The people in your field are either partners or prayer requests. Once you have identified the field where God is leading you to work, the next step is to identify who is in your field. After Jesus challenged His disciples to look at the people around them as the “field” in which the Father was sending them to do His work, He then gave them specific orders on how to enter their field.
“And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food.” (Matthew 10.1-10 ESV)
Jesus didn’t send them first to the Gentiles (non-jewish people) or the Samaritans (a jewish and non-jewish mixed race); He sent them to the jewish communities they already knew and the people with whom they most readily identified. Your field should be a place you already frequent and people with whom you are already building a relationship.
As you are thinking about the field where God has planted you, ask yourself the following questions:
Who are the believers in your field?
Jesus sent His men two by two into their fields. This is one of the only listings of the twelve disciples, and it is interesting how they are listed in pairs. Some have thought that these pairs indicate how Jesus coupled up His men and sent them out. Why did Jesus send them out in pairs? He knew that the work would be hard and that each laborer would need prayer and encouragement to keep going.
Now here is the principle: You need other believers to work with you to reach your field. Start now identifying believers in your field. Maybe you know of a co-worker who is a strong Christian, or a few godly parents who attend your child’s school. Maybe you know a neighbor who goes to your church. Begin by asking the Lord to bring you into contact with other believers in your field so you can pray and partner together to do His work.
What are the needs of the people in your field?
Jesus told them, as they went into familiar territory together, to be looking for needs they could meet. He said, “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons …,” (Matthew 10.8 ESV). Physical sickness and spiritual darkness were obvious needs for these people. They were suffering on the inside and outside, so Jesus told them to start there. Start with meeting needs. Both Jesus and Paul often moved into areas and looked for ways to meet needs.
So, what are the needs of the people in your field? Look for “outside needs” and “inside needs.” Outside needs are obvious things that people would readily see as a need you could meet. It could be that the greatest need in your school is for volunteers. As you volunteer, you can begin to build relationships with parents, teachers and students. Maybe the need in your neighborhood is for someone to clean up the street or to organize a crime watch team. Maybe the need in your office is to organize a softball team, coordinate a food drive or provide meals for a co-worker who has had surgery.
Also look for inside needs in your field. Inside needs are more substantial needs that touch the heart and soul, such as the need for healthy relationships, freedom from addiction or answers to spiritual questions. You may begin to meet their needs through personal conversations, or through more organized support groups or Bible studies dealing with marriage, stress or financial peace.
Cultivate relationships before planting the Gospel
As you pray with other believers and begin to meet the needs in your field, you will start to cultivate relationships. Just as the farmer cultivates the soil before he plants the seed, cultivating relationships must happen before you can plant the Gospel. Don’t overlook the warning Jesus gave His men: “Never receive any payment for the good work you do for those in your field. Offer it for free. Don’t let anyone think that you are doing this for selfish motives. Instead, let them see what you are doing is done with a heart of love and genuine concern.”
How receptive is your field?
As you are meeting needs and cultivating relationships, look for the people who are the most open and receptive to you. It may be people that you expect, or it may be people you would never expect. This is why living on mission is such an adventure. The Spirit knows who has been praying and looking for someone to tell them about Jesus. Your job is just to be open and watching for that person to surface.
A friend of mine told a story about how he and other businessmen decided to host a monthly luncheon to reach their business associates. My friend invited a client and picked him up at his office for lunch. Afterward, as they headed back to the office, the man invited my friend to come in and meet his wife, who was working in the back warehouse. As they talked the woman said, “I’ve just been praying that God would send someone to tell me how I can get to Heaven.” In just a few minutes my friend shared the Gospel with this couple and they both came to Christ.
You never know where God is at work and who will be the most receptive to you and the Gospel, so keep your eyes open.
This blog features an excerpt from one of our books, Reach Your World.
