"The Harvest is plentiful but the workers are few."
John 4:27-42, Luke 9:57-10:1. Mission Winchester City-Wide Celebration. 13/3/5pm
... Billy Graham had just finished a tour of the Florida East Coast and was taking a limousine to the airport. Having never driven a limo, he asked the chauffeur if he could drive for a while. Well, the chauffeur didn’t have much of a choice, so he got in the back of the limo and Billy took the wheel. He turned onto I-95 and accelerated to about 90 MPH. WHAM! The blue lights of the State Highway Patrol flashed in his rear-view mirror. He pulled over and a trooper came to his window. When the trooper saw who it was, he said, "Just a moment, please, I need to call in." The trooper radioed in and asked for the chief. He said, "I have a REALLY important person pulled over and I need to know what to do." The chief replied, "Who is it, not Ted Kennedy again?" The trooper said, "No, even more important." It isn’t the Governor Jeb Bush, is it?" asked the chief. "No, even more important," replied the trooper. "It isn’t the President George Bush, is it?" "No," replied the trooper, "even more important." "Well, WHO in the WORLD is it?!" screamed the chief. The trooper responded, "I don’t know for sure but I think it might be Jesus, because his chauffeur is Billy Graham!"
Mission. Reaching people. Praise the Lord for people like Billy Graham
- we are a result of him! A mission 20 years ago
- MW has grown since then. More churches. Greater unity (amazing unity!)
o Still about the basic stuff: evangelism, unity, renewal
o The Feast is part of that
FOOD
And we have been given so much! We are so blessed! Our churches are SO blessed!
- have pretty much preached in all of them and most CTW ones as well
- love them!
- As I walked through town on Fri I felt "I have many people in this city"
It’s marvellous. It’s a bit scary too
- to those to who much has been given much will be expected
- * I think God expects a lot from us!
I’m doing this MA at the moment - with Simon & Paul (only 8 months behind!)
- much of it is superb
- occasionally you get this: "The problem must be the church. If we can get the church structure right… press the right button… we will arrest the decline in our nation"
I fear it’s far more complex than that. The problem is FAR deeper in our culture and churches. It’s not primarily ’model’ dependent
- there are parts of the world where ANY model works!
I think the problem is in our CULTURE- in that people might be hungry for spiritual experiences
- but it doesn’t enter their MINDS that Jesus might be the answer to that hunger… the bread of life
o and in Him spiritual experiences, life and reality are found
" * we want to show them where The Feast is.
And the problem is in CHRISTIANS, too
- we’ve forgotten where the Food is.
- We’ve forgotten what our call is… our raison d’etre… what God has made us to be and do… what will satisfy US
o And so, many Christians are, basically, quite frustrated
Jesus said "I have food that you know nothing about"
- uh!? What? Could somebody have brought Him food?
- In one sense we can be as misguided as someone unregenerate- the Samaritan woman: "give me some of this so I won’t keep getting thirsty… and have to keep coming here"
- WE can miss the truth of what will satisfy… feed US
And so we become restless. Seeking more blessing. Seeking this healing. That revival.
- we become frustrated: because when it doesn’t happen… somebody must have done something wrong. Particularly the pastor/minister
The truth is: he/she hasn’t done anything wrong. You just need to know where real food is to be found
Jesus said "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me… and to finish His work"
- His food was to see people coming through to faith in Him
That’s our food!
I am convinced that the only thing that keeps Christians ’high’ for the LONG haul: is seeing lives changed and people saved
- it’s the ONLY thing
- and it’s not surprising as it’s our call… genetic code:
- "Go, and make disciples of people groups and surely I AM with you…" Mt 28:19
o when you don’t live up to your call, genetic code- you’re not going to feel ’fed’
o and maybe, in Mt 28:19, is this promise; "GO… and I will be with you"
Christianity and church just doesn’t work in maintenance mode:
- it was made for Mission!
It wasn’t made for the sofa… or the church even… but for the LOST!
- and our lives and churches will change when the stories of the newly saved are told in them. It will transform them and you
o until then, it just becomes increasingly about ’me’, my needs, insular, incestuous almost
We’re like the dead sea (all plugged up) rather than the sea of Galilee with fresh inlet and outlet
To quote one of my heroes: "the meat is on the street"
The challenge for the church now is to stop thinking merely about methods to reverse decline but to reconsider the basic purpose and call of the church. To return to mission as the core raison d’etre of the church will inevitably mean that the shape of the church will change.
Invading secular space. Martin Robinson and Dwight Smith, p56
"But I’m not an evangelist", you say
- you don’t have to be. Each person just has to play THEIR role
o and one person sows, another reaps… and together we win the lost and change the church (and ourselves!)
I’ll tell you who does evangelism in our church!
- it’s those who cook on for Alpha. Go upstairs and pray while we gas
- those who look after the kids so parents can come.
- Who make friends and invite them- where others might tell
- It’s those who set up the pub. Who go and decorate the persons house.
It’s the same in your congregations, I know
(and note- NOTHING in the Feast is to distract from that, as this personal evangelism is where the fruit is)
And for you- it’s flipping burgers with On the Move. Chatting in the queue!
- It’s hosting kiddies on Friday for the Labyrinth of discovery at CCW (goodness, they’ll come to you!)
- It’s doing stuff on the street on Sat- talking and drama(?)
- It’s going round the doors
- It’s going and clearing out someone’s garden with the Hit Squad
- It’s helping with the Children’s gospel party#
And here’s what I say to you from the Word of God- it will be food to you. One way or another
"My food", Jesus said, "is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work"
HARVEST
Jesus said- "look at the fields, they are ripe for harvest"
Are they ripe in Winchester? Are we poised for Revival?
- I can’t say. I don’t think there are 3,000 asking ’what must I do to be saved’…. But there are 3000 hungry people, physically and spiritually
o And this is real WORK, here… and not a short fix.
But… I want to tell you
- this IS one of the ripest places in the country. We are privileged… and I do believe the Lord is looking to do things here that might catalyse other places
o we are a gateway city. One of the few places where such ’mission’ can still work.
o Under girded by brothers & sisters dwelling in unity- where the Lord may command a blessing
- And we believe it is in response to the Lord saying "I am measuring you for blessing
o And we’ve been careful to ask in line with His word
o (you can’t get more solid than that!)
So- the stage is set. Now it just depends on YOU. Us. The people of God
- 5 years ago you were ahead of us leaders. Now, we’re ahead of you- and we’re calling to you!
o Neh 4. "Rally when you hear the trumpet blast"
o We’re blowing the trumpet for all it’s worth
So- we’re expectant!
But I want you to understand something. I feel this is something God has taught me over the years.
- (it may be I’m a bit of a Calvinist! I certainly believe in the sovereign acting of God)
- you can’t predict or measure WHERE the Harvest will be
o but there WILL be an increase in fruitfulness… ambient spiritual temperature… people being saved… through this
- because God honours it when we do what is RIGHT and step out in faith. He is never a debtor to our obedience or faith!
o But it might be in unexpected ways
Illustr: Us on the doors. Simple obedience. Steeped out over HERE but the fruit came over THERE. By God’s sovereign blessing.
So- the Fruit will come. In the Sovereign Lord’s way
- and some of it will be obviously traceable back to The Feast. Some fruit will only be traceable with the eye of discernment (and some will say ’where did that come from?!’)
But it now depends on us…you… and you rallying others!
- to make the impact we are looking for it will take EVERY person involved. 2,300
o even if you’re away- you MUST be with us in prayer
o please rally others!
- don’t let the battle be lost because of you
- "For the sake of the nail the shoe was lost, for the sake of the horseshoe a horse was lost. For the sake of a horse a general was lost, for the sake of a General a battle was lost- for the sake of a General the war was lost."
In Lk 10, Jesus says "the harvest IS plentiful"
- but the labourers are few
o they are even less in today’s Christianity where people are more concerned with their issues than people who are going to hell
ASK
So Jesus says ’ask’
- yes… ask your friends to be involved
- but ask the Father. The "Lord of the Harvest"
o He wants this more than you do!!!!
- take a prayer leaflet and covenant with us to pray each day
- come and join us in prayer- particularly the Monday city-wide prayer meetings
o or any meeting you can get to
- pray tonight- but realise this must be an ongoing thing. It takes WORK to win the lost
o but the gain (even for us personally) is worth the cost!
GO
But here’s the thing with regard to the Harvest. Jesus says
"The Harvest IS plentiful. Ask the Lord of the Harvest. GO!"
We must pray… but we must be the answer to our prayers, as well.
Few are prepared to do this. "Who will go for me? Who shall I send?" (is 6)
- here I am. Send ME, Lord. Use me.
Songs: We’re looking to your promise of old
I, the Lord of sea and sky
