Blessed To Be Bread

Why God’s Gifts Are Meant to be Shared

World Mission Sunday

Isa. 49:1–7; Psalm 67; Acts 1:1–8; Matt. 9:35–38

 

Have you ever wondered why some people hoard God’s blessings while others become conduits of His grace? God never intended His people to become a museum of holiness but a living sign of His mercy—life and light for the world. This is the heart of World Mission Sunday, and it should transform how we see every blessing.

Mission Is Not God's Side Project

Mission is not what we add after we have “done church.” Mission is what happens when the living God has taken hold of a people—when His word is in their mouth, His compassion in their bones, His Spirit on their lives. We come to the Table to be gathered into Christ, and we are sent from the Table to carry Christ—embodied, relationally, hospitably—into the world God loves. This thread runs through every reading.

The Servant Who Is Formed, Hidden, and Sent

Isaiah 49 speaks beyond Jerusalem—to the edges of the map, to the nations. For us that begins close to home: family, neighbors, co-workers, classmates, the people God keeps placing beside us. “The LORD called me from the womb” (Isa. 49:1). This is naming, claiming, purpose. The Church hears more than an ancient biography; we hear the pattern fulfilled in Jesus, the true Servant, whose mission is not an idea but an incarnation.

The Hidden Years Have Purpose

Isaiah describes the Servant as “a polished arrow” hidden in God’s quiver (49:2). Some of us know those years—praying, serving, wondering if anything is happening. God wastes none of it. He polishes the arrow. He teaches patience. Then the turning point:

“It is too light a thing…I will make you a light for the nations” (49:6). God’s horizon is larger than we imagined, His mercy wider, His purpose deeper.

Blessing as Fuel, Not the Finish Line

Psalm 67 sings this truth: “May God be gracious to us…that your way may be known on earth” (67:1–2). Blessing is not the finish line; blessing is the fuel. God shines His face on His people so that the nations may know His ways. The psalm calls for all the peoples to praise God— not a few, not the comfortable, but all.

Jesus' Heart for the Harassed and Helpless

Matthew shows mission embodied in Jesus: teaching, proclaiming, healing (9:35). Life on life. And what moves Him? “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion—harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (9:36). Not a strategy—the heart of God in the flesh.

The Surprising Truth About the Harvest

Jesus says, “The harvest is plentiful” (9:37). Not scarce. Plentiful. The problem is not the world’s emptiness but the Church’s shortage of laborers. Mission begins in prayer because mission belongs to God. This guards us from two errors: 1) activism without dependence and 2) waiting without obedience. Pray earnestly—and be ready to be sent. Often the answer to our prayer for laborers is us.

What Laborers Look Like in Our Context

Not everyone crosses an ocean, but everyone can cross a room. Laborers look like: households practicing hospitality, Christians who listen deeply and speak gently of Jesus, a community that sees the harassed and helpless as neighbors, people who embody gospel mercy and joy. Relationship matters because God’s mission is personal. Presence matters because salvation came in a body. Hospitality matters because the gospel arrives as invitation.

The Spirit's Power for Witness

Acts tells us Jesus’ story began in the Gospel and continues through a Spirit-filled people (1:1). When the apostles ask for timelines, Jesus redirects them: “You will receive power…and you will be my witnesses to the end of the earth” (1:8). The engine is not personality or strategy but the power of the Holy Spirit. The map of mission:

1.  Jerusalem—the place we know.

2.  Judea—the familiar circle.

3.  Samaria—the people we avoid.

4.  The ends of the earth—beyond imagination.

The Table That Shapes Mission

At the Table God does what we cannot. He gives Himself. Here's the logic of Communion: 1) If we receive Christ's life, we must not hoard it. 2) If we are fed by mercy, we must become merciful. 3) If we are one Body, we must live for the life of the world. The dismissal is not polite - it is a commissioning. We do not leave church—we are sent as the Church.

Putting It Into Practice

So what do we do with this calling?

1. Receive Blessing as Vocation, Not Entitlement. What we have—time, resources, stability—are tools for love.

2. Practice Incarnational Mission Through Ordinary Faithfulness. Invite a meal. Learn a story. Visit the sick. Pray with someone now, not later.

3. Pray for Laborers—and Be Willing to Be One. Lord, make us brave, gentle, faithful. Send me out to do the work you have called me to do.

4. Depend on God's Presence. Confession, reconciliation, obedience, worship—and coming to the Table hungry.

Questions for Reflection

As we carry this calling forward, let's wrestle with these questions:

1.  Where have we treated blessing as possession rather than calling?

2.  Who are the harassed and helpless near us this week?

3.  What would 'crossing the room or the street' look like for us?

4.  Where are we avoiding mission out of fear or self-reliance?

5.  How might God be polishing the arrow in our hidden years?

The Light We Receive, the Light We Bear

God's mission begins with God's heart. The Father sends the Son. The Son pours out the Spirit. The Spirit forms a witnessing people.

We are called to come to the Table, receive the food of life, receive Christ Himself. "And then go—blessed to be a blessing, fed to become bread, gathered to be sent—until the nations are glad and the earth is filled with His glory. This is our calling: not to be a museum of holiness, but to become bread for the life of the world.

 

Small Group Study Questions:

Blessed to Be Bread for the World

 

Opening Question

The priest mentioned that "God does not bless His people to become a museum of holiness." If you could visit any museum in the world, which would you choose and why? How do you think a "museum of holiness" might be different from a "living sign of God's mercy"?

General Observation

  • What stood out to you most from this message about mission and being "blessed to be a blessing"?

  • The sermon wove together passages from Isaiah 49:1-7, Psalm 67, Matthew 9:35-38, and Acts 1:1-8. Which of these passages resonated most with you and why?

  • How would you summarize the main message in your own words?

Understanding the Message

  • In Isaiah 49:1-7, the sermon describes the Servant as being "formed, hidden, and sent." What do you think it means that God sometimes "hides" us before releasing us for His purposes?

  • The priest explained that in Matthew 9:35-38, Jesus said "The harvest is plentiful" rather than scarce. Why do you think Jesus saw the world this way, and what does this suggest about how we should view the people around us?

  • According to the sermon, what's the difference between being a "witness" (as mentioned in Acts 1:8) versus marketing or manipulation? Why is this distinction important?

  • The priest said mission has "feet" and happens "life on life." What do you think this means practically?

Personal Application

  • The sermon mentioned that "Not everyone is called to cross an ocean, but everyone is called to cross the room or the street or the aisle." What would "crossing the room or the street" look like in your current circumstances?

  • When you think about the "harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" that Jesus saw in Matthew 9:36, who comes to mind in your own community or relationships?

  • The priest described how God's mission moves from "Jerusalem" (the place we know) to "Judea" (the familiar circle) to "Samaria" (people we'd rather avoid) to "the ends of the earth." Which of these circles feels most challenging for you personally and why?

  • How do you typically respond when you feel like you're in a "hidden" season - when you're serving and showing up but wondering if anything is happening?

  • The sermon mentioned that blessing should be received as "vocation, not entitlement." How might this perspective change the way you view your time, resources, or stability?

Action Steps

  • This week, identify one specific way you can practice "incarnational mission through ordinary faithfulness" - perhaps inviting someone for a meal, learning someone's story, or praying with someone.

  • Choose one person who might be "harassed and helpless" in your sphere of influence. How can you show them Christ's compassion this week?

  • The priest suggested praying "Lord, make us brave, gentle, faithful. Send me out to do the work you have called me to do." Commit to praying this prayer daily this week and journal about how God might be answering it.

  • Consider one relationship where you could "cross the room" - someone you've been meaning to reach out to or get to know better. Take a concrete step toward that person this week.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You that You don't bless us just to make us comfortable, but to make us a blessing to others. Help me to see the people around me the way Jesus saw the crowds - with compassion for those who are harassed and helpless. Give me courage to cross the room, the street, and the barriers that keep me from loving my neighbors well. 

Lord, in the seasons when I feel hidden or wonder if my faithfulness matters, remind me that You are polishing the arrow and that You waste nothing. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I can be a true witness - not trying to manipulate or market but simply sharing what I've seen and heard of Your goodness.

Make our church community bread for the life of the world. Help us to come to Your Table hungry and to leave as Your sent people, carrying Your light to the nations, starting right here in our own neighborhoods. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Fr. Scott