Day 30: Let the Antioch Church arise
There are two things that I’d like you to take away from this devotional.
First, a vision to remain in your mind. Second, a prayer from the heart in response to that vision, as an Antioch church.
Here’s the vision, from Revelation 7:9-10:
“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’”
Can you see it?
This is what Jesus, the Lamb of God, sees. And He wants us to see it too: A great multitude from every nation, every tribe, every people, every language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, declaring that Salvation belongs to our God.
This is a vision of the Church complete.
A glorious praise and worship session in Heaven of the completed Church, the followers of Jesus the Lamb of God.
It will be difficult and challenging to get there, but it is a guaranteed outcome!
God has seen the end from the beginning. And He wants us to see it; that’s why it is in Scripture.
It is one of the most awesome sights ever described in the Bible. Take your time to soak in that sight.
But when will we see it, what do we do?
Do you see the great multitude?
I want us to see this revelation with the heart and the spirit of an Antioch Church.
I believe that when we do, we will see this: A plentiful global harvest.
In the book of Revelation, God is promising a plentiful global harvest, with people from every nation, tribe, people and language!
They will go through thick and thin, indeed through tribulation, for the sake of their Saviour and Master King Jesus. But they will make it through in the end.
This is a vision of the Church complete. A glorious praise and worship session in Heaven of the completed Church, the followers of Jesus the Lamb of God.
This is a global harvest. And it is waiting for labourers!
Jesus once saw a crowd that was lost like sheep without a shepherd.
But He saw them with the eyes of faith, and He said that the harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few.
Therefore pray earnestly that the Lord of the harvest will send labourers into His harvest field. (Matthew 9:35-38; Luke 10:2).
Now, if Jesus could see a lost crowd and yet pray with faith, how much more should we behold this vision of a Great Multitude, this vast and plentiful harvest, and earnestly pray for more labourers?
That great multitude is not yet complete. There are still many nations, tribes and peoples who do not have a viable church of their own. Like sheep without a shepherd.
And we are still short of labourers. Labourers of all sorts who will go forth to declare and to demonstrate the Good News of Jesus the Lamb.
Friends, we are in the last days, and my prayer is that every local church in Singapore must grasp the vision of that great multitude.
God’s harvest field is both right at our doorstep and out there in the world.
Let’s pray earnestly that the Lord will send out more labourers, even from the Church in Singapore, and help bring in the harvest.
Who knows? Perhaps He is calling you to help take His Gospel to the nations. Perhaps He is calling your church to be a missions-sending church.
Is God calling you to take the Gospel to the nations? Is He calling your church to be a missions-sending church?
Heed the call and we’ll find ourselves helping to fulfil that great vision of Revelation.
And one day we’ll stand shoulder to shoulder with our brethren from every nation, declaring that Salvation belongs to our God.
That is the spirit of an Antioch Church.
Let’s pray:
O Lord of the harvest, send Your labourers into Your harvest field, because we are looking to that day when we will gather with Your whole Church, and declare that salvation belongs to our God.
Amen.