The Harvest is Plentiful but The Workers are Few

The Harvest is Plentiful – The Workers are Few

• Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.

• When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.” -- Matthew 9:35-38.

The Harvest is Plentiful – The Workers are Few

• “Jesus’ compassion came to expression in the call to pray for more missionaries. From first to last mercy was driving missions in the life of Jesus.” -- John Piper

• Goal of Missions – The worship and glory of God.

• “All of history is moving toward one great goal, the white-hot worship of God and His Son among all the peoples of the earth. Missions is not God’s ultimate goal, worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t.” -- John Piper

The Harvest is Plentiful – Our World

• Population – 6.64 billion

• Twice as many people alive today than in 1960

• Least Reached/Unreached – 2.72 billion

• Percentage Least Reached/Unreached – 41%

Joshua Project; World Overpopulation Awareness

The Harvest is Plentiful – Our World

• Muslim Countries – 36 (1.1 billion people)

• Hindu Countries – 2 (1.1 billion people)

• Buddhist Countries – 12 (305 million people) Dr. Milfred Minatrea

The Global QuizIf world’s population were reduced to 100 people…

• How many would be Asian? 60• How many would be European? 12• How many would be African? 14• How many would be American? 5• How many would be white? 30• How many would be malnourished? 50• How many would be unable to read? 70• How many would hold a university degree? 1The Traveling Team

What is God’s Focus Now? What is the Need Today?

• Unreached People Groups – Matthew 24:14 • “A people group among which there is no

indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize this people group.”

• How many UPG’s are in the world?– 6,700 – 8,000 (estimates vary)

• Where are the majority of unreached people?– The 10/40 WindowThe Joshua Project; Dr. Milfred Minatrea; Traveling Team

The 10/40 Window

The 10/40 Window

The 10/40 Window

• 67 Countries• 4.05 billion people - 61% of world’s population• 1/3 of the world’s land, 2/3 of the world’s people• 2.37 billion are Unreached People- 36% of

world’s population.• Muslims – 724 million• Hindus – 787 million• Buddhists – 240 million Luis Bush; The Traveling Team

What are the Issues?• Major religions of the world started there and are

firmly entrenched.• Hostility, rejection of Christian missionaries.• Access or Availability of the Gospel.

“The people who are lost in the 10/40 Window are not “more lost” than your neighbor or family member who does not know Christ. But, they are “unreached” in the sense that they have not had an opportunity to hear the Gospel. The issue is their lack of access to the Gospel. People can be unevangelized without being unreached.” The Traveling Team

The Workers are Few – Today’s Need• Estimated 430,000 missionaries from all branches

of Christendom.• 90% serving reached (not all evangelized).• 10% serving unreached.• In areas of 10/40 Window – only 1 missionary for

every 1 million people.• 1976 – 17,000 UPG 2009 – 8,000• 1970 – 1/2 world’s people were unreached; Today

about 1/3.

The Traveling Team; Dr. Milfred Minatrea

The Harvest is Plentiful - Matthew 9:37

• Harvest – That which is reaped or ready to be reaped or gathered; The product or result of any exertion or labor; Gain; Reward

• Plentiful – Abundance; prolific

• Plentiful Harvest = Opportunity

• Few Workers = Opportunity

The Workers’ Power Tool - Prayer• How did Jesus say workers in God’s kingdom are employed?– By asking the Lord of the harvest to send them out!

• Beseech – Ask or entreat with urgency; To supplicate; To implore

• Purposeful and Powerful Prayer – “Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest field.”

• “God has given us prayer because Jesus has given us a mission. Prayer humbles us as needy and exalts God as all-sufficient. This is why the missionary enterprise advances by prayer. God’s goal to be glorified will not succeed without the powerful proclamation of the gospel. And that gospel will not be proclaimed in power to all the nations without the prevailing, earnest, faith-filled prayers of God’s people. The purpose of prayer is to make clear to all the participants in this war that the victory belongs to the Lord.” - - John Piper

The Heart of Workers – Compassion of Christ “For I tell you that Christ has become a servant for the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy.” – Romans 15:8-9

• Zeal for the glory of God motivates world missions.

• A servant spirit and heart of mercy motivate world missions.

• A heart for the glory of God and a heart of mercy for the nations make a Christ-like missionary. – John Piper

The Harvest is Plentiful – The Workers are Few• Missions is about the worship of God and His glory

among all peoples. – “All the nations you have made will come and worship

before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your Name.” – Psalm 86:9

• See Obstacles as Opportunities to glorify God

• Missions and missionaries are launched and empowered through prayer.

• Make it your daily mission to ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest field.