“ ‘My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish his work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.’ ”
John 4:34-35
In this story, Jesus challenges us to open our eyes and see what He sees. He didn’t just see a town full of people - He saw a harvest field of people hungry for truth and the Kingdom of God. This week’s message is about the “Heart for the many”. God sees the one and He sees the many! He sees individuals and He sees cities and nations.
1. Jesus’ Heart for the many
When He saw the crowds, He had compassion (Matthew 9:35-37 NIV). His heart is for every man, woman and child. This includes the barista who makes the coffee at your workplace, the students at your high school etc. God has intentionally positioned us where we are, amongst different backgrounds and cultures. So that we may be faithful and fruitful and that our hearts would be compelled by love and compassion to draw people around us into God’s Kingdom.
2. The Bible story has always been about the many:
“If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29 NIV). God has always had a heart and eyes to see the individual, the family, the tribe, the community, the town, the city and the nations. As a church we have a mandate to reach the ones and the many. We are called to impact the city of Sydney and we will do this by establishing locations in different community/suburb areas. In order to do this, we need to be:
- Secure: Know who we are in Christ. Position is not to get value. Position is so that we may bring value.
- Unified: When we are honest, clear, kind, loving and unified, it shows the world that we belong to God (John 13:35 NIV).
- Servant Hearted: Leadership is not for stars. Leadership is about having a servant heart. It is about having a heart for people.
3. Many are needed to reach the many (Matthew 9:37-38):
- Compelling Services: Most people get saved in church services. We can actively invite and bring people to church.
- Team: Join a team on Sundays and help create impacting services where guests hear the gospel preached and believers are built up and encouraged.
- Connect Group: Is a place to invite friends to experience the Church in the context of community. Invite unchurched people along to your Connect. In Connect you can also pray for family and friends to meet Jesus.
- Pray: This scripture asks us to pray for the workers. Join us in our corporate prayer times when we pray for our services, local community and people to meet Jesus.
SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT:
Reflect on/share when your heart was moved with compassion over a recent event/person in your world/community:
- How did you reach out in a practical way?
- Consider what could be a next step to equip yourself as a “harvester” and use your unique talents and skills to draw people into the kingdom of God.
- Intentionally and prayerfully ask God to open your heart and eyes to see the harvest in your sphere of influence (your workplace, schools, universities, playgroups, family, etc).
