I’ve often heard it said that people in our city are not interested in Jesus. They’re too affluent, distracted with the lures of life, and very much comfortable in their own space.
While there’s certainly some truth to the idea that many Sydneysiders live a life of plenty, I believe that more than we think might be interested in Jesus.
Why?
Well, the words of Jesus seem to indicate they are:
“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming 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 field.”
As He looked upon the crowd, Jesus couldn’t help but notice that the people were “harassed and helpless.” In compassion He responded, telling His disciples to pray for more workers because
the harvest was full and ready!
Do you know anyone who feels harassed and helpless in our time? Someone dealing with anxiety, depression, or a lack of purpose? Maybe you know someone who has been through a messy breakup, is being manipulated by someone else, or is self-medicating with alcohol or other substances.
I believe that many people in our city have landed on tough times. For example, last week as we met with a number of youth leaders from various regions of Sydney, one of the challenges they mentioned was the number of teenagers getting involved in unhealthy street culture. The leaders had a deep burden for these young people that had wandered into an unhealthy cycle of life.
The words “harassed and helpless” or “distressed and dispirited”, as another translation says, sound like a description for a lot of people across Greater Sydney. And the idea that people are not interested in Jesus sounds more like a myth. In fact, I would go so far as to say that perhaps the real issue is that we have not been prayerful enough about God leading us to those He wants to bring across our path.
Let’s not stay there! On November 13 we will be running a youth rally called Common Ground. Here’s the cool thing: it’s not going to be designed for Adventist youth. It’s going to be designed for the “distressed and dispirited”—the young people God brings into our paths over the coming year.
Here’s what you can do until that time:
1. Grab a friend and ask God to lead you both to someone who is open to Jesus (Luke 10:17; 16) GROUND YOUTH RALLY. The Holy Spirit will lead you in this – giving you wisdom to make the right call at the right time (Luke 12:11-12)
2. When God leads you to that person, pray for them with your friend and in your personal prayer time, care for them in a tangible way, and then look for an opportunity to share Jesus with them.
3. As you journey with this person over the year and build a friendship with them, consider inviting them to a youth social, a bible study group, your local church, and the Common Ground youth rally. The Holy Spirit will lead you in this, giving you wisdom to make the right call at the right time (Luke 12:11-12).
Feeling a little nervous about all this reach-people-for-Jesus stuff? No need to fear—“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).
And if you want some more training on how to share your faith well, register for the World Changers Bible and Leadership Intensive Weekend taking place from June 25-28 at Crosslands Youth and Convention Centre. This is the perfect place to be equipped as an active disciple of Jesus Christ. (Spots running out fast!)
God Bless!
Pr Simon Gigliotti – Youth Director, Greater
Sydney Conference
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1 Matthew 9:35-38
