Will you Pray?

Matthew 9:36-38

36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

PRAY:

MESSAGE:

Let us ponder these 3 verses quietly for a few moments.

Is this a familiar passage to you?

How many times have you read it?

This morning it is not only the desire of Pastor Dave and myself to have a church that is committed to pray for laborers but see God’s Word through His eyes and apply it to our lives the way he spoke it and lived it.

As we look at these three verses that we have pondered I would like to take some time to share with you what God has laid on my heart after spending time pondering and praying over them this week.

I. Do you See the Multitudes?

We see in first in verse 36 is “But when he saw the multitudes”.

How is our sight here this morning?

I know that we are a church that prides itself on being a missions minded church, but do we really see the multitudes?

Jeremiah expresses in Lamentations,

Lamentations 3:40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.

We as a person and as a church body need to truthfully examine ourselves and open our eyes to what God sees. We as people can view things from a tainted point of view, a point of view through hurt and circumstances.

Remember that Jesus just before this encounter had just gone about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. He saw people that came for a show, and he dealt with the “shallow” types of people and yet he still saw the multitude for what they were not what they did.

Until we REALLY see with the eyes of God it is difficult to be moved as He was moved and that is what we see next.

I. Are you moved with Compassion?

Secondly, we see that after the Lord saw the multitude, he was moved with compassion on them.

This morning we are asking you to join your pastors in praying for laborers, but why would you pray if you do not see and capture the need?

When Jesus saw the multitude, he was moved with compassion. How often are we moved with compassion?

Compassion - A suffering with another; painful sympathy; a sensation of sorrow excited by the distress or misfortunes of another; pity; commiseration. compassion is a mixed passion, compounded of love and sorrow; at least some portion of love generally attends the pain or regret, or is excited by it.

As you see from the definition, compassion is not just a “aww” feeling, it is not “oh I’m sorry” it is a painful sympathy, it is feeling distressed. This is something that is impactful and not a short-term feeling but something that sticks with you and is not easily dismissed.

Jesus just met their physical needs, and oft times we can easily meet, and we are more apt to meet people’s physical needs. However, it goes way beyond those physical needs, it is the real need people have and that is the need for Christ. Jesus saw their needs; do you and I see the need of the people that we encounter? The ones we met this week. The ones we blew off. The ones we got a glimpse of.

This compassion that we are talking about is literally a heart condition.

We are told by Perter:

1 Peter 3:8–11 8 Finally, be yeall of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, bepitiful, be courteous: 9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

to have compassion one of another. Dear church Peter by the inspiration of God gave us guidelines on how to have compassion and what that looks like. The question is how do we follow the word of God when it comes to having compassion as described here in 1 Peter 3?

Are we this morning willing to not only see the multitude as Jesus saw the multitude but are moved with compassion on the multitude?

II. Why do we need to see and have compassion?

We see in the later part of vs. 36 that the multitude fainted and were scattered abroad.

Jesus literally is saying that the “Religious” people at the time had failed the multitude by not having the proper sight or having compassion.

We know that this is true today, and we also read about it in Revelation:

Revelation 2:4 (KJV 1900)

4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Even though we read in verses 2-3 of Revelation 2

Revelation 2:2–3 (KJV 1900)

2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

That the Church of Ephesus did some things well, but as we read in verse 4 they left their first love. Oh Friendship have we too left our first love or are we living what we are claiming and that is Jesus Christ. There are souls at stake here and I know that I at times fail to see that severity of the situation when God puts people in my path.

Why was the question I asked well it is because of the next 2 verse:

Matthew 9:37–38 (KJV 1900)

37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly isplenteous, but the labourers are few; 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

Here we see that there is harvest a plenteous, there are people out there that are looking and searching to know the Peace that passes all understanding and the Joy of the Lord, however just as we read in Matthew 7:13–14 (KJV 1900)

13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

So let me ask this question, if the harvest is truly plenteous is the reason that few find the strait gate is because of the few labourers?

As Jesus commanded his disciples to pray for Lord of the harvest to cast out labourers into HIS harvest, we too ought to be praying.

Closing:

Matthew 9:36–38 (KJV 1900)

36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers arefew; 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

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WILL YOU JOIN YOUR PASTORS IN PRAYING FOR LABOURERS?