Heart for the Harvest

October 8, 2024

Mission Conference

Germany

The Heart for the Harvest

II Cor. 5:11-21

Theme: God shows us the characteristics of a missionary’s heart.

Introduction: When you hear the word heart, most often we think about the muscle inside our chest. The Bible has a very different meaning for the word heart. Heart refers to the inner person, the inside of your being. The word heart means mind, will, and emotions. It is what is on the inside of a person.

Someone said this is the theme song of the missionary: Be A Missionary

Be a missionary every day. Learn to eat whatever comes your way. Be it ants in your corn chips, or roaches in your coke, Don’t let it bug you, eat it ‘till you choke, So! Be a missionary everyday. It may smell but eat it anyway. It may be warm and fuzzy and sometimes it still moves, But”. You don’t need a skillet, chew it “till you kill it!”

I so love the heart of missions and the missionaries who serve.

We cannot read another person’s heart. Can you imagine what it would be like if we had a TV monitor on our foreheads that displays what is in our heart? There sure would be a lot of explaining to people who might read our monitor.

While others cannot read our hearts, God not only reads but knows our heart. Right after God created man, he soon fell into sin. Sin had a devastating effect on man and God saw his heart as only evil. “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5)

In the book of II Corinthians Paul lays bare his heart. The book reveals his motivation, his struggles, and his call as a missionary. Everything in his heart is laid bare before us. God shows us some basic characteristics of a missionary.

Characteristic 1: A passion for the unbelievers

God places an internal conviction that He wants this person to give his life to reach unbelievers for the gospel.

In verse 14 the word constraineth means to exercise continuous control over someone or something. Paul is saying, a love that has so captivate his heart and life, that he wants everyone to know about this life. It is his driving compassion, a moving of the spirit of God that this man wants the world to know Jesus. It is like when a person meets his or her first love. They are excited to share with others.

One time I met this kid in Bass Pro Shop. I was looking at fishing tackle when this little boy came around the corner with his dad. He began talking to me and telling me all about fishing. He was telling me what to buy, when to use it, and how important it is to go out and get on the water. His entire life was wrapped up in fishing. His dad said, “Mister, I am sorry but his whole life is fishing.” I responded, “That’s ok. I am glad he is excited. My life is about a man who died two thousand years ago. But He arose. I can’t stop talking about Him.”

While all of us should be constrained by this truth, there is a specific calling given by God to give himself or herself to a life of giving the gospel. A missionary is called to a particular place to tell others about Christ. Revelation 2 calls our love for Jesus as our first love.

The compulsion is fueled by the fact of the judgment seat of Christ in verse 10 where all be stand before God. In verse 11, we will answer to God the faithfulness to His calling on our lives to persuade men to come to Christ. This internal and undying passion given to a missionary by Christ motivates him to give everything to reach unbelievers for Christ.

The average missionary who serves out of the country leaves family, friends, and things he is most familiar with to go to a country where he has none of those things. Missionaries are away from family for Christmas, anniversaries, birthdays, key events in their life to follow God’s will. They usually serve for four years and return home for a one-year furlough to take care of health needs and business matters as well as visit supporting churches.

How many of you love sports? I love sports also especially football and golf. Recently, my love for football has diminished because he has become quite political. As a teen, I loved watching athletes make amazing plays. People would often idolize these players who receive millions of dollars because of their athletic ability. They are made heroes.

I am convinced the real heroes are the missionaries. They passion they have for helping those without Christ to come to Christ is much heroic than throwing a football down the field or hitting the golf ball an amazing distance.

Characteristic 2: The power of the message

Notice at the end of v. 14, the gospel is transformational. It is the power of God.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16)

The message gives a life change not only in this life but also for all eternity. The message is simple; yet, overwhelmingly powerful. Jesus Christ came to this earth, lived a sinless life, was crucified, buried, and rose again. This message communicates to all of us how we are to be reconciled to God v.18.

We can be forgiven and not live for ourselves. There once was a man who lived only for himself. He tried to acquire everything he could in this life. His prized possession was a Cadillac. He was miserable and had convinced himself that his Cadillac would give him relief from his misery. When he drove it home filled with smiles after he had it for about month, the doctor told him he only had a few months to live. He went to mortuary to make an unusual request. He wanted to buried in his recently purchased Cadillac. They granted his request and at the graveside two of his friends watched as the man was seated behind the steering wheel being lowered into the ground. One turned to the other and said, “No man, that is living.”

Little did his friends realize how miserable he was on the inside. Life without Christ no matter how much stuff you have, is a miserable existence.

God’s desire is that all of mankind to be reconciled with Him. If you are here without Christ, He wants you to be reconciled. This means we realize we are sinners, and we are in need of a Savior. This means we accept the fact that Jesus not only died on the cross but that He died for our sins by shedding His blood for us. We call upon Him to be our Savior.

Ned was a tremendous man of God and he was burdened for his fellow Jordanian people. There is a group of Jordanians that had moved to the Fairfield CA area and his family members were Christians as well. On of his family members met a Muslim Imam and started witnessing to him about Jesus. He eventually trusted Christ as his Savior and Ned brought him to be baptized in our baptistery as their Jordanian church met. Ned told me that this man was preparing to train a radical sect to kill and destroy Christians. Instead, a layman who loved Jesus, simply told this man about Jesus and his life was permanently changed. Instead of seeking to destroy Christians, he is now building up Christians. This is the transforming power of the gospel.

Characteristic 3: The position of an ambassador

An ambassador is one who represents a ruling authority with a message. He is sent to tell others what the Master says. There is no higher calling or privilege than to be a representative of God the Father.

Paul defines the Ambassador’s job description in connection to the ministry of reconciliation.

President Trump did the job of an ambassador by accomplishing a landmark decision in the Middle East when he was president. In August of 2020, he was able to establish an agreement between Israel and Arab UAE nation. On September 11, 2020 Israel and the Gulf State of Bahrain reached a landmark deal to fully normalize their relations. This is a diplomatic achievement as a world leader.

In the spiritual world, the ministry of reconciliation is done when we take the message of the gospel to unbelievers to tell them how they can be reconciled to God by faith in Jesus Christ.

We are all called to be Ambassadors to this world. We are called to take the message of reconciliation from the King of Kings to every area in this world so that mankind can have the opportunity right with God. Being an ambassador for God the Father burns deep within the heart of the missionary. God wants us to be an ambassador to our family, our workplace, our neighborhood, and our community.

God has given every believer the ministry of reconciliation. As we share in the mission conference here, we are all called to this ministry of reconciliation. Let me encourage you to give out gospel tracts, be a witness everywhere you go, and honor Christ with your life.