Jesus identified that the greatest need, the greatest need He saw, was for labourers, for people who would give themselves to fulfilling their mission. When Jesus looked He saw the multitudes. He didn't just see a crowd of people. He was actually deeply moved, because they needed help. One of the things that is a practical thing that you could do very easily, is to walk through the streets or walk through a crowd of people and just praying in your spirit, and then begin to look into them. Just as you walk through people just look at people and smile at them - otherwise you stare at them, and they start to get what's up with you! But look at people and smile at them, and as you look at them look into their eyes and look into their countenance. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to see them, as He sees them. Now you know what will happen if you start to do that for a while? You're not going to try and gauge anyone, you're just starting to open your eyes to see people like Jesus does.
We tend to see people as problems. We tend to see people as divided into those who we need their help for something, or we don't really want to be too connected with them, or they're an interruption to our life. When I first came here, I found one of the things that really helped me was I began to walk through the street looking at people, until I began to feel tremendous compassion, and you could see the problems written on their faces. You could see the burden on them. You become awakened to see people like God can see them. Even at church on a Sunday you can go in and you just get into a routine, but if you go in there and realise listen, I'm here not because I'm come to church. I'm here because God sent me here. I'm here to be a blessing, and there's someone here needs what I have to do today - so you go in, you start to look around and talk with people and if you will start to look differently, you will see the needs. It doesn't take you very long. That's the first phase is to get the heart for people; ask Jesus to give you a heart to have compassion, because your mission is always to people.
Now we may be a technical person, we may be this or may be that, but the bottom line is whatever our mission is, it will always ultimately involve people, so we need to get the heart of God for people. I encourage you, it's just such a simple thing. The first exercise you can write down that you could do, is just to begin to walk through crowds of people, and as you walk through them smile at them, look into their eyes, look into their face and just reach out towards them from your heart. Ask God to show you how He sees them. You will be amazed how your view changes.
The second thing you can do, is make a decision that you're going to start to engage people, and ask them about themselves, just take an interest in them. Ask questions. Don't try and talk about yourself in any way, don't try and convert them. Just ask questions, and show kindness and an interest in the person. Now you will find a second thing. The first thing you'll find is, how you begin to feel and see people - you feel about people and see people as Jesus sees them; second thing, when you start to ask questions and listen, what you'll find is you'll begin to discover what's really going on in people's lives. I'm amazed how people will open up and talk. If you just begin to ask questions, don't get defensive, just reflect back what you think you've heard, and they will begin - if they find you'll listen to them, they'll tell you stuff, and they'll tell you things that you never would have realised. You begin to realise this person's opened their life because they're lonely and disconnected. They want to find someone who will listen to them. Then we'll share with you some other things you can do about how to bring the presence of God.