Meadows Church
Meadows Welcomes Pastor of Evangelism: Michael Cooper
Welcome to Meadows - in person AND online! Merry Christmas! We believe that God is with us in both the times of peace and the times of uncertainty. As you learn to navigate these days, we are here along side of you. Thank you for joining us virtually today!
Locations & Times
Meadows Church
3001 Los Rios Blvd, Plano, TX 75074, USA
Sunday 11:00 AM
Harvest Workers Take Personal Ownership
Harvest worker photos
1After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” – Luke 10:1-3 (NIV)
The Lord of the harvest wants you to take personal ownership
Ordinary no-name disciples take personal ownership (Luke 10:1)
1After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. - Luke 10:1
seventy-two “others”
Every disciple is an ambassador for Christ (2 Cor 5:17-20)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. - 2 Corinthians 5:17-20
“Anyone” who is in Christ (disciple) is a new creation and an ambassador of Christ
It’s part of your identity. You cannot be an ambassador unless you are a new creation, and you cannot be a new creation without being an ambassador. It is part of who you are.
Every disciple can do the work of an evangelist (2 Tim 4:5)
5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. - 2 Timothy 4:5
You don’t need the spiritual gift of evangelism to “do the work of an evangelist”.
Marine Corp has a motto “Every marine a rifleman”. That means, whether your role is to be a cook or a helicopter pilot, if you’re a marine, you need to be able to handle a rifle. It’s a basic skill of every marine. Sharing the gospel should be a basic skill of every disciple.
The Lord of the harvest wants you to depend on Him
Pray for harvest resources (Luke 10:2)
2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. - Luke 10:2
“Ask the Lord”
Trust in the shepherd as you go into the harvest (Luke 10:3)
3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. - Luke 10:3
When lambs are among wolves, their only hope is to the protection of the Shepherd.
Pray for the boldness to witness (Eph 6:19-20)
19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. -Ephesians 6:19-20
“Pray that I may declare it fearlessly”
Abide in the Vine to bear fruit (John 15:5)
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. – John 15:5
“bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing”
The Lord of the harvest wants you to be strategically involved
Join a team with a multiplication strategy (Luke 10:1)
1After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go, - Luke 10:1
Multiplication strategy: 72 workers, 36 teams of two, sent out simultaneously
Team effort, organization, training, logistics, celebration, coaching (Luke 10:1-21)
Great commission itself has multiplication built in: make disciples, teaching them to obey everything, which includes making disciples (Mat 28:19-20).
Examples of harvest teamwork:
Prayer warriors, givers, and goers working together
Southern Baptist churches cooperating to support our 3600+ IMB missionaries
Mission agencies cooperating with one another
North American missionaries partnering with indigenous pastors
Meadows sending teams to South Asia to work with nationals to start churches
Meadows outreach teams and programs such as our Good News Clubs
Don’t let the great commission become your great omission.
Specific opportunities to get involved
Pray for Unreached People Groups (UPG) and IMB missionaries using our weekly prayer email and display in the Atrium
Pray with Rachel Mosquito on live Zoom call from Southeast Asia on Sunday, Jan 17 at 8am
Pray with Sila and Charlotte Samara on live Zoom call from the Middle East on Sunday, Feb 21 at 8am
Pray daily for a lost person by name
Give financially to harvest initiatives like Lottie Moon and short term mission trips
“Go” by inviting your circle of influence to Meadows
“Go” by sharing the gospel with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers
viii)“Go” on a short term mission trip to the unreached. We’ll be going to South Asia
“Go” full time as an IMB missionary
Respond to the Lord’s Vision of the Harvest (Rev 7:9)
”After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb…” – Revelation 7:9
If you’re a disciple, consider your next step as a harvest worker
If you’re not a disciple, make the decision today to follow Christ
Let me know if you responded today in any way. Email to me at michael@meadowsbaptist.org
Harvest worker photos
1After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” – Luke 10:1-3 (NIV)
The Lord of the harvest wants you to take personal ownership
Ordinary no-name disciples take personal ownership (Luke 10:1)
1After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. - Luke 10:1
seventy-two “others”
Every disciple is an ambassador for Christ (2 Cor 5:17-20)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. - 2 Corinthians 5:17-20
“Anyone” who is in Christ (disciple) is a new creation and an ambassador of Christ
It’s part of your identity. You cannot be an ambassador unless you are a new creation, and you cannot be a new creation without being an ambassador. It is part of who you are.
Every disciple can do the work of an evangelist (2 Tim 4:5)
5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. - 2 Timothy 4:5
You don’t need the spiritual gift of evangelism to “do the work of an evangelist”.
Marine Corp has a motto “Every marine a rifleman”. That means, whether your role is to be a cook or a helicopter pilot, if you’re a marine, you need to be able to handle a rifle. It’s a basic skill of every marine. Sharing the gospel should be a basic skill of every disciple.
The Lord of the harvest wants you to depend on Him
Pray for harvest resources (Luke 10:2)
2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. - Luke 10:2
“Ask the Lord”
Trust in the shepherd as you go into the harvest (Luke 10:3)
3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. - Luke 10:3
When lambs are among wolves, their only hope is to the protection of the Shepherd.
Pray for the boldness to witness (Eph 6:19-20)
19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. -Ephesians 6:19-20
“Pray that I may declare it fearlessly”
Abide in the Vine to bear fruit (John 15:5)
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. – John 15:5
“bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing”
The Lord of the harvest wants you to be strategically involved
Join a team with a multiplication strategy (Luke 10:1)
1After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go, - Luke 10:1
Multiplication strategy: 72 workers, 36 teams of two, sent out simultaneously
Team effort, organization, training, logistics, celebration, coaching (Luke 10:1-21)
Great commission itself has multiplication built in: make disciples, teaching them to obey everything, which includes making disciples (Mat 28:19-20).
Examples of harvest teamwork:
Prayer warriors, givers, and goers working together
Southern Baptist churches cooperating to support our 3600+ IMB missionaries
Mission agencies cooperating with one another
North American missionaries partnering with indigenous pastors
Meadows sending teams to South Asia to work with nationals to start churches
Meadows outreach teams and programs such as our Good News Clubs
Don’t let the great commission become your great omission.
Specific opportunities to get involved
Pray for Unreached People Groups (UPG) and IMB missionaries using our weekly prayer email and display in the Atrium
Pray with Rachel Mosquito on live Zoom call from Southeast Asia on Sunday, Jan 17 at 8am
Pray with Sila and Charlotte Samara on live Zoom call from the Middle East on Sunday, Feb 21 at 8am
Pray daily for a lost person by name
Give financially to harvest initiatives like Lottie Moon and short term mission trips
“Go” by inviting your circle of influence to Meadows
“Go” by sharing the gospel with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers
viii)“Go” on a short term mission trip to the unreached. We’ll be going to South Asia
“Go” full time as an IMB missionary
Respond to the Lord’s Vision of the Harvest (Rev 7:9)
”After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb…” – Revelation 7:9
If you’re a disciple, consider your next step as a harvest worker
If you’re not a disciple, make the decision today to follow Christ
Let me know if you responded today in any way. Email to me at michael@meadowsbaptist.org