We have before us a fresh opportunity to play our part in the re-evangelism of our own nation and other nations. Each one of us, each individual, couple, family, and church, can make a big difference for God in this generation and for the good of generations to come. This is a time for us to unblock the wells and discover once more the life-giving waters of the Holy Spirit, which have so often flowed in revival power in this country. Wherever you are in the world, you have an important role to play in re-evangelising your nation.
We read in Matthew 9:35-38 and Matthew 10:1 how Jesus did this, and the example we are to follow: “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.”
1. Focus on the mission of Jesus (Matthew 9:35; Acts 1:8)
2. Receive the vision of Jesus for the multitudes (Matthew 9:36; John 4:35)
3. Have the love of Jesus for lost and hurting people (Matthew 9:36)
4. Pray for more workers as Jesus instructed (Matthew 9:38)
5. Build a team of 12 as Jesus modelled (Matthew 10:1)
Apply
1. Focus on the mission of Jesus. The mission that Jesus has called us to is simply massive. Jesus has commanded us to make disciples of all nations. God sent His only Son Jesus on a mission to save the whole world from Satan, sin and all the destructive powers of darkness. The sheer scope of our mission requires us to think bigger and beyond what our minds usually process. Our mission in life is to win the world for Jesus. And to conquer globally we must follow the example of Jesus being focussed locally. Jesus went about His mission in a very strategic way by starting in His home region of Galilee (Matthew 9:35). He was very specific and very diligent in going from town to town and even from village to village. Later Jesus gave specific directions on focussing on different locations for the spread of the gospel throughout the world (Acts 1:8). The mission then requires that the Christian gospel is spread systematically from area to area. We must be sure that we are focussed not simply on running our churches but on reaching our communities with a very clear strategy. Like Jesus, we must have a big mission to reach ‘all the towns and villages’ in the areas that God has called us to. We have to all play our part in spreading the gospel of the kingdom to all peoples in all nations starting in all the towns and villages where we are.
2. Receive the vision of Jesus for the multitudes (Matthew 9:36). Jesus didn’t just see individuals; He saw vast numbers of people in great need, and He wanted His disciples also to have their eyes open to seeing the multitudes (John 4:35). How much do we really notice people? God wants to open our eyes to see the multitudes all around us and to believe as Abraham believed that we can have limitless spiritual offspring. Ministry begins with vision. We need a vision of what is possible for large numbers of people to be brought to Christ in our churches and our nations. We must perceive it and believe it before we can receive it.
3. Have the love of Jesus for lost and hurting people (Matthew 9:36 MSG). Love is what Christianity is all about. Jesus came because God so loved the world. Love is what drew the multitudes to Jesus. They knew that, unlike the hard-hearted, self-seeking religious leaders, Jesus truly cared for them. They could see His compassion, especially for the outcasts and despised. And it was because of Jesus’ love for lost sinners that He suffered and bled and died. It is this sacrificial, unconditional, patient, kind and enduring love that we must have in our hearts if we are going to keep our children and grandchildren in the church. So many children and young people have wandered away, often with great bitterness in their hearts, because they have experienced the law but never the love of God. It’s this love and compassion in our hearts, our actions and in our eyes that will draw people to Christ and establish them in their faith. So how do we get this love? Only by asking for the Holy Spirit to come and change us. For us to see people turn to God, we must have this love.
4. Pray for more workers as Jesus instructed (Matthew 9:38). The mission is so big and the challenge so great that many more people must be involved in sharing the good news of Christ and His kingdom. If we are serious about re-evangelising our nations, we must seek to mobilise ALL the people of God to share their faith. The so-called professionals or paid ministers cannot do it on their own. We must really pray that great numbers of Christians who are busy doing their jobs and caring for their families, will share their faith wherever they are and integrate disciple-making into their lives. It is a matter of great urgency to pray for more workers if we want to see our nations turn around.
5. Build a team of 12 as Jesus modelled. After calling for prayer for more workers, Jesus formed a team of disciples (Matthew 10:1). These 12 were ordinary people and far from perfect. One on the list of the chosen 12 betrayed Jesus and had to be replaced, and the other 11 all ran away at one point. But they were to become the foundation of the church, because Jesus never gave up on His simple plan to focus on gathering, training and releasing the few to reach the many. Today the G12 vision is a re-emergence of a biblical vision for making and multiplying disciples by taking them through every stage from new birth to maturity, to become leaders and multipliers themselves. The 12 can develop 12 who can have 12 who can have 12, and so on. We just need to do this right and continually. And as we follow the example of Jesus in doing these 5 steps, we will see another grassroots transformational Christian movement in our nations and in our day and generation.
