It is God who sends out workers into the fields of souls ripe to receive Him. Do our eyes perceive these harvest fields in the world? Are we compelled to reach out to them? Are we willing to pray? Are we willing to go?
Overview
Matthew 9:35-38; Mark 6:6b; 34; Luke 8:1; 10:2
Bible passage
Objectives
Christ’s mission
Christ’s compassion
Our commission
God’s injunction
Recap
Discussion
Objectives
To understand:
- Who controls the mission field?
- What are the key resources required
Bible Passage
Matthew 9:35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on 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 workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Christ’s Mission
Key aspects of His mission included:
- Teaching – a New dimension to living
- Preaching – Announcing the good news
- Healing – Wholistic – Body, mind, and spirit – with focus on the spirit – it is lifelong lifestyle process
Note the sequence of Jesus’ activities also seen in Matt 4:23
Teaching, preaching, healing. Today, this order is reversed
Christ’s Mission- Teaching, Preaching, Healing
Teaching – mental response – closely coupled with preaching. Effective only if accompanied by Holy Spirit conviction
Preaching – emotional or psycological response. Effective only if accompanied by Holy Spirit conviction
Healing – attracts people for the physical benefit.
Jesus healed to:
- connect people to the messianic prophecy
- show us God’s desire for wholistic healing – inside out
- Demonstrate that soul healing holds far more weight than physical healing
Christ’s compassion
In His compassion, He sees their true condition and true need.
The root word for harassed is flayed – stripping off the skin.
People were exhausted, helpless implying as a corpse – having the root word meaning thrown down, neglected, bullied and oppressed.
The Pharisees’ leadership was ushering in death and not life.
Our commission
In Matthew 9:37,38, we are called to:
Perceive
Pray
- That God sends
- Workers
Go
- Teach
- Heal (spiritually)
- Preach
God’s injunction
In Matthew 9:38, we see that it is God who sends out labourers into the mission field. There is one source and one requirement:
- Source – The Lord
- Requirement – People (workers)
Today, many are scrambling for positions in Christian organizations – the true workers are chosen and sent by God.
Discussion
When is mission effective?
In what aspects do we divert from Christ’s model and command for mission
How can we resolve this?