Mission: Crosspoint

Testimony

Arrived and soon knew that we couldn’t be and do what God called us to be and to do without change.

Didn’t know what that meant. Prayer led to an answer: location

Also the Lord had revealed through Dale that there was a vision from God for Crosspoint that would accompany my calling here.

It took a while for clarity to come to that.

Vision Of The Harvest

The work that God calls us to and the harvest of that work is often given in the language of farming.

Matthew 9:35–38 ESV

35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for 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 laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Jesus was a laborer. The Disciples were Laborers. But they were to pray earnestly for more. They were to work for and PRAY EARNESTLY for multiplication. Disciples making disciples who do the work of the Kingdom of God. This was not new, but the context what what God revealed to me.

The passage God gave (though it took a little while for me to process) was:

Exodus 23:10–12 ESV

10 “For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, 11 but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard. 12 “Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed.

What does this have to do with the purpose, mission, and vision of Crosspoint? That there are cycles. Just as God blessed the weekly day of rest, He blessed a yearly Sabbath as well.

This first year has been a Sabbath year. That doesn’t mean it’s been unproductive. But that it has been a rest and reset. I have felt called that we be very purposeful over the next seven years.

That we spend the first six of those working the ground that God has assigned to us. That WE are the laborers in the field. And that we PRAY EARNESTLY for God to send MORE workers into the fields.

Why? Because “the harvest is plentiful”!

And why must that motivate us? Because Jesus “had compassion for them”. And if the lost being harassed and helpless moves Jesus, it must move us as well!

That brings us to the last piece of the puzzle God revealed to me.

Planting and Purpose

We must move to match the direction of our King (Lord, master, leader, director)

That movement is for furthering His Kingdom - i.e. working at God’s direction to see the lost saved and transformed into disciple-makers too

That we will have 6 years of intentional, specific, and committed work followed by one year to rest in and celebrate what God has done.

So what is that intentional, specific work? It is summed up in this verse.

Luke 4:18–19 ESV

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

If this is what Jesus was to do, and His purpose was to reproduce Himself in us, then this is also what we are to do.

Jesus did it in His own power. We must rely on His power.

He did it at the Father’s direction. We must also do it at His direction.

In that fall of last year, God showed me this verse as the template for our next six years of ministry. There are four ‘to’ statements I want to outline for us today.

To proclaim Good news to the poor

To proclaim liberty to the captives and sight to the blind

To set at liberty those who are oppressed

To proclaim the years of the Lord’s favor

We will take the next several weeks to look at how we get started with this and to look at each of these four in more detail.

But as we look at these today, I want to ask you to acknowledge one thing, and pray for two things.

Acknowledge:

That it required the spirit of the Lord on Jesus for His purpose to be realized. It will take the Spirit of the Lord for us to see the harvest brought in.

Pray:

That God reveals to you how you can participate in the harvest. There are many things needed before the grain is brought in. Making the equipment, tending the animals, feeding the crews, all in addition to working the fields. The same is true with ministry. In what ways is God calling you to serve, to grow, to increase your commitment to Him? Pray that God show you your part.

Pray that we all develop the same compassion for the lost that Jesus had. And that that compassion motivates us to fully committed ministry - in whatever context God has placed us.

I’m going to ask if you will remember this passage and make it a part of your regular prayers.

Luke 4:16–21 ESV

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

As people interact with Crosspoint - with each of us - may they in some way be able to say that that in that interaction they heard and felt the favor of the Lord.

Pray