June has been another busy month in the life of the church, with fine weather for our Awayday at Dalesdown and the following day for our Church BBQ. We enjoyed great teaching and a challenge from David Skull for us to consider the topic of “The Soul winning Church’.
We started by turning to that passage in Matthew 28 verses 16-20 which are known as The Great Commission, a call from Jesus for his disciples to go out into the world and call people to follow him so that they too may be his disciples. When we read of the disciples in the Bible it is easy to assume that they were gifted in a special way to fulfil this commission more than we could ever be. Yet I like the way David Skull described this as ‘an encouragement for failed disciples.’
Yes, it is true that the disciples often fell short of following Jesus as Jesus himself had told them on the Mount of Olives’ You will all fall away on account of me’ (Matt 26:31). Nevertheless, Jesus promised them that he would bless them with his authority and with the power of the Holy Spirit to go and make disciples of all people.
We, too have that calling if we are to be faithful followers of Jesus and, whatever gifts we have been blessed with in this life, we are called to be disciples, ones who seek to spread the gospel to the many non-believers around us. They may be strangers, friends or family, all make up the harvest field and the workers are few when compared to the size of the task before us.
Jesus said to his disciples ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9:37-38)
I remember the first church awayday that I attended back in the mid-to-late 90’s I think it was, where our good friend Trevor Dickerson encouraged us each to list down our gifts and talents and then consider the ways in which we could use them within the church to serve our Lord. This impressed upon me the need to not just be a church attender waiting to receive from the Lord, but to be one who serves Him in whatever way he calls me. This may be very different for each one of us, but in a church, there are many different needs to be addressed and many different opportunities to serve.
As we consider that great harvest field around us perhaps each one of us can consider what the Lord would have me do each day in this great commission. Our church has enjoyed a very settled period in recent years, but we know that there will be times of change in front of us as some may have to lay down particular responsibilities within the church. Perhaps the Lord is calling you to step forward and serve him in a new way?
Remember Jesus promises that we do not go alone for he says ‘And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.‘ (Matt 28 20b)
<strong> Stuart
Elder
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