Luke 9:10-17 (Matthew 14:13-21)  “And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.  And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing. And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place. But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people. For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.  And they did so, and made them all sit down.  Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.  And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets."

          There is a need to develop a genuine passion for mission. There is an urgency to enlist ourselves into the “work of the church” vs. “church work” to ensure that we are fulfilling the Kingdom Agenda!
Luke 4:18 outlines for us the Kingdom Agenda as it was articulated by Jesus. He said; “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
The relevant questions are: What is our “calling” to fulfill? What can we point to that we (not ya’ll…or them) are doing to fulfill our calling? Again, Jesus outlines the “real” Kingdom agenda for us in his proclamation at the beginning of his ministry.

 
Jesus clearly understood his mission and would not allow anyone or anything to deter him from the Kingdom Agenda. He says in essence that the gospel is both dialectical and demonstrative. The words “preach” and “proclaim” actually represent two dynamics involved in being witnesses for the Kingdom of God. The church universal, (this church) has done a respectable job representing the dynamic of dialectical preaching, and that representation is evident in the number of family, friends and associates that have come forward with a “pledged” intention of accepting Jesus as both Lord and Savior in their lives. We have been forthright in this method of “preaching” however, I am not convinced that the “demonstrative” dynamic has been engaged in with the same sense of urgency and the same level of intent. I would argue that we have come up short in the arena of demonstrating the gospel of Jesus Christ. When it comes down to the practical, applicable and realized message of God’s love that we are charged to proclaim; we have not been as effective and intentional as we are called to be. The Good News Message is both saying and showing.

This event recorded in Matthew and Luke illustrates for us the mission of the church and method to fulfill it so as to truly engage in the ministry of Christ. These people had heard preaching but their need was not limited to the spiritual. Often we are guilty of preaching, witnessing and testifying to people the Good New (gospel), (spiritual/salvation for their souls) however, their needs are also physical. To ignore our responsibility as the church to minister to the temporal needs of people is to truly misrepresent the Master and His message to the masses. Jesus is concerned with the welfare and well-being of the “total” person; not just his soul. The disciples when faced with the temporal needs of the multitude thought it best to “send them away.” In other words, let some other institution or agency meet their physical needs, for we only are concerned with people gathering to hear the Word of God proclaimed.

 
Jesus begs to differ with this type of attitude and perspective of the church and its mission. Jesus takes opposition to any who dare to dilute and distort the message of God’s love and His power to save by limiting it to the “spiritual realm” only! He confronted the church then…and He confronts the church today! Re-orient your thinking! Re-focus your view! Re-establish your values! Revive your mission! Revisit your purpose! Re-align your priorities! PEOPLE MATTER! IT’S ALL ABOUT PEOPLE! Not bricks, mortar, seats, songs, lessons, titles, positions, service groups, grounds, grass, lights, cameras, robes, uniforms, bulletins, posters, programs….but it is ALL ABOUT PEOPLE!

Lest we forget…Jesus CAME FOR PEOPLE…LIVED FOR PEOPLE…
DIED FOR PEOPLE…ROSE FROM THE GRAVE FOR PEOPLE…ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN FOR PEOPLE…INTERCEEDS ON THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER FOR PEOPLE…AND HE IS COMING BACK FOR PEOPLE!