Take note of the needs of the people and God's provision for the people.

The needs of the people.

They were harassed and helpless. Harassed by what? Harassed by circumstances, memories, temptations, anxieties, fears, low self-esteem, insecurities, depression, the schemes of the devil, or the pressures of life? Helpless, because they had no support system, no direction, no spiritual moorings, or no living and vital faith? They were the crowds, the public, the consumers, "tossed back and forth by the waves of popular opinion; blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of lying men in their deceitful scheming."(Eph.4:14) Their problems were great and they didn't know what to do about them or where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd. They were on their own. Our human condition doesn't change. What are your needs? What causes you to lose your sleep? The media does a good job of reminding us of the problems around us all the time so that we get weary of all the sadness, and cruelty, and selfishness, and sickness, and pain there is in the world. The politicians blame one another for them, and propose all sorts of solutions. But Washington cannot solve all our problems. The United Nations cannot solve all the problems of the world. No amount of social and economic programs will solve the problems of selfishness and dependency, anger and denial, envy and resentment, sickness and death.

If we are honest we can look inside ourselves and see that we also can fail to live up to our ideals and God's purpose for our lives. What we want to do, we do not do, and what we hate to do we do. We have the desire to do what is good but we cannot carry it out. For what we do is not the good we want to do, but the evil we do not want to do - this we keep on doing (Rom.7:15-19). We are worried and anxious about many things. As we age we find that we have less and less ability and energy to change our situation or to make a difference. The community in which we live has enormous needs for healing, and love, and hope. We need loving and caring relationships to sustain us. Loneliness afflicts millions. There are more people living alone in our society than ever before. We are often separated from loved ones and family by great distances. Life is meaningless to many. Television entertainment has become the means to fill the vacuum in our lives. It helps people to be diverted from their problems and to escape the reality of their isolation for a while. We need Christ's powerful, saving love.

"This is the supreme motivation for mission, to see the need of those who are perishing outside the kingdom. Motivation comes when you see people harassed by pressures, exhausted by the pace of life, going nowhere, and being led astray by many false ideologies." (Michael Green)

"Jesus had compassion on the crowds because their problems were so great and they didn't know what to do and where to go for help." Where would you direct someone to go for help?

God's provision for the people

The Lord of the harvest has a plan to gather in his people - to bring them into his kingdom. Jesus comes to teach and preach the good news, to heal every disease and sickness, and to call co-workers to share with him in his ministry. He modeled for us a great work, and commissioned us to get on with it. We are to pray that the Lord of the Harvest will send out laborers into his harvest field - i.e. the world. This is our great work. It begins with prayer. Only God can meet the needs of his people. Only the Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for the sheep, can take care of us. Only the Spirit can give us the power of faith, hope and love. So we look to him in prayer to reach the people around us who need the Savior. What we have been given to meet our needs is to be shared with others.

At one stage in the history of Israel the King of Syria and his army laid siege to Samaria so that the King of Israel and his citizens starved. There were four lepers at the entrance of the city gate who decided to go to the Syrian camp for food. When they arrived they found the camp deserted, for the Lord had sent the sound of an army to frighten them and cause then to flee. The lepers entered one of the tents and ate and drank to their heart's content. After satisfying themselves they said, "This is not doing right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. Let's go at once and report this to the royal palace." (2 Kings 7)

Are we not in the same position as those lepers who have stumbled upon the riches of the Gospel and are feasting at the Lord's Table? It is not right to keep it to ourselves. Someone once said that there are only two reasons why we don't tell others the Gospel. Either we don't believe it's true or we don't love others.

I believe that the story told by the Bible is true. I believe that the story of Jesus is true. I believe that the Gospel is true. I believe that God answers prayer. From an early age I saw people around me harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd, because they were living only for this world. They tried to fill the spiritual hole in their lives with superficial activities and drink. They had no knowledge of salvation in Christ.

Jesus had compassion on them. So should we. What would happen if you did really care for those around you? Jesus said that we should pray to the Lord of the harvest for help. We are not responsible for meeting the needs of others. The Lord is. But he seeks our co-operation, our prayers and caring. He seeks our willingness to be his workers in the harvest field. If we have received his work in our lives, his healing, his good news, his grace, then we will want others to also.

How can we carry on this great work today? Every church is both different and the same: different in its makeup and context, yet the same in its work. Think back on the churches you have belonged to over the years. Each church was very different in its setting, and the composition of its members, but the work was the same, the mission was the same, the human and spiritual problems were the same.

Our great work requires reaching out to others. People are attracted if needs are being met, and there is quality worship, preaching, ministry and fellowship. If we are not praying for and not inviting others to come to our church, what are we saying about the quality of what we offer? Rick Warren says that if we have no interest in inviting others to join us we are saying to them, "You can go to hell. Get your needs met elsewhere. We don't want you."

Jesus reminds us that the harvest is great, that we are called to pray for workers to be sent out into the harvest and to gather others into the kingdom. We have a great work to do. Jesus calls us to work alongside him in doing it.

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