The Harvest Is Plentiful.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] Well, go ahead and have a seat. [0:01] Welcome to Village Church. [0:02] If this is your first time here, my name’s Steve. [0:04] I’m one of the pastors here, [0:06] and I am so grateful to see each and every one of you. [0:10] You know, it’s been almost nine years.

[0:12] So in September, on September the 9th, [0:14] specifically, it will be nine years [0:16] since we launched as a church, [0:18] as Village Church with Public Services. [0:21] And when we first started Village Church, [0:24] the reason that we started this church

[0:26] because we had a passion. [0:28] And God had given us a vision to simply be used by him [0:32] to connect people to God through faith in Jesus. [0:37] Now, over the years, that has been clarified. [0:40] And our mission is that we exist to worship God [0:44] by helping as many people as possible

[0:47] become fully devoted followers of Jesus. [0:51] That is at the forefront of all that we do. [0:54] That is at the forefront of why we exist. [0:56] And so every decision that we make, [0:59] every move that we make is specifically for that purpose. [1:02] And today, we have taken a step in actually living

[1:07] what we state we exist for. [1:10] So it’s one thing to have a mission. [1:12] It’s another thing to live that mission. [1:15] So this morning was the first preview service [1:18] at our Chester location. [1:20] And we had 118 people gather

[1:24] for our first of two previews. [1:26] Give God a hand.

[1:29] He has surpassed our expectations. [1:33] Many, many, many people who had never been to a service [1:37] at Village Church came out and were a part of that. [1:41] And we’re able to experience the same real experience [1:44] that you’re having right now. [1:47] And so the question though is really why.

[1:51] Why are we doing this? [1:53] You know, there’s always a lot of fears [1:55] when you launch any new venture. [1:58] When you take any risk, there are questions, [2:01] there are fears, there are always the what ifs. [2:04] But then if we really boil it down,

[2:06] what I wanna deal with today specifically for our purpose [2:10] is why are we going to plant another location? [2:14] Why be one church in two locations? [2:17] And the answer really is in our mission statement. [2:21] But I want to actually delve into that mission statement [2:24] and talk about what does the scripture have to say

[2:28] behind that mission statement. [2:29] And then I wanna get even deeper [2:30] and I say what does Jesus himself say in the scriptures [2:34] that would lead us to have that type of vision? [2:39] Because God has given us all a big task in our lives. [2:44] If you claim to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, that is big.

[2:49] There’s so much knowledge to grow in. [2:52] There are so many practices to be a part of [2:55] if you’re going to say I am following Jesus. [2:59] It can become an overwhelming vision that you think [3:01] I cannot hope to wrap my arms around such a vision. [3:06] And what I wanna do is I wanna build really

[3:08] from what is it that we are following Jesus into? [3:12] What is it that he’s going to make our lives about? [3:15] And what that really is, [3:16] is connecting people to God through Jesus. [3:19] And Jesus made a bold statement, [3:22] and one that a lot of people questioned

[3:23] when he summed the law up, all of the law, in two statements. [3:29] He said, you will love the Lord your God, [3:32] and the second is like it, [3:33] you will love your neighbor as yourself. [3:36] And so what Jesus was saying there is that [3:39] when you love God, something will happen to you

[3:42] and he will pour his love into you through faith. [3:46] And as he does that, you will love other people. [3:50] He’s saying that there is a benefit that you will receive [3:54] from loving other people that you cannot receive [3:59] when life is all about you. [4:02] When you are all about just consuming

[4:04] as much as you can for yourself. [4:06] When you are all about loving yourself [4:08] and getting as much love from other people as you can. [4:12] When you are all about saying, I need discipleship, [4:15] I need to consume, I need to be the focus. [4:21] Jesus is saying that there is something deficient about that.

[4:25] And he’s saying, if you really want to live [4:27] as you were designed to live by the creator God, [4:31] then you will be overcome by the same vision [4:34] that Jesus had in his life, [4:36] where he gave of himself for others. [4:40] See, that is the vision that Jesus has

[4:43] for each and every one of your lives. [4:44] And he says that if we miss this mission [4:47] to take faith in the gospel [4:50] and seek to help others come to faith in Jesus, [4:53] then that primary simple desire, [4:56] if it isn’t there, then we will lose everything.

[5:00] Because you must build a life of discipleship [5:02] as designed by Jesus Christ. [5:05] And as we spend today really previewing and preparing [5:09] for what’s going to be a weekly thing in September, [5:12] then I think it’s appropriate for us to take inventory [5:15] of where our vision for our church and our lives are going.

[5:21] We’ve been preaching this vision for nine years, as I said. [5:26] And so today, I don’t really want to make statements [5:29] to you about vision. [5:31] I really want to ask questions of you. [5:35] I think this is an appropriate time [5:37] for us to take inventory of really everything

[5:40] that has built up to this venture [5:43] of launching another church in Chester. [5:46] And what I hope to accomplish [5:48] through asking these questions [5:49] is that you yourself will take inventory [5:52] of how you are viewing your life and the mission of God

[5:55] and what direction you are going, [5:57] and quite frankly, should go [5:59] where the mission of God in your life is concerned. [6:04] And so I think Jesus aids us in a statement [6:06] that he made to his disciples. [6:08] And he uses this analogy that he uses in Luke chapter 10

[6:13] in many different places in the gospel accounts. [6:16] But here’s what he says, Luke 10.1. [6:19] After this, and we will get to what this is after [6:23] in just a moment, the Lord appointed 72 others [6:28] and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, [6:32] into every town and place where he himself was about to go.

[6:37] And he said to them, the harvest is plentiful, [6:41] but the laborers are few. [6:43] Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest [6:47] to send out laborers into his harvest. [6:53] I wanna ask you three questions this morning. [6:55] And the first question is,

[6:56] do you see the world the way Jesus sees the world? [7:01] Do you see the world the way Jesus does? [7:04] Because so often our natural inclination [7:07] is to not see the world the way that Jesus does. [7:10] Because Jesus looks at the world [7:12] and he does not see a world that is lost.

[7:16] He does not see a world that is beyond hope. [7:20] Rather, Jesus in the gospel accounts, [7:23] he casts a vision of a world that is ripe for redemption. [7:29] And in this specific text, he is sending 72 people out [7:34] to be a part of reaping what he calls the harvest. [7:38] And this harvest is the kingdom of heaven on this earth.

[7:42] Because if you look at the gospel accounts, [7:43] Jesus continually said, the kingdom of heaven is here. [7:47] The kingdom of heaven is here. [7:49] And so he is not sending these guys out saying, [7:53] go prepare the kingdom. [7:56] He’s not saying you go till the soil, you go plant seeds.

[8:02] Instead, he gives them a vision [8:04] as if all of the preparation has taken place. [8:08] As if everything is ready and primed [8:11] for them to simply be a part of reaping the harvest [8:15] that God himself has already prepared. [8:20] And he says, you go, tell them, reap my harvest.

[8:26] Jesus looks at a world that is condemned in sin [8:30] and sees it ready for redemption. [8:33] What world do you see?

[8:36] When you look at the world, [8:38] are you overwhelmed by a passion for redemption? [8:43] By a passion that they are ready to come to faith in Jesus. [8:48] They are ready for the kingdom of heaven. [8:51] See, that which once seemed as a complete loss, [8:57] Jesus is saying is ready to be found.

[9:01] You see, Jesus was giving these guys a vision [9:05] as sent people. [9:07] The term that is used in this text in the ESV [9:10] is the term appointed. [9:11] And in the original language, [9:13] it is the exact same term that means commissioned.

[9:17] What it means is that Jesus was sending them [9:20] to live a mission. [9:22] He was sending them to live for a specific purpose [9:25] at that specific time. [9:26] He was saying, you are to live my mission in this world. [9:31] This is the mission that every follower of Jesus must have.

[9:35] See, this is the picture that Jesus gave many times. [9:40] He’s saying, I’m sending you to the harvest. [9:42] In John chapter four, another gospel account [9:45] and a different type of event, [9:48] Jesus was talking to a Samaritan woman at a well. [9:53] And this was unique because women and men in public

[9:58] who weren’t not betrothed or who were not married [10:01] that really was kind of a faux pas for them [10:03] to be that social to one another. [10:04] But it goes another step because she was a Samaritan [10:07] and Jesus was a Jew and Samaritans were kind of untouchable [10:10] ethnically for Jews.

[10:12] And so it was odd for Jesus to be engaging her, [10:14] but Jesus did and he engaged her with the hope of redemption. [10:17] And she came to faith in Jesus and she went [10:21] and wanted to tell everybody that she could find [10:23] that I want to tell you the man who told me everything [10:25] that I’ve ever done in my life.

[10:29] But then his disciples who often got things [10:31] a little backwards, they saw Jesus talking to this woman [10:35] that it was kind of a cultural faux pas to talk to. [10:38] And so they go and they say, [10:39] Jesus, you gotta stop talking to this woman. [10:42] Number one, it’s a woman.

[10:44] Number two, Samaritans are dirty. [10:48] And so Jesus looks to them. [10:50] And this is what he says in verse 35. [10:53] Do you not say there are yet four months [10:56] then comes the harvest? [10:58] Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes.

[11:03] See that the fields are white for harvest. [11:07] Jesus is saying, look at her the way I look at her. [11:14] That which you would call lost, I am saying is found. [11:21] Jesus did not see her condemned by sin. [11:24] He did not see her condemned by ethnicity. [11:27] Instead, he saw her as someone who desperately needed

[11:30] to put her faith in him. [11:32] And that is the way Jesus oriented his life [11:35] around everyone. [11:36] And that is the way Jesus wanted his disciples [11:39] to view people. [11:40] And that is the way Jesus wants you to view people.

[11:45] Jesus is the greatest missionary that ever lived. [11:50] It truly was because Jesus contextualized his mission [11:55] to everyone. [11:56] I mean, and Jesus had more obstacles to overcome [11:59] by helping other cultures understand the gospel [12:02] than anyone else did.

[12:04] He was God and he became a human being. [12:08] That’s a leap. [12:10] The creator God, the one with the power, [12:13] the one who exists in eternity outside of time, [12:16] speaks people into existence. [12:18] And in order to redeem those people,

[12:19] he steps out of eternity and does the greatest miracle [12:22] that this world has ever seen. [12:23] The creator becomes part of his creation. [12:26] More than that, the creator becomes a creature. [12:30] He becomes a human being. [12:33] And he is in as a human being in a culture,

[12:37] but still he overcomes the obstacles [12:39] that that culture would put on him reaching someone. [12:43] You do not have to do anywhere near the amount [12:46] of contextualizing Jesus did. [12:48] The biggest reason is because you’re already a human. [12:51] You don’t have to become a person.

[12:53] Some of you could act more like people, [12:56] but you’re already a person. [13:00] And so the activity of Jesus in this world [13:03] teaches us something. [13:04] It is that we need to orient our lives around mission, [13:09] around this idea that God has a harvest of redemption

[13:12] that he desires for us to reap. [13:14] That is how we must view ourselves. [13:16] That is how we must view our jobs. [13:18] That is how we must view our families. [13:20] That is how we must view our leisure. [13:23] That is how we must view both work and play.

[13:26] That every part of our lives exists [13:29] so that we can see God use us to harvest.

[13:35] What he says is ready. [13:38] He says it’s ripe. [13:40] He says we must only see the world [13:43] the way that he sees the world. [13:47] But that begs another question. [13:48] It’s one thing to see the world the way Jesus does,

[13:52] but it’s another thing to be available to be used by him. [13:55] And so the second question is, [13:57] are you available to labor for Jesus’s vision? [14:01] See, most of you spend your life [14:03] determining what you can and can’t do by your ability. [14:07] You either say, I am able to do this, so I will.

[14:11] Or you say, I do not have that ability, so I won’t. [14:15] Did you know God is not interested in your ability? [14:20] Because God is not limited by your ability. [14:24] God is not limited by how you define yourself. [14:26] God is not limited by how you say, I’m gifted for this [14:30] and I am not gifted for that.

[14:32] Because God has no limitations where ability is concerned. [14:37] God can do anything and he can do it through any one. [14:40] God is more interested in your availability. [14:44] And so the question that you need to ask yourself is, [14:47] are you available to labor for God? [14:52] Are you available to labor to see his vision

[14:55] come into reality in your life? [14:57] See, in verse one, that was the determining factor [14:59] for these people. [15:00] They were sent ahead of Jesus to prepare for his coming. [15:06] Some of you do not see God work in your life [15:09] because you are not available to be used by God.

[15:12] You are so overcome and you are so overwhelmed [15:16] by the cares of this material world [15:20] that you do not have the faith [15:24] to make yourself available to be used by God. [15:26] And so God is going to work through someone else. [15:29] God is going to work through someone who has the faith

[15:31] to be available. [15:33] See, there is a direct connection [15:34] between your availability and your faith. [15:38] If you are not available, then you do not have faith. [15:42] Because it is faith in God that determines our availability. [15:46] See, as he sent them out to tell people of the kingdom,

[15:50] Jesus is sending us out to tell the world [15:52] the good news of what he has done. [15:54] We are a sent people. [15:56] Are you available to be sent?

[16:00] See, like I said, in verse one, the after this statement, [16:06] those two words are very important. [16:09] Because he’s saying after Jesus said something, [16:12] he sent someone. [16:15] In Luke nine, starting in verse 57, [16:17] here’s what Jesus had just said.

[16:19] As they were going down the road, [16:22] someone looked to Jesus and someone said this to Jesus. [16:25] He said, I will follow you wherever you go. [16:28] When Jesus looks back to him and he says, [16:30] foxes have holes, birds of the air have nests, [16:32] but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head.

[16:34] Jesus is looking to this man and he’s saying, [16:36] have you considered what it is going to cost you [16:41] to follow me? [16:43] It will not always be easy. [16:45] It certainly will not be free. [16:48] And then Jesus looks to someone and he says, follow me.

[16:53] But that man said, Lord, let me first go bury my father. [16:57] And Jesus said to him, leave the dead [16:59] to bury their own dead. [17:01] As for you go proclaim the kingdom of God. [17:06] And then another said, I will follow you. [17:08] Have you ever been a part of a crowd?

[17:10] Because there’s somebody like this in every crowd, [17:11] the one-upper.

[17:13] This is the person that is always trying [17:15] to one-up you on everything. [17:17] And he’s like trying to head Jesus off at the pass. [17:19] He’s like, I think Jesus is trying to teach everybody. [17:21] Jesus, I’ll go. [17:23] But first, have you ever said that to God?

[17:28] Lord, I want to be used by you after I do this other thing. [17:34] After I spend some time focusing on this other thing. [17:37] See, this guy looks and he says, first, [17:39] let me say farewell to those at my home. [17:42] And Jesus said to him, no one who puts his hand [17:45] to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.

[17:51] That’s like a demotivational poster.

[17:55] You see, Jesus didn’t con anyone. [18:00] Jesus was honest. [18:02] Jesus didn’t look at people and say, hey, [18:05] if you want to follow me, everything is going to be [18:07] cupcakes and rainbows. [18:08] No, Jesus looked to people and he said, consider the cost.

[18:13] Are you willing to make the sacrifices [18:15] that will necessarily need to be made to follow me? [18:21] Because it will cost you possibly materially. [18:26] It may cost you where you live. [18:28] It may cost you relationships, even family relationships. [18:33] You may miss out on something of this world

[18:37] that you thought that is what was going to be [18:39] the great event of my life. [18:40] Jesus is saying, I may say, leave all that behind. [18:45] But what’s fascinating isn’t what Jesus said. [18:49] To me, it’s that Jesus said this [18:51] and then 72 people stayed.

[18:56] And so my question is, what’s going on with those 72 [19:00] that stayed that wasn’t going on with the ones [19:03] who walked away?

[19:07] Because those 72 were overcome with the realization [19:13] that Jesus was the greatest treasure [19:15] that they could ever have in this world. [19:19] That Jesus was better than anything [19:22] that their family could ever give them, [19:24] anything that material wealth could ever give them,

[19:27] anything that the home even could give them. [19:29] Jesus was better because Jesus was the designer. [19:34] Jesus is the one who spoke them into existence. [19:38] Jesus is the one who had designed [19:40] what life should look like. [19:42] Jesus is the one that designed the purpose

[19:44] for which they existed. [19:46] And they knew that if they walked away from him, [19:49] then they would be walking away from the greatest life [19:53] that they could ever have in this world. [19:55] Because they would be walking away [19:56] from the one who had designed the life

[19:58] that would give them the greatest benefit.

[20:03] They knew if we walk away from Jesus, [20:07] that will be the real cost. [20:10] Even if we have to give up all that you’ve just said [20:13] we’re going to have to give up Jesus, we will follow. [20:19] And because of that, they were able to be a part [20:22] of the greatest mission ever.

[20:27] Because they were available.

[20:32] Friend, what is determining your availability [20:35] for the mission of God?

[20:38] Another question, are you willing to be used [20:41] by God to reap the harvest?

[20:44] It’s one thing to have the vision that Jesus has [20:47] for this world, it’s another thing to be available. [20:50] But I have personally met a lot of people [20:52] who were completely available. [20:54] I mean, they had nothing going on.

[20:57] And there was a reason. [20:59] They weren’t willing to do anything. [21:02] They just wanted to sit there and not move. [21:06] See, to be available to be used by God, [21:09] you must also be willing to get up and move with God [21:13] because God is always going.

[21:15] God is always working. [21:17] God is always doing. [21:19] Are you willing to get up and be used by God? [21:23] I love the fact that Jesus in verse two says [21:26] the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. [21:29] I love the fact that he uses the term laborers

[21:31] because that means there’s work. [21:34] That means the vision of God for your life [21:37] will require effort on your part to live. [21:41] That there are things to be done. [21:44] See, Jesus sends these people. [21:48] It’s interesting that he tells them, he says,

[21:50] I’m going to send you to live this mission. [21:53] The laborers are few, so pray. [21:55] Jesus says, work, pray. [21:59] And we get this twisted sometimes [22:01] and there’s a way of reading this text [22:03] where we miss it, where we would say, oh, okay.

[22:06] So part of what I can do is I see the vision, [22:09] I’m available, but I don’t want to go. [22:12] So I’m just going to pray for the laborers. [22:15] God, I love it, but send someone else. [22:18] Have you ever seen a command of God [22:21] or been overcome by something that you knew was God’s will,

[22:23] but your response was not, yes, Lord, I will go. [22:26] Your response was, yes, Lord, send someone else. [22:29] That’s not what’s going on here. [22:32] What’s going on here is that God is saying [22:34] that when you have the work of God, [22:36] you will also have the vision of God.

[22:39] And that vision that God has [22:40] is always about multiplication.

[22:44] That God is a God that does every move that he does [22:47] to multiply faith in other people. [22:49] When he told them to pray for other laborers, [22:53] he was saying that when you catch this vision [22:55] and you get to work, the goal is always [22:59] to recruit more laborers to live this out

[23:02] because disciples make disciples. [23:06] So we always use that term, that phrase, [23:09] fully devoted follower of Jesus. [23:12] And the question is always, [23:12] how do you know when you’re a fully devoted follower?

[23:17] When you’re making other disciples.

[23:21] If it’s one thing you cannot get away from [23:23] in the New Testament, even in the old, [23:25] it is a distinct vision that God is a God [23:28] who always enjoys drawing people to himself to redeem [23:31] and to put on mission. [23:34] And so every aspect of discipleship has to have,

[23:37] as its goal, a vision for you becoming a disciple maker [23:42] because God is a multiplying God. [23:45] You see, every one of us is building something [23:47] with our lives. [23:48] The question is, what are you building? [23:50] I mean, some of you are building some pretty cool things.

[23:54] Others of you, not really. [23:56] But you’re all building something regardless [23:58] of the quality of your life. [24:00] But what I assume about you is that all of you have a hope [24:04] to build something in your life that will both be worthwhile [24:09] and more than worthwhile, I think most of you want

[24:12] to build something with your life that will outlive you. [24:16] Is that you can leave something behind [24:18] that will become a legacy. [24:21] But you see, there’s only one thing [24:23] that you can invest your life in. [24:24] There’s only one work that you can do that is guaranteed

[24:28] to both be worthwhile and leave a legacy. [24:32] And that is making disciples of Jesus. [24:36] Because every time you connect someone to the life of God [24:40] through faith in Jesus Christ, that person gains eternity.

[24:48] And so disciples make disciples, make disciples. [24:51] And it goes on and on. [24:53] Because every time you purpose your life [24:55] to make other disciples, you join the tradition [25:00] of thousands and thousands and thousands of years [25:02] of people making disciples.

[25:05] Discipleship is the only thing that is guaranteed [25:08] to outlive you because eternity goes on forever. [25:15] You see, we’re often asked why plant another church. [25:19] I mean, I’ve been asked that a lot [25:21] since we announced it months ago. [25:25] It’s because we have this vision to be used

[25:28] to make as many disciples as we possibly can [25:30] in our lifetimes. [25:31] And we realize that as we multiply that [25:34] in our congregation, the greater number that we have, [25:37] the greater the number of disciples that can be made. [25:40] Because if we all seek to make as many disciples

[25:42] as we possibly can, I mean, that’s a lot of disciples. [25:46] That’s a tremendous amount. [25:47] And so we have a pretty good contingent of people [25:51] in Chester, which is a little bit of a drive, [25:54] probably further than many of you live. [25:56] And so we realize we’ve got these people from Chester.

[25:58] And if we were to launch a campus in Chester, [26:02] then we would actually give the people [26:04] who are already living in Chester [26:06] a greater geographic ability to invite people [26:10] to hear the gospel in a Sunday morning service [26:13] and to build more and more home-based community groups

[26:18] for people to be connected to relational discipleship [26:21] in their lives. [26:24] Because you see, what we desire is as pastors [26:27] and as a church, as our mission, [26:29] is that we want to take away every barrier [26:32] that we can possibly take to seeing people come to faith

[26:36] in Jesus Christ and be discipled, [26:38] especially geographic barriers. [26:40] And that’s why we’re about planting churches. [26:43] And so many times we can look at Luke 10, [26:47] and our response can be, that was great for them. [26:51] But that applied to those 72 people.

[26:53] Does it really apply to me? [26:55] Absolutely, because Jesus restates this [26:58] in a text that we talk about frequently, [27:00] and I never want us to lose sight of it, Matthew 28. [27:04] See, after he had died to forgive you of your sins, [27:07] after he had risen from the dead

[27:08] to show victory over sin and death, [27:10] Jesus said to his people in Matthew 28, 19, [27:16] go make disciples of all nations. [27:22] See, in Luke 10, those guys couldn’t go [27:24] wherever they wanted. [27:25] They were limited by the presence of where Jesus could go,

[27:29] because he defines it. [27:30] He says, I’m sending you to towns [27:32] that I’m about to go into physically. [27:34] But you see, once Jesus rose from the dead, [27:37] once the Holy Spirit was in the life of every believer, [27:40] the presence of Jesus was not limited by geography.

[27:44] And he says, go make disciples of all nations. [27:48] The governor has been taken off of the gas pedal, [27:52] push it to the floor, reach all of them. [27:56] And so if we can plant churches [27:58] so that more people in the Metro Richmond area [28:01] can be reached with the gospel of Jesus,

[28:04] we not only can do it, friend, I believe we must. [28:09] If we are able, if we are able to do it, [28:13] the greater question is, why wouldn’t we be a part [28:18] of reaching more people?

[28:22] Jesus is sending us, but he’s also guiding us. [28:27] Because he says something very interesting. [28:28] He says, go make disciples of all nations, [28:30] teach them to obey him, teach them to obey Jesus, [28:33] baptize them into his life. [28:35] But then he makes a promise.

[28:36] Just as he made a promise in Luke 10, [28:38] he said, there’s a harvest, go get it. [28:40] He makes a promise in Matthew 28. [28:43] He says, behold, I’m with you always. [28:45] To the end, the edge.

[28:49] You see, Jesus is telling us, he’s saying, [28:52] you will never go anywhere where I’m not.

[28:58] Jesus is already working. [29:01] But what’s fascinating about this promise [29:04] is that Jesus, the eternal God, [29:08] he makes his amazing statements. [29:09] He says, first, you will never go anywhere [29:12] where my presence won’t already be felt.

[29:14] Because God is already at work all over this world. [29:17] I will never step foot into an area of this world [29:20] where God is not already working [29:23] through the power of the Holy Spirit. [29:25] So he’s in front of me. [29:27] But note what he also says, I am also beside you.

[29:33] Jesus is already working and he’s also with me. [29:36] In other words, there is no low of discouragement [29:39] in this world and there is no high of encouragement [29:42] that I will ever experience where Jesus Christ is not saying, [29:46] I am still right there with you. [29:50] I’m not going anywhere.

[29:54] He will never leave us. [29:57] He will never forsake us. [30:00] He will never turn his back on us. [30:02] He will never sabotage us. [30:05] He will only strengthen us. [30:07] He will endure us.

[30:09] He will guide us. [30:10] He will teach us. [30:12] He is going with us everywhere that we will go. [30:16] And because of that, we must go.

[30:23] He has sent us into the fields to reap his harvest.

[30:28] And one thing that I will tell you is I am going. [30:31] And I want you to be a part of that. [30:35] So I ask you, do you see the world the way Jesus does?

[30:43] Are you available to labor for his vision?

[30:49] Are you willing, friend, to be used by God?

[30:59] Let us join together and reap the harvest of God.

[31:07] As we transition into a time of communion, [31:11] I got to be honest with you, I’m super encouraged. [31:15] This has been a great day from my perspective [31:18] because I’ve been able to see both places. [31:20] And what I see is potential. [31:25] I see people who are not limited by their ability

[31:28] because you have no idea what God can do through you [31:34] when you say, I am available and I am willing. [31:37] Because God will open a potential inside of you [31:41] that you did not even know that you were capable of [31:44] when you stop seeing the world [31:46] the way that you naturally define yourself

[31:50] to be able to do. [31:51] And you will tap into the vision of Jesus. [31:53] Not just what he is doing out there, [31:55] but what he wants to do inside of you.

[32:01] Be available, live his mission. [32:05] And we together will see his harvest. [32:10] Reaped. [32:11] And maybe that’s you. [32:14] Maybe you’re in here this morning [32:15] and I’ve been talking about Jesus and you might say,

[32:19] I’m not familiar with this type of faith, [32:23] with that type of life. [32:25] What do I need Jesus for? [32:29] Friend, the thing that you need to understand [32:30] is you have sinned in some way against God. [32:35] And rather than condemn you out of his presence for eternity,

[32:39] God loved you to the extent that he sent his son [32:43] to pay the penalty for your sin. [32:46] See on the tables around this room, [32:48] the bread on the plates [32:50] represents the broken body of Jesus. [32:53] The cup represents his shed blood.

[32:56] You see Jesus lived a perfect life. [32:59] But then he died a sinner’s death. [33:03] His body broken, his blood shed as your substitute. [33:09] He paid the penalty for your sin. [33:11] And then he rose from the dead to show you [33:15] that the death that once condemned you

[33:17] doesn’t need to condemn you any longer [33:19] because he has power over sin [33:22] and he has power over death. [33:25] Jesus physically rose from the dead [33:28] and he is coming again [33:31] to put his kingdom on this earth.

[33:34] And all those with their faith in him [33:36] will live in his kingdom forever.

[33:40] And this morning, if you don’t have that faith, [33:42] I want to invite you to put your faith in Jesus Christ. [33:46] Turn from your sin, [33:47] trust in Jesus, [33:49] and he will redeem you from your sin. [33:52] And he will forever be your God.

[33:56] If that’s you, in just a moment, [33:58] I’m going to ask you actually to take a step of faith [34:01] and walk out into the foyer [34:02] where someone will pray with you. [34:05] Someone will answer any questions that you might have. [34:08] But for those of you that are in here

[34:09] that have already placed your faith in Christ, [34:13] in just a moment, come.

[34:16] Celebrate the death of our King and then go. [34:20] Live his mission. [34:23] When you’re ready, come.