Harvest Time Series

Harvest Time

Matt. 9:35-38

When Jesus walked this earth 2,000 years ago, it was in a physical body. He laid aside His omnipresence and was only at one place at a time. For this reason He spent His time moving about, going where people were and meeting their needs.

v. 35 This is the Messiah Modeling the Ministry for us. Never did Jesus sit back and wait for the people to come to Him, He went out where the people were. Please note: nowhere does the Bible command lost sinners to come to church...but it does command us saints to go out into the highways and hedges and compel people to come to church! Do you like it here at GBC? Are you proud of your church? Would you like to share it with many others? Ok then, go ahead!

Last week we took a survey and found that most everyone here did not COME to Jesus, but rather were BROUGHT to Jesus.

We dare not neglect people whether they live in a mansion or a slum, are upper class or lower class, up and coming or down and out...our job is to be the salt of the earth, and we must get the salt out of the shaker and encourage people to come and dine!

Notice:

1. The Compassion of the Savior

v. 36a "When He saw" What did He see? Not just a bunch of bodies¡Knot just a crowd. It wasn’t a superficial glance like we make. He saw souls and hearts. He looked beyond their faults and saw their needs.

Ill.--what you notice about somebody reveals what is truly important to you. When I walk past a shoe shine man he looks at my shoes, because he sees every person as a potential customer. The guy in the cell phone booth glances at my phone to see if I’m up to date, because he sees people as potential customers. When I drive onto a car lot the salesman checks out my car--well, that’s because it’s a sweet ride!

Would to God that we were all, first and foremost, in the soulwinning business. Oh that we would see every person as a potential convert for Christ--oh that we would see in each of them their precious soul which WILL live forever or die forever somewhere for all eternity!

Relatives-you see one another at times here on earth, but you’ll be separated for all eternity if you don’t see their soul, swallow your pride, and speak up!

Neighbors-you look after their stuff sometimes, but you need to look after their soul!

Friends-you talk about everything under the sun except for the main thing God left you here to share with them!

Co-workers-God planted you in a unique place for a specific reason, and no one else on earth has that opportunity w/ that person but you!

Jesus is our model for ministry in the way He saw people, and saw their needs.

Then He was moved w/ compassion for them. The word compassion is used in the gospels only to describe Jesus-it means "stirred at the deepest level." This means he didn’t just see a man w/ leprosy, but He felt His pain and rejection, loneliness and isolation. He didn’t just see a man whose daughter had died, but felt his sorrow and bereavement. He saw His broken heart, and even better, His heart broke right along w/ him! And Jesus didn¡¦t look on an adulterous woman in the judgmental way we often do, but rather in love and compassionate forgiveness, wiping her slate clean!

How about you? When you see someone living in the filth of sin--does it only disgust you, or does it move you w/ compassion? When you see an abuser, does it only anger you, or are you also moved w/ compassion? Has your heart become stone cold, or can it be moved with compassion for others?

Ill.--William Booth started the Salvation Army. But what led him to do that? Here’s the story: One night he couldn’t sleep and went for a walk thru the slums of London. The rain was beating down that night on the derelicts asleep on the street, and it broke his heart. He went home and when his wife asked where he had been he replied, "I’ve been to hell." He saw the homeless as more than just drunks and losers, and remembered they were once somebody’s baby, and used to be loved, and rather than blame them for their condition and keep walking, he decided that night to do something about it, and give them another chance to make something of themselves. His organization was started with the idea of giving the homeless a hand up, not just a handout. Sure, many turn around and return to their old ways, but compassion made way for thousands to be saved and their lives changed!