Model - He taught, proclaimed the good news and healed, that is He demonstrated the presence of the Kingdom.
Mission - He saw and had compassion on the harassed and helpless. He was moved with compassion. The crowd were sheep in need of a shepherd. Into this Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom. His disciples are instructed to pray that God would provide workers to gather the lost.
Means - He commanded his disciples to pray for workers. Jesus saw the task at hand and knew that God had initiated that these people be reached through him. He was placing a call to the disciples to fall in line with and be faithful to what God had begun.
Ministry - Jesus commanded the them to pray for workers and the disciples were they themselves were the answer to the prayer. They were called and commission (10.1) and sent out (10.5).
The call to these first disciples is the call to us. Workers are needed and workers develop into leaders. Jesus provides the model to identify leaders. He started with the workers who were called to him. They were not hired; they were developed. It took time but when they were ready (perhaps a little sooner then we today may feel is "ready"), they were released.
Developing and releasing leaders is risky but that is the business we are called to. As disciples of Christ, our lives are going to be marked by a level of discomfort or risk taking. In fact, to the world, we will look foolish. We will be called to invest in people that the world may not think is worth it. But if they are called by God, they are of infinite worth.
Ep 4.11-12 gives the clear model. First leaders are appointed by God and their role then is to equip saints for doing the work of the ministry. Out of that group of workers will come more leaders. This is a never-ending, ever-developing task.
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