Showing posts with label Matthew 09. Show all posts

Shepherds and Harvests

What do tending sheep and harvesting crops have to do with church? Let’s look at some important farm lessons that apply to our local church in Matthew 9:35-10:8.

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, 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 for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. (Matthew 9:35-36 NKJV)

Pastor means shepherd. The ideal national leader is pictured as a caring shepherd. When sheep are not fed and cared for, they become “distressed and dispirited” (NASB). People are burdened by leaders with vain traditions and bad ideas, weighed down in ignorance, neglected and scattered abroad without care and attention.

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38 NKJV)

Metaphorically, the Great Commission is a harvest, with few field workers. Jesus encourages us to pray the Lord would urgently drive workers into the fields. Jesus calls us to a compelling mission. Perhaps one of the major problems of the Church is that we don’t have a sense of urgency.

And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. Now 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 Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. (Matthew 10:1-4 NKJV)

There were 12 disciples, 12 Patriarchs, 12 tribes and 12 gates in New Jerusalem. Apostle means “one sent.” Jesus gave them a little of the power that He revealed during His earthly ministry. As the 12 Patriarchs were the Fathers of Israel, these men became the Fathers of the Church.

These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. (Matthew 10:5-8 NKJV)

How were “the lost sheep” lost? Were they not being led “in the paths of righteousness” (Psalm 23)? Had their [national and religious shepherds] led them astray (Jeremiah 50:6)? Had THEY “gone astray like a lost sheep” (Psalm 119:176)? Have our modern day shepherds been leading us astray?

Who is lost? Who does not go to church, has no friends, is an addict, is depressed, feels abandoned, is materialistic, has ruined their lives in sexual immorality, has bad anger issues, thinks that theft is an appropriate way to live? The lost are everywhere and they are our assignment.

Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food. “Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. And when you go into a household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. (Revelation 14:9-13 NKJV)

A small child can be led by the hand of a faithful parent or grandparent. They trust the one who leads them. Do we trust the one who leads us? Can we go, not knowing where, but knowing that the One whose hand we hold will always lead us faithfully?

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. (Revelation 14:14-20 NKJV)

The harvest is ready (Revelation 14:14-20). The harvest is thrown “into the great winepress of the wrath of God.” The blood of the grape symbolizes Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16; Joel 3:13). The wheat and tares (Matthew 13:36-43) grow together until harvest. May we be among the righteous!

An urgent task in the church is still to seek and care for lost sheep and bring them into the kingdom. Let’s not be lazy Christians, but seek out and care for the lost sheep in or communities.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Vincent's Word Studies. Marvin Richardson Vincent. 1886

Readings:

Genesis 18:1-15, (21:1-7) an epiphany prepares for the birth of Isaac

Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19 what can we offer the Lord for all He has done for us?

Exodus 19:2-8 God makes a conditional promise to Israel

Psalm 100 a doxology, a Psalm of praise

Romans 5:1-8 made right by faith

Matthew 9:35-10:8 in Rhyme

Jesus saw the people weary
Sheep without a shepherd, dreary
He said the harvest’s plentiful
The workers imperceptible

Pray to the Lord of the harvest
For more laborers to harness
He gave the disciples power
To heal from that very hour

Don’t go into the Gentile towns
But just stay within Israel’s grounds
Preach heaven’s kingdom is at hand
Heal and freely give should be planned

A worker’s worthy of his hire
Towns you enter you should inquire
Who in it’s worthy, and stay there
If the household’s worthy, peace share

You’ll be sheep among predators
Be wise and harmless on your tours
Beware, you’ll testify to kings
God will help you say the right things

Sheep & Harvesting

Intro

What do tending sheep and harvesting crops have to do with church?

Purpose

Let’s look at some farm lessons that apply directly to the local church.

Plan

Let’s look at two agricultural metaphors for the church’s work in Matthew 9:35-10:8.

Matthew 9:35-36 Shepherdless Sheep

In Matthew 9:35-36 Jesus saw a crowd and was “moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” One common word for a church leader is pastor, meaning a shepherd. In Old Testament Israel, the ideal national leader was pictured as a shepherd who feeds and cares for his sheep. When shepherds do not feed and care for the sheep, they become “ἐσκυλμένοι καὶ ἐρριμμένοι” (Nestle Greek), “harassed and helpless” (NIV), “distressed and dispirited” (NASB), “weary and scattered” (NKJV). Jesus saw people burdened by their shepherds with vain traditions and doctrines, weighed down in ignorance, neglected and scattered abroad without care and attention.

Matthew 9:37-38 Bountiful Harvest

In Matthew 9:37-38 Jesus used a familiar metaphor for the Great Commission of a harvest, using that now famous line, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” A bumper crop and a scarcity of field workers is familiar to farmers. Jesus encourages us to pray the Lord would “send out laborers into His harvest.” The sense is rather forceful in this context, meaning “to drive out” workers into the fields, or to “thrust out, force them out, as from urgent necessity.”1 Jesus calls us to a compelling mission. Perhaps one of the major problems of the Church is that we don’t see this as so important.

1Vincent's Word Studies. Marvin Richardson Vincent. 1886

Matthew 10:1-4 Twelve Disciples

Why were there 12 disciples? Does it remind us of the 12 Patriarchs of the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 gates through which we may enter New Jerusalem in Revelation 21. He called them apostles. Apostle means an envoy or “one who is sent.” In Matthew 10:1-4, “He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.” By doing so, Jesus gave them a little of the power that He revealed during His earthly ministry. As the 12 Patriarchs were the Fathers of Israel, so these men were to be the Fathers of the Church.

Matthew 10:5-8 Mission Trip

Unlike the Great Commission, the disciples’ short-term missionary trip in Matthew 10:5-8 was only “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” We read in Romans 1:16, “the Jew first and also for the Greek.” Some commentators suggest, they were not yet spiritually mature enough to look beyond their national borders. How were “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” lost? Were they not being led “in the paths of righteousness” (Psalm 23)? Was it because “Their [national and religious] shepherds have led them astray” (Jeremiah 50:6)? Had they “gone astray like a lost sheep” (Psalm 119:176)? Have our modern day shepherds been misleading us?

Who is Lost?

Who is lost in our community? Just look around. Who does not go to church? Who has an unkempt lawn and no friends? Who has loads of money but no true friends? Who is an addict? Who is depressed and suicidal? Who is a foreigner far from home and feeling abandoned and unwanted? Who believes that life is all about the materialistic gods of this world? Who has ruined their lives and their family because of sexual immorality? Who drives through town like they have murder on their hearts? Who is deceived into thinking that theft is an appropriate way to live? The lost are everywhere and they are our assignment.

Revelation 14:14-20 Final Harvest

In Revelation 14:14-20 “the Son of Man” is ready for harvest. In verse 16 we read He, “thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.” Then a heavenly angel prepares for the grape harvest. He “threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.” Grape juice was called the blood of the grape and the terrible bloodshed may picture the final battle between good and evil, pictured by Armageddon, the Valley of Megiddo (Revelation 16:12-16; Joel 3:13). The Parable of the Wheat and Tares (Matthew 13:36-43) shows the righteous and unrighteous growing together until harvest. May we be among the righteous!

Outro

Urgent tasks in the church are still to care for and seek lost sheep and be enthusiastic workers in bringing into the kingdom of our dear Lord the harvest of lost souls. Let’s not be lazy Christians, but care for and seek out the lost in or communities.

Scriptures

Matthew 9:35-10:8; Revelation 21; Romans 1:16; Psalm 23; Jeremiah 50:6; Psalm 119:176; Revelation 14:14-20; Revelation 16:12-16; Joel 3:13; Matthew 13:36-43

References

Vincent's Word Studies. Marvin Richardson Vincent. 1886