WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.879 Okay, so because this evening was meant to be Callum and Sam 125 and it was just this 00:00:07.879 --> 00:00:15.519 morning that we had to change things, I didn't prepare anything new, I didn't have time, 00:00:15.519 --> 00:00:17.120 probably just as well. 00:00:17.120 --> 00:00:23.199 But so just to put you in the picture, I'm going to preach from what I preached at the 00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:27.560 opening sermon of the General Assembly this week. 00:00:27.559 --> 00:00:32.759 As a retiring moderator you have to open the proceedings with a sermon. 00:00:32.759 --> 00:00:35.519 So I'm sorry, you're getting that, okay? 00:00:35.519 --> 00:00:40.439 I've slightly adapted it and changed it, hopefully. 00:00:40.439 --> 00:00:45.799 If you were there on Monday night, I'm scanning around, there maybe wasn't many. 00:00:45.799 --> 00:00:49.840 You may have of course watched it on the internet if you were a really sad kind of individual 00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:52.280 and there anything else in your life to do. 00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:57.399 But if you did then you have my permission to sleep. 00:00:57.399 --> 00:01:02.200 If you didn't and you sleep then I'll just call you out, okay? 00:01:02.200 --> 00:01:09.480 So you can test me on that one. 00:01:09.480 --> 00:01:15.200 So it was related to the leaders of the church, obviously the ministers and elders, but it's 00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:22.240 equally relevant in many ways and can be relevant to, very much so, to everyone in the church 00:01:22.239 --> 00:01:28.479 maybe with specific reference to leaders as it was, but I'm broadening it out as much 00:01:28.479 --> 00:01:29.479 as I can. 00:01:29.479 --> 00:01:36.359 It's just the last few verses of that chapter, chapter 9, verse 38, when Jesus saw the crowds, 00:01:36.359 --> 00:01:39.799 he'd compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless like a sheep without 00:01:39.799 --> 00:01:40.799 a shepherd. 00:01:40.799 --> 00:01:45.359 Then he said to his disciples, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few, therefore, 00:01:45.359 --> 00:01:51.280 pre-ernestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:57.239 So, you know, there's that ongoing thing about Christian lives and being in the church 00:01:57.239 --> 00:02:01.799 and the toughness sometimes of belonging to a community, the toughness of being part of 00:02:01.799 --> 00:02:07.500 a church, church life is really tough, but also just the reality of being Christians 00:02:07.500 --> 00:02:09.120 in our lives. 00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:16.879 We can, as leaders and as church people, as Christians, we ourselves can be confused 00:02:16.879 --> 00:02:23.079 and discouraged and disappointed by what's happening spiritually, maybe sometimes focusing 00:02:23.079 --> 00:02:25.680 that on God, but often on other people. 00:02:25.680 --> 00:02:30.199 But we know that we can discourage and confuse and disappoint other people. 00:02:30.199 --> 00:02:36.199 We know the institution of the church has a great history of discouraging and disappointing 00:02:36.199 --> 00:02:45.400 people, and yet we seek constantly as a community of worshipers, as a family together, as people 00:02:45.400 --> 00:02:50.640 who love Jesus Christ and who love worshiping Jesus Christ together. 00:02:50.640 --> 00:02:58.879 We want to recognize and remind ourselves of the importance of our responsibility towards 00:02:58.879 --> 00:03:06.200 one another and our responsibility to encourage one another in community against the rampant 00:03:06.200 --> 00:03:10.520 individualism of the day and the generation which we live, where we're tempted to say, 00:03:10.520 --> 00:03:14.879 well, we don't need the church, I don't need anyone else, I'll just live my own Christian 00:03:14.879 --> 00:03:20.199 life quietly and peacefully without considering anyone else. 00:03:20.199 --> 00:03:26.400 But we recognize that if we're following Jesus, we need to seek His example and follow 00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:35.519 the kind of calling and the attitude of mind that He had Himself as He lived among people. 00:03:35.519 --> 00:03:40.319 So we're all living among people, and so we learn, I think, from Jesus' example, and 00:03:40.319 --> 00:03:42.400 we hope to do that. 00:03:42.400 --> 00:03:46.920 So just in an aside, before going into this little passage, I think just to remind, as 00:03:46.920 --> 00:03:54.080 I reminded the wider church, I remind myself and yourselves of two things very briefly, 00:03:54.080 --> 00:04:00.360 all the time. 00:04:00.360 --> 00:04:02.240 This is an aside from the aside. 00:04:02.240 --> 00:04:09.400 There was a Malawian preacher at the assembly, and he did that great African welcome, he 00:04:09.400 --> 00:04:15.000 said, God is good, I can't really say all the time, and then he says all the time, and 00:04:15.000 --> 00:04:16.920 I can't really say God is good. 00:04:16.920 --> 00:04:20.040 So I'm talking about all the time again. 00:04:20.040 --> 00:04:22.680 Okay, that's just an aside. 00:04:22.680 --> 00:04:28.560 All the time, God is good, but all the time, in the same way, we need God's protection, 00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:30.319 don't we? 00:04:30.319 --> 00:04:34.199 In our Christian lives, we need God's protection. 00:04:34.199 --> 00:04:37.920 You come this evening, and we all come and we recognize our need as Christians of God's 00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:38.920 protection. 00:04:38.920 --> 00:04:45.240 We need to be spiritually sharp and alert, dependent, prayerful and vigilant. 00:04:45.240 --> 00:04:48.439 So it's always important for us to be listening to the great shepherd of our sheep. 00:04:48.439 --> 00:04:54.560 This is a passage where Jesus reveals what he's like as a shepherd, and it's important 00:04:54.560 --> 00:04:59.960 always to be listening to the great shepherd of his sheep and coming under his protection 00:04:59.960 --> 00:05:06.879 as the great shepherd who wants us to be under his wing, as it were, and who wants us to 00:05:06.879 --> 00:05:12.920 take the toughness of our Christian lives and come to him for protection from the destroyer. 00:05:12.920 --> 00:05:18.079 There's always a destroyer of our souls, and he comes in many guises, do we know that, 00:05:18.079 --> 00:05:19.079 don't we? 00:05:19.079 --> 00:05:23.159 So we need his protection, that's an aside, but we also, as a second aside, we need to 00:05:23.159 --> 00:05:24.719 keep our focus. 00:05:24.719 --> 00:05:27.360 And going back to the gospels is good for that, you know? 00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:35.319 It's good to keep our focus, and not feel bad about being stripped back to gospel basics. 00:05:35.319 --> 00:05:40.040 I was focusing that for, I guess, our leaders, but much for ourselves as well. 00:05:40.040 --> 00:05:44.920 It's easy to focus on the church as an institution, as an end in itself, that you come together 00:05:44.920 --> 00:05:47.159 and you lead the church and blah, blah, blah. 00:05:47.159 --> 00:05:52.240 But we can absolutely lose priority, and we can lose the significance of where we're 00:05:52.240 --> 00:05:53.240 going. 00:05:53.240 --> 00:05:57.639 And it's very easy to do that as Christians as well in our own lives. 00:05:57.639 --> 00:06:02.519 So it's good for us to be stripped back to Jesus and to gospel basics and to ask ourselves, 00:06:02.519 --> 00:06:08.000 you know, what is it that takes up our energy and our time spiritually while the world and 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:13.000 our friends, as Dave was saying, perish and as we get older? 00:06:13.000 --> 00:06:15.799 What is it that is important to us? 00:06:15.799 --> 00:06:17.799 What is it that we get excited about? 00:06:17.799 --> 00:06:19.919 What's precious to us? 00:06:19.919 --> 00:06:23.039 What do we get worked up about in the church, maybe? 00:06:23.039 --> 00:06:28.199 Some ridiculous things, but just generally in our lives, it's easy to get sidetracked 00:06:28.199 --> 00:06:35.199 by silly issues, by secondary matters, by hobby horses, or matters that are really insignificant 00:06:35.199 --> 00:06:38.680 in terms of the kingdom and the kingdom value. 00:06:38.680 --> 00:06:43.439 So it's important to be protected and it's important to keep our focus. 00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:47.919 And in that light, I want to come back to what Jesus is saying here and focus on two 00:06:47.919 --> 00:06:52.159 positive things that we can take, I hope we can take away from this evening for our own 00:06:52.159 --> 00:06:56.279 lives, because this is Jesus among people, okay? 00:06:56.279 --> 00:07:02.079 Now, you'll all be among people, we'll all be among people in the days that lie ahead. 00:07:02.079 --> 00:07:15.159 And my prayer for us, for all of us, is that we mimic the attitude and the invitation or 00:07:15.159 --> 00:07:17.759 the command of Jesus that He gives us in this passage. 00:07:17.759 --> 00:07:21.199 So there's two things I'm going to speak about briefly. 00:07:21.199 --> 00:07:25.439 First is compassion and the second is calling, okay? 00:07:25.439 --> 00:07:30.759 And we can relate to all of these things, as we think of the great shepherd of our sheep. 00:07:30.759 --> 00:07:35.040 So Jesus Christ, when He saw all the crowds, He had compassion on them for they were harassed 00:07:35.040 --> 00:07:38.399 and helpless like a sheep without a shepherd. 00:07:38.399 --> 00:07:42.720 Jesus saw the people that He was around, Jesus the Son of God, Jesus the perfect Son, and 00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:46.959 He was moved deep down into His guts. 00:07:46.959 --> 00:07:47.959 That's what it says. 00:07:47.959 --> 00:07:51.360 That's where the word compassion means in the original. 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:53.360 He was so moved by what He saw. 00:07:53.360 --> 00:07:58.360 And you know that feeling, don't you, when you're so moved by something that either provokes 00:07:58.360 --> 00:08:04.400 you to tears or it provokes your guts to turn, it gives you butterflies in your stomach because 00:08:04.400 --> 00:08:10.319 there's that unmistakable link between body and soul in our lives. 00:08:10.319 --> 00:08:14.879 And anything that affects us powerfully in our hearts, in our being, affects us physically 00:08:14.879 --> 00:08:15.879 as well. 00:08:15.879 --> 00:08:20.960 And Jesus' spiritual concern for the people had this physical effect on them that His 00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:24.079 compassion for them was gut-wrenching. 00:08:24.079 --> 00:08:26.359 That's really how we could paraphrase that. 00:08:26.359 --> 00:08:29.079 Gut-wrenching compassion for the people around Him. 00:08:29.079 --> 00:08:34.519 He looked around and He saw them spiritually and thought, these guys have no spiritual 00:08:34.519 --> 00:08:35.519 leadership. 00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:37.399 They've got no one looking after them. 00:08:37.399 --> 00:08:39.600 They've got no one to follow. 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:46.000 Their spiritual leaders have abandoned them and have neglected them. 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:52.559 And that's what He's, it's almost like He's revisiting God's complaint in Ezekiel's 00:08:52.559 --> 00:08:55.519 Day, to the people, leaders of Ezekiel's Day. 00:08:55.519 --> 00:08:57.840 It's a really powerful section. 00:08:57.840 --> 00:09:02.279 Ezekiel 34, you have not strengthened the weak, you've not healed the sick, bandaged 00:09:02.279 --> 00:09:07.919 the injured, brought back the strays or sought the lost, but with force and harshness you've 00:09:07.919 --> 00:09:09.600 ruled over them. 00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:13.720 They were scattered because they had no shepherd and they became food for every wild beast. 00:09:13.720 --> 00:09:17.759 My sheep scattered, wandered over all the mountains on an every high hill. 00:09:17.759 --> 00:09:22.120 My sheep were scattered over the entire face of the earth because no one was looking or 00:09:22.120 --> 00:09:24.680 searching for them. 00:09:24.680 --> 00:09:31.759 That's the picture that Jesus is reminding Himself as He looks around at these people 00:09:31.759 --> 00:09:33.759 that He was seeing. 00:09:33.759 --> 00:09:35.879 There was no compassion for them. 00:09:35.879 --> 00:09:49.200 The religious leaders were harsh and authoritarian and He saw and recognized that the people around 00:09:49.200 --> 00:09:53.919 Him spiritually were, they were weak and they were straying and they were lost souls. 00:09:53.919 --> 00:09:56.120 That's what Jesus sees. 00:09:56.120 --> 00:10:01.600 And it's important, I think, when we think of other Christians and we think of the Christian 00:10:01.600 --> 00:10:07.080 church and maybe even when we think of the leadership as well, and I do wonder about 00:10:07.080 --> 00:10:11.720 this sometimes about the whole makeup of church and what it's like, that what we tend 00:10:11.720 --> 00:10:16.200 to think and what we tend to do when we come together in churches, everything seems to 00:10:16.200 --> 00:10:17.960 be together. 00:10:17.960 --> 00:10:23.200 Everything seems to be, or that everyone else seems to have things together when we come 00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:24.560 to church. 00:10:24.560 --> 00:10:31.360 And when we see everyone, we see people who are pristine Christians, who are doing great 00:10:31.360 --> 00:10:33.440 as Christians. 00:10:33.440 --> 00:10:38.560 And you maybe come into that situation and you're afraid of their judgment, you're afraid 00:10:38.560 --> 00:10:43.039 that they will look at you and think, well, you haven't got your life together and you 00:10:43.039 --> 00:10:45.159 don't seem to be doing so well. 00:10:45.159 --> 00:10:52.039 And you sense a lack of interest in your struggles and your battles because you feel that everyone 00:10:52.039 --> 00:10:53.560 else has their life together. 00:10:53.560 --> 00:10:59.560 It's a great challenge to us that we don't look at people that way but we look at people 00:10:59.559 --> 00:11:01.599 the way Jesus looked at them. 00:11:01.599 --> 00:11:08.599 And so I would challenge us all to see the vitality of compassion in our Christian lives. 00:11:08.599 --> 00:11:13.439 If I was asked the question, what is it that any church or St. Columbus or any Christian 00:11:13.439 --> 00:11:20.839 was one of the most important characters, I know it's difficult to list, grade characteristics, 00:11:20.839 --> 00:11:22.919 this kind of false division in a sense. 00:11:22.919 --> 00:11:30.919 But I would be hard pressed to go beyond compassion as a tremendous, a Christ-centered compassion 00:11:30.919 --> 00:11:32.919 for people. 00:11:32.919 --> 00:11:37.959 There's a solid, powerful picture in the Old Testament of the compassion of God for his 00:11:37.959 --> 00:11:40.519 people in Ezekiel 16. 00:11:40.519 --> 00:11:41.839 I've often used it here. 00:11:41.839 --> 00:11:45.919 You know it because it's one of my favourites, that a newborn baby, we were praying for the 00:11:45.919 --> 00:11:47.639 unborn child today this morning. 00:11:47.639 --> 00:11:53.360 But there's a great picture in Ezekiel 16 of a newborn baby just thrown out into the 00:11:53.360 --> 00:12:00.919 desert, not even washed, covered in blood, bloody newborn baby left to die. 00:12:00.919 --> 00:12:08.960 And God sees that newborn baby girl and he picks her up and he washes her and he clothes 00:12:08.960 --> 00:12:11.840 her and he feeds her and he looks after her. 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:19.280 And she grows up in his home and then he clothes her like a queen and he marries her and she 00:12:19.280 --> 00:12:20.639 becomes his bride. 00:12:20.639 --> 00:12:28.639 And there's an incredible, compassionate picture of, this is how God sees his people. 00:12:28.639 --> 00:12:33.759 And of course in the New Testament you have Corey's favourite picture of the prodigal 00:12:33.759 --> 00:12:40.420 son, the prodigal father, more than the prodigal son, great pictures of compassion. 00:12:40.419 --> 00:12:44.639 And why is it such a good characteristic for us? 00:12:44.639 --> 00:12:51.559 Because it reveals that we understand, as we come together, we understand our own hearts. 00:12:51.559 --> 00:12:53.319 And therefore we understand the hearts of others. 00:12:53.319 --> 00:12:57.919 We understand how compassionate the great shepherd of the sheep has been for us. 00:12:57.919 --> 00:13:03.399 And we know what it's like to be helpless and harassed and dejected and deserted. 00:13:03.399 --> 00:13:06.799 And so we, having received that, live that. 00:13:06.799 --> 00:13:08.360 We live that with others. 00:13:08.360 --> 00:13:13.759 We lead and we live with compassion in all that we do as a people, as a church. 00:13:13.759 --> 00:13:19.399 And we seek to show the same love and patience that's been shown to us, to others, kind, 00:13:19.399 --> 00:13:21.680 generous, understanding, empathetic. 00:13:21.680 --> 00:13:26.519 That's the kind of discipleship we're looking for in St. Columbus. 00:13:26.519 --> 00:13:28.519 We're not machines. 00:13:28.519 --> 00:13:30.720 We're not Christian machines. 00:13:30.720 --> 00:13:32.720 We're not Christian terminators. 00:13:32.720 --> 00:13:37.600 We are people, we're not servant fodder to keep the institution of the church and its 00:13:37.600 --> 00:13:39.960 programs going. 00:13:39.960 --> 00:13:48.680 Our job, our work as leaders in the church is to support, is to love, to equip, to train 00:13:48.680 --> 00:13:53.759 and show compassion to each other. 00:13:53.759 --> 00:14:00.600 I think that, you know, if I was to go tomorrow, I think if St. Columbus had that as a hallmark, 00:14:00.600 --> 00:14:01.600 I'd be pretty happy. 00:14:01.600 --> 00:14:09.480 It was known as a compassionate church, not organized compassion, not institutionalized 00:14:09.480 --> 00:14:14.759 compassion, but it stemmed naturally from our understanding of the gospel, that preaching 00:14:14.759 --> 00:14:19.200 you'd heard week to week, drove you to Jesus and drove you to your knees to that place where 00:14:19.200 --> 00:14:23.080 you have that compassion for others. 00:14:23.080 --> 00:14:28.279 And not in a dramatic way, but just in an ordinary way, the people sitting next to you, 00:14:28.279 --> 00:14:32.199 the people that maybe are isolated or whatever it might be. 00:14:32.199 --> 00:14:34.120 You see, because we're in the people business. 00:14:34.120 --> 00:14:38.839 We're in the people business because we're about God's business. 00:14:38.839 --> 00:14:42.839 So you know, the church doesn't exist, the people don't exist to keep the church good. 00:14:42.839 --> 00:14:47.839 It's not about structures and position and power and uniformity and procedures and legislation. 00:14:47.839 --> 00:14:53.559 All these things I rattled off at the assembly, however important they might be. 00:14:53.559 --> 00:15:01.879 We are not primarily heresy hunters, moralists, hermits, or dictator, sorry, I'm going into 00:15:01.879 --> 00:15:04.239 assembly mode here. 00:15:04.239 --> 00:15:07.959 But we can all get sidetracked, can't we, into these things. 00:15:07.959 --> 00:15:12.279 We can get sidetracked into things that are not about people, and people can be a kind 00:15:12.279 --> 00:15:19.479 of added, frustrating extra that just cause difficulty for us. 00:15:19.480 --> 00:15:26.240 But as we understand Jesus Christ and what He's done for us, and this great love for 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:32.480 a world that rejects Him, then it helps us as He has loved us so much to reach down and 00:15:32.480 --> 00:15:34.800 save us. 00:15:34.800 --> 00:15:38.080 Then we can show compassion to the world in which we live. 00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:44.039 And as under shepherds, as leaders, we need to be compassionate to. 00:15:44.039 --> 00:15:51.719 And you need to pray for the elders and deacons and leaders in the church here to be compassionate, 00:15:51.719 --> 00:15:55.399 because compassion is hugely significant for us. 00:15:55.399 --> 00:15:59.120 If we don't have it, we've lost our connection with Jesus. 00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:04.439 And for all of us, we need the compassion that is strong enough to push us out of our 00:16:04.439 --> 00:16:09.839 comfort zones to the edges of our experience to save the lost. 00:16:09.839 --> 00:16:13.199 Jesus speaks about that, doesn't he, in this passage that, you know, they were harassed 00:16:13.200 --> 00:16:17.440 and helped us in Ezekiel, rather, reaching out for the lost. 00:16:17.440 --> 00:16:21.080 You need to be willing, you need to be willing, and I need to be willing to go to the cliff 00:16:21.080 --> 00:16:26.680 edges for the lost, the people that you know, the people that you know are on the edge of 00:16:26.680 --> 00:16:32.480 a lost eternity, and you have that opportunity to be compassionate, to that prayerful concern 00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:36.320 and loving and long urgency for them. 00:16:36.320 --> 00:16:47.800 It's good to be moved to the very, I guess, even moved right into our guts for the condition 00:16:47.800 --> 00:16:52.960 of people and for their spiritual lostness. 00:16:52.960 --> 00:16:57.320 And as we know grace, it enables us to be compassionate. 00:16:57.320 --> 00:17:08.400 I just can't dovetail the idea of someone who knows a lot about Jesus but who is not 00:17:08.400 --> 00:17:09.400 compassionate. 00:17:09.400 --> 00:17:11.360 I just don't get it. 00:17:11.360 --> 00:17:17.120 I know we all fail and fall, and I know I drastically fall short, but there has to be 00:17:17.120 --> 00:17:19.799 the two coming together, doesn't it, as we understand ourselves. 00:17:19.799 --> 00:17:23.880 So compassion, the second thing briefly is calling. 00:17:23.880 --> 00:17:27.560 Jesus moves on to say to His disciples, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are 00:17:27.560 --> 00:17:31.640 few, therefore, pre-ernestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His 00:17:31.640 --> 00:17:32.640 harvest. 00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:40.360 So He's changing His metaphor, and He's moving from sheep, He's moving from the shepherd's 00:17:40.360 --> 00:17:43.240 field to the grain field, as it were. 00:17:43.240 --> 00:17:49.120 And this is not the parable of the sore, this is the parable of the, or the illustration 00:17:49.120 --> 00:17:51.640 anyway of the harvest. 00:17:51.640 --> 00:17:58.200 I think sometimes we like the parable of the sore more than the challenge of the harvest, 00:17:58.200 --> 00:18:06.200 because we like the thought of being able to sow, of being able to maybe share the word, 00:18:06.200 --> 00:18:13.360 and we can leave the harvest maybe to others because we are not seeing the harvest, maybe. 00:18:13.360 --> 00:18:14.360 Maybe that's why. 00:18:14.360 --> 00:18:20.360 But I think what's clear in God's word, and what's clear here and elsewhere, maybe particularly 00:18:20.359 --> 00:18:28.599 in John chapter 4, He talks about sowing and reaping together. 00:18:28.599 --> 00:18:36.519 So the sowing and the reaping both rely on God's sovereignty, and we are called, as Jesus 00:18:36.519 --> 00:18:43.240 says in John 4, to be engaged in both, both sowing and harvesting. 00:18:43.240 --> 00:18:49.639 And the great thing what He reminds us here is the harvest, He's the Lord of the harvest, 00:18:49.640 --> 00:18:54.720 it's His harvest, a really comforting, what a great relief. 00:18:54.720 --> 00:18:59.160 We don't need to worry about the harvest, we don't need to worry about how many souls 00:18:59.160 --> 00:19:03.160 under our watch come to faith, because that's His work. 00:19:03.160 --> 00:19:08.520 He gives us, the harvest is plentiful, in other words, the opportunity is there, the 00:19:08.520 --> 00:19:12.720 people are there, the need is there, we are to be out among them. 00:19:12.720 --> 00:19:17.080 He will give the harvest and we rejoice in that. 00:19:17.079 --> 00:19:22.599 In this life, in this life which is both battles and blessings, which we know, it's also at 00:19:22.599 --> 00:19:27.639 times there's weeping and there's rejoicing, there's times when it's a struggle and there's 00:19:27.639 --> 00:19:29.439 times when it's a blessing. 00:19:29.439 --> 00:19:35.240 There's a time when not only should we be plowing the hard ground spiritually, but we 00:19:35.240 --> 00:19:38.000 should be harvesting and seeing souls saved. 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:42.599 We should be seeing people coming to faith and He says, that is exactly what I'm promising 00:19:42.599 --> 00:19:43.599 you. 00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:47.719 I'm promising you, God's promise is this morning, and the faith to believe in Him like 00:19:47.719 --> 00:19:54.119 Abraham, and our expectations should be both, because we have bad news, but maybe we dwell 00:19:54.119 --> 00:19:59.639 so much in the bad news we forget the good news, we forget that Jesus has come to save 00:19:59.639 --> 00:20:06.079 people and that there is a harvest, and maybe we need, maybe particularly in our own context, 00:20:06.079 --> 00:20:14.480 to change our expectation levels to make them greater, and not just to analyze the missionary 00:20:14.480 --> 00:20:18.599 world that we see and say, well, God's working in the east, and God's working in the southern 00:20:18.599 --> 00:20:22.919 hemisphere, and He's working in South America, and many thousands are coming to faith. 00:20:22.919 --> 00:20:28.519 He's moved on from the west, but that's God's business. 00:20:28.519 --> 00:20:34.119 But let us still have an expectation and pray for the harvest. 00:20:34.119 --> 00:20:38.879 Going and reaping rely on God's sovereignty, and we call out to Him in His sovereignty 00:20:38.879 --> 00:20:40.879 to fulfill His promise. 00:20:40.879 --> 00:20:47.000 But we call out in prayer, because prayer and work is our work. 00:20:47.000 --> 00:20:50.079 We do both together. 00:20:50.079 --> 00:20:55.879 There's simply no getting away in God's calling to us, not only to be compassionate, but to 00:20:55.879 --> 00:20:56.879 be workers. 00:20:56.880 --> 00:21:04.320 The harvest is plenty, but the laborers are few, therefore ask, pray earnestly to the 00:21:04.320 --> 00:21:05.320 Lord of the harvest. 00:21:05.320 --> 00:21:13.280 So, you know, there's no getting away from our significant dependence on God as a church, 00:21:13.280 --> 00:21:14.280 as Christians. 00:21:14.280 --> 00:21:22.000 Now, I know, I hope none of you have any problems with strategy or planning or vision casting 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:27.960 or professionalism and expertise, these are all great things. 00:21:27.960 --> 00:21:31.000 But they're all to be done in the shadow of the Almighty. 00:21:31.000 --> 00:21:32.880 They're all to be done in dependence on Him. 00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:38.640 We hold loosely to these things, we don't depend on them, but they're not alternative 00:21:38.640 --> 00:21:44.960 wisdom, but we do all these things in expectation of God to work. 00:21:44.960 --> 00:21:48.359 But work, we must. 00:21:48.359 --> 00:21:54.799 Work you must as a Christian, because it's a great honour. 00:21:54.799 --> 00:21:56.439 It's a great privilege. 00:21:56.439 --> 00:21:58.759 Grace doesn't make us lazy. 00:21:58.759 --> 00:22:01.079 Compassion doesn't make us lazy Christians. 00:22:01.079 --> 00:22:08.039 It makes us willing to sacrifice and serve and follow an honour, because it's a joy, 00:22:08.039 --> 00:22:10.479 because we're only here for a few years. 00:22:10.479 --> 00:22:12.599 I know the young guys here don't think that. 00:22:12.599 --> 00:22:15.519 I know you think you'll live forever, and that's great. 00:22:15.519 --> 00:22:21.720 It is tremendous to be young, but it was only yesterday I was your age, just yesterday, 00:22:21.720 --> 00:22:23.960 just 24 hours ago. 00:22:23.960 --> 00:22:26.639 And now look how old and decrepit I am. 00:22:26.639 --> 00:22:31.720 And yet we don't have, we have such a short time here, and time isn't guaranteed, and 00:22:31.720 --> 00:22:36.160 He wants us to work in His kingdom and work for His kingdom. 00:22:36.160 --> 00:22:44.720 There's a very famous quote, I think it's famous, which says, nobody said on their deathbed 00:22:44.720 --> 00:22:47.120 I wish I'd spent more time in the office. 00:22:47.120 --> 00:22:52.200 You've probably heard that. 00:22:52.200 --> 00:22:59.039 That nobody wishes they spent more time in the office when it comes to end their lives. 00:22:59.039 --> 00:23:04.720 I can imagine every grace-touched believer when they meet with Jesus on that last great 00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:07.000 day as believers. 00:23:07.000 --> 00:23:14.480 I think what they will say is, I wish I'd spent more time serving Jesus better. 00:23:14.480 --> 00:23:22.240 Not to earn anything from Him, not in some kind of legalistic way, but He was worth. 00:23:22.240 --> 00:23:25.559 My goodness, He was worth giving my all for. 00:23:25.559 --> 00:23:29.319 He was worth me spending and being spent. 00:23:29.319 --> 00:23:30.799 He was worth my soul. 00:23:30.799 --> 00:23:32.440 He was worth my obedience. 00:23:32.440 --> 00:23:39.160 He was worth my giving, body and soul, so that I compassionally was moved in my guts 00:23:39.160 --> 00:23:44.200 to see the lost and to serve Him with compassion. 00:23:44.200 --> 00:23:52.799 So prayer and work is our work, and we are called to be laborers. 00:23:52.799 --> 00:23:58.039 And therefore I close with a challenge that I've often made here, and I have to make to 00:23:58.039 --> 00:24:01.360 myself often. 00:24:01.360 --> 00:24:04.400 I think we're the answer to our prayer. 00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:06.360 You know, the prayer is given here. 00:24:06.360 --> 00:24:11.559 He says, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into the harvest. 00:24:11.559 --> 00:24:15.440 So who's the answer to that prayer, as God sends out laborers? 00:24:15.440 --> 00:24:17.599 He's not angels He sends out. 00:24:17.599 --> 00:24:22.480 He doesn't send a host from heaven down, that we sit back and say, oh, great, there's the 00:24:22.480 --> 00:24:23.480 laborers. 00:24:23.480 --> 00:24:25.960 We are the laborers. 00:24:25.960 --> 00:24:31.679 So it's a dangerous prayer, and sometimes it's a dangerous thing to pray, a good thing. 00:24:31.679 --> 00:24:35.000 But a dangerous thing, and we are the answer to this prayer. 00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:43.039 So it's an acknowledgement of the way God works, and we are therefore His mission workers. 00:24:43.039 --> 00:24:44.200 It's our great commission. 00:24:44.200 --> 00:24:46.680 We are purveyors of good news. 00:24:46.680 --> 00:24:49.599 That's our task, our calling. 00:24:49.599 --> 00:24:56.839 So I'm glad to be pushing an agenda in the assembly of our church for church planting, 00:24:56.839 --> 00:25:01.880 for that great model of reaching out and planting churches and saving the lost. 00:25:01.880 --> 00:25:12.200 And sometimes astonishes may be where people are cynical or disinterested in that as if 00:25:12.200 --> 00:25:16.240 it's some kind of passing phase. 00:25:16.240 --> 00:25:18.640 To we're mission workers, we reach out with the gospel. 00:25:18.640 --> 00:25:24.880 We equip workers to mission, as calling as leaders, as church ministers, as to equip 00:25:24.880 --> 00:25:33.000 the saints, what to do to be workers, that we live out and that we share our faith. 00:25:33.000 --> 00:25:36.880 People generally speaking are not going to come into church to hear the gospel. 00:25:36.880 --> 00:25:39.600 They think, oh, I need to hear the gospel today. 00:25:39.600 --> 00:25:41.640 I don't feel, I know very much. 00:25:41.640 --> 00:25:42.920 I think I'll go to church. 00:25:42.920 --> 00:25:47.240 Now that might happen in the odd decade, but it generally doesn't happen. 00:25:47.240 --> 00:25:53.800 It usually is people will be provoked to have no knowledge by your life on the front line 00:25:53.799 --> 00:26:02.079 as you courageously, boldly, humbly and compassionately live out your life and share your faith. 00:26:02.079 --> 00:26:06.079 And people will say, well, I want to think about going to the place they go on a Sunday 00:26:06.079 --> 00:26:11.919 and worship because I see something in their life as front line workers that they wouldn't 00:26:11.919 --> 00:26:14.359 call it, of course. 00:26:14.359 --> 00:26:16.279 And I'm interested in that. 00:26:16.279 --> 00:26:18.960 So you're in the harvest. 00:26:18.960 --> 00:26:21.440 You're out there where the people are. 00:26:21.440 --> 00:26:28.320 Where this great harvest is, and we're, I am, of course, called to do the same. 00:26:28.320 --> 00:26:33.920 The opportunities aren't so easy when you're in full time ministry, but we're all called 00:26:33.920 --> 00:26:35.360 to do that, workers. 00:26:35.360 --> 00:26:37.400 And we're workers together. 00:26:37.400 --> 00:26:41.840 It's not, therefore, prayer and say for the Lord of the harvest to send out a combine 00:26:41.840 --> 00:26:47.440 harvester with one driver who will do all the work and plow thousands and thousands of 00:26:47.440 --> 00:26:50.880 acres of field or harvest them all. 00:26:50.880 --> 00:26:52.720 It's not that picture that we have. 00:26:52.720 --> 00:27:01.320 We have a picture, a gradient, a rural picture of many, many workers heading out to take in 00:27:01.320 --> 00:27:05.160 the harvest. 00:27:05.160 --> 00:27:08.160 It's not the job of a professional. 00:27:08.160 --> 00:27:11.800 It's the job of all of us together. 00:27:11.800 --> 00:27:13.200 The power of community. 00:27:13.200 --> 00:27:16.880 And I do think today, probably more than ever, it is the work of community. 00:27:16.880 --> 00:27:22.200 It's the work of church together, of people together, sharing their faith, living out 00:27:22.200 --> 00:27:28.920 their faith, and inviting others into that community of people, then into their community 00:27:28.920 --> 00:27:30.000 of worshiping. 00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:37.000 And in answer to our prayers, not only do we do it together, but we do it urgently. 00:27:37.000 --> 00:27:40.960 Therefore send out laborers into his harvest. 00:27:40.960 --> 00:27:45.400 You can't wait a year or two years and have set up a committee to look into whether we 00:27:45.400 --> 00:27:50.600 should have more laborers or less, what part of the field we should go into, because the 00:27:50.600 --> 00:27:54.000 harvest will be rotten. 00:27:54.000 --> 00:27:57.880 You know, there's a sense in which Jesus uses this picture because there's an urgency. 00:27:57.880 --> 00:28:01.080 The harvest is ready now. 00:28:01.080 --> 00:28:06.519 It's not going to be in two years' time there's going to be a revival of the Holy Spirit's 00:28:06.519 --> 00:28:09.480 work and we'll wait until that time and get ready. 00:28:09.480 --> 00:28:10.680 It's now we're going to be living. 00:28:10.680 --> 00:28:12.920 We might not be here in two years' time. 00:28:12.920 --> 00:28:13.920 So it's now. 00:28:13.920 --> 00:28:14.920 We can't wait. 00:28:14.920 --> 00:28:15.920 It's an acceptable time. 00:28:15.920 --> 00:28:17.320 And so there's that grace. 00:28:17.320 --> 00:28:24.240 And I do think probably all of us, and I absolutely include myself in this, we've lost a sense 00:28:24.240 --> 00:28:25.240 of urgency. 00:28:25.240 --> 00:28:26.560 I don't know why that might be the case. 00:28:26.560 --> 00:28:33.279 Maybe it's modernity or science or the feeling that we're in control and that we'll carry 00:28:33.279 --> 00:28:34.560 on and there's plenty of time. 00:28:34.560 --> 00:28:35.560 It's okay. 00:28:35.560 --> 00:28:36.560 There's plenty of time. 00:28:36.560 --> 00:28:40.560 We're not in a part of the world where maybe our lives are in danger every day or there's 00:28:40.559 --> 00:28:48.440 poverty or famine or floods or dangers and persecution. 00:28:48.440 --> 00:28:53.759 Someone was saying at the assembly actually that 80% of the world's Christians are being 00:28:53.759 --> 00:28:56.359 persecuted. 00:28:56.359 --> 00:29:02.359 We're in the absolute minority of being the 20% are not. 00:29:02.359 --> 00:29:05.480 And that's an unusual situation. 00:29:05.480 --> 00:29:11.680 And maybe that's partly why urgency has gone, but we can ask and pray for the Holy Spirit 00:29:11.680 --> 00:29:17.720 to inculcate in us a daily urgency about our calling. 00:29:17.720 --> 00:29:27.400 About our calling to be harvesters in school, university, in the vet practice, in the home, 00:29:27.400 --> 00:29:34.360 your neighborhood, that we have this great calling to fuse the two things together, don't 00:29:34.359 --> 00:29:35.359 we? 00:29:35.359 --> 00:29:37.479 Compassion and calling. 00:29:37.479 --> 00:29:39.519 We see them both. 00:29:39.519 --> 00:29:41.839 And it's our identity. 00:29:41.839 --> 00:29:46.759 It is to shape all that we are and all that we do. 00:29:46.759 --> 00:29:56.399 And I think the compassion that not only we show, but I hope the compassion that we receive 00:29:56.399 --> 00:30:02.319 from our fellow Christians is and from the Christian community is what helps us to carry 00:30:02.319 --> 00:30:05.399 on because it's tough. 00:30:05.399 --> 00:30:10.480 And we don't need to be beaten up and we don't need to be exposed to our failure. 00:30:10.480 --> 00:30:15.559 But I hope that when you rise from the Lord's day with God's people, the compassion you've 00:30:15.559 --> 00:30:21.799 been shown and the encouragement and the building up helps you to go on and fulfill your calling. 00:30:21.799 --> 00:30:25.319 I'm sure this is a cultural thing as well. 00:30:25.319 --> 00:30:30.519 A couple of weeks ago we had two sets of American groups here where they get American 00:30:30.519 --> 00:30:34.119 group in the morning from a church somewhere. 00:30:34.119 --> 00:30:37.240 I can't remember where it was in the morning. 00:30:37.240 --> 00:30:38.240 They came unexpected. 00:30:38.240 --> 00:30:42.639 In the evening we had the church from Orlando that support Esk Valley. 00:30:42.639 --> 00:30:47.799 And a lot of people said to me, particularly those in leadership from this end, Tom and 00:30:47.799 --> 00:30:58.400 other elders and others, what they said was how encouraging and reaffirming and positive 00:30:58.400 --> 00:30:59.759 these people were. 00:30:59.759 --> 00:31:07.720 And they, I mean it's cultural in many ways, but it was just kind of felt good after being 00:31:07.720 --> 00:31:08.720 in their company. 00:31:08.720 --> 00:31:10.240 You know, we weren't looking for your faults. 00:31:10.240 --> 00:31:11.599 We weren't looking for your failures. 00:31:11.599 --> 00:31:16.480 They were looking to pick out something that they can encourage you with and build you 00:31:16.480 --> 00:31:17.480 up. 00:31:17.480 --> 00:31:18.480 And that's a great quality. 00:31:18.480 --> 00:31:22.279 We're not great at that in Scotland, but it's a great quality. 00:31:22.279 --> 00:31:27.799 It's a great Christian quality and it's a quality of compassion. 00:31:27.799 --> 00:31:33.680 And may it be that we are encouragers and those who are compassionate towards one another, 00:31:33.680 --> 00:31:40.200 recognizing our own hearts and the hearts of others and therefore spirit filled and enabled 00:31:40.200 --> 00:31:42.519 to fulfill our calling. 00:31:42.519 --> 00:31:48.879 And if you don't know Jesus, He's the great shepherd of the sheep. 00:31:48.879 --> 00:31:52.799 You should know Him and you should come to know Him tonight if you don't. 00:31:52.799 --> 00:32:01.599 Let's bow our heads and pray, Lord God, help us to live for you and live in your name. 00:32:01.599 --> 00:32:12.359 Help us to mimic your compassion, having received it and knowing our undeserving nature. 00:32:12.359 --> 00:32:21.839 Help us to recognize that we're not called to change people or breathe spiritual life 00:32:21.839 --> 00:32:22.839 into them. 00:32:22.839 --> 00:32:23.839 That is your work. 00:32:23.839 --> 00:32:24.839 It's your harvest. 00:32:24.839 --> 00:32:31.879 You are the Lord, but you do choose to use us and we long to be used and we ask for forgiveness 00:32:31.879 --> 00:32:38.480 when we're not interested or we think it's someone else's job or the ministers or something. 00:32:38.480 --> 00:32:47.480 Help us to know and see that you have empowered and also privileged us to be your workers. 00:32:47.480 --> 00:32:52.480 And help us be with everyone here tonight, remember their colleagues at work, their friends, 00:32:52.480 --> 00:32:59.720 maybe their husbands or wives or children, their fellow students, fellow people in school, 00:32:59.720 --> 00:33:06.279 their neighbors who they may be praying for and seeking an opportunity to witness to. 00:33:06.279 --> 00:33:10.559 Remember our own congregation, those who are struggling, those who don't want to be part 00:33:10.559 --> 00:33:18.639 of the community because they feel judged or they feel isolated or unworthy. 00:33:18.639 --> 00:33:21.240 Why ever they should feel that, we don't know. 00:33:21.240 --> 00:33:26.839 Be with those who would love to be with us very physically and publicly here in church, 00:33:26.839 --> 00:33:32.200 but who can't either in work or health reasons or age. 00:33:32.200 --> 00:33:40.039 Or maybe be compassionate and caring and interested and willing to serve and help us to fulfill 00:33:40.039 --> 00:33:41.720 our calling, we ask. 00:33:41.720 --> 00:34:10.720 In Jesus' name, amen.