“And how shall they preach except they be sent?” Romans 10:15
Dear Ones:
The great mission of God to send a Savior into the world, to save the world, began in the heart and mind of God, “…from the foundation of the world.” (Rev. 13:8) It is for this reason that we see that Christ, as the Lord of the Harvest, is the beginning and ending of this great endeavor. Not only that, He is the very essence of the work, the message, and the means by which the message is given. Before the singular event when Christ uttered the words of a perfect work accomplished, “It is finished,” the whole of Old Testament history and prophesy, directed the attention of all men to that cross, and the sacrificial Lamb. It was GOD’s work that conceived the only way by which a man can be saved, and it will be since that event, that it will be GOD’s work alone, which will fulfill the mission of spreading the truth of that singular event and work. As Paul put it, “…for it is GOD who is at work in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”
When Isaiah had his great vision of God, “…the Lord sitting upon a throne,” he was overwhelmed by the sight. Not only did the vision bring him to see his own sinfulness, contrasted with the sovereign holiness of God, but it brought him into alignment with the will and purpose of God. After God had removed all traces of his sin, Isaiah will hear the voice of God saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” (Is. 6:8) Here is the call of the Creator, the Redeemer of all the ages, putting before a very small individual, and imperfect sinner, an opportunity of eternal consequences, the magnitude of which Isaiah could never imagine. In the profound simplicity of that call, there is grace given, the power and ability, to respond favorably. “Whom shall I send?” The response, “Here am I, send me.” (v.8) God’s work consists not only of a provision for the cleansing of man’s sin. It also consists in revealing to an individual God’s way in reaching the world, that of CALLING an individual (s) to serve Him.
When the Apostle Paul was addressing the Christians at Rome, he wrote concerning this same issue of God’s work being done by Him, in His way. His questions were: “How shall they hear without a preacher,” and “How shall they preach, except they be sent?” What do these two questions tell us? First of all, if the message of the gospel is to be known at home and abroad, it must be disseminated primarily by “preachers,” or heralds of the gospel. The preachers are those who declare the truths of Christ, preaching Him. What is most interesting about these messengers is that they must be sent. By whom? By God Himself. Without a commission from God, how can they, by the Spirit, accomplish the mission of God? It is as Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, said: “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.” That “supply” is primarily the Spirit of God. In order for the message of the Gospel to be preached in the “power and demonstration of the Spirit,” there must of necessity be an individual sent by God, in fellowship with God, preaching for the glory of God.
Dear Father, give us ears to hear Your calling, and grace to respond to it. Enable us to grasp that You have fully equipped us in Christ for the fulfillment of the mission, and that there is nothing too hard for Thee. Minister and speak through us, O Christ, that all may know that Thou art the Savior of the world. We thank Thee, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad
It was the words of Yahweh {LORD, see Hebrew text} in Isaiah 6:8 that formed a call to missions for me in February 1985; compelling words. I wonder though why you ascribe the title “Lord of the Harvest” found in Mt 9:38 or Luke 10:2 to Jesus? He prayed to Yahweh the Father {His Unique Father}and usually instructed His followers to pray to the Father {Mt 6:9}. Moreover, it was the Father who sent Him (John 5:24). It seems more logical to me to ascribe the title “Lord of the Harvest” to Yahweh God the Father.rather than to Jesus. Your friend & brother, Michael H.
Bro. Michael…thanks for the note…a breath of fresh air “…as from a foreign land.” You are right, but I would add a thought or two. When Jesus ascended on high, and gave gifts to men, something wonderful occurred which I do not claim to understand. I do not see the role of the Father in any way diminished, but I do see the role of Christ magnified, or expanded. He becomes our eternal High Priest, but it seems to me, so much more. He dies on the cross to win our salvation; He dwells in His church to accomplish His mission to the world. For me, an example of this “amplified,” or “expanded” role, is that of Paul. The Lord tells Ananias: “Go thy way, for he is a chosen vessel unto Me to bear My name before the Gentiles…Paul would later add that the Lord Jesus told him, “Depart, for I will send thee far away unto the Gentiles.” I see no contradiction here, for I cannot adequately explain the role of the Father, the Son and the Spirit BEFORE the resurrection…much less, now, afterwards. But I do believe that when Christ rose, some most wonderful things occurred to magnify, amplify, and expand, His role in the salvation of the world. There you have it dear brother…all will be explained some day. Until then, I concur with your assessment, and simply add…there is so much more that I, we, do not understand. Please give our greetings to Patti. May He be most wonderfully exalted and honored until we see Him on that day.