.

Here Jesus tells them the following: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus gives us the great commission – this role is assigned to us as a body – the authority of Christ, and therefore also the responsibility that comes with it – is delegated to us.

We are to make disciples as Jesus had done.

I love the Gospel According to Mark. In the book of Mark Jesus is described as a man of action – He didn’t just preach – but came as a revolutionary. Shifting paradigms, shaking our way of thinking and showing us the way forward. We cannot simply tell the hungry man to find Christ. A roaring belly is not always open to the Gospel – we need to feed him. The naked man needs to be clothed lest he be distracted by the cold, unable to hear the good news being shared.

We need to actually do. Not just talk the talk, but actually walk as Jesus instructed us to. As Christ Himself demonstrated.

When His disciples wanted to send the crowds home to go and eat, saying: “We cannot feed them…”, Jesus rebuked them and multiplied what was there.

But God used a little boy and his lunchbox to do this.

Just like Moses was instructed to use the staff he had in his hand to demonstrate God’s power – just like David picked up 5 stones – God uses what we have at hand to change the world.

And as we give – as we pour out the oil – it is multiplied. As we fill the cups of others, our cup will be filled.

In Matthew 25:35-40: Jesus describes, in parable, the corporal works of mercy.

“35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

We are called to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty and to clothe the naked. We are called and encouraged to shelter the homeless and visit the prisoner. We are to comfort the sick and father the orphan. We are to love without condition and be a friend to the friendless.

Jesus calls us to be His hands and feet.

We are to see to the needs of those around us – regardless of who they are or where they come from.

Jesus has called us all. We are all called to care for the community.

The early church – as described in the book of Acts – gave everything to the cause of Christ. All of their possessions were shared.

I am not suggesting that we live in the same way – what I am encouraging you to do is think a little bit beyond our own materialism.

The fact of the matter is, God has blessed us with certain skills, talents and resources. Therefore giving is not only an act of obedience but also worship.

Through giving – whether it is our time or money – or whatever it is we can offer – we are contributing to the great commission.

Sowing into ministry is a way of contributing to the cause of Christ.

I once heard a minister describing the first act of worship. He said that when God breathed into Adam and Adam exhaled it was worship – it was a physical reaction to what God had done.

This is what worship is – a reaction to the goodness and grace of God.

But this reaction cannot be purely spiritual.

We worship in spirit and truth – and if the truth is present within us and the Spirit moves through us it will always have tangible results.

Paul admonishes us in Ephesians 5 to be imitators of Christ as beloved children – to live a life of love just as Christ has loved us and offered Himself as a fragrant sacrifice for our sake.

He also makes it clear in his second letter to the Corinthians that Jesus became poor for our sake so that through His poverty we might become rich.

It is in reaction to this great love that Christ showed us – this love that laid down His life for us – that we worship and lay down our own ambitions for the sake of the Cross.

God, through His grace, has provided to our needs – and enables us to give to His Kingdom. Paul describes this in 2 Corinthians 9. From verse 10 we read:

10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.

Paul makes an interesting point – your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

He reiterates this idea in the following verses: OTHERS will praise God for the obedience that ACCOMPANIES your confession of the Gospel of Christ.

Giving is faith in practice.

James, in the epistle that bears his name, teaches us that faith without action is dead.

If we believe that God is who He says He is – our provider, our shepherd – the one who cares for us – than we can be pro-active in our giving instead of reactive. We can give and see to the needs of others without fear because we know that God is faithful and will supply and increase our store of seed (as Paul describes in 2 Cor 9:10).

The Bible also teaches us in the book of Proverbs that whosoever gives to the poor lends to the Lord – and I don’t know anyone I would rather lend to – as God is always faithful in settling His debts.

We pray: “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done…” but it has to be more than just a prayer – it has to lead to action.

What are we doing to facilitate the coming of His Kingdom?

We need to proclaim and show forth the praises of God. We need to proclaim His mercy.

Giving is a work of mercy through us. It is mercy at work in us.

The American essayist and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, once gave the following advice: “Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”

In Psalm 23 David makes it clear that even though we may walk through the valley of the shadow of death we need not fear – in all our trials and tribulations Jesus remains our friend.

In the valley low, and on the mountain top – through oceans deep and rivers wide – God remains faithful. He is God in the good times and in the bad times.

Romans 5:1-5: teaches us that even in the storm God is faithful. He is always busy molding us, shaping us – in every situation He is with us. In the good times and the bad times He is faithful, and therefore in both the good times and the bad times we can praise Him for His goodness and His love.

The fact of the matter is that some days are better than others, but every day can be the best of your life when you adopt an attitude of gratitude.

As Christians we realize that through the Spirit of Adoption we have become sons and daughters of the Most High God. We are no longer enslaved by the bondage of fear and sin – but crying ‘Abba Father’. We are justified by faith and at peace with God through Christ. Through Jesus, also, we have access, by faith, to His grace – the marvelous, amazing Grace of God in which we stand, alive and rejoicing, in the hope of glory of God.

We are blessed and highly favored. We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. He is our deliverer. He is our healer. He is the provider.

In Psalm 103 David declares aloud: Bless the Lord, O my soul.

The word used for soul is the Hebrew ‘nephesh’ which does not just refer to our conventional understanding of a ‘soul’ as some sort of component of being, but rather a word that encapsulates all of his life – consciousness and the whole of life itself.

He is, in essence, saying: Let others praise you with their tongues – with their words – but as for me… Everything I am, all of me will honour you. All that is withing me – physically, emotionally and intellectually – will praise you, glorify you, magnify, bless and exalt you Lord.

In verse 2 David repeats this phrase. Bless the Lord, O my soul!

As a guitarist I have to often tune my instrument before playing. The tuning peg needs to be turned until it in tune. Often it has to be turned more than once.

David repeats this phrase on purpose. Deliberately and with good reason. It is not vain repetition – how can it be when your pen is guided by the Spirit of God?

David is thirsty. He is hungry. He is seeking the face of God – ardently and in all earnestness. With the repetition of these words he is stirring up a chorus within himself – a chorus in which all his faculties, emotions and capacities are joined in harmonious rapture.

The prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon, notes the following in his beautiful exposition of this psalm: These first verses are a tuning of the harp, a screwing up of the loosened strings, that not one note may fail in the sacred harmony.

David’s repetition is deliberate – for emphasis. Our praise must never be half-hearted. Our thanksgiving must always be intentional. Although our praise is often spontaneous and emotional, it must also be intentional, and to a degree rational.

Psalm 103:2 encourages us to not forget His benefits. More than wealth or prosperity, God gives His children TRUE benefits.

The theologian, VanGemeren said: Praise is the response of awe for God, while reflecting on what the Lord has done for the people of God – throughout the history of redemption, for creation at large, for the community and for oneself.

If praise is a response to the awe of God, and David is calling his whole soul – all he is – to bless the Lord, it means that our thanksgiving is never just in word but also in deed. Our praise and thanksgiving becomes something tangible.

As author Amy Leigh Mercree said: Thanksgiving is a joyous invitation to shower the world with love and gratitude.

The vanGemeren quote expresses this as well – our praise is not just about what God has done for the individual, but extends outwards.

And as David is led in writing the Psalm, his invitation to praise, starting with himself – the stirring up of his heart and soul – extends outwards to eventually include all of creation. All the earth and even the host of heaven is invited to bless the Lord.

All of creation. All of Heaven and Earth is invited to take their place in the sacred symphony of praise.

In Psalm 103:6 we see that God’s heart beats for the oppressed, the poor – the broken, lost and in need. God’s heart beats for the sinner, outcast and orphan. From reading the Gospels and about the Apostles, we see how God wants to use us as His hands and feet. We are to advocate for and actively pursue and effect justice for the oppressed, the weak and weary, the burdened.and heavy laden – we are called to make a difference. As the light of God’s love becomes alive in us we are to become a light – a beacon of hope – for those still in darkness.

The Psalms often make mention of an offering of thanks, or a sacrifice of thanksgiving. This was always a physical offering. I would argue that all our offerings, all of our praise and thanksgiving, are to be expressed physically.

We have so much to be grateful for today. He has saved us from death itself.He has paid for our healing and restoration. He gives us joy and peace – the kind that surpasses understanding. His grace carries us. His love enfolds us. His goodness and mercy follows us. He is our Shepherd and we shall not want. He is the Good Father who cares for His children. If His eye is on the Sparrow, surely He watches over you and me as well.

Let us stir up our souls to worship God today – in Spirit and in Truth. Let us call ourselves to worship and bless the Lord with more than just words.

This is the invitation.

Someone out there needs Jesus today.

This is the invitation, an invitation to shower the world with love and gratitude.

An invitation to bless the Lord by doing something.

To bring a physical, tangible offering to the Lord, as a living sacrifice to Him (Romans 12:1-2).

What is your sacrifice of praise today?