The scripture seems to come alive as it describes the travels of Jesus. He walked from city to city and village to village teaching in their synagogues. Matthew writes that Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and then followed it up by “healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” Mt. 9:35.
However, it is the next line that grips my heart. Jesus saw the multitude and was moved with compassion. He saw them as an aimless group; sheep without a shepherd and then turned to His most trusted men and prayed for laborers to work in the field.
Jesus saw lost souls that needed to be saved. He did not see them and become angry or indignant over their lifestyle. Yes, they were sinners, but they needed a savior. He did not scorn them or walk away in disgust. They were just people without direction. He loved them. The sight of those lost souls caused Him to be moved with compassion.
Take note: Our mission is to see the world, love them, and reach for them. If we are rejected or the Gospel is dismissed, then we have done our part, but the mission will never change. We must reach the lost. The purpose of our church is to teach and preach the Gospel!
I have been listening to many pastors across the country, even missionaries. Their heartbeat is the same. There are three things that keep a church and pastor alive. The first is the Holy Spirit. It is the anointing that comes from the Lord. It is the primary. The second is the faithful saint which embodies the elements of dedication, consecration, and commitment. Without them, the church dies and the pastor is in peril. Pastors are not impervious to depression or anxiety. They are men who rely on the Lord and the saint for strength. Those faithful, forever saints which are planted and work together in the field, are the lifeblood of the pastor. And finally, churches and pastors find joy when people are converted. New souls bring renewed energy into the heart of the body. The Spirit, the faithful saints, and the lost being saved; take any one of those elements away and both the church and the pastor die.
So pardon me if I sound like a broken record, but I am desperate for a church-wide, Holy Ghost revival. My strength is found in the Lord and the faithful saint. My joy is found when new believers are baptized in Jesus’ Name and filled with the Holy Ghost. I write in hopes that someone will carry this burden with me and join the pursuit of reaching our city.
Pastor Jeffrey Harpole