Are You Engaged in Missions? Part One: Pray!

You take your Bibles then if you would with me and turn to Matthew chapter nine. Matthew chapter nine. This morning, and we are going to read verses 35 to 38 there. Matthew chapter nine thirty five through 38. We I've been preaching through the book of Mark.

The last well, since the beginning of the year, I guess. But we're going to take a break from that. Actually, some of the verses we'll look at this morning are in Mark but we're going to focus on missions this week and of course next week. As we prepare for our missions conference and prepare our hearts for what the Lord would challenge us to do in reference to home and worldwide missions. Matthew chapter nine verse 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.

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. Then, say it he unto his disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous but the laborers are few. Pray you therefore the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth laborers into his harvest. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for your word today.

And Lord, we do pray this morning that you would send forth more laborers into your harvest. The harvest that surrounds us here in Pinellas County. The harvest that is the world of souls who need Jesus. The harvest truly is plenteous Lord today. We are are surrounded by it.

So many souls that need the Lord. Lord, please send forth labors. Into your harvest with your word to bring souls to the savior Lord, we pray that you would send us in Jesus name Amen. As I mentioned, I used to be a youth pastor. I was youth pastor for twelve years in Georgia before I came here.

We had a gym at that church and every Wednesday night, we would play games with kids. The We had about an hour and a half with them and about thirty minutes of that was taken up with with some game. It helps to reach teenagers' hearts if you can wear em out playing a game first. It seems like and so we play basketball and we play volleyball and we would play dodgeball and all these different games and you always had a few kids that were kind of not that when you played the game and this this was it's it's just my personality. It just bugged me to no end that some kids are going to play a game and and they just stand there.

You know, they they they just aren't aren't aren't interested in in playing the game, you know? They we play volleyball and they they would stand there and and the volleyball would come and hit him in the head, you know, or hit him on the back or you know, because they were turned around talking, looking the other direction and they they they weren't engaged in the game. You know, you had to play around them. They were just kind of in the way, you know and some of em you play dodgeball and they would just stand there and let themselves get hit. You know, so they could go off to the side and gab and talk rather than play, you know.

There were some cool cool guys, teenage guys especially that that thought it was fun to do the opposite of what they supposed to do. So, it wasn't that they just stood there in the way but they would hit the ball the wrong direction, you know, and they just wanted to show off and be goofy and they weren't engaged in the game either and I'm I'm a competitive person. I just, when I'm playing a game, you play a game to win and you get engaged in the game and you're you're, you know, and it just bugs you when people aren't that way and you know, something I think it bugs God. When his people aren't that way. You see, there's something that we're supposed to be engaged in.

And that is bringing souls to Jesus and I'm afraid that there are too many Christians today that are not engaged We're we're just standing around Sometimes, it seems that some Christians just don't don't even care. They're not engaged In the mission that God has called us to and this morning, this evening, and next Sunday morning, I'm going to be preaching a message on are you engaged in missions? Because every Christian must be, should be, has commanded to be, engaged, and reaching other souls. For Jesus Christ. God has commanded it.

We'll look at that more from Matthew 28. Go you therefore and teach all nations. We'll look at that more in the the service this evening. But we must be engaged. We see here first of all, the example of our savior in the passage that we read.

Jesus was engaged. 100% in the ministry that God the father had sent him to do on this earth. The three years of his ministry from the age of 30 to 33 in particular that God chose to record in his word. We see that Jesus spent most of his days with people. He spent most of his time preaching and teaching the gospel and the word of God.

He spent time caring for them, healing them. Encouraging them, being there for them. Sometimes, he would try to get away to get some rest and they would leave the cities and follow him. He couldn't get any rest. Not sure if this was one of those times but it it is very similar to another passage where Jesus fed the 5,000 plus people and in that case, he he left the cities because he needed to get some rest and they all followed him.

And like as it says here in verse 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. Jesus saw them. I mean, really saw them. He saw them as individuals. He didn't just see them as a mob.

He saw them as souls. He saw them. He cared for them. And he engaged himself in ministering to them day after day after day after day. In Mark six thirty four, It says, and Jesus when he came out, saw much people, was moved with compassion toward them because they were sheep not having a shepherd and be he began to teach them.

Many things. Parallel to this verse we just read here. He saw them as sheep that were lost. You know, sheep are dumb. I mean, there's just no other way to say it.

Sheep are dumb. You know, you can take a dog and you can drive two miles down the road, drop the dog off, and the next day, often times, the dog will have found its way back home. But not a sheep. The sheep can go to the same watering hole every day. But if he's not led by the shepherd, he won't find his way there or he might not find his way home.

The sheep need a shepherd to guide them, to care for them. Nearly all the time because without the shepherd, they would be lost. Without the shepherd, they would be in big trouble because they couldn't care for themselves. Amen. Well, Jesus saw people as sheep.

Lost, confused, needy, needing someone to guide them, needing someone to lead them, needing someone to care for them. And Jesus care He saw them. He didn't just step over them. He didn't just walk by them or go around them. They weren't obstacles in his path or or cars slowing him down from getting where he wanted to go.

You know, that's how often we see people today. We don't see people. We see cars. That aren't going the speed limit. So, we can't get where we're going.

That's what we see. But Jesus saw them. He saw souls. He saw them differently than others saw them. Particularly, the other religious leaders in Jesus day.

Saw them much differently than Jesus did. In Mark chapter two verses sixteen and seventeen, it says, and when the scribes and Pharisees saw him, that is Jesus eating with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, how is it that that he eateth and drinketh with public and sinners with the rabble rousers and the and the wicked immoral people. Why is Jesus spending time with this crowd? When Jesus heard, he said unto them, they that are whole have no need of of a physician but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

Jesus said, you look at these people and you see people that you don't want to have anything to do with. You look at these people and you see people that you think if you come in contact with them, you're going to be defiled. You see people that you look down on because you're so much better in your mind in thinking than they are. But Jesus said, when I see these people, I see sinners who need a what? A sinners who need a savior.

I see people who are sick, who need a physician. I see needy people who need help. But that's not how the Pharisees saw. The Pharisees saw them simply as something to avoid. That they didn't rub off their dirt on them.

Jesus saw souls He didn't see whether they were pretty or ugly. He didn't see whether they were strong or weak or skinny or fat. Jesus saw souls in need of a savior. The bum sleeping on the front porch of the church and we do have those from time to time here. The child playing across the street soul The team standing at the bus stop wouldn't get out of the road the inconsiderate neighbor who keeps throwing his trash on your property.

The waitress at the restaurant who couldn't get your order right. The customer who is in a great hurry and impolite. The telemarketer on the other end of the phone, of course, they didn't have phones back then but The obnoxious and lazy coworker who doesn't carry his weight. The arrogant athlete who has the world at his fingertips. The filthy rich businessman whose riches only make him more selfish.

The celebrity who is going back to rehab for the fourth time in his many years. How do we see these people I'm afraid we see these people a lot of times more through the eyes of the Pharisees than we see them through the eyes of Jesus They're in the way need to pull their weight They need to get out of my way They need to be more polite We don't see them as souls We don't see them as we don't think about their eternal desti We don't see them as souls on their way to heaven or hell We see them as somebody in our way when we're in a hurry to get to work We're too busy like the priest and the Levite in Luke 10 to stop to check on the man that's beat up and laying by the side of the road who the good Samaritan stopped to help. Jesus is the good Samaritan. I'm afraid to say that often times we are more like the priest and the Levite. Because we have things to do and they're not on our agenda their bodies, their cars, and we don't see them as souls and we do conveniently overlook them.

Sometimes, every day. Maybe there's somebody we rub shoulders with every day. Our coworker, our neighbor a relative and we've stopped thinking about where they're going. We've stopped thinking about their need. We've stopped thinking about how we can help them.

Because we only think mainly about ourselves but that was not our savior for he came to minister, to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. He saw them. He cared for them and he engaged himself in their lives. Oh, it cost him. Yes, pastor, you say it cost him his life on Calvary.

Yes, it did but it cost him every day of his ministry on this Earth. He spent time with them. He gave up time for himself spend with others who needed him and others need him today too and he cares for them also He asked his disciples to care as well and to engage themselves. He He he didn't just leave an example of how to get engaged in missions and in the life of others but he commanded his disciples. To get engaged as well In this passage we just read In John four thirty five, we read earlier, he told them, he says, say not you there are four months and then cometh harvest.

I told you a couple weeks ago, I was preaching from Proverbs and one of the passages I was preaching on was laziness. One of the things I've struggled with since I was little is something called procrastination and I'm sure there's nobody else in here that's ever struggled with procrastination but I know I have and what does the procrastinator do? The procrastinator says, I'll do it what? I'll do it tomorrow. And guess what?

Often times tomorrow never what? Tomorrow never comes. I'll do it tomorrow. I'll do it tomorrow. I'll do it tomorrow.

How many times have we said I'll do it tomorrow. I'll witness to somebody tomorrow. I'll hand out a track tomorrow. I'll pray for them tomorrow. I will give tomorrow.

But not what? Not Not today. Tomorrow. Tomorrow, I'll do it. And tomorrow never comes.

And one day, we're going to stand before God in heaven and we're going to give an account of all those tomorrows. That never came. Jesus said to his disciples, say not you there are yet four months. Don't put it off till tomorrow. Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields for they are white already to harvest.

Don't say I'll I'll I'll be a missionary or or I'll be a witness or I'll give or I'll talk or I'll preach or I'll teach. Don't say I'll do it next year. Don't say I'll do it tomorrow. When there's somebody today, there's somebody today that God has given you the opportunity There is a ministry today that God has given you an opportunity to be part of There are opportunities all around us A lot of times, they don't get done They don't get accomplished because we put it off till next week or we put it off till tomorrow. He compels his disciples to see that the harvest is ripe, to care that it doesn't spoil.

Because some of those people that you see today, they're not going to be here. Why? Tomorrow. And to engage themselves in meeting the need. Dare to care Allow yourself to be moved by the lost condition of your neighbors.

Your relatives and your coworkers. You know something? When you open up your heart to others and you dare to be moved by their plight, you open yourself up to hurt. You open yourself up to sorrow. You're welcome.

Are you open yourself up? To being taken advantage of. But you've gotta dare to open up your heart and to care anyway. I remember when I was a youth pastor in Georgia, we had somebody that called on the phone. Their car was broke down in Byron which was a little town on the interstate that the church was nearby and they said we we need help.

We need we need food. I, my family's here and and they don't have any food and my cars broke down and so forth and so on. So, I told him, okay, well, I'll come out. They were at a motel there and I'll pick you up and I'll take you to get some some food. We got to McDonald's and they didn't want to eat French fries.

They wanted only wanted to eat burgers. So, he said, instead of getting meals, can you get two burgers a piece for my family? There were like five of em. So, I bought 10 burgers or chicken sandwiches or whatever it was that they wanted and the the person at McDonald's, they they didn't hand me the receipt. They put it in the bag or they stapled it on the bag as they do sometimes and and I completely forgot about getting the receipt and so I took this man back and there was his family.

There was his car sitting there. They didn't look like there was anything wrong with it but hey, you don't know and went back home. The next day, I went back to McDonald's and I was getting a biscuit or something and and lady recognized me. She says, hey, you're the you're the fellow that was in here yesterday and bought this food for these people. I said, yeah, that was me.

You know, I thought she had something good to say and she said, well, I just wanted you to know that the guy who I bought food for, he showed back up early that morning or that night with the receipt and he told him that the food was bad and he wanted his money back. So, not only did he get the hamburgers that I bought, he got the money back that I paid to feed him. And I felt just a little bit taken advantage of. I expect maybe it's something he did over and over and over again and those people are out there and there's many of em. But you can't quit caring because somebody took advantage of You can't stop witnessing because somebody slammed the door in your face or made fun of you.

You can't quit praying and caring for people because it seems like certain people just never respond. And you feel like it's a waste of time It's never a waste of time to talk with your Lord. It's never a waste of time to pray. It's never a waste of time to care. We need to expose ourselves put ourselves out there in our heart and be willing to care Sometimes, we'll get hurt We'll never get hurt as much as our savior was hurt and I'm not just talking about the cross The Bible says, he came unto his own and his own esteemed him not.

They didn't, they weren't thankful. They weren't grateful. He did all this for them and when he did something they didn't like, they all turned their back on him. But he didn't stop caring Jesus asked them to take off the blinders, the shades which conveniently kept out the problems of the world. You know, some of you minister here in this building and the one connected over there every week, sometimes more than one time a week.

Or you come here to worship with us. Encourage one another. That's part of the ministry. But you know something, there is a world outside these doors. And if you haven't noticed, they're not flooding in these doors.

They're not breaking them down to get in. They're they're standing in line at at Olive Garden and Cracker Barrel on Sunday morning because there's not enough seats. They're filling up the parking lots at the malls and at the grocery stores but they're not knocking down the doors of church to get in anymore. Our ministry must extend outside the doors of this church we must be willing to care for those that we see and care enough to engage ourselves. In their life, Maybe if it's just for thirty seconds to hand them a track or to say a brief prayer We must take off the blinders and see them like Jesus saw them He asked them not to look down upon them as the Pharisees did The Pharisees who who thank God that they were not like them but the Pharisees didn't realize that in many ways, they were worse off than them He asked them to allow themselves to care for their soul, to feel their pain, and to be touched with their plight.

How long has it been since you agonized over the lost estate of a relative? How long has it been since you agonized over the lost estate of a coworker, a friend? Rather than just accepting their condition and I'm afraid that's often times what we do. You know, we say, well, yeah. That's just the way they want.

The way they are, just the way they are. And we just accept their condition as though it's no big deal. They have their thing, I have my thing, They know my thing. That's just the way they are. I'll do my thing.

They'll do their thing. And we just accept it. We kind of wash our hands up When we know down deep in our heart that their way is going to lead them to an eternity where? In hell. And that's no joke.

And that's real. We need to care We need to start caring again We need to not just accept the way things are you can't change them but you have a savior who can and they need to hear about it and they need to learn about and they need to be introduced to it. And they may need it two times or three times or 10 times or 100 times. They need somebody praying for them. And not just today or tomorrow.

But for today's and tomorrow's to come. I took the teens to a camp in North Carolina called the Wilds. We've been there couple times since I've been here. There's a man at the Wilds. He oversaw everything having to do with the sponsors.

The sponsors were the youth pastors and and pastors and church helpers or whoever brought the teens to camp and stayed there on the campsite with them. Now, at the Wilds, you don't actually stay in the cabin with the teens. They put you up in a in a room and you can associate with them all throughout the week but they have their own counselors that stay in the cabin and there are a lot of activities not only for the kids but also for the sponsors and John was in charge of all of that. His name is John Bot. John Bot grew up in Chicago in a not too good section of town.

Somewhere along the line, some church with a bus picked him up and took him to church and he went for a little while. Had a very dysfunctional home and all that and but eventually got to be a teenager and he quit church and for the next five, ten, fifteen years of his life, he he didn't go to church much at all and he just got further and further away from the Lord and wasn't saved and didn't care and but something happened and I I don't remember all the details but something happened and that drew him back to church and he and he got saved. God changed him and God's used him. He's stuck with this ministry now for the past at least thirty years I think or twenty some anyway. Somewhere along the line, he got in contact with that old bus driver that picked him up and took him to church.

A decade or more before and the bus driver showed him his prayer list and for the past fifteen years, he had been praying for John. You know, and God answered that prayer. John got saved. Oh, how easily we often give up on people. How quick we are to just say, oh, that's that's just the way they are.

There's no hope for them. There's always hope. In Jesus. Jesus gave us an example. He engaged with others.

He cared for them. He expected his disciples to do the same. And he expects us to do the same as well To engage in the ministry of missions and reaching out to other people and one of the ways we can do that is through prayer. It's through prayer. You may not be called to go to Kenya or Brazil like two of the missionaries we're going have for the conference.

Lord willing next week. You may not be called to a particular ministry or to be a preacher or a quote unquote missionary. But you can pray we can pray and prayer is important It's an important aspect of mission that we often overlook It seems that God's people in many ways have stopped seeing. They've stopped caring and they refuse to engage themselves in the ministry to lost and dying souls. But you can start engaging and you can start caring.

More today. You don't have to wait till tomorrow. You don't have to wait till you have more money to give. You don't have to wait until God calls you to a specific field or to a specific person. You can start today praying for somebody you know that needs Jesus.

You can start today praying that God will send others into his harvest. You can start praying today for those missionaries that are out there that are winning souls to Christ. You can start praying today. You can get engaged. God said here in Matthew chapter nine and he says in verse 38, seeing the harvest is plenteous and the laborers are few.

He says, pray you therefore the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth laborers into his harvest. Number one, you thought I was done with my message. I just finished the introduction. No, I'm just kidding. This is my conclusion.

Number one, pray that God will send forth labors. Pray that God will send forth labor. Pray that God will reach the hearts of other men and women, boys, and girls to go out into the field. In Matthew in verse 38, you read there, pray therefore the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth labors into his harvest. That word send forth, those two words or one word in Greek, it is the verb It means to drive out, to push out, to to draw out.

It means to to push em out there. So, so God said, Jesus says to his disciples, you pray, pray that God will push people what? Out the door and into the harvest. Pray that God will push em out. You know, some of us need a push.

I needed. I don't know how many times God pushed me until he finally got me out the door. He had to push and push and push I didn't think that I could do what God called me to do but God just kept pushing. Until I finally gave in. I've now been in full time ministry for twenty five years Amen.

And there's not been one day that's gone by that I've regretted Not one day I've regret other things about me but I never regretted him or his calling in the ministry Now, God hasn't called everyone to be preachers but you have a door to your house and you have a neighbor that lives in the door beside it. A coworker, friend, somebody. We need to pray that God will push people out that door, out these doors, and out into We're to that. Do different ministries. That.

We're but really it's not as much the organized soul winning night as much as it is individual Christians taking the opportunity to hand a track to witness, to talk, to the people that they see every day. Those are usually the contacts that result in fruit Pray that God will send forth labors into his harvest. The harvest is great You know, there are half as many missionaries from The US on the field as there were a decade ago. We're not sending more missionaries. The fact is, we're not even coming close to replacing the missionaries coming off the field.

Most of the missionaries going out today are a large percentage of them now are coming from other countries. Countries that are much poorer than we are. And they're sending missionaries. And we're not. Pray that the Lord will send forth labors into his harvest.

The harvest is only getting greater. It's not getting smaller. Pray for boldness and opportunities for those who are sent. First Thessalonians three one, finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified even as it is with you. Paul says, please pray for us.

Pray for us that the Lord will open doors. We can preach the gospel as we preached it to you. Pray for us. Ephesians six nineteen, Paul says, and pray for me that utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel. Paul says, pray for me that as I if I as I see these people and I put in these opportunities that God will give me the words to say, the wisdom, and the boldness to stand up and say it.

Paul says, pray for me. Paul was human like we are. He struggled with some of the same, the pride issue and he he struggled with the fear of man and he he struggled with what he was he going to say. The same way we do. So, Paul said, please pray for me.

That God will give me the boldness to say what I need to say. Colossians four three and four, with all, praying also for us that God would open us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ for which I am also in bonds at the time Paul was in prison that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak. Paul even said in Philippians, he was grateful for the opportunities he had to tell people about the gospel opportunities he never would have had had he not been in prison. Even that was a mission field. In the eyes of Paul.

That's how he met with. We'll talk more about that. This evening. But pray. You can pray that God will send labors.

You can pray for those who are already out there and you can pray for the lost to be saved. Turn if you would to first Timothy. First Timothy, it's actually think first Timothy two not second Timothy. First Timothy chapter two and we'll read this passage as we close the service this morning. First Timothy chapter two and we're going to read verses one through four.

First Timothy two one through four. I exhort therefore that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made to all men. All of those words apply to prayer and talking with who? With God. I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men.

For kings and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of the Lord, sight of God our savior, who will have all men to be what? With me? Saved. Who would have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Who does God want us to pray for? He wants us to pray for our governors, for our presidents, for our representatives. He wants us to pray for our bosses. He wants us to pray for our neighbors. He wants us to pray for people particularly those who aren't saved that they might come to the Lord because God is not willing that any should what?

Perish that all should come to repent. She say, pastor, I don't know when I pray if I'm praying in the will of God. You can know when you pray for lost souls that you are praying in the what? In the will of God. So pray.

Pray for that neighbor Pray for Roland. He's the neighbor that lives on the corner of our parking lot over here He needs the Lord He's been our neighbor for I don't know how long At least twenty years He needs Jesus Pray for David. He lives lives across the street in the White House over here. I've spoke to him dozens of times about the church and the Lord. Poked his head in one day here not long ago but didn't stay.

He'll listen. He'll talk but he needs the Lord. Pray for David. You know, some of you paid for Pedro. He's not here this morning.

He must not be feeling well but he lives in the yellow house here on the corner and two years ago, Pedro got saved. You know, some of you are praying for Damian and Kim. They moved into the house directly behind the church about a year ago. You know, before Christmas, they got saved and hopefully soon, they're going to get baptized. God answers prayer.

We just need to keep praying. We need to get engaged. We all have the opportunity to pray. Look at people We're We're have to do go up there too. Kate's back in the nursery.

So, but it's entitled, Lord, lay some soul upon my heart. We've we've sang it before. It's just a little chorus but I hope as we we sing it this morning, you'll think about, you'll be asking the Lord to lay some soul upon your heart is the chorus says, you you you can remain seated and Dearly father, thank you Lord for the opportunity that you've given us today to come and worship you Lord thank you for the souls that surround us, that need Christ. Lord, thank you for those that you've put in our path, those whom we become acquainted with. We don't know you.

Who if die, if they die in their sins tomorrow would spend eternity in hell and who need Jesus. I pray that we would take the opportunity to pray for them today. Lord, to remember them in our prayers. Lord, we may not know their names but we know their faces and you know their names and they need Jesus. Lord, may we remember this week to pray for these missionaries.

Lord, they need our prayers as well as our finances. That you can embolden them and strengthen them. To reach those who live in the areas where you have sent them to draw them to yourself. Lord, may we get engaged in the aspect of prayer and missions. Today and this week, may we not cease to pray for souls.

Who need a savior, for David and Roland, for my neighbors, Liam, Derek, and Sarah, and others. Need the Lord Jesus that they might soon come to know Christ as savior and I pray Lord as we dismiss our service Don't feel led to sing another invitation hymn but Lord I do feel compelled to invite any that are here this morning that are unsure of their salvation to meet me appear at the conclusion of the service. Lord, I would love to show them how they might be saved today in no one. And I pray that as we all go home that we wouldn't forget. To get engaged in missions and Lord if there's something we need to confess we need to talk with you about.

I pray that we would do that today In Jesus name, we pray. Amen. You are dismissed Come back tonight 06:00. We'll continue