A Matter of Perspective

A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE

“Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” - John 4:35

The comedian Flip Wilson was noted for saying, “What you see is what you get.” There is some truth to his statement. What we see can easily distract us, even consume our attention. We can get focused on a minor issue and neglect major problems.

I once saw a Youtube video about a true story. The pilots of a commercial airline noticed a minor problem on a gauge. All the men in the cockpit got involved in resolving the problem. The pilot got so consumed with this minor issue that he neglected to pay attention when his co-pilot warned him that they were running out of fuel. They had circled the airport more than once while addressing the gauge problem. When the pilot finally realized they were out of fuel, they couldn't get back to the air field and the plane crashed.

That is a sad story, but proves the point that what we focus on can easily distract us from critical matters. With eternity in the balance, we can be consumed with lesser matters and never accomplish what matters most.

The disciples struggled with this, too. In John chapter 4, they were coming back from purchasing food. When they arrived, they were amazed to find Jesus talking with a Samaritan woman. When the woman went back to town, she told others about Jesus. The people came from town to meet Jesus and hear His teaching. The disciples, seeing all of this, tried to persuade Jesus to take a break and eat. Instead, Jesus said, “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” The disciples had food on their mind. Jesus had souls on His heart.

Sadly, I've had times when I've been like the disciples. It is easy to be distracted with the events of the day instead of caring deeply about the people nearest to us.

Many probably saw the encounter with the woman as scandalous. After all, Jesus was a Jew and she was a Samaritan. Jews had no dealings with Samaritans. Secondly, in that day, men did not treat women as equals. Men did not talk with strange women. Women were often avoided. Worst of all, this woman was a sinner. She was living an immoral lifestyle. She was probably scorned by most in her community, even the women probably avoided her. But Jesus cared for the soul of this woman. He cared enough to share the truth with her. While He spoke of living water, He also was very blunt about her sinful situation. She had a great spiritual need that only He could meet. This may have been her only opportunity to experience grace.

Look around. God brings people in our lives from different backgrounds. We meet them from day to day. We have family members, friends and co-workers that we encounter on a regular basis. But like the story of the woman at the well, there are times we meet some just one time. It could be at a gas station, at the grocery store or the doctor's office. Each encounter is an opportunity. Each person has an eternal soul. Every individual is either saved or lost. They are either heaven-bound or headed to hell. Furthermore, each person has specific needs. The person you meet today may be going through the deepest, darkest valley. They may not show it outwardly, but they may need an encouraging word, a helpful hand or show of support.

I must confess that I have often looked over such opportunities. What about you? I have often been consumed with daily tasks or some project I am working on, yet failed to notice those near me at the moment. I need a daily reminder that this life is not about me. It is about God and His kingdom. It is about people that God brings my way. Daily I must choose whether to invest in others or selfishly pursue my own goals. You have the same choice.

We need to see things as our Lord does. We need our focus shifted so we can see the hurting people so close to us. While I may not be able to solve the problems others have, I can choose to love, encourage, help and pray for the people divinely placed in my path.

Yes, the harvest is plenty. There are no shortage of needy people. We are not running out of sinners to win. Although the harvest is plenty, we are running short on workers. We need men and women who have a heart for God and compassion for people.

Time is running out. The human need has never been greater. Souls are perishing daily. People are hurting greatly. Many need a friend today.

Look to the harvest field today. With the harvest coming to an end very soon, let's get busy for the Lord. God is calling us to work in the harvest field. While we are told to pray for more workers, let's make sure we are working ourselves.

Let's work while there is time.

Passionate Praying

PASSIONATE PRAYERS

“And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.” - 1 Samuel 1:10

In 1 Timothy 1:2, the Apostle Paul referred to Timothy as, “my own son in the faith.” Timothy was a young man who was being mentored by the apostle. Paul felt like he had a special bond with the young man, like a spiritual father-son relationship. When you lead a person to Jesus and help them grow in their faith, a similar relationship occurs with the new believer. Do you have such a person that you are leading? Have you actively brought a person to the Lord? Are you involved in their spiritual growth? If not, you can relate with a woman named Hannah.

As the book of 1 Samuel opens, we learn that Hannah is a woman who is barren. She has been childless. This fact has weighed heavily on her. The one thing she yearns for is a son. She wants to provide her husband a child.

As Christians, we should have a desire to introduce people to Jesus Christ. We should yearn to have a son or daughter in the faith, one we have personally led to Christ. We should want to help this new believer thrive in the faith. If you have never led a person to Jesus, spiritually you are very much like Hannah.

As I post this message, our nation is celebrating Mother's Day this weekend. We can learn much from this unusual mother. Hannah went from being barren to having a son who would positively impact the spiritual direction of Israel. It could be that the person we lead to Jesus or mentor in the faith may eventually become a great pastor, evangelist or spiritual leader. When Edward Kimball led a young Dwight Moody to Jesus, he had no idea that the young convert would become to the greatest evangelist in America during that century.

What did Hannah do that was so special? What made her case so unique? Obviously, the Lord was involved in the matter. Without the Lord, our efforts are in vain. So many write books, blogs and articles about evangelism yet omit this unmistakable truth. How can we accomplish anything of eternal significance without God's intervention?

Hannah went to God with her problem. She sought the Lord and appealed to Him for a miracle. If we are wise, we'd do the same. Do you long to win souls yourself? Do you wish to see your church grow numerically? Do you have a zeal to see the Gospel impact your family, your work and your community? Look to the Lord. Cry out to Him. Make your petition known with the Master.

In contrast to Hannah, the Bible says in Genesis 30:1, “And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.” Rachel was childless, yet she complained to her husband rather than crying out to God. How often do we look to the arm of flesh instead of leaning on the arm of God? What good is it to buy books, listen to podcasts and attend seminars to learn church-growth and soul-winning techniques, and yet fail to get on our knees and seek God?

Unlike Rachel's childish complaints to her husband, Hannah went to the Lord. When she and her husband went to Shiloh to offer a sacrifice, the Bible says this of Hannah: “And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.” Notice three things about Hannah.

First of all, she had passion. The Bible says, “... she was in bitterness of soul.” She had an earnest desire for a child. She yearned to be a mother. Yes, she had a good husband, yet she had an internal passion to have a child. She did not want to live and die childless. Are we willing to live and die without winning souls or mentoring new believers? Do you simply want to live selfishly and fail to be used of God to make a difference in someone's life?

Secondly, there was prayer. Hannah, “... prayed unto the Lord.” I have found that most people would rather sing about prayer than to actually pray. It can be edifying to hear how God answered someone else's prayers, but wouldn't it be more thrilling for Him to answer yours? Don't expect answers to prayers you're not praying.

Finally, there was pain. Hannah, “... wept sore.” Few people are heartbroken over the spiritual need around them. I once wrote that the reason most baptistries remain dry is because of our dry eyes. Psalm 126:5-6 says, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” When was the last time you actually wept when you prayed? Can you recall the last time you wept as you considered the plight of lost people? Perhaps there should be more tear stains on the floor where we kneel to pray. Our prayer closets should become weeping chambers.

Soon after her tearful prayer at Shiloh, Hannah become a mother. Her son, Samuel, became an outstanding man of God.

I'm sure that Hannah never regretted one tear.

Orders From Headquarters

ORDERS FROM HEADQUARTERS

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” - Matthew 28:19-20

Jesus is Lord. I think most Christians would agree with this statement, but do our lives reflect this? When a person joins the military, he is immediately instructed about the importance of saluting and obeying those of higher rank. A man will not have a successful military career if he only picks and chooses the commands he obeys.

At work, you are accountable to your boss or supervisor. You are responsible to carry out the commands and directives that he gives.

On a greater scale, Jesus Christ is Lord of all. Yet our perception of His commands are drastically different from the commands our boss gives. We treat the commands of Jesus like they are options.

Jesus said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” This command, that we refer to as the Great Commission, is known by most believers. Yet very few people treat His command seriously. How many believers are actively sharing their faith? How many Christians are known as fishers of men? Our Lord has given us a command, yet we act as if this command is for someone else. Many think it is the pastor's job to evangelize. Some think that a select few are called to share the Good News.

It is amazing that we are not selective when it comes to receiving the positive promises of God, but we are very select in obeying the commands of God. Yet in John 14:15, Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Obedience should be the natural response of a loving heart to a gracious God.

In the Great Commission, what are we commanded to do?

First of all, we are taught to evangelize. Jesus said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations...” We are taught to go and share the message of the Gospel. We are called to be proactive rather than reactive. We are not told to wait for an evangelistic opportunity. We are called to go. We are to be active in this work. Far too many are waiting for someone to come out of nowhere and ask them how to be saved. While this could happen, that is not the normal way evangelism works. Rather than waiting for sinners to come to us, we are commanded to go to them.

Secondly, we are called to enlist. Those who hear and believe the Gospel need to follow the Lord. Jesus taught us “... baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” When someone professes faith in Jesus, they should be baptized in water. This is a command from our Lord. We are not greater than our Lord Jesus. He was baptized by John. We are to follow in His steps. In baptism, the water is a symbolic grave where the old sinful life is buried and the believer rises to a new life in Christ. We celebrate the beauty and meaning of this ceremony. Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change. Evangelism is not the end of the Great Commission. When a person repents and believes, we continue obeying the Great Commission by baptizing the new believer. I realize that baptism is not considered highly important by many churches, but it needs to be. Baptism is a step of obedience for the new believer … and for the Christian worker who desires to keep the Great Commission.

Finally, we are commanded to educate. A new believer that has been baptized needs to be taught. Jesus said, “... teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” Discipleship is a vital part of the Great Commission. We haven't obeyed the Great Commission fully if we fall short of teaching discipleship to new believers. Ultimately, we want to teach new believers to obey the Great Commission themselves. Properly implemented, the Great Commission results in multiplied growth that continues for generations to come.

Here's the big question. Are YOU a Great Commission Christian? Are you actively obeying the Great Commission? Are you seeking to win souls to Christ? Are you leading them to be baptized into a local body of believers? Do you seek to instruct the new believer to be a fully devoted follower of Christ? Are you a Great Commission Christian who leads others to be Great Commission Christians?

The disciples were Great Commission Christians. They evangelized. They baptized those who believed. They emphasized discipleship and Christian doctrine.

The early church took Jesus' command seriously. So should we.