Gather the Harvest
Our Mission Mandate
Jesus commanded His disciples in Matthew 28:19-20, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
I think we make evangelism so much harder and bigger than it really is. When we think of evangelism, we think of stadium crusades or outreach events that take massive planning and effort. Yes, that is evangelism and outreach, but I think that intimidates many in the body of Christ. They are either waiting for an "event" to happen, or they are overwhelmed and say, "I could never do that!"
The reality is that most of Jesus' ministry and evangelism, as well as that of the early church, did not happen that way. I don't see Jesus holding planning meetings for the next evangelistic event. What I do see is Jesus constantly spending time in prayer and going to people's homes, eating meals with them, and just engaging people during everyday life. He called the disciples to follow him, and as they met people along the way, they shared the good news of the gospel, and people's lives were impacted and radically changed. We have opportunities today to speak into people's lives and share Jesus and what He had done for us. It can be as easy as inviting someone over for dinner and spending time with them. Then, trust Holy Spirit to guide the conversation. Just love people, and God will open the door to share the gospel, your testimony, or maybe give you a word for them or just pray for them.
The world around us is in desperate need, with so many broken, hurting, alone, and empty. We carry within us the answer to the world's problems: His Kingdom. It is why we pray; Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. We desperately need it to happen, but it will not happen without us.
Jesus came on a rescue mission over 2,000 years ago to rescue lost humanity and restore us to His original plan. We are called to carry on that same rescue mission. We can look at the world around us and say that it's too big a task or too hard and that people don't want to hear about Jesus, but I think about two things. First, if we had the same attitude as Desmond Doss in the movie Hacksaw Ridge and prayed to God, "Please Lord, help me get one more. Help me get one more.", we would be amazed at how many we could rescue in the end, one at a time. We just have to focus on the one that God has in front of us. Second, we need to remember that light shines brightest in the darkness, and though there is great darkness and opposition around us, as we allow His light and His love to shine in and through us, the world will see Jesus in us. We must also remember that Jesus said that the fields are ripe for harvest, and they truly are today. You don't have to look far to see someone who needs Jesus and His kingdom to manifest in their life.
John 4:35-38 - Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” As we go about our everyday lives, we must LOOK for the harvest that is all around us! We must ask the Lord, "Who do you want to speak to or touch today Lord?" If we are not looking, we will not see that person that the Lord wants to touch and walk right past the opportunity, so we must be intentionally looking and make the most of every opportunity.
Let us answer the call and Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame. When we have done all that, and still there is room, let us go out again to the highways and byways and compel people to come in so that His house may be filled. May it be as if God is pleading through us, "Be reconciled to God," for He has given us a ministry of reconciliation!
I think we make evangelism so much harder and bigger than it really is. When we think of evangelism, we think of stadium crusades or outreach events that take massive planning and effort. Yes, that is evangelism and outreach, but I think that intimidates many in the body of Christ. They are either waiting for an "event" to happen, or they are overwhelmed and say, "I could never do that!"
The reality is that most of Jesus' ministry and evangelism, as well as that of the early church, did not happen that way. I don't see Jesus holding planning meetings for the next evangelistic event. What I do see is Jesus constantly spending time in prayer and going to people's homes, eating meals with them, and just engaging people during everyday life. He called the disciples to follow him, and as they met people along the way, they shared the good news of the gospel, and people's lives were impacted and radically changed. We have opportunities today to speak into people's lives and share Jesus and what He had done for us. It can be as easy as inviting someone over for dinner and spending time with them. Then, trust Holy Spirit to guide the conversation. Just love people, and God will open the door to share the gospel, your testimony, or maybe give you a word for them or just pray for them.
The world around us is in desperate need, with so many broken, hurting, alone, and empty. We carry within us the answer to the world's problems: His Kingdom. It is why we pray; Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. We desperately need it to happen, but it will not happen without us.
Jesus came on a rescue mission over 2,000 years ago to rescue lost humanity and restore us to His original plan. We are called to carry on that same rescue mission. We can look at the world around us and say that it's too big a task or too hard and that people don't want to hear about Jesus, but I think about two things. First, if we had the same attitude as Desmond Doss in the movie Hacksaw Ridge and prayed to God, "Please Lord, help me get one more. Help me get one more.", we would be amazed at how many we could rescue in the end, one at a time. We just have to focus on the one that God has in front of us. Second, we need to remember that light shines brightest in the darkness, and though there is great darkness and opposition around us, as we allow His light and His love to shine in and through us, the world will see Jesus in us. We must also remember that Jesus said that the fields are ripe for harvest, and they truly are today. You don't have to look far to see someone who needs Jesus and His kingdom to manifest in their life.
John 4:35-38 - Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” As we go about our everyday lives, we must LOOK for the harvest that is all around us! We must ask the Lord, "Who do you want to speak to or touch today Lord?" If we are not looking, we will not see that person that the Lord wants to touch and walk right past the opportunity, so we must be intentionally looking and make the most of every opportunity.
Let us answer the call and Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame. When we have done all that, and still there is room, let us go out again to the highways and byways and compel people to come in so that His house may be filled. May it be as if God is pleading through us, "Be reconciled to God," for He has given us a ministry of reconciliation!