Looking Unto Jesus, The Great Missionary

I. THE VISION OF THE MULTITUDES

1. In heaven He saw the great size of humanity. v. 37. the harvest is great. 5.5 billion people. He also saw the great value of the multitude.

2. He saw the condition of the multitude. He compared the necessity of the crowds with the comfort he had. cf. Phil. 2 Harassed and thrown down, distressed and downcast--flayed. Perf. pass. participle. He saw the terrible precipice and the people falling over to a lost eternity.

3. He saw the vision of his own responsibility. What to do in the light of this great multitude? What can I do with my life? How can I live in peace and tranquility while the multitudes are perishing? Do I personally have something which I can do about it? Does Rom. 1:14 refer to ME? I must stand before the judgment seat of Christ. How will He speak to me at that time?

4. He saw a vision of the possibilities which HE had. Paul said that he preached more than all other, but not "I but the grace of God."

5. He had a vision of what would happen if he should not go into the world. Cf. Ezek.33

What if Christ had not come?

What if someone had not preached to me???

For this reason Paul says that he is a debtor.

Christ had to do something. Do I??

6. He had a vision of HIS part in the plan of God.

7. He had a vision of the brevity of time, and the urgency of the need.

8. He had a vision of the rewards.

Phil. 2--God exalted Him. cf. Heb. 12:2--who for the joy that was set before him--instead of the joy..

II. THE COMPASSION OF JESUS.

1. His vision of the multitude had an effect in his own life. 9:36--HE WAS MOVED WITH COMPASSION. He felt compassion for them. Note CO-PASSION.

This is not merely feeling pity or sympathy. Phil. 1:8--affection of Jesus Christ, --the bowels of...or the inward parts.

Missionary enterprise , to be Christian, must be based on the passion of obedience, not on the pathos of pity.

2. This compassion speaks of a feeling in the intestines, in the stomach, not just the heart. It is the "spleen" in the Greek.

3. This is a very special word. Perhaps you can capture the sense of it in the following passages:

a. Mat. 14:14

b. Mat. 15:32

.c. Mat. 18:27

d. Mat. 20:34

e. Mark 1:41

f. Mark 6:34

g. Luke 7:13

h. Luke. 15:20

i. Luke 10:30-37

On the darkest side of the road, where the sick and wounded lie;

They're calling for help and for mercy

Oh how can you pass them bye?

The Savior asks your life

In the service of want and pain,

And everything more that thou spendest

He'll repay when He comes again.

Now then, what is the characteristic of all these examples of compassion?

It is that the person who felt compassion always DID SOMETHING.

True compassion never is passive. It is not simply feeling.

Think of us--what is the real love of God that is shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit? Rom. 5:5. It is GOD'S OWN LOVE--NOT OURS.

But in Mat. 9:36 CHRIST DID NOTHING. He simply said that we should do something.

Look at Mark 9:22--if you can do something, take pity (compassion) on us and help us. Love seeks not it's own. I Cor. 13:5 Phil. 2:20-21

This is the cry of the world--Take pity on us and help us.

III. THE CO-MISSION OF JESUS.

Introd. 1. Co-mission means the mission THAT is held in common. Cooperation in doing something. cf. 2 Cor. 6:1--workers together with God.

2. The plan of Christ is to seek OTHERS in order to send them into the harvest. cf. Mat. 20:1-7.

3. See 2 Cor. 5:14-15--the love of Christ constrains us.

v. 18--gave us the ministry..

v. 19--committed to us the word.

A. The first part of the commission is v. 38--BESEECH --petition--the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into HIS harvest. Emphasis on the need.

1. First, notice the condition of the harvest and the workers as Christ sees them. v. 37--the harvest is plentiful, the workers are few.

2. "Therefore" - the answer that we have is to beseech--continuously, for this is for all ages and times.

The Word "beseech" is from the word deo, or deomai, which means the present urgent need, the MUST OF THE HARVEST.

GOD HAS GREAT INTEREST IN THE HARVEST. IF IT PERISHES ALL PERISHES.

3. The theme of the petition is beseech the Lord of the Harvest TO SEND OUT workers into his harvest.

Days of prayer especially for missions.

Missionary conferences geared to present missionary themes and reports from the fields.