Written By Rev. Law Hui Seng
Posted By Teresa Han
Matthew 9:35-37
Main Idea: Be compassionate like Jesus who can see the needs of the crowds.
Objectives: a. To preach the reason for evangelism is that the needs of our society (crowds) for Jesus. b. To help the congregation to see the needs of our society (crowds) for Jesus.
A. Introduction
- Do you see that people out there need God? They need Jesus. When you see people who are sick; depressed; having extra-marital affairs; threatened by divorce; beggars; rich but proud; full of hatred, ineffectiveness, and bitterness; lazy and not working; worshipping idols; corrupted; the uneducated Penans; lots of indigenous people in Sarawak who are perishing and lost; lots of Chinese out there who do not know where they are heading in life, etc, do you see that they need Jesus to come into their lives and save them?
- For God so loved the world that He gave us His begotten son, Jesus. This son Jesus see the needs of the crowds for God. He sees that the crowds need salvation.
- Do you see as Jesus sees?
B. What does Jesus see?
- I am very encouraged, inspired and challenged by what Jesus had done when He was on earth. Verse 35 says, “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.”
- Are we disciples of Jesus? If we are, then, we must be like Jesus. Paul exhorted the Philippians in 2:5, where it says, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” In verse 7, Paul went on to say in verse 7, that Jesus made him self nothing, taking the very nature of a servant...
- We should like Jesus in every way. If we cannot be like Him 100%, we should have 10%, 5%, or even 1%. If you are not like Him at all, you must at least begin somewhere. Do what Jesus does.
- I am very inspired by the bible says today, that Jesus went through all the towns and villages. What were the purposes? It says, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
- No wander Jesus sees so much. He went to every town and village. Some more, He was in touch with people by preaching and healing. No wonder He sees a lot of things in people.
- What is the big deal about seeing the crowd? What is the big deal about seeing a lot of things in people.
- Brothers and sisters, the answer to these questions is the main point/ the emphasis I desire to put across to you today.
- The answer is found in verse 36, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
- Why we need to do evangelism? Why we need to bring the good news of salvation in Christ to the crowds/ the society? In the name of Jesus Christ, I preach to you that because people out there are harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus’ heart feels for these people. Jesus had compassion for these people who are harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
- Evangelism and mission are motivated by the simple fact that Jesus has compassion for the lost people.
- As you learn to be like Jesus, as your attitude should be like Jesus, are you like Jesus, you have compassion for the lost people?
- As Jesus says, “The lost are like sheep without a shepherd.”, in the name of Jesus Christ, I preach to you that the first of mission is for disciples of Jesus to go out and compassionately help people out by presenting them with their Shepherd, that is Jesus.
- When Jesus looks out over the world it is the helplessness of people, their depression and suppression, that affects him most deeply.
- They appear to him like sheep who have lost their shepherd.
C. Why we cannot see the crowds like Jesus?
- By what are the people harassed and helpless (oppressed)? By the deceitfulness of worldly life. This is one very important reason why we cannot see the crowds like Jesus?
- What is this worldly life? Materialism, secularism, greed, hatred, pornography, injustice, etc. All that causes us to obey God is worldly life.
- You see how we are deceived? Earn our millions and push the question of salvation to when I get old; some say I have no time for God; I have no need for God; God is not my priority, etc. Unbelievers are deceived in so many ways.
- Ironically, sometimes, we christians, disciples of Jesus are also deceived by the worldly life. We spend so much time pursuing our careers that we become not sensitive to the needs of the lost around us. We lost our focus on Jesus and not preach Him. As a result, we do not develop compassion for the lost.
D. How do you help yourself to see the crowds?
- In my case, my compassion for the lost grows stronger and stronger every year as I am in touch with the harassed and helpless people here locally, in my office, at coffee shop or among the Belaga Penans. I believe my compassion for the lost (both christians and non-christians) will only develop and become stronger if I take the steps to help them in any way I can. I pray that you follow my example.
- I pray that God will send to your life, your house, your small group, and your office the lost, the people who need Jesus, the good shepherd.
- How do you help yourself to see the crowds? You must get personal with people; you must enter the crowds; you must get to know the problems of people; you must humble yourself, and not be proud and relate to people; you must dirty your hand and sit down with people and use John 3:16 to preach to people.
- You must be deliberate in praying for the lost. You must mention their names in your prayers. If you do not even pray for them, how can you give God a chance to speak to you to preach to someone? If you do not even pray for someone who is lost, how can God empower you to preach the gospel?
- If you do not pray for people, you will not feel with them like Jesus feels with them and of course you do see their needs for Jesus.
- For Jesus He is very much with them, pray for them, and He sees their needs, He feels for them and so He has compassion for them. Can we do the same?
E. Conclusion.
- Jesus today ask you: “Can you draw all resources like all the teachings on evangelism, the tools of evangelism, the courage from the holy spirit to overcome fear, the word of God and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and humble yourself to discern the needs of others to do evangelism?”
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