"The Harvest is Plentiful" Sermon by Dr. Pothana

Sunday Sermon

1. Sermon by Dr. Pothana

2. The Harvest Is Plentiful Matthew 9:35-38

3. Matthew 9:35-38 35  And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36  But when he saw the multitudes , he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 37  Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous , but the labourers are few; 38  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

4. The Harvest is Plentiful Message Thesis: When we have a harvest mindset, we will see the condition of the harvest. Message O bjective : We must see the harvest through the eyes of Jesus .

5. Harvest In the natural: The season for gathering crops . In the spiritual: The time to win the lost! A time to lead people to Jesus.

6. We Must S ee W hat Jesus Saw! Jesus saw that the harvest was: Plentiful- -- Perplexed- -- Perishing- -- Precious- -- A Priority- --

7. Matthew 9:35-38 35  And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36  But when he saw the multitudes , he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 37  Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 38  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

8. Jesus saw that the harvest was: Plentiful: Present in large amounts!

9. We must see them as Jesus sees them: Many people are lost. Many people are seeking. Many people don ’ t know what to do.

10. The Harvest Is Plentiful Matthew 9:35-38

11. What’s the number one thing?

12. 1 Corinthians 10:31 31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

13. …He had compassion for them, … Compassion – to have mercy, to have sympathy for, or to have pity. The desire to free someone from their suffering. Matthew 22:37-39 37 And he said to him, " You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

14. What do people without Jesus look like? Jesus could see their spiritual condition (spiritual eyes). We can only see the behavior, speech, or countenance. What do others see when they look at us?

15. …because they were harassed and helpless , Harassed – Bullied by Satan. Uses power to harm or intimidate those who are weaker; to persecute; to torment. Helpless – unable to defend yourself; defenseless. NKJV – “weary and scattered”.

16. …like sheep without a shepherd. Sheep without a shepherd – no leader, no protector , no provider . The Jewish leaders had failed in their responsibility . Ezekiel 34:4-5 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.

17. Matthew 9:37-38 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." There are a lot of lost people in the world!

18. Why must we pray earnestly for laborers to be sent? The seeking of God in prayer releases the blessings of God. “Asking is the rule of the Kingdom.” - Charles Spurgeon James 4:2c You do not have, because you do not ask.

19. Matthew 10:1 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. Jesus called the disciples to him as an initial answer to the prayer for Lord to send workers. Authority = specific power from God (healing & casting out demons).

20. Matthew 10:2-4 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; 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.

21. Disciple vs. Apostle Called disciples in Matthew 10:1 Used broadly to refer to anyone who believed in Jesus and was a follower (student). Called apostles in Matthew 10:2 Those commissioned (qualified) to be Jesus’ special representatives.

22. Why give the apostles this authority/power? To clearly show that He and His kingdom were sovereign over the physical and spiritual realms, the effects of sin and the efforts of Satan. To announce the Messiah’s arrival. To authenticate Jesus and His apostles who preached His gospel.

23. Qualifications of the 12 chosen apostles? Fisherman – at least 4, maybe 7 Zealot – a radical trying to overthrow the government. Tax collector – a traitor to his fellow Jews and a friend of the Roman government. Tradesmen or craftsmen. 1 Samuel 16:7b 7b "For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."

24. Qualifications of the 12 Apostles 1 Corinthians 1:20-21 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 1 Corinthians 1:27 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;

25. The Task for the Apostles Role of the Shaliah – Official representative for the Sanhedrin, the ruling council of Israel. Spoke for the Sanhedrin with their authority, but not with his own opinion, but the Sanhedrin’s opinion. The apostles were Jesus’ “Shaliah”. They were His delegates. They spoke with His authority, delivered His message, exercised His authority (power).

26. Matthew 10:5-7 5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

27. …go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Initial mission was restricted to Israel. The ministry was only to the Jewish people with this first assignment. Romans 1:16 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

28. Matthew 10:8 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Power over disease, death, demons. Leprosy considered disease that was a sin (unclean) that only God could heal .

29. “…you received without paying; give without pay.” The apostles had been chosen by Jesus, and they were to share the gospel freely. They were not to use their powers of healing or raising the dead for personal gain.

30. …sheep without a shepherd. Ministry of Shepherd Biblical Preaching , Discipleship , and Corporate Prayer (Acts 6:1-6) Shepherd , Pastoral Care, Spiritual Leader (Ephesians 4:11-13) God-guided Leadership/Vision , Servant-leader (2 Timothy 4:1-5)

31. Jeremiah 3:15 15 “‘And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.