Matthew 9:35-38 - Vision Sunday

My brother leads Fox Farms.

Every year, he disappears for an extended amount of time for planting season and harvest season.

I always think harvest is such a breath out for him because he sees the fruit of his labor in the fields.

Every spring he goes out to his fields, looks out at a field that’s empty from the harvest in the fall, and he gets back to work preparing the fields for the next harvest.

Today’s sermon is going to be a little different than normal.

We have some important things to talk about regarding the future of our church moving forward.

Some might say, we’re:

Big Idea: Preparing for a new harvest

Context

Jesus has been raising little girls to life, healing a woman that bled for 12 years, made two blind men see each other, and made a mute man talk.

His fame is spreading and He revealing who He is through miracles.

He is revealing something new about God to the world.

Stand to read

Matthew 9:35–38 ESV

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.”

Leader: This is God’s Word

Everyone: Thanks be to God

Exposition

Jesus was not passive on His journey.

He didn’t wait for people to come to Him to proclaim the gospel.

He went to rural villages and well-populated cities.

He was actively seeking out lost people who needs the gospel.

Jesus’s ministry to those people was also a wholistic ministry.

He addressed spiritual and physical needs.

As He taught them, He healed them.

This is complete care for people in every region He went into.

I want to fill you in on what the Lord is doing and is preparing to do in our church.

This is not public knowledge, but will be in mid September.

Announcement

Since 2022, we have been planting this church as a campus of Graceland Church in New Albany.

We have received training, funding, and collaboration from the other campuses.

One of the perks is having a teaching team of pastors that I get to bounce ideas off of.

At the end of this year, we will roll off from being Graceland Church.

The elders of Graceland have voted and I have been meeting with leadership since March, and we have reached a point where it’s time for us to be autonomous.

We will no longer be under the leadership of Graceland Church

We’ll operate out of their “missions” budget than the “campus” budget.

We’ll be responsible for our systems and processes.

Among many other things.

Take heart, hardly anything will change in the reality that we want to see more people come to know, love, and follow Jesus.

What’s the new name?

Harvest City Church

Rural area/Urban area

Active action verb: “Harvest the City”

Jesus said that the harvest is plentiful!

There are plenty of people who are unchanged, dead in sin—which makes them perfect candidates for God’s grace.

These people are the people that should stir our hearts.

Matthew 9:36 ESV

36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Jesus is looking at these places and He’s seeing people clamoring for Him.

The religious leaders, who the people had previously trusted, led them into error.

The religious elite did not love the people and performed “religious” details without sincerity.

The people feel unloved by the people who are supposed to be leading them spiritually.

They’re alone, living in the guilt of their past, and felt shamed by the religious elite.

Some of you have felt this

Before Shelly came here, she would not go to a church.

She had been severely hurt by church people.

This led her into feeling like she was unwanted/unaccepted

She felt alone and sought comfort in other things.

She had been severely disserved and misled by church people.

These are the people that Jesus sees.

Jesus sees them, and His stomach turns with compassion.

He couldn’t look at these people like the religious people did.

His soul was stirred to compassion.

Jesus didn’t simply say, someone should do something.

He moves toward the people.

As a Church, we need the same heart for lost people.

Our hearts must move us to action

We need more than a heart for people—We need a plan of action.

We need a new clear mission to guide us.

Mission Statement

We strive to glorify God by making disciples and planting churches.

Our foundational purpose is to glorify God.

Making disciples—This is how we fulfill the Great Commission

We don’t just want to make converts—We want to make disciples who follow Jesus, grow in faith, mature, and make more disciples.

A disciple is someone who believes and follows Jesus.

A student who has been changed by the gospel and the power of the Spirit.

Someone who obeys what the Lord has for them.

This is the motive of everything we do as a church.

Whenever we consider a new ministry/new outreach opportunity—How does this make disciples?

How do we serve as disciples here?

How can I get in the game?

Kid’s Min—Jennifer King

Current Needs-              

*2 Lead teachers for either Elementary or Preschool-

will serve bi-weekly or 1 month at a time              

*2 Assistant teachers for either Elementary or Preschool

will serve bi-weekly or 1 month at a time              

*4 Nursery volunteers to serve 1 time a month

*1 to 2 people to serve at the Check-In kiosk checking kids in as the arrive

Step Up

Everything you see on Sundays is because a handful of people get here early to pray and set everything up.

This room looks 1,000x different before we get here.

Tech—Lori Deamron

Photography/Videography

Social Media

Worship Team

Guest Services—Venessa Hudson/Willene Burt

Welcome Team

First impressions

Hospitality

Coffee/Breakfast

Everyone here has been equipped by the Lord in a way that is unique and designed to build up the body of Christ.

What’s your gift?

Why would we pray for the Lord to draw people in and not plan to serve them?

When we pray, the Lord will send us out in different ways and into different places.

We were not all called to serve in the same way, but we were all called to spread the gospel through the gifts God has given.

When we grow in our skills/abilities to serve, we are able to train more people up to do what we do in service to King Jesus.

We want to be replaceable.

The things we do as a church aren’t new, it’s just our turn.

Transition

Why would we ask for the Lord to raise up more people to take our place?

What happens when we have too many people doing to same jobs?

Planting churches—This is how the mission multiplies.

We don’t want to be a cul-de-sac church.

We want to be a reproducer.

From our fellowship, we want to see more people come to know Jesus.

This means we need more churches.

We need more barns for the bigger harvest

We want to make disciples, raise up leaders, and send them out to see more disciples made, leaders risen, and churches planted.

I want to raise up more pastors and put them before you—We’re sending a team with this guy to plant a church.

Send them out.

I don’t want to be so naive to believe that one day, I won’t be the pastor here.

I’ll raise up a new guy, just like Paul did several times in the New Testament, and the new guy will love this church, and know this church, and do anything for this church.

The Lord will provide a guy to take my spot.

This is the DNA of our church.

This effects how we view international-mission

Our missional giving as a church is going to go toward church planter/church planting activities in the world.

One of the ways we’re going to pursue is getting involved with 20Schemes.

We want to be a generous church, so 10% of our annual budget will be sent out to accomplish the mission of Christ in the world through church planting.

Transition

Why do we feel that this is our best move for our church?

Matthew 9:37–38 ESV

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.”

This is a major call to action.

He doesn’t tell them, “The harvest is plentiful! Let’s go.”

He tells them, “The harvest is plentiful! Let’s pray!”

He’s telling them to beg and plead for the Lord to raise up more people to spread the gospel.

That tells us how serious Jesus is about this mission.

There is so much gospel-work to do, that the amount of people we have now will not scratch the surface.

There is so much work to be done, that Jesus is saying we need to plead for the Lord to move!

God, please work in my city, my family, my work! Save people! Send more people to proclaim your work! Send more people to love people and show them your grace!

Lord, we need you to send more

Kid’s workers

Sound techs

Musicians

Preachers

Hospitable people

Lord, SEND ME!

Jesus is telling us to beg for more!

Jesus isn’t trying to stir up guilt to get more laborers—He’s asking us to pray.

Why? Because the harvest is ready.

There are people whose lives are in shambles, and they need the hope of a Savior.

There are people who are dead in their sins, who have not heard of the free gift of grace.

There are people who do not know the love of God, that sent Jesus to die for sins.

There are people who feel as though the religious community turned their back on them.

This was the story for the people Jesus is looking at.

Perhaps thats your story.

“I feel helpless. I feel there’s no hope for me. No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to get it together.”

Jesus looked at you with compassion.

Gospel presentation

You’re the kind of person He came for.

Jesus came to bring you hope of eternal life in Him.

He died on the cross so that you wouldn’t have to pay the penalty for your sins, which is eternity separated from God’s love.

Jesus’s died instead of you.

Then Jesus rose three days later so that you can be saved and raised with Him.

The Bible says that those who trust in Jesus for salvation will be forgiven of their sins and have a right relationship with God again.

If you’re not a Christian, you can be a disciple of Jesus today.

The gospel is the power of God to make disciples of Jesus Christ and give new life to tired, weary sinners.

We want to be a church that equips you with the message of the gospel to see more people come to know love and follow Jesus.

Harvest City Church strives to glorify God by making disciples and planting churches.

All of these things produce questions.

Plan to be at the Family Meeting AUG. 24.

We’ll have a meal and a time where you can raise every question you can think of.

We each have a part to play in the function of a new church.

I’m just asking you take a next step.

Take the Next Step

Pray to be used in the Harvest.

Jesus looked at lost people who don’t know the gospel with compassion.

“God, give me the conversations. Give me the words.”

Make this a reoccurring habit.

Pray for wisdom, discernment.

Pray to be bothered by the condition of lost people you know and love.

I love that Bill identified that his next step was to encourage the church by simply doing announcements.

Commit to being a laborer.

Identify where you’re gifted/interested

Ask yourself: “How can I do this to contribute to making disciples/planting churches?”

Do it for Jesus’s glory.