How to get recruits Jesus’ way
Matt.9:35-38, 10:1-42
1. Serve like Jesus (v.35)
a. Proximity: Go to where people are (towns and villages)
b. Persuade: Teach God’s people where they are gathered (teaching in the synagogues)
c. Preach with reach: Demonstrate what u teach that the good news and meeting of needs go together (preaching the good news… healing every disease and sickness)
2. See like Jesus: (v.36,37)
a. Compassion: Let your heart be moved by the varying needs of people and see the ministry possibilities
b. Confusion: Find who are harassed and helpless, lacks a sense of purpose. People’s problems are opportunities for grace, for the sheep to find the Shepherd
c. Clarify mission field: Share the vision with others “the harvest is plentiful…”
3. Send like Jesus (v.38)
a. Pray: “ask the Lord of the harvest”
b. Pick people:
Don’t just stop at praying but do the tough work of picking people for the harvest - 10:1 “called his twelve disciples to him” People need to be called to the work. Take the risk of identifying and calling people to the work. Notice the names of the 12 apostles (10:2-4), not exactly pick of the crop, yet Jesus picked them. One of them dismal failure, Judas, so it’s not about perfect people, is about future potential.
c. Picked people need to be authorized (10:1 “gave them authority”)
d. Picked people need to be instructed/trained (10:5 ff.)
Effective ministry that has maximum impact have these ingredients -
i) specific ministry focus groups rather than trying to target everything (10:6)
ii) the message is about presence of God and His grace rather than just doling out the content (10:7-8)
iii) reaching and touching others needs with God’s grace rather than just efficiency, which may seem like wasting time, “give freely” remember God wasted time with us (10:8)
iv) ministry support from “worthy person”, (10:10-13)
v) wise strategies that don’t offend (10:16)
vi) about Spirit’s empowerment (10:20)
vii) taught about handling trials, about handling fears/persecution, about their value to God, about loyalty, about the eternal rewards and security, about rejection. (10:17-38)
Conclusion:
Jesus’ ministry is not just limited to reaching everyone but training others so that more of the harvest field is reached. Today there are still not enough workers, so His vision for the lost and the workers for that field is still valid. Furthermore His training method needs to be emulated. Let’s pray, call, send and train. Let’s invest in this for God’s sake. To the harvest and beyond!
