We Are Harvesters - Matthew 9:35-38

Introduction

PRAY

How many here today have ever planted something?

When we plant, what do we need?

HOLD UP POT - WATER

Soil, water, light… what am I forgetting?

Oh yeah! Seeds!

When we have everything we need, the only thing left to do is plant the seed.

You may be familiar with the fact that Jesus, in a parable, presented the gospel as seed and people as the soil.

In 1 Corinthians Paul talks about how some believers plant the seed of the gospel, some water that seed, but it is God who gives the increase.

As believers, we are aware that we are supposed to be sharing the gospel.

However, when we are honest, I think most of us would confess that we probably don’t share it as much as we should or could.

There are a lot of things that have the potential of preventing us from sharing the gospel.

Let’s talk briefly about them.

Fear - I don’t know what will happen. (scream - just plant the seed!)

Lack of knowledge - I don’t know how. (bottom and side - share your story!)

Uncertainty - what if I mess it up? (forget to water - God gives the increase!)

All we are doing is planting and watering the seed!

The response of the soil is not our responsibility.

That’s God’s business.

We can make all the excuses we want, it doesn’t change the reality that we are harvesters.

Our goal this morning is to learn how to be effective harvesters.

When we are effective harvesters, lost and scattered sheep are introduced to the shepherd.

So, to be effective harvesters we have 3 needs.

Need #1…

The Attitude Of A Harvester vv. 35-36

Attitude is important.

Anyone else been told that your whole life?

Attitude is important.

We cannot control our circumstances, but we can control our attitude.

Gospels have snapshots of the disciples having bad attitudes.

Luke 18 records them turning children away. Don’t bother Jesus.

Mark 9 tells us about the disciples arguing among themselves who will be greatest in the kingdom.

Luke 9 describes James and John wanting to call down fire from heaven to destroy a village that didn’t welcome Jesus.

John 4. Woman at the well - internal dialogue “why is he talking to her?”

We look at the attitudes of the disciples and the contrast with the attitude of Jesus is very clear.

We need to have the attitude of Jesus.

The good news is our attitude can change! Jesus used these same men to change the world.

How do we have the attitude of Jesus?

Here in these verses two elements of Jesus’ attitude are revealed.

Element #1…

Compassion for the lost vv. 35-36a

Matthew 9:35–36 (NKJV)

35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them,

Jesus goes to every city and every village he can teaching, preaching, and healing people!

Why? Because He had compassion on them.

If we are going to have compassion on people, we have to see them.

Jesus saw them at their worst.

Sick, diseased, lost.

Seeing sinners at their worst did not make Jesus recoil in horror!

It moved him with compassion.

When we look at people who need Jesus, do we really see them?

I have to confess that sometimes, I don’t.

I see the worker at the store, and they are just a worker.

I see co-workers and don’t think of what they are facing as people, as individuals.

We will never be moved with compassion if we do not learn to really see the lost!

“Moved with compassion” is all one word in Greek.

It’s one of those fun tongue twisting ones.

σπλαγχνίζομαι (splanchnizomai) have pity; have compassion. to be deeply moved (bowels) v. — to be affected deeply in one’s inner being, especially in that aspect (the bowels) characterized by sympathy and compassion. Finite verb, aorist, passive, indicative, third person singular.

Jesus is so moved with compassion, with pity for the lost that it has a physical effect on Him!

He feels it down deep inside.

We could put it like this.

When Jesus looked at lost people, He cared so deeply that it effected Him physically.

When was the last time any of us were moved like that over someone who needs Jesus?

An effective harvester of souls cares deeply for those in need.

Repeat - read aloud

We will only be as effective as we are caring.

This is the attitude we see in Jesus and it is the attitude we need.

That’s element #1. Compassion for the lost.

Element #2…

Understanding of the lost v. 36b

Matthew 9:36 (NKJV)

36 because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.

Jesus was moved with compassion, and here we are given 2 reasons.

1 - They were weary.

2 - They were scattered.

Jesus saw the multitude. He didn’t just look at them, He saw with understanding.

We must learn to see the lost, to look past the surface to what’s going on underneath.

Why? Because…

Beneath the rage, the hurt, the anger, the behavior that we disagree with; underneath it all, people are weary, lonely, and in desperate need of rescue.

Life without Christ is a life without purpose and a life without purpose is exhausting!

This word “weary” has the idea of being on the verge of collapse.

People are desperate, they want to have meaning and purpose and as they frantically search for these things they exhaust themselves. They are on the edge of collapse, almost breaking down.

Their quest has taken them far from one another. The message of this world, that you need to care for yourself above everything else, has caused many to push others away.

And so…

Like sheep without a shepherd they wander in search of greener pastures.

When they finally look up, they find themselves all alone, tired, and hopeless.

What do they need?

They need good news!

They need to hear about the Shepherd who loves them!

They need you and I as believers in Jesus Christ to lovingly and carefully introduce them to the Good Shepherd.

We need to understand that sinners need a Savior.

Sinners need people who care about them, who understand what they are going through to come alongside and show them where hope can be found.

An effective harvester of souls understands what lost people really need.

Repeat - read aloud

We are effective harvesters as we reach out with understanding.

Lost people don’t need a lecture, a new law, or a Bible beat-down.

Lost people need the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ! They need the hope He offers. They need to hear that God loved them so much He made a way for them to have a relationship with Him. Jesus is that way. Trust in Him and you will find the peace, purpose, and value you are searching for.

We need to have the attitude of a harvester, that means having compassion and being understanding.

To be effective harvesters we have 3 needs.

Need #1 - The Attitude of a Harvester.

Need #2…

The Perspective Of A Harvester v. 37

In Jesus’ parable of the sower he describes different types of soil and what effect that has on the gospel seed.

If we are not careful, we could find ourselves trying to judge the soil before we plant the seed.

POT AND SEED

Is the soil rocky? Will birds snatch the seed? What if they only thrive for a little while?

Perspective often determines our willingness to engage.

If I am more worried about the response of the soil, I may never plant or water.

Have you heard this mentality? “Why share the gospel, they won’t listen anyway.”

Or I may assume that people will respond and then get upset and depressed when they don’t!

"I have limited time and I don’t want to waste it.”

I want to know if the person will respond before I spend my time talking to them.

To be effective harvesters, we need to have the right perspective.

The right perspective comes from understanding two truths about the harvest.

Truth #1…

The harvest is plentiful v. 37a

Matthew 9:37 (NKJV)

37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful,

What kind of things do we hear in regards to gospel preaching today?

Too few people saved.

You can talk all you want, they don’t listen.

They want their ears tickled.

They don’t want the gospel.

Society is godless.

Look at where we are with morality etc.

They took prayer and the Bible out of school.

All of these statements have a common problem.

We want it to be the harvest’s fault.

We feel more comfortable with there being a problem with the harvest.

What does Jesus say?

The harvest is plentiful. Look at the fields, they are white!

The harvest is plentiful, it’s the laborers who are few.

The harvest is plentiful!

This word “plentiful” means that the harvest is large, great, above average in size, number, or quantity!

Sheep without a shepherd are looking for something! That’s why the harvest is plentiful.

I picture God saying “Enough with the excuses! The Harvest is plentiful!”

We can’t argue with Jesus.

The problem is not with the harvest. The harvest is plentiful.

An effective harvester of souls doesn’t blame the harvest.

Repeat - read aloud

If we are not seeing people come to Christ here in the US, the harvest is not at fault.

So what’s the real problem?

That’s where Jesus goes next.

2 truths about the harvest.

#1: The harvest is plentiful.

#2…

The laborers are few v. 37b

Matthew 9:37 NKJV

37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.

Jesus’ statement here presents us with a question.

Why are the laborers so few?

Personalize – am I laboring? If not, why not?

If we are laboring, we need to be praying, we’ll talk more about that in a min.

Let me give you an original quote.

“My biggest hindrance to being a laborer for His harvest is myself.”

That’s a quote from Jon Winkelman.

I think all of us could give excuses.

I would love it to be someone else’s fault.

As I have thought about this question, why are the laborers few, I have arrived at 3 reasons.

1 – Disobedience

Go harvest – Football game = 4th quarter, Video game = boss level, TV show season finale.

The point is this, we all have excuses, but, to be blunt, when we don’t share the gospel, we are being disobedient.

There were many times in Israel’s history where they were disobedient.

In one of those instances, the consequences of their disobedience were explained by God through the prophet Haggai.

Haggai 1:6 NKJV

6 “You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”

Disobedience has consequences.

There is no such thing as disobedient laborers.

If we are not right in our relationship with the Lord, we cannot labor!

In fact, we could be in the wrong field.

Son not paying attention drives combine through strawberries.

Disobedience hinders us from effective harvesting.

That’s one reason why the laborers are few.

Reason #2.

2 – Disuse

We don’t avail ourselves of God’s power.

John 15:5 NKJV

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Without Him, we can do nothing.

We have available to us all the power of God!

The power that raised Christ from the dead is ours!

Sometimes we just forget to use it.

Laboring in our own strength hinders us from effective harvesting.

Why are there so few laborers?

1 - disobedience.

2 - disuse.

Reason #3…

3 – Disconnection

If you are a farmer, and your crops are ready for harvest, when do you harvest?

At night in the dark, right? No!

You have to see the harvest.

How does a farmer know when the right time to harvest is?

He is out in the field checking the crops!

We can’t expect to go out into the world on midnight raids and win souls to Christ!

It takes constant care and attention to know when the harvest has come!

In John 17 Jesus talks about how we are in the world, we have been sent to reach the world, and yet we are not of the world.

Our citizenship is in heaven.

Sometimes we use that reality as an excuse to disconnect from the world.

In the world but not of. IN, but not OF!

If we are going to harvest souls for Christ, we must be in the world, rubbing shoulders with lost people that we might bring them to Christ!

Few b/c disobedient - get the relationship with God right! Few b/c of disuse – avail yourself of His power by putting Him 1st! Few b/c of disconnection. If not building relationships w/ lost you will miss the harvest.

1 Corinthians 3:6 NKJV

6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

Plant-water-increase.

We must be out in the field planting and watering.

An effective harvester of souls is in the field harvesting.

Repeat - read aloud

This sounds pretty basic, right?

It is. And yet, statistics show that within 5 years of someone coming to know Jesus, they have no unsaved friends.

We have to get out in the field!

To be effective harvesters we have 3 needs.

Need #1 - The Attitude of a Harvester.

Need #2 - The Perspective of a Harvester.

Need #3…

The Responsibility Of A Harvester v. 38

We have said this already, but let me repeat it.

The response of the soil is not our responsibility.

That’s God’s business.

Our responsibility is to share the gospel!

There is a song we teach to children, This Little Light Of Mine.

Hide it under a bushel? No!

Won’t let Satan blow it out!

Our responsibility is to shine!

Our responsibility is to plant and water!

Our responsibility is to harvest the field!

However,

That is not the first responsibility mentioned by Jesus.

Two responsibilities mentioned here.

Responsibility #1…

Pray for more laborers v. 38a

Matthew 9:38 NKJV

38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Prayer, this is our first responsibility.

Prayer should be our first response, not our last resort.

This applies to everything in life, including sharing the gospel.

Let’s talk about prayer for a minute.

Prayer is to be a regular part of the Christian life.

In Ephesians 6:18 Paul finishes the description of the armor of God with these words.

Ephesians 6:18 NKJV

18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

Praying always.

This is not the idea of walking around with eyes closed.

The idea here is to have a heart where the lines of communication with God are open!

Paul writes to Timothy that he desires men to pray everywhere (1 Tim. 2:8)!

He also writes that we are to pray for all men (1 Tim. 2:1-2).

What do we pray for all men? That they would come to salvation through Jesus Christ!

Do we have a list of people we are praying for?

Whose salvation am I bringing before the throne of grace?

For whom am I pleading with God for an opportunity to share Christ with?

We need to be men and women of prayer.

Jesus says we are to pray to the Lord of the harvest.

Here is a really important point.

The harvest belongs to the Lord.

What does that means?

We plant, we water, God gives the increase!

Our responsibility is to share the gospel, God does the rest.

We pray to the Lord of the harvest.

Here in Matt. 9 the prayer is specific.

Pray for more laborers.

Where do these laborers come from?

The Church!

Let me show you three slides that deal with the purpose of the church.

Church

Purpose

Method

The church equips us, the saints of God, for service, teaches us how to share the gospel, and provides encouragement to one another!

We pray for laborers, meaning we are praying for evangelistic and discipleship opportunities.

Bring people to Christ, train them, teach them, send them out.

That is the task of the church.

An effective harvester prays for opportunities to make more harvesters.

Repeat - read aloud

Pray that the Lord will send out more harvesters.

That is our first responsibility.

Responsibility #2…

Participate in the harvest v. 38b

Matthew 9:38 NKJV

38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Jesus is talking to His disciples here.

He is talking to laborers.

We need to pray for more people to join us in leading people to Christ.

However, we also need to be out there leading people to Christ!

We pray for opportunities to witness, then we witness!

If we have that friend or family member we have been praying for, maybe for years, we need to take advantage of opportunities to share the gospel!

The right attitude, the right perspective, and praying for the lost are all pointless if we never open our mouths and share how Jesus died on the Cross for our sin, He was buried, and He rose again!

The idea of what Jesus says to His disciples is that as we are laboring in the harvest, we are praying for more laborers.

The response of Isaiah to the call of God fits the idea of this verse so well.

Isaiah 6:8 NKJV

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

This should be our response to the reality that the harvest is plentiful.

Here am I Lord, send me.

An effective harvester of souls is in the field harvesting.

Repeat - read aloud

We said this earlier, now we are repeating it.

Why?

Because it is important.

The only way to be an effective harvester in God’s field, is by being out there participating in the harvest.

Conclusion

Two questions for all of us to ask ourselves.

Question #1:

Have I been leaving the harvest to others?

Question #2:

Have I been praying for more laborers?

Have the attitude of a harvester.

Be compassionate and understanding.

Have the perspective of a harvester.

The problem is not with the harvest! It is plentiful!

The problem is that we need more laborers.

Have the responsibility of a harvester.

Pray for laborers and participate in the harvest.

Two truths to walk out the door with today.

We are harvesters.

And.

The harvest is plentiful.

Because the harvest is plentiful, here is the commitment I want us to make.

I will be a harvester in God’s field.

PRAY