Living the mission - Part 1
Notes
Transcript
Praying for the Harvest
Praying for the Harvest
Sermon Series: LIVING THE MISSION
To be effective in God’s mission, we must live lives of prayer, surrender, and dependence on His Spirit.
Posture - Praying for the Harvest
Abiding - Abiding in the Vine
Growth - Power of the Holy Spirit
Work - Mission in the Everyday
Fruit - The Joy of Mission
Prep = Getting Instructions from the Boss
Prep = Getting Instructions from the Boss
Story = VZW
Monday - Restructure Accessory Wall
Over weekend, crew
Context
Context
Jesus’ Ministry
Begins Ministry
Calls Disciples
Teaches about His Authority in Temple
Preaches Good News of KoG
Miracles & Healings
Eats w/ Sinners
Big Crowds
Teaches/Preaches/Heals
Beatitudes/Golden Rule
His ministry reaches past Jews - Romans/Samaritans/Gentiles
Raises people from the dead
Parables…lots of parables!
Casts out Demons
Rejected in Nazareth
All the while Disciples are w/Him
We catch up to Jesus in today’s scripture
Turn to Mt 9:35…
Doing His Work
Doing His Work
Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness.
Note: Jesus isn’t sitting around waiting for something to do.
He is already at work
Advancing God’s Kingdom in a way that GtF calls Him to.
Jesus is already being obedient
He started long ago in this timeline
Building Relationships
Teaching about KoH
Preaching the Good News
Healing the sick
Making an impact!
What is YOUR Work?
Does it serve in God’s Kingdom somehow?
Are you:
Building Relationships?
Teaching about KoH?
Preaching the Good News?
Healing the sick?
Making an impact?
If not, why not?
You’ve been given a testimony.
You have some basic understanding of Heaven/Hell/God
You know what salvation is, and that it comes thru Jesus
You’ve been given Spiritual Gifts.
May not be healing, but what about:
Wisdom, knowledge, Faith, prophecy, discernment, tongues, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, mercy?
Jesus is now on the cusp of the next step in His ministry.
Instead of just plowing forward..
..He switches gears from all his work.
While being an active participant in KoG, Jesus is..
Looking for Kairos moments.
Recognize the Need to Respond
Recognize the Need to Respond
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Kairos Moments: EXPLAIN
Jesus noticed the people around Him
Situational Awareness
Unlike Disney Crowds
Jesus saw that they were confused & helpless in their life situations
Sheep w/out shepherd
Do we see that today?
Are there people today who don’t know their need for Jesus in their lives?
Observe the Situation / Be Present
Is there something going in YOUR world?
Something that you see/feel/hear/experience..
..that doesn’t jive w/God’s Kingdom?
We can’t observe a misalignment with KoG..
..if we miss what’s going on around us.
We need to be present in this world….
..and, in every situation.
Imagine driving to the store…
…and sitting thru a green light…
..because you didn’t notice it turn green…
..while you were waiting at a red light.
I think I sat behind you last week. :-)
Jesus was both present & observational
He noticed something was amis…
He had a sober view of the situation.
He had a sober view of the situation.
It wasn’t clouded by thoughts of the next place He needed to get to.
His mind wasn’t dreaming of net month’s vacation
He wasn’t so hyper-focused on His work that He missed the big picture.
Jesus recognized that the people were spiritually lost in this world.
Wandering without direction
Following the loudest voice leading them
Or, following the voice that comforted their earthly desires
Rather than seeking God!
There were like Sheep without a shepherd
I see this in many areas of our world today
proponents of false religions
profiteers of prosperity gospels
politicians who want your vote
Scientists who tell you what to believe…
…rather than simply provide evidence
And, Jesus knew that the people of His time…and our….
…need a Shepherd…a Good Shepherd!
In his sober view of the cultural & spiritual situation…
…Jesus shared his observation with his closest IN Group…
…His Oikos - His Disciples!
v37…
He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few.
Jesus Reflected on what was actually going down
He shared his thoughts with his friends/students
He made a statement to His Disciples, in what we can think of as a question…
What is the need here?
Jesus already knew that there were too many lost souls in this world.
He already knew what was needed…
…those in the know…
…to point those who didn’t know…
…to Him!
Using a farming metaphor,
The Harvest is Great…we need workers!!!
Jesus knew the next step in His ministry was to send out His Disciples into a world of sheep without a shepherd.
But, Jesus didn’t just send them out.
Sure, they had been traveling w/Him & Learning from Him…
Going where He did
Staying where He stayed
Heard His teaching
Listened to Him preach
Taught directly by Jesus!
But they weren’t ready.
Even though in just two more verses He would actually be sending them out into the world…..
..Jesus knew they needed to start at a very specific point.
They needed to begin with what should be the starting point of every mission we endeavor to embark on…..PRAYER!
Jesus gave them this instruction in v38….
Start w/ Prayer
Start w/ Prayer
So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”
Jesus told His disciples to begin w/Prayer!
Go to God 1st, so you can make a plan BEFORE doing the work
Why?
Two reasons:
Two reasons:
To gain understanding of what God’s Will is in this situation
To Align their will & understanding w/GtF’s
First, it is God’s Will we want to know.
Our Will tends to seek our own desires
Should I marry this person?
Should we move to a different town?
Should I take this Job?
Should I go on that Mission trip to Hawaii?
Usually, our Will is 1st in line when we make big decisions.
It’s like checking our motives
Am I doing this because it’s what I want?….
or, because it fits into God’s Will for me in this world?
Marry because it’s the economical thing to do?
Or, because I choose to love that person as long as I live?
Go on Mission trip to Hawaii because it’s Hawaii & I need a vacation?
Or, because God is calling me to reach the indigenous Samoan population?
Jesus was guiding His disciples to go to GtF to reveal the answer to the question they had not yet asked…
How can I help?
Now they were going to be challenged to help with the Harvest…
…by going out on their own.
The Disciples needed to realize that it was God’s Will that workers go into the world….
…to point the lost to Jesus.
Once they understood this….they would know what direction to go next.
Big Harvest
Few Workers
LIGHTBULB: Here I am God….Send ME!
Like Isaiah from last week’s message.
Examples of Jesus Going to GtF in prayer prior to activity.
Examples of Jesus Going to GtF in prayer prior to activity.
One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
Jesus went to GtF before starting His earthly ministry
Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.
When Jesus was Led by the HS…He was indeed seeking GtF’s guidance…
…which came thru the HS
Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people.
Jesus sought God’s Blessing before feeding the crowd of 5,000 Men + Women & Children
He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
The night before his Crucifixion, Jesus went to God for strength & direction….
….NOT MY WILL….BUT YOURS!
And that’s the obedience we are seeking when we go to God in prayer….
NOT MY WILL, BUT YOUR”S GOD!
Posture - Praying for the Harvest
Abiding - Abiding in the Vine
Growth - Power of the Holy Spirit
Work - Mission in the Everyday
Fruit - The Joy of Mission
As we travel through this series…. we need to remember that we must always begin w/PRAYER
Jesus was our divine example
The disciples were the human examples…
..of how imperative it is that we align our motives, thoughts, understanding, and direction w/God’s before we travel down the path of any Mission we live out in our own lives.
So this week:
Set you heart posture toward God in humility.
Ask Him for direction, knowing He is both sovereign & good
Ask Him how you can effectively Share the Gospel to others in your sphere of influence..
..this week…today!
