Good morning.  Today we are going to begin a series that takes a look at a few things that I have learned recently.  Over the next 5 weeks, we will be taking a look at some of the things I have observed this summer.  Now, I have to say up front, that I got this idea from another minister on the internet, but I can relate, and I have see these same things in my own observation.  Over the next few weeks we will be in a series called “Life On The Farm.”  After my weekend in Indiana on a Dairy Farm, and a day of pitching hay with Keith, I by no means consider myself a farmer or an expert on the subjects of farming, but there are a few things that I want to pull out and share with you.

Before we begin though, let me open out time with a word of prayer.  Let’s Pray!

Today, we are taking a look at Putting Up Hay.

Now Keith has always been asking me, year after year, if I wanted to help put up hay.  However, it seems that I was always busy doing something in the past.  Well, this year, that was not the case.  But I believe I was tricked a little bit though.  Keith came up to me last Sunday night and asked if I had anything going on, on Monday.  Before I could think, I said no, that I was free all day.  Let me tell you, that was a big mistake.  Then I had no way to back out of what he was about to ask.

Now let me set the scene for you: I am shorter than most, I didn’t know the first thing about putting up hay, and I am a big weakling.  Now, let me tell you how the day went.  I rode back and forth on a wagon from the field to the barn.

When we arrived at the barn, 2 guys stacked, and that left me to empty the wagon.  Most of the day, I spent trying to toss bails of hay over my head to the guys up top.  We began at 1:00, and I got home at 9:15.  Needless to say, I was scratched up from one side to the other, sore all over, and ready to retire from the farming business all together.

Now I would assume that there are few farm chores more dreaded then putting up hay.  It is hot work; it is dirty work; it is heavy work; and it is long work.  Personally, it is not a career or occupation that I would be able to do more than just occasionally.

The average bale weighs 45 to 50 pounds.  For the farmer, the more you get out of the field and stocked in the barn the more money you make.  So you try and get every bit.  If you are just a worker, it’s a fair day’s work for a fair wage; but you definitely earn every penny of it!

Looking at this farm chore from a distance affords you the luxury of seeing the parable within it.  Of course, when I was right there in the middle of it there are no lessons to be learned, except for how much I need to start working out, but now I see the parable.

Go ahead and turn with me to Mark 6:6-13, and verse 30.  Here in this passage we are focusing on Jesus sending out the 12.  As we read from Mark 6, read with the imagery of baling hay in the back of your mind.  Here is what it has to say.  Mark 6:6-13, and verse 30 says, “1”

Now, what I want you to gain today from this story is that God calls each follower to ministry and personal sacrifice.  This morning I want to give you 4 words that describe 4 transferable elements from this modern day parable.

First, Directions

These were his instructions; Jesus gave them a clearly defined task that had to be done.  Now, it doesn’t take a genius to put up hay; just about any 15 year old with a few muscles and a good back to tackle the task can take care of it.  And most farmers are more than happy to “farm this work out” to an extra set of hands.  You do not need a complex strategy to put up hay either.  First, you stack it on the wagon.  Second, you stack it securely in the barn.  It sounds so easy!  And that’s one of the points from my parable of the hay; anybody can understand the mission; anybody can know when it is being accomplished.

There are some Christians and even entire churches that seem to overlook this simple point.  When Jesus sent His followers He made sure they knew what was to be done.  It was not a hide-n-seek game.  It was not to see if they had grasped the unwritten rules.  Jesus makes His intentions very clear.

Mark’s Gospel tends to be very to the point and does not bother with much detail.  He begins Jesus’ charge with these words: “These were His instructions:”

But in the books of Matthew and Luke, they often give us additional insight.  In Matthew chapter 10 we receive more clarity for the mission at hand.  Matthew 10:5-10 says, “2”

You see what I mean?  When Jesus gives a mission He makes it clear.  That means that accomplishment is easy to detect.  Sending the 12 out is an extension of what Jesus has been doing.  They will be effective only as an extension of His work.  They had no natural authority over evil spirits, only Jesus did.  But He gave them the instructions, and told them what to do.

Now when I arrived, the only direction I was given were simple, and to the point.  Get on the wagon, throw the bails of hay up here, and don’t stop until the wagon is empty.  Then we would go and get the other wagon full, and do it all over again.  It was simple.  Well, God has given each of us simple instructions as well.  If you look at the Great Commission, you will see that we have all been called to share Him with others.  The directions are clear, now we need to act upon them and get to work.  So Jesus gives directions.

Secondly, Is Distribution

Jesus sent them out 2 by 2.  Now I believe that Jesus did that for a simple reason too.  Teamwork makes for successful and pleasant work.

Now, when we got all of that hay to the barn, we had to make a choice.  We could each take a bale, lug it from the trailer up onto the top, then stack it, or we could work as a team.  Thankfully, we chose the team approach.  I would toss the hay from the wagon up onto the top of the hay.  The other guy would toss it to the third guy, who would then stack it the way we wanted it.  Now, had I been thinking correctly, after a while we would have trade places, but I wasn’t thinking correctly that day.  Nevertheless, the work went smooth, and somewhat quickly.

It is not by any surprise that Jesus sends His laborers out in pairs.  Take a look at this with me: First, there is strength in pairs.  Had I tried to put up all that hay alone, it would have killed me.  Second, there is wisdom in pairs.  The other people working knew more about it than I did.  Fourthly, there is joy in pairs.  Even though it was hard work, during the day we were able to talk to one another and share with each other.  And finally, there is complimentary styles and gifts in pairs.  Each of us has a different gift, and that allows us to be able to accomplish more.

In Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 it says, “3”

I suspect that the ministry God calls you to is NOT a “lone ranger” type of ministry.  Very few are.  Chances are, there are others with complimentary passions and gifts that you could benefit from.  I know that it often appears to be easier to “just do it yourself,” but I assure that you will find immeasurable rewards by bringing others alongside.

Look at Jesus, He chose 12 men to help Him with the task at hand.  So, we see the importance of distribution and teamwork.

Thirdly, Daunting

Jesus’ words to these men were, “1”

You see, obeying Christ’s call on your life can be hard work.  If you have ever set on the bed of a wagon, and approached a pasture filled with freshly cut and baled hay, you understand the meaning of the word daunting.  As a I looked at that field, my stomach dropped, I wondered if we would ever finish, and then to think that there are other fields that are even bigger just waiting on me, well, I think the word “daunting” fits nicely.

There is no getting around it, putting up hay is hard work and there will be a personal cost.  But do you know why a lot of people fail to succeed at Christ’s calling?  It is because they give up.  It gets hard.  It becomes thankless.  It has periods of pure endurance.

Jesus’ disciples were, and are today, representing Him.  They were not being sent out like kings.  There were no 5 star hotels waiting at each ministry location.  There were no special favors that they could exact from the town’s-people.  They were not given a celebrity status.  Why, because Jesus Himself ran from celebrity status.  Rather they are sent as servants.
They were to go in the power of love and they were dependent upon others responding to them in kindness.  In so doing they represented Jesus and Jesus’ kingdom.  The ministry at hand had 4 requirements: love, faith, obedience, and hard work.  And our call from God requires no less.  But, even though the call or task might be daunting, that leads us to our final point.

It Is Doable

They went out and preached that people should repent.  They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.  It is easy to grasp the importance of putting up hay.  You only need live through one year of drought and watch farmer and livestock suffer to see how important this is.

In 1998, the state of Oklahoma was among the many Midwestern states that experienced a drought.  Some farmers were buying hay from the east coast and having it trucked in.  Some farmers were selling their livestock at pennies on the dollar.  Having a good store of hay and a source of water were life and death matters that summer.

Now I am sure that there were plenty of workers moaning and complaining the year before about their summer job.  I’m sure they thought it could be postponed until another day, but the farmers knew better.  This was serious work.

Well, guess what?  The work of the Kingdom has no unimportant tasks.  There is no “busy work” for the citizens of the Kingdom.  Each task, each ministry, is a matter of life and death spiritually speaking.  If it isn’t, then we need not do it.

Now I am not talking about anyone specifically, but I know plenty of people who are like this person I know.  They are a good Christian man or woman.  They are wonderful husbands, wives, fathers, and mothers.  Very moral, and faithful to church too.  But they are disobedient.  They have a definite calling on their life and are not following it.

They know the calling, and most who know them do too.  You can just tell.  Now, they have done a lot of preparatory work regarding the calling.  They can tell you all about what is involved in the ministry to which they need to get involved in.  They have done everything needed to be “qualified,” they are just not doing it.

Let’s be clear here.  They know the directions, they know the importance of partnering with others (distribution), and they know the task to which they are called can be daunting.  In fact, I would even bet that they also know that it is doable.  All they need to do is deny themselves, and follow God.

Now, have you noticed that I am assuming you have a call from God?  It is not by mistake.  I do believe God has something specific and special that He wants you to do for Him.  In fact, that is what we are studying on Sunday nights right now.  I pray that you will follow the disciples who have gone before you and pursue it with passion.

Just like working with putting up the hay, your God given ministry can be described with 4 words:
1. Directions
2. Distribution
3. Daunting
4. Doable

The role of the church is to equip you, encourage you, commission you, and hold you accountable for the ministry God gives you.  But in the end, you, like everyone else, will stand before God Himself and give account for your faithfulness to Him and His call.  I want you to come to the realization that time is short and you will stand before God to give an account of His time.

I want you to hear the words of Matthew 25:21: “Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share in your master’s happiness!

Let’s Pray!