Matthew 9:35–38
35Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness
36Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38“Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
Focused Thinking:
What was Jesus doing?
He was going through all the cities and villages.
He was teaching in their synagogues.
He was proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom.
He was healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
What was the gospel / good news of the kingdom?
The Messiah had come.
The King of the kingdom has come.
They didn’t understand it at the time, but also began to predict His death.
What happened to Jesus when He saw the people?
“Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them.”
What did He see when He saw the people?
He saw people who were distressed and dispirited.
He saw sheep without a shepherd.
He saw the effects of sin in people’s lives.
He saw the effects of sin in people’s choices.
He saw the effects of sin in people’s relationships.
He saw the separation that sin causes between God and man.
He saw the separation that sin causes between man and man.
He saw the progression of sin described in James 1:25.
He saw the people with hard hearts, hurting hearts and hopeful hearts.
What did Jesus say to the disciples after He saw the people and felt compassion for them?
37Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38“Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
Wow!—What a statement to make after He sees the people and feel compassion for them.
You can feel compassion and do nothing.
Compassion without action isn’t compassion.
When Jesus looked into the HEARTS of people, He said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”
When Jesus looked into the EYES of people, He said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”
When Jesus heard the CRYS of the people, He said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”
When Jesus saw the NEEDS of the people, He said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”
Personal Application:
What would happen if we REALLY believed Jesus?
What would happen if we TRULY believed Jesus?
We’d serve inside and outside the church.
We’d serve people by loving people.
We’d serve people by making disciples.
Do a word study of “SERVE” and all the variations of “SERVE.”
Document WHO was served.
Document HOW people were served.
Document HOW the church served outsiders.
Document HOW the church served insiders.
Document WHO was serve the most?
Examples: The Poor, The Widows, Etc.
What are the specific ministries in the church where people can serve?
What are the specific roles/job descriptions for people to serve in the church?
What are the specific needs in the church?
What are the specific ministries outside the church where people can serve?
What are the specific roles/job descriptions for people to serve outside the church?
What are the specific needs in specific ministries?
What are the specific global mission trips that are available?
“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”
We must eliminate excuses.
We must make easy, obvious, and strategic for people to serve.
First—We must help them see the people of Memphis.
We need to do different profiles representing different people groups in Memphis.
Second—We must help them see into their lives in order to be moved with compassion.
We must give every statistic a name, a face, and a story.
People aren’t moved by statistics; people are moved by stories.
Third—We must give people specific ways to serve specific people.
We must make it simple and strategic for people to serve people.
Fourth—We must love and serve people in the context of an ongoing relationship over a period of time, not isolated events.
People don’t need answers, people need to be loved.
Compassion is the indefensible apologetic.
Fifth—We must celebrate the victories and keep the vision in front of people.
Interactive Prayer:
Father, keep speaking to me about your heart for compassion. Father, show me how to take the truth of Your Word and make it doable today. Father, give me the ability to focus our vision. Flood my mind and heart with Your vision and cause it to pour through me. Father, fill me with Your vision this week and give me the ability to put it into literal goals and processes in order to bring it into reality. Give me the ability to receive Your vision, Cast Your vision, and Implement Your vision like Nehemiah did in 52 days. Give me the ability to inspire our people and to mobilize them to be the body of Christ to this city. Increase our love for You and for others. Father, give us the ability to make LOVE SPECIFIC. I pray that we will quit giving ourselves a pass. Father, give us the ability to see people the way You see people and to love people the way You love people for the good of people and for the glory of God.
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