look.

"When Jesus was traveling to Samaria, He met a woman getting water. She told the people in her town about Jesus. As the people from the town came out to meet him, He said to the disciples," :

"Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. Already he who reaps is receiving wages, and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this case the saying is true, 'One sows, and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor." (John 4:35-38)

"The disciples were reaping the results of other people’s labor. Those people did not see all the result of their labor, but their efforts still bore fruit.

William Carey spent thirty-five years in India before he saw one convert. Some people think he led a fruitless life. But almost every convert in India to this day is fruit on his branch, because he translated the whole New Testament into many different Indian dialects. He was not the one to reap directly what he had sown, but his life’s legacy bore much fruit.

One of the most fulfilling experiences in life is to bear fruit for God. If it isn’t happening in your life, the reason is simple—you are not abiding in the Vine."

-John MacArthur

harvest time.

Matthew 9:36-38:

"Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.'"

the honor of suffering

"At thirty-two [John G.] Paton accepted the call to missionary service in the New Hebrides in the South Pacific. In March of 1858 he married Mary Ann Robson, and on April 16 they sailed together for the cannibal island of Tanna. In less than a year they had built a home and Mary had given birth to a son. But on March 3, 1859, one year after their marriage, Mary died of the fever, and in three weeks the infant son died. John Paton buried them alone, and wrote, "But for Jesus... I'd have gone mad and died beside that lonely grave."

One of the gifts that Jesus had given him to sustain him in those days were the words his wife spoke before her death. She did not murmur against God in her final sickness, or resent her husband bringing her to the New Hebrides. Rather she spoke these incredible words: 'I do not regret leaving home and friends. If I had it to do over, I would do it with more pleasure, yes, with all my heart.' "

- The Pleasures Of God (by John Piper)

Philippians 1:29

"For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake..."

Abandon

So, nobody wants to be this person right? It's tough. Nothing to really call your own, nowhere to sleep, hardly anything to eat. Yet we're called to this.

Luke 14:25-33

25)Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26)"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27)And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28)"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29)For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30)saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'

31)"Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32)If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33)In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

So three things.
1. Hate your father, mother, brothers and sisters, and yourself, you can't be a disciple of Christ. Commonly interpreted as a hyperbole (an exaggeration for the sake of emphasis) Especially in light of Matthew 10:37 "If you love your Father and Mother more than me, you're not even my disciple"

2. If you do not carry your cross, you can not be a disciple of Christ. Deny self, give up desires and dreams to follow God. Repenting and fleeing from sin.

3. Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. Of the three this is the most self explanatory, yet most confusing.

Give up everything? Surely he can't mean my home or my wealth or my life, can he? I'm not sorry to tell you that this portion of the verse is not a hyperbole.

The greek word used in this verse is apotasso. It means: say farewell (to), take leave (of); renounce, give up.

Love Jesus above all, so that your love for your family looks like hate. Carry your cross and die to your self daily. Give up everything you have.

Need examples?

Peter James and John
Elisha
Abraham
Moses
Noah

most of all,

Jesus. Who are we to be like?
Jesus.

the task remaining.

matthew 24:14

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

romans 15:20-21

"and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written, Those who have never been told of him will see,and those who have never heard will understand."

revelation 5:9
"And they sang a new song, saying, Worthy are you to take the scrolland to open its seals,for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for Godfrom every tribe and language and people and nation"


number of unreached people groups = 6,442
(www.joshuaproject.net)


"His authority on earth allows us to dare to go to all the nations. His authority in heaven gives us our only hope of success. And His presence with us leaves us no other choice."
-John Stott

daniel neiditch.

be in prayer for daniel. he is meeting tomorrow night with someone who he is looking to be involved with for full-time ministry with gangs. pray that God will give daniel:

1. wisdom
2. urgency
3. provision

Colossians 4:3-4

"And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should."

the call

Revelation 7:9

"After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,"

Matthew 24:14
"And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

Revelation speaks about every tribe, tongue, and nation will be represented in heaven. To this day there are still many unreached people groups. In fact there are many people groups who have yet to have the gospel translated into their language. If this is the case, how can Christ return and there be a representative from every tribe, tongue and nation in heaven? I believe that Matthew 24:14 is the answer to that question. I believe that this gives the church a great responsibility accompanied with a great urgency.

Obviously the church hasn't really stepped up to the challenge/responsibility. Only .0001% of Evangelical Christians go into missions!!! And only 4% of them actually go to a people group that is unreached! I think too many Christians think that they are called by God into full-time secular careers. They feel that serving in church once a week (maybe), and sharing Christ with their co-workers once a quarter (maybe) is fulfilling God's great commission.

Luke 9:23-24

"And he said to all, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it."