Vision for Mission: Nurturing an Apostolic Heart

Ses s i on 4: The R i penes s of the Har ves t and the Shor tage of Worker s 43

Speaking of God’s worldwide purpose for the harvest of humankind, David Bryant suggests that the “[S]pread of the good news might be outlined as follows: penetrate all human cultures with the reconciling Gospel and power of Jesus Christ so as to persuade all kinds of peoples to become obedient disciples of Christ and responsible members of His Church where they live, so as to project into every society the redemptive alternatives of God’s kingdom against the destructive forces of evil, so as to press the course of history toward the climactic return of the Lord Jesus to reign visibly over His victorious Kingdom so as to permeate the whole earth with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea.”

~ David Bryant. Stand in the Gap . Glendale: Regal, 1997. pp. 110-111.

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II. The Apostolic Heart Is Engaged: An Enormous Shortage of Workers Exists to Engage the Harvest Field of the Lord

A. The number of those laborers working in the Lord’s harvest field is small and few. (Matt. 9.36ff.) Why?

1. Selfishness : All men and women seek their own things and not the things of Jesus Christ, Phil. 2.20-21.

2. Long delay : The Lord’s coming is tarrying too long and we tend to become distracted with worldly cares, Matt. 24.42-51.

3. Feigned ignorance : Many pretend to know nothing about the great need, Prov. 24.11-12.

4. Worldly shallowness : Many have become worldly in their orientation and perspective, 1 John 2.15-17; James 4.1-7.

5. Prayerlessness in the body of Christ: We do not seek the Lord to increase the numbers of laborers in his harvest field, Matt. 9.37-38.