Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Missions

Hear Ye, Hear Ye, Hear Ye

INTRO: In the days of  medieval Europe, a herald would go to the town square and shout, 'Hear Ye, Hear Ye, Hear Ye, his grace the Duke of Earl has a message to his loyal subjects. 'Hear Ye, Hear Ye, Hear Ye' was a way a getting  people's attention. It was a way of letting people know that something important is going to be said.

EXP: This morning  we will be examining 4 other 'Ye's'
    LOOK YE,  LOVE YE,  PRAY YE,  GO YE.  Although these specific words are not found in our text , I do believe they are strongly implied.

TRANS: So, Hear Ye Hear Ye Hear Ye, turn in your Bibles to Matthew ch. 9:36. Here we will see the first of our 'Ye's'

I. Look Ye  (Matt. 9:36a)
    A. Jesus looks and sees the mission field.
        -As Jesus moved in and among the people, He not only looked at those who traveled with Him, he took notice of the vast number of people whom He passed along the way. All of whom needed to know Him, His Gospel and His healing touch.
Jesus looked all around Him and saw the mission field.

    B. When we want to "look' at the mission field what can we do?
     1. Reading
        -Books on the History of Missions and Biographies of well known missionaries such as: William Carey, Hudson Taylor, Jim Elliot. Reading about  them helps us to understand how they thought and  felt about missions.

NOTE: Both missions history and biographies are found in our library downstairs. Any questions see Dawn Urmey our librarian.

      -Current News Letters: Our missionaries send us  regular newsletters about what is going on in the country they are serving as well as in their personal life. They are on the Missions table in the lobby.

      -The Bible: Nowhere is there a clearer description of the worlds need of a savior. No where is there a clearer call for us to reach out to the world and bring the Good-News of the forgiveness of sin to the lost of the world. The Bible tells us all about the mission field.

We can look at the mission field by
   2. Direct Missionary Contact
      -By meeting Missionaries and perhaps the best way is at our Annual Missions Conference. This is a time to get immersed, once a year, in  the very heart of missions from people who are IN the very heart of missions. Next weekend is our annual missions conference and our theme is 'Carrying His light to the final frontier of the harvest.' God is working in great ways all over the world and attending the mission's conference not only makes us aware of how He is working  but challenges us with how God wants us to join Him in His work. God's church, we, must be about Kingdom building. Our text challenges us to look for Gods activity in the world, to see what God is doing in His mission field.

     -John 4:35 says 'Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, for they are white and ready to harvest.'

TRANS: Look Ye...... Matthew doesn't stop there because we are not to just look and then go about our business. Our 2nd 'Ye' this morning is

II. Love Ye (Matt. 9:36b)
    A. He had compassion on the multitude.
         -As Jesus observed, looked at the crowd, Scripture tells us that He had compassion on them. The word translated 'to have compassion' indicates strong emotion and literally means to feel deep sympathy or affection.

    B. Why
       -As Jesus looked, He saw that the people were harassed and helpless, they were like sheep w/o a shepherd the text tells us. They were like sheep wandering helplessly and hopelessly without guidance.  Sinful souls today are as lost as the sheep, they need the care of a shepherd to guide them back to safety.

APP: Jesus  looked, then He loved. He saw the plight of the wayward sheep and longed in His heart to show them they way to safety.

As we are made aware of the plight of others throughout the world,
As we read in Scripture Jesus' command to take the Gospel message to the ends of the world,
As we attend missions conferences and listen to missionaries tell of how God is working in their part of the world,

     This gives the HS an opportunity to move us,  to break our hearts and  fill us with compassion/love for the lost souls of this world.

TRANS: Look Ye and Love Ye are Matthews first two commands that we as Believers need to hear about our personal responsibility to missions. Once God has our attention , once we have looked at the mission fields and felt compassion for the lost,we are then given the 3rd YE to follow.

III. Pray Ye (Matt. 9:38)
    A. Jesus sets the scene
        -Jesus tells His disciples that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few'. There is a great work to be done He says.
The upside is that the harvest will be great , God will be honored and glorified. The downside is the lack of workers to bring the Good-News to the multitudes of lost in the world.

    B. Jesus' Command
        -The word beseech or  pray  is an imperative in the Greek, a command. Having looked and seen the multitude, having been moved with compassion for them, Jesus told His disciples to PRAY to God who is the Lord of the harvest, that He would send workers to spread the Good-News of JC to the lost souls of the world.

APP: There is nothing that the devil dreads more than prayer. His greatest concern is to keep us from praying.  Satan laughs at our work, mocks our wisdom but trembles when we pray, Because prayer advances the KOG. Because it puts us in touch with the Almighty God, the ONLY one powerful enough to change the world...one lost soul at a time. Think about the sad state of the world and the increasing sinfulness of mankind.  Should this not encourage us to pray?

    On Wed. night we pray for our missionaries and the lost souls in the world. Not only because we are commanded to by our Lord but because of what God is doing and we want to join His work thru prayer.

TRANS:  Hear Ye, Hear Ye, hear Ye!
     God has my attention, how about you? As we look to the fields of white,  As our hearts are moved with compassion for the lost souls of this world,  As we are obedient to the command of Jesus to pray to the Father to send workers to spread the Good News to all the world, then God speaks. And He says

IV. Go Ye (Matt. 10:5-10)
    A. Who Me?

ILL: A banner hung in a small church reads 'Don't take the Go out of GOSPEL'. It was used by a missionary speaker to encourage the congregation as he raised his hand in the air like some impassioned cheerleader in an overtime game and he cries 'Go! into all the world' At a ball game the whole crowd will rise to it's feet and shout 'Go! Go! Go!' But not so in the church. People yawn or dutifully stare at the pulpit. They quietly excuse themselves from what they believe is an unreasonable command.

APP: It is not that the command is so unreasonable. It is just not applicable to them, they can't relate or so they think.
 I have responsibilities at home, they say,  a family, a good job, I can't go to another country as a missionary. The GO of missions is meant for someone else. And since it is, then I am off the hook.

    B. Let's take a look at the 'Go' ing Specifics
       -First, we remember from ch. 9 vs. 38 that it is God's work to send forth the laborers.

       -Second, Jesus directs where the laborers go. He gave specific instruction to the 12 disciples about where they were to go and where they were not to go.So it is with those He calls today to missions. The missionary sent by God doesn't spin the globe, close his eyes and point to determine where he will serve. Jesus gives clear direction.

       -Third, Jesus directs their actions.
           -Preach the KOG  = Share the Gospel of JC
           -Heal the sick      =   Bring emotional/Spiritual  healing thru personal  relationship w/ JC.
           -Cleanse the leper  =  Teach forgiveness of sin  thru JC cleansing blood
           -Cast out demons   =   Break the bondage to sin  thru the power of the HS.

        -Fourth, Jesus told them to trust completely in Him. Take the basics of what you need with you but trust God to provide you with the rest. The Gospel message is free and so is your service. Do not ask for pay from those to whom you share the Gospel. This is where the church, we, come in. We are the body of Christ and must care financially for those on the mission field who have been called out to Look, Love, Pray and Go at the command of God. We do this so that the Gospel may be free to those who hear it.

CONCLUSION
     The fourfold process found in Matt. 9-10  Look Ye, Love Ye, Pray Ye, God Ye, is pretty simple. But that is because it is also divine. When honored, missionaries will not have to depend upon human means to spread the Gospel. They can depend on the never changing power of JC. And they should also be able to depend on the Body of Christ, the church, to help with prayer and financial support. But the work of missions is not just relegated to those  who hear the call from God to go the mission field.

     Missions is the duty of the church as well. It is not something tacked on to one's Christianity, which he may take or leave as he chooses. Missions is deeply rooted in  the character of God who sent us the perfect missionary in JC. Therefore it can never be the exclusive arena of a few missionary enthusiasts in the church. Missions is a distinctive mark of being a Christian.  To accept Christ is to enlist under a missionary banner. A banner which says 'Don't take the Go out of the Gospel'.  You see, it is impossible to be 'in Christ' and  not participate in Christ's mission to the world.

     Hear Ye, Hear Ye, Hear Ye, there are  multitudes today still lost in sin, still harassed and helpless. Still w/o a shepherd who will lead them to the safety of green pastures. Who will lead them to Christ?

     Will you Look for them, will you Love them, will you Pray for them.......will you Go  to them?