It’s All About People

[ Extracted and edited from D2Y2 Magazine – Volume 2 Issue 1, 1997 ]

I am sitting here in front of my friend’s computer, thinking as I type this article. On the wall in front of me is pasted the map of China and most of Southeast Asia. Each time I pause, I look up and the map stares at me.

The countries, the cities, the islands, rivers, borders and people. Did I say people?! Suddenly, that word stirred my imagination and instead of colours, lines and words, I began to see faces. Thousands of them spreading like wildfire across that simple map.

Then I remembered, that is how God looks at the world, He sees faces. That is what Jesus saw when He looked at the multitude, He saw individuals. He saw families. He saw sheep going astray without a shepherd.

The truth to catch here today is that the Church does not exist on earth for herself.

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.” (Matthew 9:37-38) I began to realise the one thing that this world really needs. More labourers, more shepherds who will be willing to lay down their lives to bring the lost sheep home.

Many young people question their existence. I used to, even while busy doing God’s work. There are just so much to do and so many things that seem so important. Prayer meetings, worship seminars, church building fund, youth conventions, leadership conferences, missions consultations, combined services, unity concerts, bible schools, resource updates, equipment upgrading, letters to send, presentations to make and the list goes on.

The question is, how many of the things that busy us actually contribute to the wellbeing of faces that I am now seeing on the map before me?

I believe in good worship. The last time I attended one, it left me with the feeling of telling the whole world about the love of God. True worship here on earth synchronises God’s heartbeat with ours. We rejoice with the things that give Him joy. We mourn with the things that break His heart.

The truth to catch here today is that the Church does not exist on earth for herself. We exist to finish the work that God has commissioned us. We exist for the lost and hurting world. Any other purpose can wait till we get to Heaven.

Are we prepared to leave the ninety nine in search for the one that is lost or are we satisfied just babysitting the ninety nine?

It is time to give our existence some serious thought. Think about it in the light of the Great Commission. Think about it in the light of Matthew 24:14 and Acts 1:8. Think about it in the light of what I just said. Have we been too busy with ourselves? If we have, I think it is time for some changes.

Our worship, our prayers, our giving, our preaching, our programmes, our whole ministry may never be the same again. What is ministry after all, isn‘t it in serving? Isn’t it in continuing what the Lord came to earth to do? Ministry is about entering the field (wherever the lost and hurting are) as a labourer. It is about finishing the task that God has laid before us, His Church. Ministry is all about people. It is about reaching the lost.

Are we prepared to leave the ninety nine in search for the one that is lost or are we satisfied just babysitting the ninety nine? Let’s get our eyes back on the field. We can do this. By the power of His Spirit, we will do it.

D2Y2, which stands for Don’t Despise Your Youth, was an official Asian Youth Ambassador (AYA) magazine birthed out in the late 90s. The printed materials communicated dynamic and effective encouragement to and from the Church, with special emphasis on the knowledge and experiences of our Christian youths, which we believe the content is still relevant and applicable in this current generation.