Sheep Without a Shepherd

Intro

welcome and warning of first sermon

Our study today is going to come out of Matthew 9.

In the context of what we will be reading, Jesus is in his early to middle stages of his public ministry. He has just completed his most famous sermon, the sermon on the mount. Immediately before the passage we are going to read, chapters 8 and 9 consist of 10 incredible miracle stories that demonstrate his authority over sickness and even nature. So we are going to pick up right after one of those miracles in which he heals a man who was mute and the people who saw it were amazed.

Reading

Matthew 9:35–38 (NIV) 35  - “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Prayer

thankful for each person there

let your word be spoken clearly

allow me to not get in the way of the message you have for each person today

Story

Story driving to Colorado Springs this weekend and how it reminded me of all the times I made the drive as a kid. . I-25 & Nevada

I think it reveals a tendency in all of us to go through certain lengths to avoid things that make us uncomfortable. Because in our minds, if we don’t see it, we really don’t have to do anything about it. But ignoring the problem doesn’t make it disappear, it just makes it abstract. Abstract problems don’t inspire concrete action. So our first point for the morning,

To notice the harassed and helpless you need to have your eyes open.

And we see that in vs. 36. He saw the crowds and he had compassion on them. In the parallel passage found in John 4, Jesus says John 4:35 “I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.”

If you are familiar with the gospels, you might already know that the disciples sometimes struggled to grasp the message behind Jesus’ words.

In one of my all-time favorite interactions in the Bible, Jesus tells his disciples in Matthew 16 “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” “they discussed this among themselves and concluded, “It is because we did not bring any bread.” They completely missed that Jesus was warning them about the teachings of the Pharisees.

So I wonder if there was similar confusion when Jesus told them to open their eyes and look at the fields. Did they elbow each other and say “Were your eyes closed? Mine were open.” But just because their eyes were open, doesn’t mean they saw people the way Jesus intended.

The same is true for us. We gloss over people so quickly it's impossible for us to have compassion on them. We should slow down. Ask God to give us eyes to see people the way he does, and seek to know them, not just see them.

What about the people in your circles you are responsible for? Army, civilian, or in your home. Do you see them the way Jesus saw people?

Lets resume the passage in verse 37.

Matthew 9:36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

After Jesus notices the hurting among the crowd, the sheep without a shepherd, he transitions into another analogy, and tells his disciples that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.

Jesus is saying there is a lot of work to be done and his followers are to be the laborers in the fields harvesting and refining. And while you’re out in the fields laboring, you should be praying to God that he would send even more laborers.

This is point number two for today.

Your labor is an answer to prayer.

Matthew 9:38

Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Our willingness to enter the field and labor on behalf of the hurting is an answer to prayer in two ways.

First - those who are harassed and helpless

Second - The laborers who are already out there.

When you get to the field, don’t forget to pray.

we need to continue the cycle of prayer and prayer to the Lord of the harvest for more laborers.

My pastor and mentor always says prayer is the work. Everything else is the outgrowth of prayer.

What if you are sitting here today and you are among the hurting and helpless. You are the sheep without a shepherd.

There is hope for the harassed and helpless.

If this is you, the hope is found in the very first verse of this morning’s passage, 35  - “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.

There are two massively important things happening here. First and most important, Jesus is proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. Although his kingdom is not of this world, it is eternal and it is far more powerful than any earthy kingdom.

part of this good news is the restoration of the severed relationship between God and man because of sin. But Jesus gave his very life for each and every one of ours sins so that our relationship with the Father might be restored. By making Jesus Lord of our life, we are offered spiritual healing and spiritual hope.

But spiritual healing is not all Jesus came to do.

He did not come and tell us as we like to say “embrace the suck while your on earth but don’t worry you’ll be in heaven in day.

There is an element of that due to the fact we continue to live in a fallen broken world corrupted by sin, but God cares tremendously about our physical and mental and emotional well being.

In chapter 9 alone, Jesus healed a man who had been paralyzed, stopped the bleeding of a woman who had been suffering for 12 year, brought a dead girl to life, healed two blind men and cast out a demon. . This is one chapter. In Johns Gospel, he tells us that if everything Jesus did had been written down, the world could not contain the books that would be written. All this is to say that God cares about your physical needs and the aspects of your life that overwhelm you to the point of complete oppression and harassment.

7. He cares deeply and passionately about the suffering in this world.

Wrap up.

1. When the work of Jesus was completed on earth and returned to his father in heaven, he didn't wipe his hands and say good luck. He told his followers to go out into the world and continue the work.

2. In the very next verses… Matthew 10:1 “Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.”

3. God still intervenes on behalf of the hurting through his followers and his spirit within them. His followers are commanded to love our neighbors. To clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. We are called to love.

4. So let us see people, the way Jesus sees people.

5. Let us act, enter the field to labor

6. and let us pray because that is the most important work we can do.

MVP

Memorize Verses and Pray them into fruition

pick one and try to memorize that verse for this week. There is a spot in your bulletin to write your MVP or you can take the whole packet.

Lets take a few minutes to look through. Pick one you would like prayed. And I will close is in prayer in a few minutes.

“Show me how to love like you have loved me. Break my heart for what breaks yours.” Hosanna - Hillsong.