Help Wanted: Kingdom Manager

Luke 22; 19-39

Introduction

You may be seated. Welcome again to River City. It’s good to be with you this morning. I’ll go ahead and dismiss the kids at this time. Parents if you have kiddos we have a few different children's ministry options for you. Everything happens in the hallway to your right as you head out of the gym, which would be the hallway to your left as you’re coming into the building. We have a nursery for any kids that have not celebrated their 3rd birthday yet and we then have a couple of different classes that run up to the age of 8. Just follow the stampede and they will get you to where you need to be. 

Pathfinders, ages 9-12 will also meet today however they are down the opposite hallway to your left as you head out of the gym. You can follow Andrew, where’s Andrew? Any kids staying in the room there are clipboards and activities in the back that you can help yourself to, and for everyone else we have bibles in back, and coffee as well, feel free to help yourself.

If we’ve not met yet, my name’s Josh Krueger. I realize this morning that I’m the new guy on the block.. And new to preaching that is, not to River City. I told both Rodney and Jim that I was planning to announce myself as the B Team this morning and they churched it up real nice for me by telling me there is no such thing. So, if you have some grocery shopping or something to do, you’re welcome to give the person you came with that subtle little elbow to the side, get up and pretend like you’re headed to the bathroom and we’re good, I’ll pretend I didn’t see you leave and no hard feelings at all… Or feel free to hang out, I only had to write this sermon 3 times, so it’s either decent or Rodney didn’t have the nerve to say hey dude you’re going to have to run that back a 4th time. In all seriousness I appreciate the opportunity and I’m excited to bring you the word today.

If you have a bible I would love for you to flip it open. We’ll be back in Luke today in chapter 22.

 

Transition & Setup

 

Before I get rolling, just a little of my background and it’ll help you to understand why I took the angle I did today with our text. My wife, Miranda, and I are entrepreneurs. I actually grew up on a produce farm and I’ve been selling sweet corn and watermelons from the back of a pickup as far back as I can remember. Since then the two of us have owned and operated a number of different companies and if you asked around the consensus would likely be that business is something I enjoy quite a bit. As you all know a pretty important piece of business is hiring and firing, which is not super fun, but in order to run a successful company it’s something you find yourself doing quite a bit of. So as I studied this conversation between Jesus and his disciples the message today started to take on the form of a job post or an interview and so I thought it would be fun to run with that. 

 

So the title of the sermon this morning is this: 

 

Help Wanted: Kingdom Manager

 

The question that I’ve been asking myself over the course of the last 4 months is this: Jesus, what do you want me to hear through this text? You say a number of different things, but if you could summarize verses 19-39 down for little ole me to a single point what would it be? And this is what I’ve come up with:

We’ve been appointed as managers of a kingdom which will require suffering and service where the reward is everlasting companionship with Jesus.

 

If you’re anything like me, as you read this on the screen, you probably have some questions. I know I had a few big questions myself and here are the 4 that I’m going to try and answer today:

 

1. What’s the job description of a kingdom manager? and what does that mean?
2. What are the skills and talents needed for the role?
3. What are the expectations of the role?
4. And probably everyone’s favorite: How much do you pay?

Before we dive in, would you please pray with me and for me…

 

Prayer

Father God, we come before you now just truly in awe of who you are. Lord our heart is to draw closer to you today, and to know you more. I pray today Father that as we open up your word and look at what you inspired Luke to write that your spirit would work in each of us to hear what you want us to hear, and to see what you want us to see. I pray for protection over these people today Lord, and ask that if anything that comes from my mouth is not of you or is not how you intended it, that you would have those things fall away. Father, please quiet my heart, and I truly pray your spirit will drive. We love you.

 

Context

 

Alright, context. Let’s look at two things; first let’s look at what’s happened leading up to where we’re at here in Luke 22 and then we’ll look at what’s about to happen. This will of course then be the lens we look through today as we go through our text. As we’ve seen in chapters 9-19 we have Jesus taking his disciples on a journey to Jerusalem. That journey consisted mainly of Jesus’ teaching and parables and a lot of times that teaching just developed organically based either on the people they’d either encounter along the way or opportunities that would just sort of arise among the disciples.

 

As we look at the back half of chapter 19 we have Jesus arriving in Jerusalem for Passover and as we’ve been learning things are starting to heat up, right. In chapters 20 and 21 we see Jesus storming into the temple, running out sellers and again the tension continues to rise between Jesus and the leaders of Israel. As we move into verse 22, where we’ll be today, we then see Jesus having retreated to the Passover meal. So that completes our look back. Then as we look ahead of this meal, for those of you that don’t know the rest of the story we know Jesus will be arrested, we know he’ll be put on trial, and we know he’ll endure the most gruesome death known to humanity. So that’s the lens that we’re looking through as we look at Luke 22 today; we’ve got Jesus headed off to his death and we’re now looking at the final conversation between him and his disciples. Seems like a nice and easy chunk of text tackle for a first sermon.

 

Question #1: What’s the job description of a kingdom manager? and what does that mean?

 

Kingdom Explained

 

Or more specifically, what does the kingdom piece of that mean to start… I know job description and manager both feel a bit more straightforward, but as I prepared for this, the word Kingdom was a bit fuzzy for me, and it felt a little abstract. Now I don’t know about the rest of you but when I would hear the word kingdom what would come to mind is a realm of some kind… or I would think of a large group of people sort of in the clouds on golden streets with big fences and angels, and don’t ask me why… this is just what I pictured.

And so as I dug into this I found a few things to be super helpful: one of the things I found is that you can often substitute the word Kingdom for a few other things, and one of the most common would be to use the word REIGN as a substitute. So when we say kingdom of God what we’re actually talking about is God’s reign, or his lordship, or his plan, or his sovereign governance / his kingly rule. There are however a few other ways that we can view the Kingdom.

Like we see in Luke 13 Jesus talks about the kingdom as a tree where the birds of the sky nested in its branches, so we can also view a kingdom as a place to dwell or a safe house, as a place of refuge.

If we look at Luke 23 there can also at times be this sort of realm element to it, so I wasn’t completely crazy. In verse 42 we read: Then he said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. And he said to him, Truly I tell you today you will be with me in paradise.

So the visual here is a destination… So we can think about the kingdom of God a few different ways, but I do think the core idea of kingdom, even in Luke 23, does speak to the rule or reign of God. That being said, scripture makes it pretty clear that at some point the things that are invisible to us today will become visible and this reign or rule that we submit to and live under will become more material in nature. Helpful at all?

 

Alright, so what's the job description of a kingdom manager? Or what are the individual’s responsibilities?

 

Job Description

 

Job Description #1: Let’s start with verse 26: It is not to be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever is greatest among you should become like the youngest, and whoever leads, like the one serving. 27 For who is greater, the one at the table or the one serving? Isn’t it the one at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves. 28 You are those who stood by me in my trials.

So as Kingdom Manager we are to: Remain Committed to Service/Self Denial/Sacrifice

How do we do that? I have 3 thoughts, and by no means are these exhaustive:

Job Description #1 We must be willing to wash dirty feet

To unpack this point let’s look at the first half of verse 26 again and try to answer the question, what does it mean to become like the youngest as Jesus instructs?

If we look back to the time when Jesus said this, we know a couple of things; we know the younger were toward the bottom of the totem pole societally. We know the younger were issued the menial tasks and the sort of stuff that required really no training or skills - and oftentimes the younger were actually even viewed as servants. They weren't favored by society and were even sometimes considered to be outcasts. So if we take a stab at what Jesus was saying, I think he is talking about the heart and he is throwing out a caution with regard to how we view ourselves. I believe Jesus is telling us that we’re not to hunt for recognition. I believe he is telling us not to hunt for prestige. And very simply put we need to conduct ourselves with a true posture of humility.

I thought it would be fun to incorporate some worldly perspective into this topic so I threw this out on social media to see what people thought and here were some of the responses that I got - Curious… do we have any youngest siblings in the room? You might relate to these: “One word: survival, someone said: hand me downs, someone said: pushed to the side and barely got any attention, and my favorite one was: My parents were extra strict on me since my older siblings broke all of the rules.” - I’m an oldest sibling, and I would like to think my sisters are thankful for that. Primarily because I too broke all of the rules, and had my parents to a place where they were like, just don’t be like your older brother and you can do whatever you want.

If we flip to John 13 Jesus shows us how point #1 should play out. Important to note this is all happening at this same dinner that we’re looking at in Luke 22. I’m just going to read this quickly, because this so powerfully showcases the heart we’re all to be in pursuit of having:

Before the Passover Festival, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

Now when it was time for supper, the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, to betray him. Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into his hands, that he had come from God, and that he was going back to God. So he got up from supper, laid aside his outer clothing, took a towel, and tied it around himself. Next, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around him.

And then fast forward quickly to verse 12:

When Jesus had washed their feet and put on his outer clothing, he reclined again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are speaking rightly, since that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you.

Now I don’t know how this hits for the rest of you, but if I’m being really honest my knee jerk reaction here is this gets me a little outside of my comfort zone. And all the germ-a-phoebe's said… Amen!

The part that carries the greatest amount of conviction for me is not the act of washing feet, but more specifically it’s the part where he washed Judas’ feet. He knows that Judas is going to betray him and he knows the cost of that betrayal, right? But instead of retaliation Jesus fetches a bucket, he gathers some water, he sits Judas and the others down, unclothes, gets on his hands and knees and gently scrubs the dirt from his feet.

I believe what Jesus is both telling us, and showing us, is that the foundation of our calling as kingdom managers is a correct view and placement of self; again it’s a true posture of humility. It’s seeing ourselves as we really are; broken, sinfull, self centered and completely helpless apart from God. Foot washing was the job of the lowliest, and doing kingdom manager well requires this foot washer mentality.

Job Description #2: Verse 37 For I tell you, what is written must be fulfilled in me: And he was counted among the lawless. Yes, what is written about me is coming to its fulfillment.”

Job Description #2 We must put our hands to the plow (v 37)

I’m sure most of you have seen the movie The Passion of The Christ? I had not seen it until recently. I know as Christians we talk about the sacrifice and crucifixion a lot, and I find that we maybe do it so often that if I’m being honest I don’t know that the magnitude of what Jesus endured has ever truly gripped my heart. It’s sort of become a Sunday school story that’s absent of the gut wrenching reality of what actually took place in those final 12 hours of Jesus' life. In this Sunday school story that rolls through my head I can tend to forget that Jesus was actually tied up and beaten. I tend to forget that he was whipped until the flesh was literally falling off his back. I tend to forget that there was a literal crown that was driven into the flesh and bone on his head. I somehow forget that when Jesus asks us to pick up our cross and follow him that he literally picked up a cross weighing several hundreds of pounds and he carried it through large crowds of people that spit on him, threw rocks at him, screamed and mocked him. And I tend to forget that when Jesus invites Thomas to touch the holes in his hands that those really truly were solid flesh a few days earlier before having stakes driven through them. I won’t walk you through the rest, I think you get the point.

But here’s what blows my mind about verse 37. Jesus knows this is coming. He knows. And he chooses to say what is written must be fulfilled. So, Jesus understood he was sent for a purpose and he didn’t just say that, but his life demonstrated it. He understood better than anyone that he had a mission critical task, and I believe Jesus is asking his disciples and us to have this same mentality as kingdom manager.

I’ll just say this about Job Description #2 and I’ll move on: As Kingdom Managers we’re being asked to do what’s necessary regardless of how we feel; again, regardless of how we feel. As Kingdom Managers we’re being asked to put our hands on the plow and to farm the acre that the Lord has placed right in front of us. Can we just all agree, we like our comfort a little too much? I know scripture talks a whole lot about being comforted but I think we tend to get that twisted with being comfortable. The question I have for you is this: what’s in your acre right now? Is it marriage? Maybe it’s kids, maybe it’s grandchildren, maybe it’s running a business, maybe it’s a job that you don’t see yourself doing forever, maybe you’re retired - this looks different for each of us. Here’s the bottom line: We cannot be driven by our feelings. We need to stop worrying about our neighbors' acre, and each of us need to wake up each day ready to faithfully get stepping, realizing each of us have a job and a purpose, realizing that desire follows discipline, it’s not the other way around.

Job Description #3 Verse 36: Then he said to them, “But now, whoever has a money-bag should take it, and also a traveling bag. And whoever doesn’t have a sword should sell his robe and buy one.

Job Description #3 We must be willing to kill personal comfort

If we look back even one more verse to verse 35 we actually see Jesus remind the disciples that things’ve been pretty comfy up to this point. Sure, there were maybe a few physical material things that they didn’t have, but he reminds them that, hey, up until this point there isn’t a thing you’ve lacked, but that’s about to change.

He then goes on to tell them that death is coming for him, and he also wanted the disciples to know that death would also be coming for them. And no, not literal death here, in the sense that they too would be nailed to a cross, but a death to self.

So when we talk about Kingdom Manager requiring death we’re talking about the death of the flesh. We’re talking about death of self obsession or death to pride. Death to ego. Death to our personal freedom. Death to “the right to do whatever we want” as the world puts it. Kingdom Manager requires us to stop trying to get our way. It requires us to stop trying to get people to look up to us. It requires us to stop offering unasked-for advice. Or the one I really struggle with: Kingdom Manager requires us to stop trying to make a good impression on others. I can’t tell you how many Sundays I sat in my chair literally quaking with the thought of doing this today, and that mostly had to do with my opinion of you all.

Now I don’t know how this manifests in your life, but maybe this is as simple as saying no to sweets or junk food. Maybe it’s not becoming defensive when you’re humiliated, or questioned or challenged. Maybe it’s you exhausted after a long day of work jumping in to do the dishes for your wife when you don’t feel like it. Maybe it’s tending to someone else’s needs even though it interrupts you in the middle of your work day. Maybe this is apologizing to your spouse for the sake of unity when you feel wronged. Maybe for you it’s praying for a spouse who appears to not be pursuing the Lord when you just want to get mad. Maybe it’s deleting certain social media platforms or getting rid of your phone altogether to avoid pulling up another pornographic website. I know this one sounds so dumb, but for me it’s kids bedtime; I can instantly jump on the struggle bus when my 3 year old comes to me and appears to have been in the Mojave Desert for well over a year, needing her 6th cup of water.

I know Job Description #3 feels a lot like #2 but I will summarize it for you like this: If we want to do Kingdom Manager with excellence then service, self denial and sacrifice are not optional. They are markers of a follower of Christ and we cannot hang out waiting to feel like it. News flash: we aren’t going to feel like it approximately 99% of the time I’m learning.

What are the Skills and Talents needed for the role? verse 31:

31 “Simon, Simon, look out. Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” “Lord,” he told him, “I’m ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” “I tell you, Peter,” he said, “the rooster will not crow today until you deny three times that you know me.”

Skills & Talent Needed: There is just one: Complete Dependence on Him (v 31-34)

If I had to guess we can all probably relate with Peter and how he was feeling in verse 33. I know for me there have been many Sundays where I roll up into church and I worship my heart out and I hear the message and feel all pumped up, pretty much beating my chest for Jesus and then I hop in the car with Miranda and the kids and in all of about 4 seconds I’m in an angered outrage. The issue with me, and with Peter, is we forget just how fragile we really are apart from Jesus. As we look at the text the trouble really isn’t with Peter’s confidence. We would all agree confidence can be a good thing. The trouble is that Peter fails to remain in humble reliance on God. The trouble is that Peter’s forgotten that sin is physically wired into his genetic code, just like it is ours, and as kingdom managers this is something we cannot lose sight of. It’s only through complete dependence on the Lord paired with a sense of weakness without him that gives us a chance.

So what can we learn from Peter?

We see very clearly in this chunk of text that the battle with Satan is on. That being said, we can rest on a couple of really important things. We can rest on the fact that Satan asked, he didn’t just begin sifting like we see in verse 31. As cruel and nasty as he may be, he is under the Fathers authority, not the other way around. We can rest on the fact that Jesus intercedes for us like we see in verse 32; how cool is that? Our faith may falter, but it will not fail, Jesus just simply won’t allow it. We can also rest on the fact that Jesus is all knowing. He knew exactly what was going to happen with Peter. He wasn’t surprised by any of it. And we can also rest on Jesus' perfect, patient, gentle loving grace. He pretty much said, hey, this is going to happen, you're going to fail but I understand this is not a heart denial of me, so when you come back, get your hands back on the plow and get stepping - no condemnation, no guilt, no shame, just perfect all knowing, loving grace.

So again, no skills needed… no talent needed, just complete dependence on our father.

We’re on to the final piece, the: Expectations of the Role:

Verse 35 He also said to them, “When I sent you out without money-bag, traveling bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?”

“Not a thing,” they said.

Then he said to them, “But now, whoever has a money-bag should take it, and also a traveling bag. And whoever doesn’t have a sword should sell his robe and buy one.

Expectations of the Role: We are to Remain Ready for Conflict

Anyone in here just love them some good ole fashioned conflict? I actually don’t mind. I know some people would rather have their finger nails pulled out.

In verse 22 we see conflict in the form of betrayal and it happens by Judas, someone close to Jesus. We see in verses 23 and 24 conflict in the form of tension, and that tension is between brothers in Christ. We see in verses 25 and 26 conflict in the form of this clashing of perspectives on how to steward authority. We see in verse 31 we see conflict with satan. And then in verses 35-38 we see Jesus specifically telling the disciples to be ready for trouble, conflict is coming.

Here’s what I believe Jesus was telling his disciples: The world has made up its mind about me, a decision has been made, and so you, who say you follow me, get prepared, you’re going to be treated just like I’ve been treated and will be treated. So yes, go, engage the world, but understand as a kingdom manager it won’t be some casual stroll in the park.

I think what Jesus is truly getting at church is that as kingdom managers we need to be fully aware of who and what we’re up against every single day. And this awareness should not create fear, or create doubt or worry or anxiety but instead should drive us to be more sober minded, right? This awareness should drive us to be radical about prayer and should drive us to increase our reliance and dependence on God and on his power. It should drive us to pursue a true relationship and should fuel the fire of us wanting to understand who God is and what his word says. This awareness should create a sense of urgency.

 

We good on expectations of the role? 

 

Let’s get to the question you’ve all been wondering about: How much do you pay?

Verse 30: so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. And you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

So the pay is this: Everlasting Companionship w/ Jesus (v 30)

I’m guessing most of you are at least somewhat familiar with the different scriptures that reference “I am”? I am the true vine or I am the bread of life or I am the light of the world - those all ring a bell I’m sure and I know there’s a bunch of others. And these scriptures are important because they reveal to us aspects of who Jesus is.

There’s also scriptures that reference something slightly different: “The Father, I and you”. Now these are also important but for a different reason; these do reveal to us aspects of who Jesus is as well, but they also reveal a parallel between us and Jesus, and we see this in play here in verse 29 when Jesus says: I bestow on you a kingdom, just as my Father bestowed one on me.

So here is what I believe Jesus is showing and telling the disciples and I believe this message is for us as well. And this is me doing my best Jesus impersonation:

Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Nathanael, Matthew, Thomas, James, Thaddaeus, Simon, Judas… come, gather around. It’s time… Time for me to fulfill my mission critical task, which requires me to leave and requires you to get ready. Please know something ahead of time: It’s going to seem like everything has gone off the rails but know that I have total control and complete knowledge of the events that have taken place and the events that will take place. While I’m away I’m appointing you as kingdom managers. This job will be hard. You’re going to suffer. It will require self denial and it’s going to require loads of sacrifice. You’re actually going to do things quite the opposite way that the world does things. It’s important you don’t fall into the trap of relying too much on yourself, but instead stay dependent on me, and know I’ll be interceding for you. So please, be diligent and take action and understand that death and crisis are guaranteed, but you're totally and completely held and remember that your faithfulness and service and self denial and sacrifice will be rewarded greatly. Do you know how I know these things? (Besides the fact that I am the all knowing son of God)

This fallen world I’m asking you to live in, I did the same. This betrayal I warn you about, I dealt with the same. I faced off against Satan and I suffered deeply and so will you. I was given a lifeline though and so have you. I was appointed a kingdom, and so have you. I’ll soon be at the right hand of the Father on my throne, and there is a seat open for you too.

Listen up real close: Everything I just told you… You can take it to the bank because this whole thing is anchored by a promise between me and my father, and it doesn’t get any more secure or rock solid or solid than that. And I promise it’ll all be worth it, the reward will be rich and it will be eternal.

The pay for the role of kingdom manager is everlasting companionship and you can cash that check right now.

Revelation 20 tells us (AND THE WORSHIP TEAM CAN COME): See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

21 “To the one who conquers I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

All you have to do is open the door.

* Maybe you’re here today and you’re thinking what in the heck is this guy talking about? I need a job, sure, but Kingdom Manager, eh, I don’t know - you kind of lost me. Maybe this is your first time here or maybe you’ve been coming for just a small while now and you think this Jesus guy sounds nice and all but pump the brakes a bit on this service and self denial and sacrifice talk - it’s a little much. I’ll tell you this, I was you for a long time. I didn’t grow up in the church and it took someone telling me that I didn’t actually have to change a single thing about me or who I was or what I was doing. There were no prerequisites or requirements to a relationship with Jesus. Honestly, I asked this question before I decided to open the door: do I have to give up the drugs or the alcohol or the partying or the foul language or any of the other sin first? And the answer was no and is no, Jesus wanted me just the way I was and he wants you just the way you are. So my encouragement to you today is simple; come back, hang out here for a while, and lean in to Jesus even if it’s just a touch for now. I don’t invite you back because this church is the savior or anything special, but I invite you back because I think Jesus can and will change your life if you give him a chance and at some point you’ll have to deal with the fact that you are a sinner, who has one option to be saved, and apart from that you have no hope, so yes you will have to deal with the cross but I think you’ll find companionship and relationship with Jesus to be a pretty special thing. I understand that may feel weird and you probably have a ton of questions, and I again I say that, because that was me. But just give it a chance. If that’s you I would love to get coffee or lunch with you. There are guys around here that would love to do the same.

* Maybe you’re here today and you’re frustrated or you’re hurting, and you feel like you’ve been crying out to the Lord but he feels distant or maybe you feel alone or you feel lost. I would encourage you just the same way Jesus encouraged Peter. Jesus is praying for you right now and you aren’t alone. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. The father has not abandoned you and just like Peter, you are held by Jesus. Jesus is praying for you and interceding on your behalf. So as hard as your situation may feel he will not let you fail and again you are held and you are loved and you are seen.

* Maybe you’re here today and you feel like I did just a couple of short years ago. You’ve been coming to church, you say you follow Jesus, but by no means have you accepted the role of Kingdom Manager because you simply can’t get over yourself long enough to live a life that’s committed to self denial and sacrifice and service to the people around you. And I’m not here to call your salvation onto the carpet but I will remind you that verse 30 starts with “so that”. Jesus is giving us a job in the present aspect of the kingdom SO THAT we can eat and drink in the future aspect of the kingdom. If you refuse the present which is the suffering, service and self denial our text suggests you don’t get the future promise. You’re welcome to pull me aside afterwards if you disagree with this but I do have good news for you also and it’s that we serve a perfectly patient and loving, grace filled and grace leading father. So you don’t have to walk in guilt or shame or condemnation for how selfishly you’ve been living, but if you feel convicted I would encourage you to act on that and to repent of that sin and lean into Jesus and radically get dependent on him. You won’t be able to do this in your own strength, I can guarantee you that, but the good news is you don’t have to.

* Maybe you’re here today and you hear this message and you feel like you’ve been faithfully in your field, hands to the plow, head down stepping in the way the Lord has asked you to. As we’re reminded in Galatians 6 verse 9: Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. So, keep up the good work. A day will come where you are greeted by Jesus and I believe he will lay his hands on your face and say well done, good and faithful servant, Amen?

Let’s respond today with some prayer. Here’s what we got. We’ll pray for 3 things. Let’s start with confession. Go to the Lord and ask Him: where have I been sinfully selfish and unwilling to serve, sacrifice & self deny? Maybe this is with a specific person or relationship or maybe a specific situation. As the Lord to search your heart and confess it to Him. We’ll then take a little time and just go quietly before the Lord and ask him to show you what’s in our field or acre in this season? We know that will change over time. Maybe you have some discontentment to repent of. Maybe for some others you want to use this time to ask the Lord to speak to you about purpose and how he would like for you to be using your time, talent or treasure. Or maybe you need to pray and just ask for the Lord to help you to kick it into gear. Maybe you know what’s in your acre and you just need the spirit to help you to put your hands to the plow. Then let’s close with gratitude. It’s important to remember that Jesus intercedes for us and we are just like Peter, and we are completely held. So take some time and just thank the Lord for his grace and love and protection.