Contagious: Why
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Why Have a Contagious Faith?
Why Have a Contagious Faith?
If we learned anything in 2020, we learned what the name contagious meant.
With the start and spread of Covid-19 we heard from many experts about how contagious this virus is.
I am not here to debate the reality or the fallacies surrounding Covid-19 but what I am here to talk about is the contagious side of things.
How in order to prevent ourselves from getting Covid what did we do— we learned and practiced new techniques such as social distancing and wearing a mask.
We became weary of people who coughed in the public.
I don’t know about you but if I have a runny nose I still feel judged in public.
And don’t get me started on the looks I get if I cough anywhere.
When things are contagious we try to avoid them for the most part.
However there are good things that are contagious as well.
I think of energy— not energy like spirit energy but more like the atmosphere in a room.
We play loud music and we play hype songs to create energy that is contagious so you will want to join in.
We try to sell you on a game so you will play it and have fun again creating this contagious atmosphere.
Having something that is contagious is the act of giving something to someone else that is good or bad.
And catching something contagious is the act of receiving something from someone else that could be good or bad.
When we catch a cold it is most likely we got it from someone else.
You know that last year there were only 700 deaths in relation to the flu.
While that still feels like a lot— the year before that was 22,000 and the year before that was 34,000.
In comparison that is a significant difference.
Meaning that people were protecting themselves from Covid-19 they also ended up protecting themselves from the flu as well.
The flu became almost non existent.
So as we jump into this series called Contagious I want to challenge you to have a contagious faith.
A faith that others see and can’t help but to be drawn in.
A faith that is caught by others as you live life.
A faith that is wanted by others because they see who it has affected your life for the better, even when the situation is pretty crummy.
Because if we do not begin to have this contagious faith, like the flu, it will disappear.
George Carey, who is was bishop in the church of England stated: “The church is one generation away from extinction.”
As in when you all have children, many, many years from now— if you do not pass along your faith and teach your children about God and our savior Christ— The church will become extinct.
The act of being contagious is to allow something to live outside of ourselves.
While sickness and spreading the gospel are two different things, I think we can learn about being contagious in a way that hopefully will challenge us to be contagious Christians.
If we want to end a sickness a way to do that is to put on mask, keep away from people, don’t cough on anyone, shut your doors and hide away from everyone who may have this disease.
And if we do those things then we will get rid of the sickness.
And if we do this with our faith, as in we hide it, we protect it from the outside world, never share it, put on mask to pretend we are someone other then a believer then we will also see our faith slip and become dormant.
Dormant means?
It means to slowdown, to become inactive, alive but not actively growing.
Like about a volcano— it is lying waiting to erupt and some do while others never do.
While we want sicknesses to become dormant the last thing we want is to have a faith that is dormant.
Why is that?
Why do we want to have a contagious faith?
Why do we want to tell the world about Jesus?
If you have your Bibles open to Matthew 9:35 this is where we are going to camp out tonight.
We find Jesus with another huge crowd!
People have gathered to him andJesus is doing what Jesus does best— teaching, proclaiming, and healing.
Let’s read the passage.
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. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “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.”
PRAY
I believe Jesus answers this question right here in this passage of why do we want to have a contagious faith?
It is because the world is hurting, it is helpless, and it is harvestable.
The first point tonight is the world is hurting.
The World is Hurting (v.35)
The World is Hurting (v.35)
Lets reread verse 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.
Jesus is still pretty early in this ministry here and he is just traveling from city to city.
He is teaching, proclaiming the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing.
Jesus was going to their teaching centers— their synagogues and He was teaching much like what we talked about last week with the sermon on the mount.
He was instructing the people on how to live a life that is pleasing to God.
He was speaking truth.
He was also proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom.
Jesus was joyfully speaking the news concerning the new reign of God.
He wanted people to repent and surrender their lives to God.
And lastly he was healing.
But it wasn’t just a little bit here and a little bit there.
No— read that last sentence again—
Healing every disease and every affliction.
All of them.
If you had a disease and came to Jesus you were healed.
This is what Jesus was doing during this time.
It had to be exhausting but Jesus knew that the people were hurting and it offered him what he could.
He offered them Truth, Hope, and Healing.
Jesus was making an impact wherever he went and people flocked to Him, because of what he was saying, what he was promising and what he was doing.
Illustration
Hurt People Hurt People
Application
Do you notice that people you come in contact with daily are hurting.
Not everyone.
Some people are doing fine but I can guarantee you that every single person here comes in contact with someone who is hurting and you have no idea about it.
What I find so interesting about Jesus is that he took time to go to those who were hurting.
He took time to hear them, to heal them and to speak truth to them.
I wonder if we really have this attitude?
Like we actually care for people.
We see people hurting and instead of turning back and going the other way, we ask the question, “Hey, you doing okay?”
and they may not want to talk to you, you may not have a strong relationship with them.
But regardless what you just showed that person was, that you cared about them.
You honestly saw through the crap, you saw through the makeup and you saw someone hurting.
It is no wonder people flocked to Jesus.
He made them feel loved and appreciated.
You know why groups like the LGBYTQ community gets so much traction?
It is because it is a community of people who care for each other.
They love on each other— they encourage each other, they know each other and they reach out to each other to offer support.
It is incredibly powerful.
Whether they are right or wrong— they have a strong community of people who care for them.
How about the church?
You know what the church’s role is?
And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
The chruch is for gathering— for fellowship.
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
If that was the waiting for you as you walked through the doors of chruch— the chruch would be busting at the seems.
Some Churches get this right but others--
You know what is waiting at the doors of churches.
PICTURES OF HATE
*You see that little sign at the bottom of this one?
It says all are welcomed— It is clear that is not true here.
Jesus has compassion for lost people not disgust.
I believe that we do not celebrate sin, however, I believe that people are hurting and they will go where they feel loved, not judged.
It is not our role to judge but to love.
God will take care of the conviction of sin we are called to just love people.
And hurting people need love.
So begin to think about how you love people?
Who are some people that you need to reach out to and show them that you care?
Who are the hardest people for you to love?
This world is full of people who are hurting and want to know that someone cares.
What if we not only cared but we also showed them someone who loved them enough to die for their sin and is deeply in love with them.
What if we show people Jesus?
Would that change the chruch you currently are going too?
Would it?
I think it would, because while most Churches would say this is what they want, few actually do it.
Are you willing to help the hurting?
How about the helpless?
The World is Helpless (v.36)
The World is Helpless (v.36)
Explain
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
As Jesus is healing, speaking and proclaiming— he looks out at the people, the crowds and he takes it in.
It is like when I first visited the Grand Canyon— I didn’t say anything, I just took it all in.
Jesus was looking at the people who kept coming to him and he had compassion on them.
WHY?
I mean these are the people who are eventually going to turn on him.
But in this moment Jesus had compassion on the people.
WHY?
Why compassion?
Because they were rejected and helpless.
and he gives us a metaphor and says what the people remind him of.
They are sheep without a Shepard.
Have you ever seen sheep without a Shepard?
Look at this sheep?
SHOW VIDEO SHEEP JUMPING INTO DITCH
As Matthew is writing here, he is saying that Jesus had compassion on the crowd.
And this word compassion shows up here and what is really interesting about this word here is that it is not an emotion that Jesus is using.
The term here is used as a verb to not describe the emotion of Jesus but it describes who Jesus is— FOR HE IS COMPASSION.
He had other moments of compassion as well.
When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.”
And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.
You see Jesus saw the people, they were hurting and helpless.
They were sheep with no Shepard.
And it even goes further they are people without a rudder, they have not purpose, no meaning.
Their current Shepard's have failed them.
They were being harassed and cast out.
The people had zero resources, they were vulnerable to attacks.
Sheep's are terrible at finding their own food.
Sheep’s need to be led.
They are helpless on their own.
But isn’t this true for us prior to knowing Jesus.
I look back at my life without Jesus and it was hopeless.
I was lost and blind.
I did not know right from wrong.
I was clueless.
And then I heard from the true Shepard.
A Psalm of David.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
This is the true Shepard.
Illustration
Application
The people of this world is helpless.
While we can do good at times, it is still helpless.
They are rejected and the people who have been put in charge of the shepherding sometimes fail and miss, and they mess up.
Jesus saw all these people coming to him and he was overwhelmed I think.
Because look, up to this point Jesus had been doing all the teaching and the training his self--- He is now going to challenge the disciples to do what he is doing.
You have also been charge to go to the helpless, the hurting, the rejected and led them to the foot of the cross.
While we do not do the saving we can at least shine the light on the cross.
We can get the people excited about Jesus and as a good Shepard he point them to life.
We help them see the truth.
And here is the deal.
The world is harvestable.
All of it.
Even here is Galesburg.
The World is Harvestable (v.37-38)
The World is Harvestable (v.37-38)
Explain
Then he said to his disciples, “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.”
Jesus is teaching and speaking truth and offering hope and healing and all of a sudden there is a change.
Jesus then turns to his disciples and speaks to them.
He is speaking figurative language again.
Saying the harvest is plentiful.
But there are no workers to be found.
So what are we to do?
We are first commanded to pray.
Pray for workers to harvest.
Now Is Jesus talking about farming here?
HECK NO!
He is talking about the people who are hurting, and are helpless and are lost.
They are ready to hear the good news of Jesus and turn to him.
The harvest is all around us.
It was all around Jesus as well.
And while we are to be going on and harvesting ourselves as Jesus tells us in Matthew 28
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
When was the last time you prayed for someone to come and witness to your friends?
Now that could be dangerous because what if God chooses me to be part of the harvest.
It is easy to pray for God to bring someone in to witness to the lost people, it is an entirely different game to have God hear our prayer and then send us.
I think that is awesome when he does that.
We must understand that the people who are lost need someone to go to them and tell them the good news of Chirst.
WHY CAN’T IT BE YOU?
If you are scared, good that makes two of us, but here is the hope— back in Matthew 28:20
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
CHIRST IS WITH US ALL!!
He is with you as you go out to harvest the lost and he is with you when you go to the hurting and helpless!
He is present with you.
He is just ask for you to pray and to go
Are you willing to be the one who answers the call?
Illustration
I think back to Isaiah.
Isaiah just entered into God’s throne room and he is now in the very presence of God.
And he realizes just how sinful he is compared to a perfect God.
And it drives him to his knees.
And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
Isaiah comes from death to life.
He is made clean by God and once he is made clean— He allows God to use him.
Application
Somewhere along the line— we got the fire insurance— we know we are not going to hell but we forgot to tell the others about him.
Isaiah was bolding saying to God— SEND ME LORD!
I am right here— I will go to the harvest and reach the lost for you.
SEND ME?
When was the last time you prayed that God would use you to reach the lost in your schools, at home, in your friends group?
The harvest is ready, It is ripe and ready to be picked.
It is ready to be harvested but the workers are few.
Jesus knew that his mission on the earth was going to have to be carried out by the other disciples.
That is why in the next chapter Jesus is send out his disciples to do exactly what he is doing— to speak truth, to offer hope and to heal others.
Conclusion
Why do we live out a contagious faith?
Because the world, the people of this world are hurting, and are helpless.
They are lost with no guide.
And you have something the world desperately desires truth and hope.
So are to a laborer in the field already?
Are you speaking boldly of Christ?
Maybe right now you are just praying for God to send more help.
Or maybe you are just thinking someone else will take care of it.
Jesus tells us that the laborers are few but the people who are lost and need Christ are plentiful.
What if in your life your faith was contagious that people flocked to you because they knew you spoke truth, and you offered hope.
Who knows maybe you could heal someone although we know who does the healing, it is Christ alone.
Let’s pray
Before the team starts for the next song— i want you to group up— no more then 4 to a group.
And I want you to pray for your friends who need Jesus.
By name— pray for them.
The harvest is ready to be plucked— we must pray that God will begin to do a work on them.
So let us pray for our friends, our family, or co-workers.
For just one song— get together and pray that God will send the laborers out.