Well, let's begin our worship by singing to God's praise.
We're going to sing in Psalm 147, in the Sing Psalms version, Psalm 147.
Sing Psalms version.
We're going to sing from verse 1 to 7.
This is page 192.
And it's a psalm that just reminds us about coming to the Lord with praise.
Praise the Lord, how good it is to sing him songs of praise.
How pleasant to give thanks to him for all his gracious ways.
We come with these words in mind to praise our God.
Singing from verse 1 to verse 7 on the Tunis Free Church.
The Lord, how good it is to sing him for all his gracious ways.
The Lord builds up Jerusalem and the ages alone.
To bring the exile's home.
He heals his people's broken hearts,
He stores the news that way.
He sets the number of the stars and rolls very tiny.
the end of the house and rocks,
The Lord sustains the defense,
The Lord must live miy in the
The wicked to the God.
Sing to the Lord with handfulness,
with joy in space proclaims.
And when the music of the heart
give glory to his name.
Let's unite our hearts in prayer.
Let us pray.
Our gracious Lord, our Father in heaven,
we bow in your presence at this time,
just coming in adoration of you,
coming in praise of you,
with much to be thankful for.
We thank you for who you are,
for how we have sung of your greatness
in this psalm,
how profound your wisdom is,
as the psalmist says.
And we thank you that your wisdom
is so much greater than ours.
Your word reminds us that your ways
are above our ways and your thoughts
above our thoughts.
And so we are reminded by that, Lord,
that whatever our ways and our own wisdom,
that you are the one who is able to direct us
and to help us to find our security
and our help in you.
And we thank you that as we come to you,
we recognize just who you are,
for your word describes it so wonderfully for us.
There are so many passages of Scripture
that we can turn to and we're reminded of
your great power,
your steadfast love,
your great mercy towards your people,
the way that you are a God
who abhors all wickedness, Lord,
the way that you are in knowledge of all things,
that judgment belongs to you.
But we thank you that you have great power
over your people,
that you have authority in all things.
For you are the Lord who builds up Jerusalem.
You are the one alone who reaches out to Israel,
as your word says,
to bring the exiles home.
We thank you for these wonderful promises
for your people.
We thank you too that your word speaks of
your great healing power,
that you are the one who is able to heal
the people's broken hearts,
to restore the bruised and lame,
so that in the midst of all the authority
and power you have in creation,
you have numbered the stars
and called them by name.
But you have also seen your people.
You have numbered them
and you call them by name as well.
And you know every need,
every personal need,
every wider need,
every national and international need
of your people far and wide.
And so we call upon your name tonight
as the living God.
We call upon you as the one,
the only one who is able to help,
the only one who is able to bless.
And in all that we see
as impossible for ourselves,
we thank you that all things
are possible with you.
And so we come this night, Lord,
praying for your church.
We pray that you will build your church up,
that here in our own midst,
in our town,
in our community,
in our presence here, Lord,
that you will build us up as a people,
that you will help us
to be a living people,
an active people,
a people of much faith,
of much prayer,
of much service to you.
We thank you, Lord,
that you have promised
to build your church up,
that the very foundation of it
has been set,
that Jesus Christ is the cornerstone,
that he is the one
upon whom all things are built.
And we thank you, Lord,
that that is such a wonderful reminder to us
of the security of your church.
For when the enemy attacks,
as we so often see it,
as we read it in your scripture too,
we are given that wonderful promise
that though the gates of hell
prevail against your church, Lord,
that it will stand secure.
And so we pray, Lord,
that you will continue to bless
your people near and far.
As we think of the atrocities
taking place in Israel and Gaza,
as we think of the devastation,
the loss of life,
the ongoing conflict, Lord,
we are just,
have no words in it, Lord,
but we cry out to you
that you might have mercy,
that you might come,
O Lord,
in your power,
that you might turn
a people to you,
that peace would come,
that we would see,
O Lord,
your hand
in the midst of these
terrible situations,
that we would see,
even if we don't understand it,
that you would use it for good.
We remember and continue
to pray as well
for other conflicts
around the world,
as we think of
the Russian and Ukraine
conflict as well
and ongoing there,
so we pray, too, Lord,
for peace to come.
We recognize, too, Lord,
that our world,
in so many ways,
has turned away from you,
but yet we thank you
that throughout the world
there are signs of growth
and encouragement,
that especially where we see
and hear of people
being persecuted
for their faith,
suffering for it,
that you are indeed
giving us strength of faith,
that we should long
for ourselves,
that we would see,
O Lord,
and pray for your church
far and wide,
that we would pray
for ourselves, O Lord,
to be built up
with a strength of faith
that will stand up
to all the attacks
that we come under,
that we would stand up
with courage and boldness
and speak out against wrongs
and seek your good
throughout our land
and for all people.
And for that,
we pray for all our leaders,
Lord,
from our king
and the royal family
as a whole.
Lord,
we pray
that you will give them
wisdom to lead
and to rule over a people,
Lord.
We pray for them,
Lord,
to know
your spirit working,
to know
what it is
to truly believe
in the Lord Jesus,
to put their faith
in him.
we ask,
Lord,
that you will
do them good
to that end.
We pray for
Prime Minister
and First Minister
and Parliaments
in London
and Edinburgh.
We pray again
for your blessing
over them,
O Lord,
that you would guide them
to yourself,
that you will humble them
under your mighty hand,
that they would know
your power,
that they would know
that all authority
belongs to you.
O Lord,
have mercy on us
in these things.
We pray too,
Lord,
for our people here
and especially
remembering those,
Lord,
with particular needs.
We pray for
families going
through times
of bereavement
just now.
Again,
we commit the family
of Asda McKenzie
to you,
asking for your blessing
on them,
Lord,
for you to comfort,
to uphold
and to strengthen.
Remember too,
Lord,
the MacLeod family,
Reverend Duncan MacLeod
and Morick
and their other children
and the wider family
as they will
come together
on Tuesday
for the funeral
of Katie.
O Lord,
in the midst
of that great sorrow
and pain
that they feel,
we just pray
for your comfort,
for your promises,
even as we have
sung of,
that you are the one
who is able
to heal
the people's
broken hearts.
O Lord,
we pray
for your great
mercy and comfort
to them all
at this time
and others too,
Lord,
who mourn.
We pray
to be near to them,
be with all
who are ill
and in hospital
and homes again,
Lord,
we pray for them.
Be with us all
as a people,
we pray that
as we even read
your word
and turn to it
this evening
that you will
remind us of
what a wonderful
Savior we have,
what a wonderful
sacrifice he has
made for us,
that he has come
to seek
and to save
sinners.
We thank you,
Lord,
for the wonderful
compassion
shown by our Lord
that even as he saw
a crowd helpless
and harassed
like sheep
without a shepherd,
we thank you
that his gaze
upon them
was one of loving
compassion
and concern.
And so we pray
that you will
fill our hearts
with that same
burden
for all we see
around us,
that we would have
a great compassion
and concern
for all people
near and far.
So, Lord,
may you bless
your word to us.
May you help us
to have understanding
of what you are
saying to us.
May you guide us
through it.
So, may you continue
to bless us,
Lord,
and watch over us.
Can we commit
the youth fellowship
that meets later
to you as well,
Lord,
for your blessing
there upon the young
people who meet.
We thank you
for Jonathan and Alison
as they host
and for Hannah
as she comes to speak
and we just pray,
Lord,
that you will be
in their midst
as well.
So, Lord,
continue with us now.
Go before us
in the week ahead.
Guide our steps,
guide our thoughts,
guide our words
and actions
and all that we do,
may it be,
to your glory
and forgive us
our sins,
O Lord,
as we confess them
on you,
that you will cleanse us
by the precious blood
of Christ.
For we thank you
that in the cost
that has been paid,
that there is redemption
for your people.
We pray, Lord,
to know that saving power.
So, bless us,
we pray,
and hear us
as we ask all these things
in Jesus' name.
Amen.
We'll again sing
to God's praise,
this time in Psalm 87
in the Singed Psalms,
page 115
of the psalm books.
Psalm 87.
And we can sing
the whole of this psalm.
Psalm 87,
page 115.
On Jerusalem's holy mountain,
he has founded his abode.
More than all of Jacob's dwelling,
Sion's gates,
are dear to God.
We'll sing
the whole of this psalm
to God's praise.
Psalm 87.
Glorious kings of you are spoken,
Zion, city of the Lord,
May be drawn from all the nations,
As your people I record.
I will name us,
Lord, to know me,
Egypt, Tyre, and Balea,
Palestine,
along with Gershaw,
I will count us high on war.
Yet,
Saint,
it will be said,
O Zion,
This and that
will hear the old,
And on her
the highest blessing
Will descend
And make us strong.
For in Zion,
God will enter,
In the people's register,
They will sing
As saving,
All my fountains
Are in hell.
We turn together
to read God's word
now in the gospel
of Matthew,
chapter 9.
Matthew,
chapter 9.
We're going to take up
our reading at verse 9,
reading down to the end
of this chapter.
Matthew,
chapter 9,
and taking up
our reading at verse 9.
In the previous chapter,
chapter 8,
in the beginning of this chapter,
if you just have a quick glance,
you see Jesus healing
and cleansing many people.
We see that's a theme
running through these chapters.
And what we're seeing
is really Jesus' longing
and desire towards a people,
and we'll see that at the end.
of chapter 9,
which we'll be focusing on
together this evening.
And let's take up
our reading at verse 9
of chapter 9.
As Jesus passed on from there,
he saw a man called Matthew
sitting at the tax booth,
and he said to him,
Follow me.
And he rose and followed him.
And as Jesus reclined
the table in the house,
behold, many tax collectors
and sinners came
and were reclining
with Jesus and his disciples.
And when the Pharisees saw this,
they said to his disciples,
Why does your teacher
eat with tax collectors
and sinners?
But when he heard it,
he said,
Those who are well
have no need of a physician,
but those who are sick.
Go and learn what this means.
I desire mercy
and not sacrifice.
For I came not to call
the righteous,
but sinners.
And the disciples of John
came to him,
saying,
Why do we and the Pharisees fast,
but your disciples
do not fast?
And Jesus said to them,
Can the wedding guests
mourn as long
as the bridegroom
is with them?
The days will come
when the bridegroom
is taken away from them,
and then they will fast.
No one puts a piece
of unshrunk cloth
on an old garment,
for the patch tears
away from the garment,
and a worse tear is made.
Neither is new wine
put into old wineskins.
If it is,
the skins burst
and the wine is spilled
and the skins are destroyed.
But new wine is put
into fresh wineskins,
and so both are preserved.
While he was saying
these things to them,
behold,
a ruler came in
and knelt before him,
saying,
My daughter has just died,
but come and lay your hand
on her and she will live.
And Jesus rose
and followed him
with his disciples.
Behold,
a woman
who had suffered
from a discharge of blood
for twelve years
came up behind him
and touched
the fringe of his garment,
for she said to herself,
If I only touch his garment,
I will be made well.
Jesus turned
and seeing her,
he said,
Take heart, daughter.
Your faith
has made you well.
And instantly,
the woman was made well.
And when Jesus came
to the ruler's house
and saw the flute players
and the crowd
making a commotion,
he said,
Go away,
for the girl is not dead,
but sleeping.
And they laughed at him.
But when the crowd
had been put outside,
he went in
and took her by the hand,
and the girl arose.
And the report of this
went through
all that district.
But as Jesus passed on
from there,
two blind men
followed him,
crying aloud,
Have mercy on us,
son of David.
When he entered the house,
the blind men came to him,
and Jesus said to them,
Do you believe
that I am able
to do this?
They said to him,
Yes, Lord.
Then he touched
their eyes,
saying,
According to your faith,
be it done to you.
And their eyes
were opened.
And Jesus sternly warned them,
See that no one knows
about it.
But they went away
and spread his fame
through all that district.
As they were going away,
behold,
a demon-oppressed man
who was mute
was brought to him.
And when the demon
had been cast out,
the mute man spoke.
And the crowds marveled,
saying,
Never was anything
like this seen in Israel.
But the Pharisees said,
He casts out demons
by the prince of demons.
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 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.
Amen.
And may God bless that reading
from his word.
Before we turn back
to that passage,
we'll again sing
to God's praise
in Psalm 103
in the Scottish Psalter version.
Psalm 103,
page 369.
And we'll sing
from verse 1
to verse 5,
the tune is Kilmarnock.
Although my soul
bless God the Lord
and all that in me is,
be stirred up
his holy name
to magnify
and bless.
We'll sing
from verse 1 to 5
to God's praise.
O Lord, my soul, best of the Lord, and all that in me is,
He stood up his soul in him, to my life, and all that in me is,
Bless, O my soul, the Lord, I know, and not forget for thee.
Of all his gracious benefits, he hath which stood on thee.
All thy name, if we're thee to God, most graciously forgive.
O Lord, my soul, the Lord, my soul, and grace, hath thee and me weary.
O Lord, my soul, best of the Lord, and all that in me is,
Who with the wonders of good things, does satisfy thy mind,
So that he can speak, O sing, bring you in his time in good.
can we turn back together to our reading in Matthew chapter 9
and we can read again at the end of the chapter verse 35 to 38
as you read through these verses we've read together from verse 9 you see Jesus
it said that he's passing on he's moving on he's going from place to place with many different
things happening and he's seeing many different people and then as kind of summarizing at the end
of the chapter here in verse 35 we see that he continued to go through so many places Jesus went
through all the cities and villages teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel
of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction then these words when he saw
the crowds he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a
shepherd and 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 as we say has seen many crowds of people in many different circumstances as he's been traveling
around and it's this idea of a crowd as he sees him and what he sees in them that we want to think
about this evening because it says here in verse 36 when he saw the crowds he had compassion for them
compassion because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd so it was something
that Jesus was seeing in his day and I'm sure something in many ways we see ourselves today too we see many
different crowds around us but how do you react in crowds of people some people find crowds difficult
find it kind of overwhelming and claustrophobic to be in a crowd others love to be in the midst of a crowd
of people I suppose it might depend sometimes what kind of crowd of people you're with or you're in
if we're gathered together here this evening or if we're in other places where we gather to worship
God with a large crowd of people it can be a real joy and a delight and uplifting to be
among like-minded people lifting our voices and praise to God but other times you can end up in a
crowd and it's not your own fault you end up in a crowd by mistake perhaps you're just walking along
and all of a sudden you're in the midst of a crowd of people perhaps you are out marching or protesting
about something and you end up just almost being swept along by this crowd and it can be a terrifying
experience a very unnerving experience so a lot of times it depends what kind of crowd we're in and
i'm sure many of us have been in different crowds in different places over the years
whatever crowd you find yourself in wherever you are what's fascinating about crowds is just observing
the variety of people that you find there whatever kind of crowd it is wherever it is
however many people there are what you see is a people who are all made in the image of God
the question very often is is that how we see them and we want to see this evening how
jesus sees crowds how he sees people and the compassion that he has for them for as a great reminder
to ourselves how we should look out ourselves and see the people around us a reminder of the compassion
of the lord to his people and as you read through the gospel of matthew we are reminded even in this
chapter we've read it in verse 13 why god sent his son into this world why jesus came into this world when
you look at verse 13 of this chapter in the midst of jesus again with being with people sitting with
tax collectors and sinners as the the pharisees would see them but jesus sees them differently
he says in response to the complaints that he receives those who are well have no need of a physician but
those who are sick in verse 13 go and learn what this means i desire mercy and not sacrifice for i came
not to call the righteous but sinners that is why jesus came and up until this point in the gospel of matthew we
learn so much about the authority of jesus who he is as the son of god and why he has come
in the fulfillment of scripture she has come to save his people from their sins
so we've learned you learn up to this point about the power the authority of jesus
and then at the end of chapter 9 this section that we're looking at this evening we come to a kind of
a point of transition where the focus shifts not just on jesus and all the work that he is doing
and the authority and the power he has but what he wants his people to do and the power and authority
that he is giving to them as they are being reminded of the people around them as they are to see them as
we will see as the harvest feels the harvest is plentiful and as he goes on from here it's
sending his disciples and sending his people out that they might proclaim the gospel of the kingdom
of god and you see that as you go in to chapter 10 the 12 apostles then being sent out but before
that we come to that and the end of chapter 9 we're seeing just why they were chosen and sent out
and why jesus continues to send his church out today we are being sent out and we are to be a people who
have a compassion and a concern for those around us what do we see we see jesus here as he says here in
verse 36 he had compassion for them and this compassion is then shown in the concern that there will be people
laborers to go out into the fields to go out into the fields to bring in the harvest and as a people as a church that is
the compassion and concern we should have ourselves as well as a church we should long and look around us to see
the harvests brought in a people brought in to know the lord jesus that the lord would give us the heart of christ himself
for that compassion for that compassion for the lost the christian writer jc ryle he said this once
a person who does not feel for souls of all unconverted people surely does not have the mind of christ
so what a challenge there is in these words as we think of them in the context of this passage the
compassion and the concern that jesus showed towards the crowds and as jc ryle says if we don't have that
feeling for souls of the unconverted people surely then we do not have the mind of christ
we can become distracted even as a church as a body of god's people as a denomination as a church
worldwide we can become so distracted by so many things that go on things that we think are so
important for our own agendas and our own lives that we can so easily lose sight of what is at the heart of
the gospel that jesus proclaims to us here it is a people who are lost and a people who are perishing
that we would seek to have this compassion and concern that will be infectious to us that we would see the
lord jesus and what he has done for us that he came for sinners and that he claimed as he claims sinners for
himself that he would equip us as poor sinners as we were thinking this morning as fragile frail jars of
clay but with a great treasure the gospel the glorious gospel so let's think about christ's compassion and
christ's concern as we see it in this passage and see what it says to ourselves first of all we think of
christ's compassion and we see it there so clearly in verse 36 when he saw the crowds he had compassion for
them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd going astray lost no direction in their lives
and he saw them and he had compassion on them so where does the compassion come from what is the heart what's
behind this compassion well it's the essence of who he is of who jesus is when we think of the word compassion we maybe think of
just one word in english but there's a number of different words that are used for compassion in the greek
and the one that's used here for compassion in the greek is only used of the lord it's almost like it's a unique
word that only applies to the lord himself that only he can have this kind of perfect
compassion because our compassion is never perfect because we are sinners but christ's compassion is perfect
and when you read where this word is used and used of the lord it's always into circumstances
of distress and despair and grief but the lord is there showing his wonderful compassion
whether it's seeing crowds as we're seeing here or whether seeing families or individuals
that jesus has a special compassion for his people unlike anything that we could show
but when you think of who he is should we be surprised of course not we are imperfect but he is perfect
how could jesus reach out to all the people he did how could he care about so many different people
in so many different situations what motivated him motivated him well you have to go back to who he is
as the gospel of john reveals to us this is god himself made flesh the word of god who dwells among us who is with us
who god sent into this world
jesus born into this world god with us god is behind it he sent his son in this world to
this world because of his love for the world for the lost
and so many people look at the old testament and they read it and come away from it with the idea that
that that god is a cruel god a harsh god a god who is almost full of wrath
and yet when you read in the new testament of jesus what we see is the exact nature of god who this is
so it reminds us of god is a god of compassion yes he has wrath and judgment but also such great love
we are reminded of who jesus is in the book of hebrews chapter one and it says long ago at many times and
in many ways god spoke to our fathers by the prophets but in these last days he has spoken to us by his son
whom he appointed the heir of all things through whom all he also he created the world and it says he is the
radiance of the glory of god and the exact imprint of his nature
god is holy he is a consuming fire he's a god of wrath and judgment but he's also a god of steadfast love
grace and mercy and compassion so this is the essence of who jesus is and where his compassion
comes comes from he is not hindered by a fallen sinful nature he is not selfish like we are he goes
beyond all the flaw flaws and faults that mark us
but that does not mean we should not long to be like him surely that is the desire of every christian
to be more christian to be more christian to be more christian to be more christian to be more christian
so what do we see here of christ jesus we see how he sees the crowd he sees his people he's looking on
them intently and as he looks upon them he sees them with compassion compassion
a longing that they would not be lost that they would not be without a shepherd but that they would know what it is to be brought into the fold
that they would know what it is to have the peace of jesus
a quick glance over chapter 8 into chapter 9
it shows us the concern that jesus had
jesus cleanses a leper he heals a centurion servant he heals peter's mother-in-law he calms a storm
he delivers men from being demon possessed he heals a paralytic he raises a girl from her deathbed he heals two blind
men and casts out a demon out of a man who was mute you read through it and you see all of these things
why because of his compassion he sees a people in need
jesus knows the pain his people suffer he knows every situation that they are in he knows what it is to be hurt
deeply but he is also able to help in our hearts to enter into our hearts with us to be there with us
he sees a people as only he can
and so it asks us that question how do we look on people
an american author he's no longer living by the name of stephen covey
and he wrote a number of books and in one of his books he speaks about an unusual experience he had
and it was a day when he was on the new new york subway
and he was traveling on the subway and while he was sitting in one of the cars
with a number of a large number of other people the place was fairly quiet
until a man came on who had a couple of children with him
the man just sat back in his seat and his children just started playing around making much noise and
disturbing the place causing chaos and it was getting to the other passengers on the tram on the underground
that they felt that children's behavior was inappropriate that the father should do something about it
and eventually it got to the point where stephen covey felt that he had to go and speak to the man and so
he did he went over to him and said look
your children are being so disruptive can you not do something to settle them down
at that point the man just who had been sitting with his eyes closed opened his eyes and started looking around
oh he said i'm sorry you're right
i should do something about it but then he went on to say this we've just come
from the hospital where their mother just passed away an hour ago
and i don't know what to think i don't know what to do and all of a sudden stephen's attitude of
being annoyed by what was going on was suddenly changed to a thought of compassion for this man
stephen like so many others had just looked and judged without knowing what was going on in this man's experience
experience now what's interesting is stephen covey didn't believe in jesus as we believe in him
but yet he had compassion
so how much more compassion should we have as the disciples of christ to look around ourselves and not look
around with eyes of judgment thinking we know exactly what's going on and what needs to be done
when perhaps behind it all we know nothing of the experience of individuals of families of strangers that we see around us
compassion starts when we begin to understand the hurts of others and to know that we are one who is able to help
but do we have that heart and these eyes of compassion for those around us in that way jesus saw the crowds and he had compassion on them
on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd
how do we view people how do we see those around us do we look through the eyes of jesus through eyes
of compassion or do we look with eyes of judgment
he saw the crowd and had compassion the second thing we see here is christ's concern
perhaps we do have compassion
perhaps we do have
compassion towards not just those we know but those we see around us as well
but we see with the compassion of jesus here
it's not a compassion
without
action
you see you see it as you read through
the book of matthew up to this point he had compassion
compassion but he was doing something about the needs of the people
helping us only he could but also teaching his disciples that as they would be sent out that
they would go with his power with his authority with his help
and that he would teach them to have that compassion
for all that they would come into contact with
as well
if we think of compassion
in our own understanding
compassion is often defined as
a strong feeling of sympathy and sadness
for the suffering and a wish to help them
we cannot maybe reach
the compassion of jesus that only he could show in a perfect way
but we should have a compassion that leads to a concern
to help others
seeing them as harassed and helpless and not just
doing nothing
but asking what can we do
he's full of compassion here jesus
but he's also got a plan
and his plan is for his church
his church to go out into the harvest fields
and his church to pray for others from generation to generation to go out
into the harvest field
his plan is to send help to a needy people
and so when you look at verse 37 and 38
it shows that his compassion leads into this concern
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 describes here the people the crowds that he is seeing as the harvest fields
ripe with grain that are ready to be harvested
but what he sees is the laborers are few
but we see that he has a plan
and his plan is founded on prayer
he said to his disciples pray earnestly to the lord of the harvest to send out the laborers
into his harvest
when you read these words you think
the prayers that his disciples had at this time
are they still being answered today
that they prayed not just for the harvest field as it was in these days
but that for every generation
and every nation of this world
that there would be laborers for the harvest for generations to come
and that as we pray we enter into this ongoing prayer
that the harvest would be brought in
there to pray
but there to pray earnestly with this heart and eye of compassion
that they too would see the crowd and would see the need that there is
that they would go
as part of jesus's concern to show this compassion and concern to others themselves
if you go and sit in any public place
whether it's an airport or a coffee shop or the library or wherever you might go
a place where people are passing by
do you ever take time just to look at the people who are around
the people who are dashing around perhaps if you're
certainly if you're not so much storing away airport
but if you go to a bigger airport
glasgow or heathrow or somewhere like that
you'll always see people
dashing around rushing from
one terminal to another or from one gate to another
and everybody seems so harassed
the same with trains and stations and places like that
you see people who are just dashing around
you ever stop just to wonder about these people and pray for these people
with a sense of concern and compassion for them
whether it's around us here or wherever we go
that we have a sense of concern and compassion towards them
and pray for them
pray for the people who pass by you in the street here
who pass by you in the coffee shops and other shops
pray because they are part of the harvest field
pray that they would come pray for laborers
whether they be others or ourselves
that as the lord gives us a burden that we would go
because that is the prayer that jesus is telling them to have here
pray earnestly to the lord of the harvest
to send out laborers
into his harvest
and there's a real sense of power behind that word
send
it's more than just
just go out if you want
there's a sense of power because this is his plan
plan for his church for his people
that they would be sent out
thrust out
it has almost a violence behind it
people are being forced out to go
but it's not so much forced
but behind this word is the idea of an explosion taking place
that there's a real sense of power behind
so they're sent out with the power of god behind them
and with a real desire to go out
with a compassion of their savior in their hearts
a desire for many to be saved
that is what is behind this
and is that how we pray
pray
lord not just you do the work
we pray that of course
but lord help us
to see
men women boys and girls
used in this way
used by you because the harvest
is plentiful and the laborers are few
J.C. Ryle again
to quote him
him he reminds us that yes we are doing this
in the power of god
he says personal working for souls is good
giving money is good but praying is best of all
by prayer we reach him without money
who money and work
by prayer we reach him without whom money and work are in vain
we obtain the aid of the holy ghost
the holy spirit
that we have that power with us
that is often our prayer
and that should always be our prayer
prayer
but behind it too
is his willingness to go
this willingness to go
he says here
we send out that he would send out laborers into his harvest
and what happens next in chapter 10
Jesus sends out the 12 apostles
they didn't sit back
they went out
and what happens at the end of the gospel of Matthew
in the last chapter chapter 28
that chapter concludes with the great commission
go therefore and make disciples of all nations
baptizing them in the name of the father the son and 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 we do nothing apart from him
he has promised to be with us
but we are to go
they go in chapter 10
they go at the end
and they continue to go to this very day
seeking the power of god with us
Jesus is concerned for his church
he has compassion and he has a concern
and his concern leads to a plan that he will send his people out
so what hinders this compassion and this concern
sometimes it's this
complacency
i don't know who said this
but somebody once wrote this
complacency is a blight that saps energy
dulls attitudes and causes a drain on the brain
the first symptom is satisfaction with things as they are
the second is rejection of things as they might be
good enough becomes today's watchword and tomorrow's standard
complacency makes people fear the unknown
mistrust the untried and abhor the new
like water
complacent people follow the easiest course
downhill
they draw false strength from looking back
complacency
kills
complacency
brings everything to a shuddering halt
we pray to the lord of the harvest
as we pray
we are to go
not satisfied with what we have
not saying that's good enough
enough
but remembering the compassion of christ
and the concern of christ
that is how we are to be
to press on in our walk with the lord
to not be satisfied with what we are or what we have
but to always be looking to him for more
more in ourselves more faith
more courage
more boldness
more in terms of people being saved
more in terms of laborers being sent out into the harvest field
more glory to god
is that our longing
c.s lewis once wrote these words he said
when he's talking here about kind of a
complacency in the midst of a people he says it's it is hard but the sort of
compromise we're hankering after is harder in fact it is impossible he says about staying as we are
but he expresses it like this
we are like eggs at present
and we can cannot go on indefinitely
just being an ordinary decent egg
we must be hatched
or else we go bad
we're never to stand still
we're never to stay as we are
we are to press on
being thrust out
sent out
not just forced out
but longing to go out
and to serve the lord
to have his compassion
and his concern
to pray to him
whether it be others or ourselves
to go
because the fields
are white
to harvest
let us pray
to the lord of the harvest
to send out laborers
into his harvest
that we would see many
being drawn in
for christ
let us pray
our father in heaven
we thank you
for the power of your word
we thank you for the power of your spirit
for the power you afford to your people
that when we are a people of faith
and courage and boldness
that we have that great assurance
that you are with us
and so help us lord
even as we see
the crowds around ourselves
how we see so many people
day by day
that we would see them
through the eyes of our lord and savior
jesus christ
that we would have compassion
and concern
and concern for them
for they are indeed so many
like sheep
without a shepherd
lord may you
send laborers out
may you send them out
from among ourselves
and from many other parts of our nation
and to all ends of the earth
for the fields are white to harvest
so we pray
to the lord of the harvest
to be with us in all of these things
so we ask it in jesus name
amen
we'll conclude by singing to god's praise
in psalm 145
the first version of the psalm
psalm
psalm 145
page 442
we'll sing from verse 8
down to verse 11
the tune is
amazing grace
and we see these words in verse 8
the lord is very gracious
in him
compassions flow
in mercy he is very great
and is to anger slow
we're reminded there
of the steadfast love
and the compassion
of our lord
and that that would be our prayer
to these words
as we sing them
that as we go out
in the week ahead
we would go
in this manner
we'll sing from verse 8 to 11
to god's praise
the lord is
eto
inter�avia
and is to rife
CHOIR SINGING
And over all his other words, his tender mercy shall.
Behold, thy words shall praise, O Lord, and in thy saints shall bless.
They shall thy kingdom's glory show, Thy power my speech express.
After the benediction, I'll go to the door to my right. We'll close with a benediction.
Now may grace, mercy, and peace from God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit rest upon and abide with you all now and forevermore. Amen.