Citywide Baptist Church
Zero Unemployment - The harvest is plentiful
Zero Unemployment - The harvest is plentiful
Locations & Times
Citywide Baptist Church (Mornington)
400 Cambridge Rd, Mornington TAS 7018, Australia
Sunday 10:00 AM
References – Bishop Timothy McGhee, Free Spirit Ministerial Worship Centre, Illinois.
Rev. R. B. Hughes, Norwood Pentecostal Church, London, UK
Ray Pritchard, Keep Believing Ministries
Rev. R. B. Hughes, Norwood Pentecostal Church, London, UK
Ray Pritchard, Keep Believing Ministries
Sir Francis Drake’s Prayer: Disturb us, Lord, when we are too pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little. When we arrived safely because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess, we have lost our thirst for the waters of life; Having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity, and in our efforts to build a new earth, we have allowed our vision of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wilder seas where losing sight of land we shall find the stars.
We ask you to push back the horizons of our hopes; and to push back the future in strength, courage, hope, and love. Amen.
“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”
Maybe the people of this world are more ready to receive the Good News than the church is ready to give it.
Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess, we have lost our thirst for the waters of life; Having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity, and in our efforts to build a new earth, we have allowed our vision of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wilder seas where losing sight of land we shall find the stars.
We ask you to push back the horizons of our hopes; and to push back the future in strength, courage, hope, and love. Amen.
“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”
Maybe the people of this world are more ready to receive the Good News than the church is ready to give it.
1) Christ saw the crowds.
It all starts with seeing. It is quite possible to look at something and see nothing at all. Jesus saw the multitudes. Often, that’s hard for us to do.
2) Christ felt compassion.
The word used (Splancthna) means to feel it in your bowels. When we talk about feeling something deeply, we talk about the heart, but in the first-century, they meant something much deeper and lower.
3) Christ knew their true condition.
Jesus said the people were like sheep without a shepherd.
As long as we close our minds, we will never see what Jesus saw. So, we must pray, "Lord, open our eyes that we may see the world through your eyes."
The harvest is plentiful all over the world. From Mornington to Mongolia. That’s the good news. But the harvest needs workers. That’s the bad news. "The labourers are few."
Harvest works demands harvest workers. Why are there so few labourers? Working in the fields isn’t very glamorous. It’s hot, hard, slow work.
If we are going to become labourers in the harvest, it will require a major rearrangement of our priorities.
Listen to the words of Pastor Steven Cole:
“Don’t throw away your life to achieve some dream of financial security, early retirement, and a motor home, so you can spend your final years driving around to capture the National Parks on your phone. Spend your life for the only purpose that lasts: to see the nations glorify God for his great mercy in Christ (Romans 15:9-12).”
1) What vision is God creating in your heart today?
2) Where, and to what, are you being called?
3) How will you be remembered?
4) How much are you willing to invest?”
It all starts with seeing. It is quite possible to look at something and see nothing at all. Jesus saw the multitudes. Often, that’s hard for us to do.
2) Christ felt compassion.
The word used (Splancthna) means to feel it in your bowels. When we talk about feeling something deeply, we talk about the heart, but in the first-century, they meant something much deeper and lower.
3) Christ knew their true condition.
Jesus said the people were like sheep without a shepherd.
As long as we close our minds, we will never see what Jesus saw. So, we must pray, "Lord, open our eyes that we may see the world through your eyes."
The harvest is plentiful all over the world. From Mornington to Mongolia. That’s the good news. But the harvest needs workers. That’s the bad news. "The labourers are few."
Harvest works demands harvest workers. Why are there so few labourers? Working in the fields isn’t very glamorous. It’s hot, hard, slow work.
If we are going to become labourers in the harvest, it will require a major rearrangement of our priorities.
Listen to the words of Pastor Steven Cole:
“Don’t throw away your life to achieve some dream of financial security, early retirement, and a motor home, so you can spend your final years driving around to capture the National Parks on your phone. Spend your life for the only purpose that lasts: to see the nations glorify God for his great mercy in Christ (Romans 15:9-12).”
1) What vision is God creating in your heart today?
2) Where, and to what, are you being called?
3) How will you be remembered?
4) How much are you willing to invest?”
We are not to pray for the harvest but for workers!
Jesus specialized in making people feel uncomfortable. He told the rich young ruler to sell all that he had, give it to the poor, and then come follow him (Matthew 19:21)
How comfortable are you with the thought that maybe Jesus really meant it when he said, ’Give all that you have to the poor.’"
The God of the Bible is not the God of the status quo. "Everyone wants progress. No one wants change." Change propels us out of our comfort zone.
forces us out of our ruts.
destabilizes our routine.
challenges our priorities.
disrupts our plans.
Sometimes God looks down from heaven and says, "It’s time for a change."
Jesus specialized in making people feel uncomfortable. He told the rich young ruler to sell all that he had, give it to the poor, and then come follow him (Matthew 19:21)
How comfortable are you with the thought that maybe Jesus really meant it when he said, ’Give all that you have to the poor.’"
The God of the Bible is not the God of the status quo. "Everyone wants progress. No one wants change." Change propels us out of our comfort zone.
forces us out of our ruts.
destabilizes our routine.
challenges our priorities.
disrupts our plans.
Sometimes God looks down from heaven and says, "It’s time for a change."
The church’s primary response to the needs of the world can be summed up in one word. Pray.
What would the church be like if:
First, we pray. Then we meet and worship.
First, we pray. Then we sing praises.
First, we pray. Then we preach the word.
First, we pray. Then we give generously.
First, we pray. Then we organize and plan.
First, we pray. Then we go.
First, we pray. Then we meet and worship.
First, we pray. Then we sing praises.
First, we pray. Then we preach the word.
First, we pray. Then we give generously.
First, we pray. Then we organize and plan.
First, we pray. Then we go.
We must pray and then deepen our own walk with God so that when God calls, we will …
Care more than some think is wise, Risk more than some think is safe,
Dream more than some think is practical, Expect more than some think is possible.
The harvest is plentiful, even if we start at the easy place of sharing with the huge number of people who claim to be Christian but don’t ever go to church and are not living in the Way of the Lord.
We are not necessarily all called to be evangelists, but we are all called to pray for the Lord to release workers into the harvest field.
Are we blind? Are we deaf and mute? Are we working in the harvest?
Are we effective workers for God’s harvest?
The harvest the lord wants us to be aware of
The harvest God sent His Son for.
The harvest Jesus died for.
“Disturb us, Lord”. Can you pray that prayer. Open up your life and say, "Lord, come in and rearrange it so that I will be of maximum benefit for your Kingdom."
We serve a God of grace.
But he won’t accept the status quo either.
Disturb us, Lord.
Let’s see what God will do.
Care more than some think is wise, Risk more than some think is safe,
Dream more than some think is practical, Expect more than some think is possible.
The harvest is plentiful, even if we start at the easy place of sharing with the huge number of people who claim to be Christian but don’t ever go to church and are not living in the Way of the Lord.
We are not necessarily all called to be evangelists, but we are all called to pray for the Lord to release workers into the harvest field.
Are we blind? Are we deaf and mute? Are we working in the harvest?
Are we effective workers for God’s harvest?
The harvest the lord wants us to be aware of
The harvest God sent His Son for.
The harvest Jesus died for.
“Disturb us, Lord”. Can you pray that prayer. Open up your life and say, "Lord, come in and rearrange it so that I will be of maximum benefit for your Kingdom."
We serve a God of grace.
But he won’t accept the status quo either.
Disturb us, Lord.
Let’s see what God will do.
Prayer
Father, please send your workers out into the harvest field. Show us who to talk to about you and how to do this. May the harvest be great.
Lord of the harvest, we confess how comfortable it is to come to church to worship with your people. We are so richly blessed. Yet, Lord, we are so poor.
We have eyes but do not see. We have ears but do not hear.
We have lips but do not speak. We have feet but do not go.
We thank you for loving the world.
Thank you for inviting us to join you in bringing your message to the world.
We offer you our best and our brightest in the service of the King of Kings. All ages, and all abilities.
Blast us out of our complacency, Lord.
O God, do things we’ve not used to. Do things that baffle and amaze us. Ignite a fire in our hearts.
Send us forth as ballistic Christians.
Thrust us out from this place to every corner. To wherever there is a need.
Give us your heart and make us willing to go. Send us, O Lord. Send me.
Raise up a new generation of workers for your harvest field.
Amen.
Father, please send your workers out into the harvest field. Show us who to talk to about you and how to do this. May the harvest be great.
Lord of the harvest, we confess how comfortable it is to come to church to worship with your people. We are so richly blessed. Yet, Lord, we are so poor.
We have eyes but do not see. We have ears but do not hear.
We have lips but do not speak. We have feet but do not go.
We thank you for loving the world.
Thank you for inviting us to join you in bringing your message to the world.
We offer you our best and our brightest in the service of the King of Kings. All ages, and all abilities.
Blast us out of our complacency, Lord.
O God, do things we’ve not used to. Do things that baffle and amaze us. Ignite a fire in our hearts.
Send us forth as ballistic Christians.
Thrust us out from this place to every corner. To wherever there is a need.
Give us your heart and make us willing to go. Send us, O Lord. Send me.
Raise up a new generation of workers for your harvest field.
Amen.
Questions:
1) What is it like in our world to see with Christ’s eyes, share his feelings and think like him?
2) Do the accounts of Christ’s miracles increase our faith? Does our faith increase our expectation to encounter the miraculous in our lives?
3) Are you an effective worker in the Lord’s harvest?
4) Do the massive needs of our world compel you to action, or make you feel helpless? What is Christ’s answer?
1) What is it like in our world to see with Christ’s eyes, share his feelings and think like him?
2) Do the accounts of Christ’s miracles increase our faith? Does our faith increase our expectation to encounter the miraculous in our lives?
3) Are you an effective worker in the Lord’s harvest?
4) Do the massive needs of our world compel you to action, or make you feel helpless? What is Christ’s answer?