LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. Jesus` teachings on the necessity of

Week of February 7, 2016
Issue No. 40
Center of Praise Ministries
As believers, we are called to live “in the world, but not of the world.” God has called His church together
to participate in a great and glorious work. It’s not just being a part of the Body of Christ and attending
weekly church services. We are to live as beacons of light in this world providing a clear path to help
those lost in darkness to find hope, forgiveness and eternal life in Christ Jesus.
Based upon the teaching of Pastor Joseph S. Sissac
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Jesus’ teachings on the necessity of Laborers to Reap in the Harvest
2. The Body of Christ working together to accomplish the labor of the Kingdom of God
3. The Power of Connecting to the Community
THE HARVESTERS AND LABORERS
The culture of the world seems to no be giving in to the culture of the
Kingdom of God. Something has got to give. Here in the Western
World, it seems the culture of the world is having more impact on the
Church than the other way around. Jesus impacted the world around
Him, and taught His disciples to do likewise: making disciples.
Jesus is fully God and fully man. In context of the Godhead, He is the
second person of the Trinity: that is Father, SON and Holy Spirit.
Jesus operated in the fullest capacity of anointing and ministry possible.
After performing many miraculous acts and preaching the Gospel, He
looked out into the crowd and felt compassion for them because of
what they were lacking… someone to shepherd or disciple them.
What is astounding about this passage is that Jesus was there, yet He
didn’t deem His presence alone sufficient to meet the needs of the
people. They needed workers (laborers, disciplers).
To meet this need He addressed those who were His
disciples and told them to “How few workers! On your
knees and pray for harvest hands!” (vs. 38 MSG)
There are some truths concerning the harvest:
1. The harvest is the Lord’s. It all belongs to Him.
2. The harvest is plentiful. The fields are ripe.
3. We must pray to the Lord of the harvest.
4. Reaping the harvest takes workers.
5. Disciples are called and equipped for the harvest.
Matthew 9:35-38
35
Jesus was going through all
the cities and villages,
teaching in their synagogues
and proclaiming the gospel of
the kingdom, and healing
every kind of disease and
every kind of sickness.
36
Seeing the people, He felt
compassion for them,
because they were distressed
and dispirited like sheep
37
without a shepherd. Then
He *said to His disciples, “The
harvest is plentiful, but the
38
workers are few. Therefore
beseech the Lord of the
harvest to send out workers
into His harvest.”
DISCUSSION POINT 1
The need yet exists today in the harvest
field for workers, laborers, disciplers.
According to the passage above, what
are we to do in order to see that the
needs of the people are being met? In
the 21st Century, is it still the
responsibility of the Church? Why?
PARTICIPATING IN KINGDOM WORK
Believers possess the unfair advantage in the community today. Just as
Jesus gave authority to His disciples then to accomplish His work, we
too have the same power and authority (anointing) to touch, heal,
deliver and set people free (Matthew 10:1). But, are we taking
advantage of this power?
This passage (2 Corinthians 5:6-10, 16-21) speaks very directly to the
work that ALL in the Body of Christ should be committed to for the glory
of the Kingdom. Verse 10 indicates a “recompense” or compensation
for the works accomplished (or left unaccomplished). This means that
God is calculating the sum total of all we do in the Kingdom.
The work and the reward of the discipler belong to us all. The “new
things” that have come refers to the word of reconciliation that has been
“committed to us” (vs. 17). Yes, we are new people, with new
beginnings, new pasts, and new futures; and yet the same assignment.
New hopes, dreams and abilities. But, let us not overlook the very vital
truth that we ALL have been given a NEW WORK! The disciple of
Christ is equipped to be a worker, laborer, harvester and an
“ambassador for Christ”. What role do you play in the overall WORK?
COMMUNITY WORKERS
COMMUNITY: n. a group of people living in the same place or having a
particular characteristic in common.
In the NIV Bible the word “community” appears 85 times. The Hebrew
word is “qahal” and can also be translated company, assembly,
congregation or convocation. Of the 85 times, only once is in the New
Testament. There are, however, more than one hundred references to
church in the New Testament. God’s church is a community.
In a “communi-church” we have a common Savior, Word, values and
purpose. We come together as ONE to accomplish God’s indelible plan
and program in the community called the Church [come + unity]. We
too often, in our Western Culture, allow our unique giftings to bring
separation from that which should unite us in the common work of
making disciples. We separate from the world and even from other
church communities.
As a community we are there for one another and actively engage in
the ministry of reconciliation for the growth of the Kingdom.
A healthy community operates in the “I A.M.” Principle.
- INFORMATION – The Gospel (Good News) is the power that
transforms lives bringing them into the Kingdom of God.
- ASSIMILATION – The new believer begins to emulate the
lifestyle of a disciple of Christ, and gravitate towards pleasing
Him.
- MATURATION – The disciplee becomes the discipler.
Dear Lord,
Break my heart with the things that break Your heart. Lord of the
Harvest, send me into your orchard that I might reap what You have
intended me to reap. In Jesus’ name. Amen
Matthew 10:1
Jesus summoned His twelve
disciples and gave them authority
over unclean spirits, to cast them
out, and to heal every kind of
disease and every kind of sickness.
2 Corinthians 5:6-10, 16-21
6
Therefore, being always of good
courage, and knowing that while
we are at home in the body we
are absent from the Lord— 7 for
we walk by faith, not by sight—
8
we are of good courage, I say,
and prefer rather to be absent
from the body and to be at home
with the Lord. 9 Therefore we also
have as our ambition, whether at
home or absent, to be pleasing to
Him. 10 For we must all appear
before the judgment seat of
Christ, so that each one may be
recompensed for his deeds in the
body, according to what he has
done, whether good or bad.
16-21
16
Therefore from now on we
recognize no one according to the
flesh; even though we have
known Christ according to the
flesh, yet now we know Him in
this way no longer. 17 Therefore if
anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creature; the old things passed
away; behold, new things have
come. 18 Now all these things are
from God, who reconciled us to
Himself through Christ and gave
us the ministry of reconciliation,
19
namely, that God was in Christ
reconciling the world to Himself,
not counting their trespasses
against them, and He has
committed to us the word of
reconciliation.
20
Therefore, we are ambassadors
for Christ, as though God were
making an appeal through us; we
beg you on behalf of Christ, be
reconciled to God. 21 He made
Him who knew no sin to be sin on
our behalf, so that we might
become the righteousness of God
in Him.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
DISCUSSION POINT 2
The harvest is plentiful and is ripe. There is
no drought in the spiritual even though it’s dry
in the natural. We have only a window of
opportunity to connect others to the Kingdom
of God. What is God placing upon your heart
to do in order to address the harvest?
FACTOR POINTS
DISCUSSION POINT 3
The most important work of the Church is to
bring people into the Kingdom of God.
Apostle Paul said, “I have become all things to
all people so that by all possible means I
might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22b).
What if this was the year that Jesus would
come back? Are you poised to bring in the
harvest? Remember “I A.M.”
HE’S HERE… WORSHIP – God knows how to use each of us for the great work and privilege of
reaping the harvest. Who are called to deliver the “word of reconciliation to”? What resources
will you use? God knows. Open your heart to learn.
HE KNOWS… LEARN – God knows how to use each of us for the great work and privilege of
reaping the harvest. Who are called to deliver the “word of reconciliation to”? What resources
will you use? God knows. Open your heart to learn.
HE’S ABLE… SERVE - Connect to those in need of relationship with the Lord.Don’t be
overburdened with the results. That’s God’s business. Be busy about showing the compassion
and love of Christ as you deliver the gospel, Word of reconciliation.
CONNECT AT THE CENTER
REVIEW
WHAT WE BELIEVE
ABOUT THE BIBLE
FACTOR POINT – The Bible is the Word of God
for His people. We can trust it!
QUESTIONS
1. H ow m any m en
wrote the Bible?
2. Is the Bib le
ac curate ?
MEMORY VERSE
All Scripture is Godbreathed and is useful for
teaching, rebuking,
correcting and training in
righteousness.
2 Timothy 3:16
3. C a n w e change the Bib le in any way ?
4. D o we b eliev e the whole Bib le or just
p arts ?
CONNECT THROUGH SERVING
Volunteer for our Easter 2016 Celebrations, March
27th at the Sacramento Community Theater. Sign
up to volunteer on the EVENTS page on our
website: CENTEROFPRAISE.NET/EVENTS
CENTEROFPRAISE.NET