God of This City (Matthew 9:35-10:1)

A sermon preached on July 21, 2013 at Hebron Baptist Church in
Denham Springs, Louisiana by Pastor Joe Alain.
Scripture Reading: Matthew 9:35-10:1
On the road to Angola State Penitentiary, as you’re coming in to Tunica there is a slightly faded homemade sign on the right side of the road on a small bluff that says, “Jesus Is Lord Over Tunica.” I’ve often thought about that sign over the years as I have passed by it. I think I know what they are trying to say, that we are God-fearing people.

I’ve also wondered, “is that really true in Tunica?” And I’ve thought about how Jesus is so much more than Lord over Tunica, He’s Lord over all creation! Paul echoes Psalm 24:1 when he says “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it” (1 Cor. 10:26). In one of God’s conversations with Job, the Lord asks, “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?” (Job 38:4). And Isaiah says that the whole earth is full of his glory (Isa. 6:3). Jesus is Lord over all but are all people acknowledging his Lordship in their lives? It’s pretty obvious that many are not. And I can imagine I wouldn’t have to look very far in Tunica to find someone who is not. But what about our city? Is Jesus the Lord of our city? And is Jesus the Lord of my life?

What does it mean to live under his Lordship? And how do we bring the Lordship of Jesus to bear to the people of our city? How do we who know Jesus claim our city for God? Matthew 9:35-10:1 is a good place to begin for we have Jesus’ example of how he brought his life and message to the cities of his day.

Claiming our city for God means we . . .
1. Follow Jesus’ Pattern (v.35)
In one sentence we see the threefold activity which was the heart of the life of Jesus: teaching, proclaiming, and healing. I want to reverse the order of teaching and preaching and begin first with the fact that Jesus was a preacher. The word “proclaim” or “preach” here means to “herald” and a herald is one brings a message from the king. Jesus was the one who brought a message from God, a message of good news – salvation is here! He announced that reconciliation with God was now possible, sins would be forgiven.

The job of the herald was to proclaim or to announce things that were certain. As Jesus proclaimed the certainties of God, so we have the privilege of announcing the certainties of salvation. There never was a time when this certainty was more needed than it is today. We must announce with clarity and certainty God’s salvation. It’s been said that in our day we are standing at the crossroads and the signposts have fallen down. We don’t know which way to go. You and are to announce the certainty of truth and good news to a world in confusion.

Jesus was a preacher, but he was also a teacher. It is not enough to simply proclaim the Christian certainties we must be able to show the significance of these certainties for life and living. But to do that, we must teach, and teaching is not only talking but living. We must show people what Christianity is by how it impacts our life. We show that Jesus is Lord more by how we live rather than what we say. In a world that has grown skeptical of Christianity and is all too familiar with how Christians have fallen short, we need to show people how Christ makes a difference in our life.

Jesus preached, taught, and healed. Jesus was a healer. Healing disease and sickness was the visible evidence that the kingdom of God had broken in. The curse of sin had been reversed. The Gospel did not stop at words alone, it was translated into deeds. When we look at the Gospels it’s pretty amazing to see how much more time Jesus spent healing the sick, feeding the hungry, comforting the sorrowful, welcoming the outcasts than he did just talking about God. He spoke the Word of truth and He lived out the healing Word. He put words into actions.

There is a world before us that is sick and in need of a healing touch. Desperation, hopelessness, loneliness, hunger, confusion, – these are but a few of the sicknesses of our age that need the Gospel’s healing touch, a touch that you and I can bring. If we are to claim our city for God, we must follow Jesus’ pattern of proclaiming, teaching, and healing.

2. Embrace Jesus’ Passion (v.36-37)
Passion comes from seeing and feeling. The word here for “compassion” is the strongest word available to express “pity” and it is only used of Jesus in the Gospels. When we follow Jesus in the Gospels we see what moved Jesus most of all. William Barclay notes the following:
    (1) He was moved to compassion by the world’s pain. For the sick (Matt.14:14), the blind (Matt. 20:34), for those in the grip of demons (Mk. 9:22).
    (2) He was moved to compassion by the world’s sorrow. Widow at Nain who lost her son (Lk. 7:13).
    (3) He was moved to compassion by the world’s hunger (Matt. 15:32).
    (4) He was moved to compassion by the world’s loneliness. Lepers (Mk. 1:41).
    (5) He was moved to compassion by the world’s bewilderment. Jesus saw the people as they really were, “harassed and helpless,” or as the HCSB says, “weary and worn out.” Jesus saw people as “sheep without a shepherd,” living confused and aimless lives. The Jewish leaders should have been offering people strength to live, but instead they only added to the law and their burden. They had no comfort to offer. They only piled more crushing requirements. “We must always remember that Christianity exists, not to discourage, but to encourage; not to weigh people down with burdens, but to lift them up with wings.”

Seeing people as Jesus did and being moved to compassion is the passion of evangelism. We see people hurting and we have an emotional response that leads to action. This compassion caused Jesus to see the magnitude of the harvest (v.37). Certainly the disciples at this point did not see the great mission field all around them. And yet Jesus says that “the harvest is plentiful.” The needs have never been greater. People still need Jesus today just as much as they did in past days. We are not lacking for hurting people in our community that need Jesus. In fact, they have only increased.
It is true that our culture has changed and we may not know the people in our area, they may not be from here, they may be different culturally than us. But they are here. And we as God’s church are planted here to continue impacting this city for Jesus. We may have to use different methods to reach people. There is nothing wrong with methods that once worked, it’s just that our world has changed. And God is saying to you and I, will we believe that “Greater things have yet to come. Greater things are still to be done in this city? Will you believe that God is the God of this city? That he’s the king of this people? That he’s still the Lord of this nation?”

Follow Jesus’ Pattern, Embrace Jesus’ Passion, . . .
3. Offer Jesus’ Prayer (v.38)
Making an impact in our world begins but does not end with prayer. The ESV and HCSB have the word “Therefore” at the beginning of verse 38. Jesus is saying, “Based on what I have just told you, here’s what you are to do first in light of this situation – pray!” And the ESV has “pray earnestly” or seriously, fervently. We are to pray to the Lord of the Harvest and our prayer is very specific, that He would “send out workers into his harvest field.”

Here is a simple but profound truth. The harvest will never be reaped unless there are reapers to reap. Jesus needs people to do His will. God desires all men to be saved (2 Pet. 3:9) but for that to happen they will have to hear and they will never hear unless other people tell them. Paul says “How, then, can they [unreached people Jews and non-Jews] call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Rom. 10:14-15a).

This is a prayer for the multiplication of people involved in meaningful ministry to people who do not know Christ. This is heartfelt prayer for people to be involved in teaching, proclaiming, and healing ministries.

Follow Jesus’ Pattern, Embrace Jesus’ Passion, Offer Jesus’ Prayer, . . .
4. Go in Jesus’ Power (10:1)
To the surprise of the disciples, they will become the answer to their prayers for workers in God’s harvest. Although we begin with prayer, it’s never enough to only pray, prayer without works is dead. We must not be content to only pray, to give, to offer support as good as these things are. We must go in Jesus’ power.

Jesus called the disciples, empowered them with his authority, and sent them out into the harvest field. They will take up the work that he has begun; that of teaching, proclaiming, and healing. This is the work that you and I are called to do. When you pray, “Do it Lord . . . let your kingdom come, let your will be done,” you are asking that God would “Do it” in you! 

Why does it matter so much? Because it’s true, Jesus does love us all and He came so that everyone would know how much. Jesus said that you are like a city (Matthew 5:14), you are “the light of the world, a city on a hill that can’t be hidden. God doesn’t want you to hide or be quiet. He made you to shine!” Let’s determine to shine, to go in Jesus’ power. He is the God of this city!

For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
"Phil. 1:3"