The Harvest is Full. Who Cares?
The Nations Next Door • Sermon • Submitted
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· 30 viewsCompassion Compels us to Action. When Jesus travelled around the cities and villages he had compassion on the harassed and helpless people. They were like sheep without a shepherd, but the laborers were few. We must pray fervently for the Lord of the Harvest to send forth laborers to His field.
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Transcript
MH En Español
MH En Español
Man, how exciting it is that MH en Español is on the horizon. Talking today about the harvest being plentiful, this is certainly true when it comes to the number of Spanish-speaking people moving into the Triad.
Kid’s Week
Kid’s Week
Hey before we move into the sermon today, I want to make sure everyone that is planning to be a part of Kid’s Week (whether attending or serving) has all the information you need. If you go onto the Mercy Hill Church website you will find a page dedicated to Kid’s Week. You can get the details there about attending and serving. It’s not too late to do either.
The Tree is full of mangos, but the owner won’t let anyone pick them
The Tree is full of mangos, but the owner won’t let anyone pick them
Finishing up the Nations Next Door
Finishing up the Nations Next Door
That is actually what we’re going to talk about today. Not California farming, but when you read that heading, I can’t help but think of the famous words of Jesus, “The harvest is here and it’s full, but there aren’t very many workers to bring in the harvest.” Nothing breaks the heart of a farmer more than spoiled crops, and nothing breaks the heart of God more than neglected people.
Now, Andrew has spent the last two weeks laying the ground work—really helping us to see that sin separated and scattered the world all the way back in the first few pages of the Bible, but that doesn’t mean that God stopped loving them and neither should we. So today, we’re looking at this familiar passage in Scripture to answer the “What now?” question. Those of you that have been around MH for any length of time you know that we’re a church that mobilizes people for mission. You knew that a sermon about “going” was coming.
The Big Idea is that: Compassion Compels us to Action
The Big Idea is that: Compassion Compels us to Action
Where we’re going to be spending our time this morning is in the book of Matthew. Matthew chapter 9 and we’ll be looking mainly at the last several verses in Matthew 9:35-38 - now if you’re unfamiliar with the book of Matthew don’t sweat it. You don’t need a ton of background info to see straight into the heart of Jesus. I will say that so far in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus has been doing all of the ministry, but from hereon out, he’s giving ministry away to his twelve closest followers who are later on known as the apostles.
And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Explanation
Explanation
So imagine that you have been invited to tag along with this motley crew. You are getting a first hand experience of what it is like to follow Jesus around these cities and villages. You are getting the chance to hear him explain how the OT points to the Messiah, you hear him say, “Turn away from believing that you can gain acceptance from God by obeying the law, and you won’t find happiness outside of God’s wisdom. And then one morning, you get to witness Jesus healing a man who was paralyzed, follows a ruler who’s daughter has just died and on the way heals a woman who has been hemorrhaging for 12 years be healed because she touched the hem of his robe and then continues on to heal the rulers daughter, heals two blind men, gives speech to a another man...
Let’s just say this all happened in a matter of weeks. Jesus and his disciples have been doing this for 12 to 18 months NON-STOP.
And then one day, Jesus pauses (perhaps on a boat or a mountain side or some place where you can look out and see hundreds or maybe even thousands of people) begins to breath a little heavier, his eyes begin to well up, his voice choked, he says, “Guys, do you see this? Are you watching? Do you feel that?” See what?! Feel what!?