How is your heart these days?
Do you find yourself praying, “Lord, I don’t ask for much… just your heart for lost people…” more than once a day? Are you seeing people differently than you did two weeks ago?
David wrote,
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Ps. 51:17)
God is pleased when our hearts are broken for the things that break his heart. I hope you’re experiencing a broken heart for lost people, and I hope it never heals.
In my experience, a pastor who wants to reach the community for Christ has no chance if it’s just an academic exercise, or “the right thing to do.” If you want to fish for men, you’ve got to be brokenhearted about their condition. Jesus wept over Jerusalem because the people there were like sheep without a shepherd.
Momentum builds like this: it starts with the Holy Spirit and you, it moves to your leaders, then lodges in the hearts of your congregation.
Please take a minute to pray, asking God to give you an undistracted fifteen minute window to speak to you just now, as you read.
Lodging Love in the Hearts of Your People
The pastor’s three greatest tools for equipping and growing his people all start with “P”:
- Prayer
- Personal touch
- The Pulpit
Prayer
You’ve already begun to infect your people with love for their neighbors by the prayers you’ve been praying. If you want to expand your prayer, you might add this:
“Lord, I don’t ask you for much today. I just ask you to give me your heart for lost people, and to infect my people with that heart as well.”
Now you’re up to thirty words. Pray it out loud right now, and time yourself. You’ve probably added an extra three seconds to your prayer time – and an extra burst of momentum that will reveal itself over the next few months and years.
Personal Touch
As you hang out with your people, share what God is doing in your heart. Share your dream for reaching your community, especially what it might feel like for them to see people they love come to Christ, and what it will feel like for the Lord as he sees people he loves coming into his family.
Your personal enthusiasm will be contagious. Last week I suggested you schedule a sermon series on capturing God’s heart. Couple contagion and preaching, and you’ve got a powerful combination!
Pulpit – Your Second Sermon
Here’s the second passage I suggest you use in your series: 2 Kings 6:19-7:11. It’s a long passage, so you’ll want to summarize parts of it.
2 Kings 6 and 7 is about a time when the city of Samaria was surrounded by her enemies. Things got so bad that starvation was imminent. Cannibalism took place. The king was desperate. The people were in despair. Then, the Lord provided salvation.
God drove off Israel’s enemies, who left behind incredible amounts of food and booty. Four lepers, who had nothing to lose (2 Kgs. 7:3-11) discovered this unbelievable treasure trove and at first, kept it all for themselves. Then (like me), they came to their senses.
“We’re not doing right.” They said. “This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves… Let’s go at once and report this…!”
During my ninety days of prayer, 2 Kings 7:9 struck me so deeply, I memorized it. Prepare and present a sermon on it and I’ll bet it will strike you and your people deeply as well. After you’ve exegeted the passage, tell them about the people who live in your neighborhoods. Describe what it’s like to be missing God in your life. Paint a picture of reality, then paint a picture of “what it could be like if God used us to love our neighbors and share the good news with them.”
Call it, “A Day of Good News,” or, “Keeping It to Ourselves,” or something like that.
The Momentum Plan
What I’m suggesting is that you infect your leaders by doing a study with them as soon as possible. Then, as soon as practical, do a Capturing God’s Heart series with your whole church to bring them into the vision as well. In my situation, “as soon as practical” would mean three to four months from now. So don’t feel rushed on this, but do feel urgent about it.
I’ll give you the third passage next week. Assuming this Heart series goes well, you’ll be dying to reach your community and your people will be up for it as well.
Taking Action
Assignment 1
Continue praying your Ninety Day Prayer.
Assignment 2
Set the date, recruit, remind, and/or prepare for a leaders’ study.
See The God Questions Study Guide
Assignment 3
Look at your preaching calendar and schedule a three to four week series on “Capturing God’s Heart” for as soon as practical. Ideally you’ll want to do the study with your leaders and begin your Heart series four to six weeks afterward so you don’t lose momentum.
1,000 blessings,
Hal
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Hal Seed is the founding and lead pastor of New Song Community Church in Oceanside, California. Get more resources and equipping for leading a better church at PastorMentor.com.
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