The Kind of Savior We Have
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Matthew: The King and His Kingdom • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 33:43
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· 27 viewsOur Lord is compassionate toward the hurting and helpless; thus, our motive for missions is compassion, our means for missions is prayer, and our mode for missions is people.
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35 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.
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for 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 laborers are few;
38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Matthews custom is demonstrating the signs and then turning to an appeal.
If you remember when Jesus came off the mountain, Matthew demonstrated his authority and then appealed to the people to follow Christ.
Then he gave three more demonstrations and described what kind of people Jesus calls.
He has just then demonstrated what kind of New Covenant that Jesus is bringing.
Matthew stops to again plea for his readers to consider the kind of Savior that Jesus will be.
The Character of Jesus – Compassionate toward the Hurting.
The Character of Jesus – Compassionate toward the Hurting.
35 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.
As Matthew has continually demonstrated, Jesus has come with authority over sickness, disease, death, and the spiritual realm.
All of the demonstrations act as sign posts for the reality that the Messiah has come.
The Messiah is here and it is demonstrated in what he does.
“When Jesus expels demons and heals the sick, he is driving out of creation the powers of destruction, and is healing and restoring created beings who are hurt and sick. The lordship of God to which the healings witness, restores creation to health.
Jesus’ healings are not supernatural miracles in a natural world. They are the only truly “natural” thing in a world that is unnatural, demonized and wounded.” –Jürgen Moltmann, cited in Gentle & Lowly, p. 31
Jesus describes the message that he has come to bring as good news.
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Why would Jesus be drawn to compassion?
The people of God as harassed sheep.
The people of God as harassed sheep.
The crowds are “harassed and dejected.”
They were like “sheep without a shepherd.”
A sheep without it’s shepherd will wander around with no direction.
They will be confused and misled.
A shepherd’s role was to as Psalm 23 tells us…
Feeds the sheep (Psalm 23:1-2)
Waters the sheep (Psalm 23:2)
Leads the sheep to safe pastures (Psalm 23:2)
Protects them from danger (Psalm 23:4)
A shepherd was vital for the life of a sheep herd.
Jesus observes a group of people as like a herd of sheep without a shepherd.
Why was this group without a shepherd?
In the Old Testament, God repeatedly describes Himself as a shepherd.
When Jacob blessed Joseph he said…
“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,
Not only do we see God being described as a shepherd, we see Him describing the leaders as shepherds.
When God appointed Joshua to succeed Moses, Yahweh says..
16 “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation 17 who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.”
Joshua serves as a shepherd of the people in the wilderness.
And this shepherd illustration is used to describe the leaders of Israel all the way down through David.
I don’t think it’s any accident that the blind men called out for “the Son of David.”
The Messiah who stands in the lineage of David has come.
70 He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds; 71 from following the nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people, Israel his inheritance. 72 With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand.
From there the leaders of Israel became unrighteous, crooked shepherds.
This is one of the primary rebukes from the prophets in the Old Testament.
Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep?
3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep.
4 The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them.
5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered;
6 they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.
The nub of the issues was always shepherds that fed themselves at the expense of the sheep.
Shepherds that take advantage of sheep.
Shepherds that eat the good portions, clothe themselves, and neglect the sheep.
They were unprotected and helpless to the wolves that came in and devoured them.
10 Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep.
There is really nothing more terrifying than hearing that the God of Heaven is against you.
This ought to be a warning for anyone looking to shepherd God’s people.
The True Shepherd is coming to shepherd His sheep, so you had better shepherd them like Him.
1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you…
Yahweh, the Mighty Warrior, will chase away all the shepherds that have harmed the sheep.
The religious leaders also did not care for the needs of others who were oppressed.
What about those who were not “harassed and helpless”?
…because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
One theologian helpfully observed, “Goats manage very well by themselves, but sheep do not…”
When we had goats growing up we didn’t have much tending to do for them.
The church of Laodicea did not see their need.
They did not see their pitiable position before a Sovereign Lord.
17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.
Sheep are a needy bunch.
Goats are self-sufficient and need nothing from the Shepherd.
There’s an invitation here for us…
19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.
The Shepherd’s compassion for the hurting.
The Shepherd’s compassion for the hurting.
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
What does the word “compassion” mean?
We see this word “compassion” (σπλαγχνίζομαι) is simply the deep, inward felt response within one’s self.
“To be moved in the inward parts”
It sounds strange to us but it refers to one’s bowels and guts.
It is used to describe the King’s disposition toward the man who could not pay the debt he owed.
27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.
The King “out of pity for him” or “being moved with compassion”…
The King did not look on the servant and measure if he would be paid back.
He looked at the servant and “being moved in His inward parts” forgave the debt and released him.
It’s also the response of the Father in the story of the prodigal son.
The son has squandered all the Father’s inheritance.
And when he found himself in the pig stye, he returned home thinking he’d be
20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
Compassion is the inward, deeply felt emotional response to the plight of a suffering person, coupled with a desire to evaluate that suffering.
The Puritan Richard Sibbes put it this way: “When [Christ] saw the people in misery, his bowels yearned within him; the works of grace and mercy in Christ, they come from his bowels first.” That is, “whatsoever Christ did . . . he did it out of love, and grace, and mercy”—but then Sibbes goes one step deeper—“he did it inwardly from his very bowels.” —Gentle & Lowly, p. 27
Here’s the fundamental problem: We are afraid that the compassion of Jesus is as limited as our own compassion.
When Jesus saw the crowds, he wasn’t annoyed, he wasn’t angry, he wasn’t upset, he wasn’t afraid of being influenced by them; he had compassion on them.
His compassion sprang from the fact that they were harassed and helpless.
Sees the suffering person
Feels tender pity in response to the suffering
Seeks to alleviate the suffering
The Bible tells us other places that God is love.
And love is to act on behalf of another person for their benefit.
And when Jesus sees the crowds, this motivates him to have compassion on the needy and the helpless.
It has been said that a person’s character is what they are even while no one is looking.
Character is what comes out of us even when we’re not trying.
If you were to prick the Lord Jesus, this is what would’ve flows forth.
This is true and it’s remarkable to see the character of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It’s not manufactured.
It doesn’t come about from self effort or self will.
It is just who he is.
“The Jesus given to us in the Gospels is not simply one who loves, but one who is love; merciful affections stream from his innermost heart as rays from the sun.” –Gentle & Lowly, p. 27
15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.
Not done yet…
23 And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken.
37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
We have just seen Jesus’ authority demonstrated over all sorts of things.
Why doesn’t He just go harvest everything Himself?
You have the authority and the power, why don’t you do it?
God is a God of means.
He doesn’t merely snap His fingers and accomplish all that He desires.
God uses secondary means to accomplish primary things.
His primary purposes are to save individuals through the gospel.
The Command of Jesus – Compassion leads to Action.
The Command of Jesus – Compassion leads to Action.
Jesus’ compassion moves Him to action.
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
A plentiful harvest with a lack of workers.
A plentiful harvest with a lack of workers.
Picture with me a field that is white with harvest.
A wheat field when it is time to harvest is scattered with grain.
Like Jesus tells His disciples in John 4.
35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.
Likely the people of the town would have littered the horizon.
From a distance this could have appeared to be like white wheat.
The problem is NOT that there’s not enough ripe to be harvested.
The problem is that there is not enough workers.
This is one of the reasons we pray often for more laborers.
When we pray for different countries, we pray that the Lord would stir up more laborers to go out into the harvest.
I think it would be a mistake if we spoke about sending people for missions like this…
Matthew—All Authority in Heaven and on Earth The Lord of the Harvest Helps
“If it’s going to be, it’s up to me!”
Matthew—All Authority in Heaven and on Earth The Lord of the Harvest Helps
“If you won’t pray for missionaries, if you won’t go yourself, then God’s hands are tied, and guess who’s responsible for this huge harvest that’s gonna spoil and rot? You!”
Employing the effective weapon of prayer for laborers
Employing the effective weapon of prayer for laborers
38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Employing the effective weapon of prayer for laborers
Employing the effective weapon of prayer for laborers
How does Jesus effectively answer prayer for the Christian?
“Jesus Christ is closer to you today than he was to the sinners and sufferers he spoke with and touched in his earthly ministry. Through his Spirit, Christ’s own heart envelops his people with an embrace nearer and tighter than any physical embrace could ever achieve.
His actions on earth in a body reflected his heart; the same heart now acts in the same ways toward us, for we are now his body.” –Gentle & Lowly, p. 33
The Lord of the Harvest guarantees effectiveness.
The Lord of the Harvest guarantees effectiveness.
“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.”
Don’t miss the answer to prayer that we see the Father grant directly in this passage.
1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.
2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
This list of names is crucial because it represents the Lord’s answer to the prayers of the disciples.
Jesus commands the disciples to “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Notice how effective this prayer has been for world evangelization.
Think about how absolutely gigantic the movement of Christianity has been.
As Jesus says, the kingdom of God will start with the grain of a mustard seed (Mark 4:30-32), but when it is done, it will be the largest tree in the whole garden.
Matthew—All Authority in Heaven and on Earth The Lord of the Harvest Helps
This prayer has been answered, is being answered, and will continue to be answered until the last hour.
Sending more laborers is always a prayer that our Lord loves to grant.
He loves to send out more workers.
2. Notice the paradigm of how God mobilizes His church for mission.
But there is an important principle we learn from verse 38.
Often the way God answers prayer is by mobilizing the people who prayed.
I remember when I was in college I would often run around the town of Frostburg.
Frostburg has many hills and beautiful views at certain points.
I would often stop while I was running and pray for the town and for the campus.
One day, I found myself praying outside of a beautiful stone church.
I was praying this text.
That church was Welsh Memorial Baptist Church also known as Mountain City Church.
Eventually the church where I would serve as a pastor.
If you would’ve told me while I was running, “Hey Daniel, you’re going to help pastor that church.”
I would never have believed you!
But this is often how God answers our prayers.
We pray and ask for the Lord to send out laborers and in his Providence, he sends us.
Matthew—All Authority in Heaven and on Earth Prayer for Helpers
“Lord, raise up workers for the harvest … and Lord, even me.”
Our Lord is compassionate toward the hurting and helpless and thus our motive for missions is compassion, our means for missions is prayer, and our mode for missions is people.
Our Lord is compassionate toward the hurting and helpless and thus our motive for missions is compassion, our means for missions is prayer, and our mode for missions is people.
What are those people supposed to do?
The Model Worthy of Consideration
The Model Worthy of Consideration
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Enter the person’s world.
Enter the person’s world.
Know their need through understanding.
Know their need through understanding.
Bring them the Savior.
Bring them the Savior.
Our Lord is compassionate toward the hurting and helpless and thus our motive for missions is compassion, our means for missions is prayer, and our mode for missions is people.
Our Lord is compassionate toward the hurting and helpless and thus our motive for missions is compassion, our means for missions is prayer, and our mode for missions is people.
