Scripture: Mt 9:35-10:4
35 Jesus went on to all the towns and cities. He taught in their places of worship. He preached the Good News of the holy nation of God. He healed every sickness and disease the people had. 36 As He saw many people, He had loving-pity on them. They were troubled and were walking around everywhere. They were like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His followers, “There is much grain ready to gather. But the workmen are few. 38 Pray then to the Lord Who is the Owner of the grain fields that He will send workmen to gather His grain.”
10:1 Jesus called His twelve followers to Him. He gave them power to put out demons and to heal all kinds of sickness and disease. 2 These are the names of the twelve followers. There were Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John who were the sons of Zebedee. 3 There were Philip and Bartholomew and Thomas. There was Matthew, the man who gathered taxes. There were James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeaus, and 4 Simon the Canaanite. There was Judas Iscariot who handed Jesus over to be killed.
The length of our life on earth is only the tip of the iceberg compared with our existence for the rest of eternity.
Each of us will stand before God on judgement day.
What we choose to do, or not to do, on this earth matters greatly.
"The nearest thing to the heart of God is Evangelism. Some of the last words that Jesus spoke to the church was to go and preach the Gospel."
I. Break Our Hearts For What Breaks God's
A. Do We See and Feel as Jesus Did?
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (Mt 9:35-36)
When Jesus saw the crowd:
1. Jesus had compassion on them
- "harassed and helpless"
- "sheep without a shepherd"
Recall the song "People Need The Lord":
Verse:
Every day they pass me by / I can see it in their eye / Empty people filled with care / Headed who knows where
On they go through private pain / Living fear to fear / Laughter hides the silent cries / Only Jesus hears
Chorus:
People need the Lord / People need the Lord / At the end of broken dreams / He's the open door
People need the Lord / People need the Lord / When will we realize / People need the Lord
How do we view the people around us?
Do we see what Jesus saw and feel what Jesus felt?
2. Jesus saw great harvest but few workers
Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." (Mt 9:37)
a. Harvest is Plentiful
- Harvest represents people
- Readiness to receive the gospel
Don't you say, "There are still four more months, then comes the harvest? Listen to what I'm telling you: Open your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ready for the harvest." (Jn 4:35)
b. Workers are few
When we do not reap the ripen harvest, people will carry on to live their lives "having no hope and without God in the world".
What is holding you back from reaching out to those around you?
12 disciples in Mt 10:2-4 are
- mostly fishermen
- not highly educated
- shy
- rash
- doubter
- thief
- betrayer
- fight among themselves for positions
God still called them to be Fishers of men.
Let our hearts be
- broken over what broke Jesus' heart
- moved by what moved our Father's heart
The Harvest is NOW!
B. Do We Do As What Jesus Did?
Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. (Mt 9:38a)
"Evangelism is not a professional job for a few trained men, but is instead the unrelenting responsibility of every person who belongs to the company of Jesus." - Elton Trueblood
- Will you join in praying for workers?
- Will you also pray fervently for your pre-believing loved ones and friends whom God has placed around you?
"He will put into your hearts to do what lies in your power to send them the Gospel."
II. We Are The Answer To That Prayer
A. Jesus Has Given Us The Authority
Jesus called twelve of his followers and sent them into the ripe fields. He gave them power to kick out the evil spirits and to tenderly care for the bruised and hurt lives. (Mt 10:1, MSG)
Verse 2 of "People Need the Lord":
We are called to take His light / To a world where wrong seems right / What could be too great a cost / For sharing life with one who's lost / Through His love our hearts can feel / All the grief they bear / They must hear the words of life / Only we can share
God is looking for someone to stand in the gap. Will you be the one? "Here I am, send me!"
God can work with what we have in our hands:
- Make a difference in the lives of the people around us
- Be channels of God's blessings to them
B. Practical Steps to Reaching Out
1. Exemplify and live out your faith
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Gal 5:22-23)
2. Find a need and meet it
Jesus went around ministering to the needs of the people by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, comforting the broken hearted. (v.35)
People do not care about what you know or how much you know until they know that you genuinely care for them and take interest in them.
3. Share the full Gospel
But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? (Rom 10:14)
The Gospel is about Jesus Christ who came from heaven, born in the flesh, offered himself on the cross for our sins, raised from the dead and ascended into heaven.
Jesus Christ is the Saviour and Lord of our lives!
"We do not fail in our evangelism if we faithfully tell the gospel to someone who is not subsequently converted; we fail only if we do not faithfully tell the gospel at all" - Mark Dever
"When God calls us to something, He is not always calling us to succeed; He's calling us to obey! The success of the calling is up to Him; the obedience is up to us." - David Wilkerson
Challenge
1. Will you be the one?
2. Will you be the one who says, "Here I am, send me?"
3. Will you say yes to the voice of God today?
