A Heart Breaking for the Lost
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 2 viewsNotes
Transcript
Matthew 9:35–38 (MEV)
Jesus went throughout 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. But when He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they fainted and were scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest, that He will send out laborers into His harvest.”
Introduction
Picture this scene with me: Jesus is walking through the cities and villages of Galilee. He's not rushing from point A to point B. He's moving deliberately, seeing each person, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and affliction. What catches my attention most is verse 36: "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them."
I. Jesus Sees the People
Jesus went throughout 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.
- Jesus demonstrated an active ministry of presence
- Three key actions: Teaching, Proclaiming, Healing
- Compare with Isaiah 61:1-2
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me
because the Lord has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor;
He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn,
(Jesus fulfilling prophetic ministry)
II. Jesus Has Compassion
But when He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they fainted and were scattered, like sheep without a shepherd.
A. The Nature of Christ's Compassion
- Greek word "splanchnizomai" - gut-level emotional response
- Not just pity, but deep emotional investment
- Cross-reference: Luke 15:20 (Father's compassion in Prodigal Son)
So he arose and came to his father.
“But while he was yet far away, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and ran and embraced his neck and kissed him.
B. Why Jesus Had Compassion
- They were harassed (Greek: "skinned, flayed, exhausted") and helpless (Greek: "thrown down, abandoned")
- Like sheep without a shepherd
[Illustration: Today's Harassed and Helpless]
Consider our modern context:
- The exhausted single parent working multiple jobs, too tired to even think about spiritual matters
- The teenager drowning in social media pressure, anxiety, and depression
- The successful professional feeling empty despite achieving every goal
- The elderly person facing isolation and loneliness
- The immigrant struggling to navigate a new culture while carrying trauma
- The addict cycling through recovery and relapse, feeling powerless
- Young adults crushed by debt, unable to see a way forward
- People overwhelmed by information but starving for wisdom
- Those who've been hurt by religion but still hunger for God
Like sheep without a shepherd, they're:
- Overwhelmed by choices but lacking true guidance
- Connected digitally but desperately lonely
- Successful by worldly standards but spiritually empty
- Religious but missing a genuine relationship with God
Cross-reference: Ezekiel 34:5-6
They were scattered because there was no shepherd. And they became meat to all the beasts of the field and were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains and upon every high hill. Indeed, My flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and no one searched or sought after them.
(God's criticism of false shepherds)
III. Jesus Calls Us to Action
Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest, that He will send out laborers into His harvest.”
The Reality of Today's Harvest [Statistical Context]
Consider the scope of the harvest field today:
Mental Health and Loneliness:
- Nearly 1 in 5 American adults (50+ million people) experienced mental illness in 2021
- 63% of young adults report symptoms of anxiety or depression
- 61% of Americans report feeling lonely, a number that has increased dramatically since 2019
- Only 47% of those struggling with mental health actually seek help
Spiritual State:
- About 30% of Americans are "religiously unaffiliated" - the highest in modern history
- 65% of young adults (18-29) don't associate with any particular religion
- 96% of Americans believe in a higher power, showing spiritual openness
- Yet only 49% are connected to a religious community
Economic and Social Pressures:
- 64% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck
- 45% of Americans report feeling "burned out" at work
- 73% of Gen Z report feeling alone "sometimes" or "always"
- 62% of single parents face financial hardship
The Digital Age Impact:
- Average person spends 7 hours daily on screens
- 210 million Americans suffer from internet addiction
- Social media use correlates with increased depression rates
- Despite being more "connected" than ever, loneliness continues to rise
[Application]
[Local Context: Pawhuska, Oklahoma]
Our Immediate Mission Field:
- Population: Approximately 3,400 people, down from its peak years
- Demographics:
* Significant Native American population (primarily Osage)
* Median age around 41 years
* About 21% of residents live below the poverty line
* Median household income below state average
Current Community Dynamics:
- Tourism Impact:
* Pioneer Woman Mercantile draws over 1 million visitors annually
* Growing contrast between tourism success and local needs
* Opportunity to reach both residents and visitors
Local Challenges:
- Limited Healthcare Access:
* Few primary care providers in city limits
* Mental health services often require travel
* Aging population with increasing medical needs
- Economic Reality:
* Many historic buildings remain empty
* Some residents commute to Bartlesville/Tulsa for work
* Mixed impact of tourism on the local economy
* Contrast between visitor spending and resident needs
- Youth and Family Needs:
* Limited activities for local youth
* Many young people leave for opportunities elsewhere
* Generational poverty cycles in some areas
* Need for family support services
[Personal Application]
These statistics represent our neighbors:
- The local shop worker serving tourists while struggling to make ends meet
- The elderly resident who remembers Pawhuska's earlier days
- The young family trying to decide whether to stay or leave
- The Native family balancing traditional culture with modern life
- The seasonal workers who come during tourist peaks
Our Unique Opportunity:
- We're positioned at a crossroads of culture and change
- Our community sees both prosperity and poverty
- We have access to both locals and visitors
- God has placed us here "for such a time as this."
[Preaching Note: As you share these statistics, remember that in your congregation:
- Some are part of these statistics themselves
- Others have loved ones represented in these numbers
- Many may feel overwhelmed by the scope of need
- Always balance sobering statistics with hope in Christ
- Consider pausing after sharing statistics to let them sink in
- Move quickly from statistics to action steps to avoid overwhelming the congregation]
B. Our Response
- Earnest prayer for workers
- Personal involvement in the harvest
- Cross-reference: Acts 1:8 (Being witnesses)
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Application
1. Developing Spiritual Vision
- Taking time to really see people
- Cross-reference: 1 Samuel 16:7 (God looks at the heart)
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees. For man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
2. Cultivating Christlike Compassion
[Illustration: Sympathy vs. Empathy]
Imagine two responses to someone who has fallen into a deep pit:
- Sympathy stands at the edge of the pit, looks down, and says, "I feel so sorry for you down there. That must be terrible!"
- Empathy climbs down into the pit and says, "I know it's dark down here. You're not alone. Let's figure this out together."
Sympathy keeps a safe distance:
- Feels bad for others from afar
- Preserves emotional separation
- Offers pity without personal investment
- Sees problems objectively
Empathy draws near:
- Enters into another's pain
- Shares in their emotional experience
- Invests personally in their struggle
- Sees through their eyes
This is the compassion Jesus demonstrated:
- He didn't just pity us from heaven
- He entered our world
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, the glory as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
- Experienced our struggles
For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who was in every sense tempted like we are, yet without sin.
- Suffered alongside us
He was despised and rejected of men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from him;
he was despised, and we did not esteem him.
Surely he has borne our grief
and carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted.
Cross-reference: Colossians 3:12 (Put on compassion)
So embrace, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, a spirit of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, and longsuffering.
Cross-reference: Philippians 2:5-8 (Christ's ultimate empathy in the incarnation)
Let this mind be in you all, which was also in Christ Jesus,
who, being in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.
But He emptied Himself,
taking upon Himself the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men.
And being found in the form of a man,
He humbled Himself
and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.
3. Engaging in the Harvest
- Personal evangelism and missions
- Cross-reference: 2 Corinthians 5:20 (Ambassadors for Christ)
So we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us. We implore you in Christ’s stead: Be reconciled to God.
Conclusion
The heart of Jesus breaks for the lost. As his followers, our hearts should break, too. This passage challenges us to see people as Jesus sees them, feel what Jesus feels for them, and do what Jesus calls us to do. The harvest truly is plentiful. Will we pray? Will we go? Will we allow our hearts to be broken for what breaks the heart of God?
Closing Prayer
Key Scripture References
- Mark 6:34 (Jesus' compassion on another occasion)
- Luke 19:41-42 (Jesus weeping over Jerusalem)
- Romans 9:1-3 (Paul's heart for the lost)
- 2 Peter 3:9 (God's desire that none should perish)
- John 3:16-17 (God's love for the world)
Key Illustration
A shepherd searching for lost sheep - a modern application of what it means to be "harassed and helpless" in today's context
*Total time: 28 minutes*
