Disciples with Compassion

Illustration: Kitty Genovese Murder. 37 witnesses either saw or heard Her murder.

TEXT: Matthew 14:13-20

TITLE: Disciples With Compassion

Problems arising

verse 15 … buy food for themselves

Ex: Sanctification sold separately

Matthew 9:36 “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

They are harassed by satan , They are helpless (need to learn of the armor of God), They need direction (Christ as the good shepherd).

Hungary

John 6:35 “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

The masses are hungry, We need to give them the bread of life

Pervasive Apathy

verse 15 … send the crowds away...

first of all, what audacity they have!!!

a. From lots of labor

Verse 15 … and the day is now over

Galatians 6:9 “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

b. Thinking someone else will take care of it

Verse 15… buy food for themselves

Ex: My Mom telling my Dad, “YOU GOT LEGS!”

Someone else will take care of it

“Don’t look around a wonder who is going to change the world, say God make it me!” Jerry Falwell Sr.

c. Selfishness

We live in a Post-Modern Society that says the way in which you find fulfillment is in doing what makes you happy.

2 Timothy 3:1-2 “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,”

Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Being Men of Compassion

Verse 17 ...You feed them

Getting in to the water (Iraq story)

People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care

Christ as our example

Just heard bad news and his heart was still to reach the people and care for them

Philippians 2:6-7 “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”

“is Christ not our example?”

Leaving a legacy

Acts 9: 36 “Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity.”

What People will remember HOW you treated them!

Bring People (and their problems) to God

verse 18 bring them here to me

What a tremendous picture of Prayer

Energy levels

Resources

abilities

notice Jesus multiplying the food and not the disciples. The disciples were probably wondering how?

they brought what little they had

Radio commercial advertising for Foster parents. Doesn’t have to be much, all they need is the basics! Bread and fish were the basic Hebrew meal!

John Sumang’s Example in my life

Balance:

Acts 6:4 “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

“without compassion there won’t be any tables to wait on or people to minister to!”