Harvest 2025 - The Workers are Few

It's really lovely to be with you this morning and as Alex was saying it's interesting isn't it harvest just in I love thinking about churches all across the UK all across the world when it's their celebration of harvest what that looks like and for us this morning it looks like hearts being stirred and provoked to respond to the need in our community to bring

for the food bank and for Andrew House that's where our harvest collection goes and I know that some of you I was having a bit of a chat with Kim on the way up and Kim said oh I've left the food at home she's got this whole pile I know it'll be bags as well at home and then she said oh I can just take it to Lidl and I can put it in the food bank collection point and today we're thinking about this idea of our hearts being stirred we're going to be

thinking about our hearts a lot oh I'm probably going to do that that's going to annoy everybody isn't it do that quite a lot um yeah I remember years ago Tom was tiny 2010 and a friend and I we had a conversation about Clevedon and there's a lot of hidden need there's a lot of stuff hidden isn't there always

and we went to look at a couple of food banks one in Bristol it was amazing it was like in a cafe

definitely stirred my heart for spaces like the pub that Pete and I now have in community and another one in Western Lighthouse Project and from that we gathered and gathered a team that emerged at the Baptist Church from churches all together across Clevedon and the food bank was started

I don't have any slides I don't have any statistics but we know that that food bank has made a difference to so many people in our community and continues to do that today so just a thank you to everyone who's brought something or shares in other ways and has supported the food bank over the many years

well today we are with Jesus obviously today we are with Jesus in Matthew in these words that Margaret just read us I wonder what he wants to say to you and I today through these words what's he going to get us noticing through his Holy Spirit this morning

so let's just pray as we start Lord I do pray that that you would help us through your spirit to notice what you want to say to us through your word today in your name Jesus amen

so it says that he went through all the towns and villages teaching in all the synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom

and healing every disease and healing every disease and sickness and I noticed that when I read it I thought I just need to pause there

he's out and about doing all these incredible things healing disease and healing sickness

he was on the move reminds me of Chronicles of Narnia Aslan was on the move I love that anticipation

Jesus was on the move Jesus was on the move he's meeting people just like you and I where they are out in their communities in ordinary places

and it says that when he saw the crowds and there were crowds Russ a few weeks ago was talking about the crowds that surrounded and followed Jesus

it would have been hard to get close to him when he saw the crowds he had compassion on them

because they were harassed and helpless he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless

like sheep without a shepherd

he sees the crowds there's this sense of a deep sense of seeing

in the Greek compassion is a gut-wrenching feeling so there's a feeling inside a churning in the stomach

Jesus isn't remote here he feels the pain of those around him and he has empathy

and the description of them has harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd

it's really honest real language very real in that that time that context

these are people who are overwhelmed battered by life and lacking in direction

Jesus looks at the crowd and his heart breaks

it's not pity

it's a fierce and active love that Jesus carries

so I wonder

where are we in this scene

as you picture this

where are you

well

I certainly can identify with the harassed and helpless

sheep without a shepherd scenario

I was thinking about that and thinking that's actually quite a good summary of my inner life

and external but very much my inner life before I came to faith in Jesus

that experience of coming to faith in my early 20s

was life changing

and the song that we just sang the goodness of God

I realised at that point that even before that God was faithful

he was there

he was on the journey

brings me such peace as I trust our children to him

and him with them on their journey

but this idea of being harassed and helpless

actually I recognise that

even today in my everyday

particularly

those days

where

Jesus hasn't been

first in my day

where I haven't

just said to

the Lord at the beginning of the day

here I am Lord

fill me with your spirit

lead me

be my shepherd

life can be persistently hard

it can be a battle

I think it is a battle

it can often feel overwhelming

and our most natural human response

is to harden our hearts

pull away a bit

become more emotionally numb

a bit shut down

so we can cope

just be able to control what we control

and this results in very little capacity

for other people

to notice others

but God's way is different

his way is always different

we have the Holy Spirit with us

to help us

keep our hearts soft

soft towards ourselves

and soft towards others

he will give us what we need for each day

if we ask

the missionary Jackie Pullinger

who did a lot of work

in Hong Kong

once said

God wants us to have

soft hearts

and tough feet

I love that

Emma's nodding

yes

Emma

soft hearts

and tough feet

my dad was born in Africa

and he

spring would arrive

and he would always

take his shoes off

and he'd be in the business

of toughening up his feet

for the

summer ahead

you can imagine

what his feet looked like

but in order for his feet

to get tough

he had to

have his shoes off

be walking

rougher ground

and my dad

had the softest

of hearts

soft hearts

give us compassion

they enable us

to have sympathy

they enable us

to have empathy

see the pain

of others

ah

who's this describing

they give us

an openness

and a willingness

to just live

from a place

of God's love

vulnerable

before God

and they help

keep us sensitive

a soft heart

heart

helps us

with emotional

awareness

and that prevents

us from hardening

our hearts

in response

to emotional

wounds

or difficult

challenging

things

and tough

feet

well they help

us persevere

don't they

keep going

when things

are difficult

equip us

to go to

places of need

actively

working against

injustice

and suffering

that we see

the world

around us

is like

and they help

us endure

keep us

going

for the

long

haul

not just

those short

term efforts

soft hearts

and tough

feet

but fear

really can

cause us

to close

our hearts

down

and as I was

sharing what I

was going to be

sharing today

with Alex

he told me

this very

amazing story

and I wanted

him just to

share it

better than

I would

I heard the

testimony from

a Christian

in London

and she was

describing

the challenge

intense challenge

of her

young child

having

leukaemia

and in the

treatment

they were

kept in a

sort of

tented area

to keep germs

out in the

hospital for

months

through the

treatment

because they

were so

vulnerable

to infection

and she

felt

you know

really

all the

range of

possible

emotions

you can

imagine

but the

clincher

of the

story

was this

that as

she was

feeling sorry

for herself

and feeling

like has

God left

her alone

one of the

only other

people that

could come

into that

tent area

was a

cleaner

who came

in regularly

to keep

that environment

clean

and as she

started talking

to him

she realised

he faced

all sorts

of challenges

had come

from Ghana

was working

under all

sorts of

pressures

almost no

money

difficult

circumstances

in life

and as she

talked to him

and met

with him

and they

talked

and started

to pray

together

she noticed

as she did

this that the

fear around

her child

left her

and then she

read in

perfect love

cast out

all fear

and she could

see that really

as she gave

love it

cast out the

fear in

her

thanks Alex

yeah

this invitation

for us

to show

God's love

willingly

and as we

find the

courage to

do that

noticing

that our

fear reduces

perfect love

casts out

fear

so just

before we

think about

kind of the

next part

of this

I wonder

if we

might pause

and just

notice

what's

stirring in

us as we

think about

this theme

of soft

hearts

tough feet

just take

a moment

so the

next bit

of

Matthew

Jesus says

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 field

the harvest

is plentiful

but the

workers are

few

ask the

Lord of

the harvest

therefore

to send

out workers

into his

field

and I

wonder what

you notice

here

well I

notice two

words

ask

and send

Jesus

is talking

to ordinary

people

just like

you and

I

what equipped

them for

this invitation

into the

mission was

their awareness

of his

power

and their

vision to

reach all

the people

so all

people would

be able to

hear about

Jesus and

find relationship

with him

he's clear

the harvest

is ready

he is

seeing

clearly

this world

that is

hungry for

hope

for meaning

for love

a world

hungry for

hope

a world

hungry for

meaning

a world

hungry for

love

the issue

isn't with

the world

it's there

it's with

the number

of people

being willing

to go out

into the

world

and be

Jesus

and prayer

always

precedes

mission

prayer

always

precedes

that action

ask

the Lord

of the

harvest

pray

ask

we begin

not with

our own

effort

but we

begin

with

prayer

a rhythm

of faithful

prayer

an action

will follow

a move

of the

Holy Spirit

will follow

when we

pray

God

answers

our prayers

enabling

us to

show his

love to

others

we are

called

to follow

and live

a life

of love

fierce

compassion

and active

love are

the work

of the

Holy Spirit

and prayer

is the

engine room

of fueling

this energy

that is

fierce

compassion

and active

love

Pete

Greg

who

was

the guy

who set

up the

24-7

prayer movement

he once

described

prayer a bit

like this

imagine

a train

hurtling

across the

countryside

a steam

train

and everyone

is in the

carriages

they are

enjoying the

view

maybe some

of them

are having

some food

they are

looking out

the windows

chatting

to one

another

oblivious

to the

fact

that in

order for

this journey

to happen

there is

one guy

in the

engine room

sweating

and toiling

and feeding

the fire

and he

used that

analogy

as our

prayers

we are in

the business

of praying

to the

Lord

the maker

of heaven

and earth

and he

calls us

and intercedes

by his

spirit

when we

don't know

what to

pray

we are

the engine

room

and then

we are his

hands and feet

on earth

he moves

us to

act

it's in

and through

our prayers

that the

spirit works

making us

brave enough

encouraging

us

that word

encourage

actually means

to kind

of get

courage

to have

courage

and Alex

told me

this morning

that the

word

courage

is related

to the

word

in French

heart

to equip

our hearts

with courage

to act

literally

gives us

courage

the

refiner's

fire

think about

that engine

room

what happens

when we pray

and the

spirit moves

the refiner's

fire takes

away our

apathy

it takes

away that

voice that

says to us

you can't

make a

difference

you don't

matter

just think

about yourself

you're too

busy

someone else

will do

it

I can't

do that

I'm too

self-conscious

stuff that

who cares

what anyone

thinks of

us

what about

Jesus

what about

the call

on our

lives

to wake

up

for his

mission

we need

the Holy

Spirit

the Holy

Spirit

there are

loads of

ways we

see the

Holy Spirit

in the

Bible

of course

in

scripture

and in

tradition

that help

us grasp

this meaning

of what is

the Holy

Spirit

in the Old

Testament

we see the

Holy Spirit

the breath

of God

hovering over

the sea

in the New

Testament

the Holy

Spirit

overshadowing

Mary

literally

giving God's

life into

Mary

when Jesus

was baptised

the dove

that came

out

descended

upon him

actually

and empowered

him for

mission

and on the

day of

Pentecost

a rush

of wind

flames

of fire

transforming

fear and

uncertainty

into faith

and conviction

but did

you know

I didn't

love sharing

a fact

in the

Celtic

tradition

the Holy

Spirit

is representing

not as a

peaceful

dove

but as

does anybody

know

a wild

goose

wild

geese

the wild

goose

reveals a

spirit

which is

passionate

noisy

and

courageous

a symbol

that reminds

us that

God's

spirit

cannot be

tamed

or contained

let's

pray

persistently

with

soft

hearts

for God

to harden

our feet

for the

mission

that he

has called

each one

of us

to

and it

looks

different

for each

one of

us

every

one of

us

every

part

of the

body

no one

matters

more

every

part

everyone

no one

gets left

behind

remember the

analogy a

couple of

weeks ago

if you were

here if

not I'd

encourage you

to listen

to Russ's

talk at

the end

he talked

about a

pump like

one of

those old

fashioned

pumps

and it

was incredible

because the

day before

Alex and

myself had

met with

Tim Simpson

for a

coffee in

fawn

that's

where it

was

and

afterwards

Tim sent

us a

picture of

a pump

so then

when Russ

mentioned it

the next

day

like Russ

had no

clue about

that

Tim

had no

clue

Russ

was going

to be

preaching

on that

we were

like

it's

incredible

but these

old fashioned

pumps

that need

a little

bit of

water

put in

a little

bit of

something

given

first

before

then the

water

will

flow

I was

thinking

about that

again

what is

it that

we can

bring

to that

pump

that is

the Holy

Spirit

flowing

through our

lives

and I

was reminded

of the

words

it's in a

Christmas

carol isn't

it and

there's a

prayer as

well but

what can I

bring

what have

I got

the

shepherd

my heart

I can

bring my

heart

and that

little bit

that I

bring

will

release

the Holy

Spirit

release

in us

the power

of God's

Spirit

it's his

promise to

us

he is with

us always

never will

he leave

us

and so

then we

can notice

the harassed

and helpless

and we

can respond

with soft

hearts

not out

of our

own

strength

the joy

of the

Lord will

become our

strength

and we

will be

able to

respond

he will

give us

enough

for each

day

and as I

kind of

came towards

the end

of this

preparation

the picture

I had

was every

one of us

lining up

at the

pump

to bring

our hearts

and to

do a

little bit

of the

joining

in

if we

each

do our

part

then the

experience

in our

community

of God's

love

is

extraordinary

so to

conclude

it's a

short

passage

but it

really

challenged

me

not just

to feel

but to

act

not just

to talk

about

compassion

but to

walk in

the world

with courage

and love

I want to

come again

before the

Lord and

ask what

does that

look like

God for

me

examine my

heart

and show

me

Jesus

sees and

feels

he doesn't

just see

the crowds

he's got

this gut

compassion

noticing

other

noticing people

that others

just overlook

and he

sends

Jesus

sends

us

he doesn't

keep that

compassion

to himself

he asks

us

to go

into the

world

and be

the answer

to our

own

prayers

so we're

going to

just pause

and

just

ponder

this last

question

where are

the crowds

in our

lives

today

who do

we see

with

compassion

and how

can we

be sent

who are

the crowds

in your

life

today

who do

you see

with

compassion

and how

can you

be sent

and I

would encourage

all of us

to not

jump to

a conclusion

or make

an assumption

that what

our being

sent looks

like

will look

like the

same as

someone else's

being sent

sometimes it

might be a

big wow

thing

sometimes it

might be a

few steps

on a

Sunday

morning

to just

have a

conversation

with one

person

because

God's

spirit

has prompted

us

Lord

help us

to see

you

and help

us to

see as

you see

to feel

as you

feel

and to

go

as you

send us

amen

you

Thank you.