What Jesus Saw When He Looked at the Crowd

Jesus walked through the towns and villages, and Matthew tells us what He saw. When He looked at the multitudes, He

"was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd."

He didn't see a project. He saw tired people who needed a shepherd.

Then He turned to His friends and said,

"The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest."

Notice where missions starts. It starts in the Father's heart, not in a budget meeting.

"The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost,"

Jesus said in Luke 19:10. God went first. He always does.

Everything our World Evangelism Committee does grows out of that one truth. We aren't trying to convince God to care about the nations. We're joining Someone who already does.

Who Sends the Missionary?

Paul asked a question in Romans 10:15:

"how shall they preach, except they be sent?"

Somebody has to do the sending.

In Acts 13, the church at Antioch was serving the Lord and fasting when the Holy Ghost said,

"Separate me, Barnabas and Saul, for the work whereunto I have called them."

So the church prayed, laid hands on the two men, and sent them away. Real people let go of two friends they loved.

That's what our World Evangelism Committee does at World Vision Church. It advises the church on everything related to missions and carries out seven big jobs.

Prayer comes first. The committee prays and stirs up prayer across the church for our missionaries and the lost around the world. Members also teach the congregation the vision of world evangelism, recruit people for mission projects, and look for those God is calling to full-time service.

The committee also administers the missions budget and keeps communication open between the congregation, the pastors, the sending agencies, and the missionaries. When missionaries come home on furlough, the committee cares for them. And at least once a year, it organizes a church-wide missions emphasis so everybody can lift their eyes together.

That's the work. Prayer, teaching, sending, caring. Nothing flashy.

I spent decades serving in Arequipa, Peru, so I've stood on the field side of this. A word from home lands differently out there. A prayer, a note, someone remembering your name back at church- all of it carries more weight than people realize.

Nobody Carries This Alone

Here's something I love about how this committee works. Nobody has to be a lone hero.

Each subcommittee has a chairperson, an assistant chairperson, and members. The chairperson answers to the Missions Committee chairperson and gives a written report every month on what the subcommittee did the month before. The committee reviews the highlights together, so everyone stays on the same page.

The chairperson also advises the committee and recommends action. When the chairperson can't make a meeting, the assistant steps in and presides. If neither can come, they tell the committee chairperson so no one is left guessing. Members answer to the chairperson or the assistant and pour their gifts into the work.

It's a simple design. Everyone has someone to lean on and someone to report to.

Paul told the Philippians he thanked God for their "fellowship in the gospel." Fellowship means partnership. Missions was never meant to be a solo act.

Raising Up the Next Missionary From Our Own Pews

Here's a question worth sitting with. Who will be our next missionary?

It could be someone in row five. It could be a teenager. It could be a retired schoolteacher who has quietly wondered about it for years.

The committee doesn't wait and hope. It helps prepare people for service. That starts with the Word, with public and private teaching on sound doctrine and the habits of a mature life in Christ. From there, people can grow through missions training, conferences, and mentoring.

They get chances to serve in local outreach and to join short-term projects abroad. They can work alongside our current missionaries, hear their stories, and learn from their example. In some cases, the church even supports specialized training for long-term service.

Notice what's missing. There's no pressure and no guilt trip. Nobody goes to earn God's approval, because they already have it.

Jesus told His disciples,

"as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you."

Sent by a loving Father, the same way the Son was. A missionary is simply a loved child who can't keep quiet about the Father. People go because they're loved, not to become loved.

Where You Fit

You don't need a title to be part of this. The whole congregation is invited in, and there's an easy place to begin.

Pick one missionary this week and pray for them by name. That's a real contribution, not a small one. Then get curious. Find out what Scripture says about missions and what God is doing around the world, and ask a committee member what's happening.

Send a note. Missionaries are people, and a short message that says "We're praying for you" can carry them for days. When a chance comes to serve in local outreach, step into it.

And if a quiet question ever rises in your heart about full-time missions, don't argue with it. Bring it to a pastor or a committee member and just talk.

A Crowd Nobody Can Count

Someday John saw where all of this is heading:

"a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues"

standing before the Lamb. That's Revelation 7:9. Every language. Every people. Nobody left out.

Every prayer, every dollar, every welcome-home hug is part of that picture. The Father who looked at the crowds with compassion still looks at them today. He's still sending, and He still invites ordinary people to join the best work in the world.

Whatever part you end up playing, you start from the same place. The Father loves you, and He delights to have you in His work. If you'd like more encouragement like this, subscribe, and I'll send these straight to your inbox.

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