What Do You See?

It was a warm afternoon. I was a student at Asbury Seminary down in Wilmore, Kentucky.

God had placed on my heart a burden to go ministering in a nearby town,

Harrodsburg, Kentucky.

And so a friend and I went door to door visiting with people,

sharing with them about Jesus Christ.

One afternoon, we went into a housing project area and we knocked on the door and a woman,

middle-aged woman came to the door

and she invited us in and my friend

David and I we walked in and we began to visit with her and then we started

talking about spiritual matters and she shared of her need for Christ in her

life and so we prayed with her and she prayed and asked Jesus Christ to forgive

of her sins and to come and live in her heart.

We left that home rejoicing and

we visited back there about once a week to encourage her in her new faith.

And about three weeks, four weeks later, she shared with us about that first visit.

And she says, I know you don't know this, but when you first came to my house,

when you knocked on my door, I was seated at my dining room table with the pills

on the table before me that I was going to take to end my life.

And had you not come when When you came, had you not come that day and at that moment,

I probably would not be alive today." In the scripture that was read a few moments

ago, Matthew 9, verses 35-38, if you have your Bibles, you may want to just

Matthew 9:35–38

leave them open to that passage.

We're going to look at Jesus and how he recognized the spiritual need of the world.

And I'd like for us to consider what he said to his followers and what that might mean for us today.

One of the first things as we look at this passage is we need to see people as they really are.

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues,

preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.

When he saw the crowds, when he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because

they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.

Jesus saw the people around him. He saw that they were spiritually needy.

He saw that they lacked direction in life and he recognized that were facing

the challenges of life without Christ.

I've heard many a Christian say, I don't know how a person could get through

a crisis like this without God's help.

We live in a world that's very spiritually needy. We see this in many ways in

the moral drift of our nation as laws are passed that are clearly contrary to God's word and plan.

As we see the growth in the number of divorces and couples living together outside

of marriage, when we see the bondage of addictive behavior.

When we see and hear about violence and terrorism, people living in fear and distrust of others.

I shared earlier about how I live in Fillmore, how I've lived in Fillmore,

Minnesota for the last 22 years.

We've now moved out of town. We're about 12 miles away from there.

But a friend from Indianapolis come and visit me, and he stayed overnight.

He was my best friend. He was my best man in the wedding, and he came to Fillmore,

a town of 75 people, stayed overnight, he parked his car in the church parking

lot, and he put one of those clubs on the steering wheel.

This is Fillmore, Minnesota, 75 people.

And then he put one of the clubs on the brake pedal that they do as well, the double club effect.

And I said, Tom, you're in Fillmore, Minnesota, you could leave your keys in

the car and it wouldn't make any difference. In fact, you could leave your keys

in the car, leave the car turned on, and tomorrow all that you would be missing

was a little bit of gasoline that you lost by your car running.

But growing up in Indianapolis, Indiana, I was told you lock it or lose it.

And that's kind of the society that we live in today.

Do we, like Jesus, see the world about us and recognize that people are harassed

and helpless like sheep without a shepherd?

You know, sometimes we'll ask someone how they're doing, and they'll say,

hey, I'm doing great, I'm doing fine!" And maybe you know more of the story,

or maybe you can see past the smile on their face and recognize the hurt that's within.

Maybe they've just lost their job, maybe their marriage is on the rocks,

maybe they're discouraged and depressed, and yet they're masking their feelings.

Sometimes people are really struggling spiritually and we just don't see it,

we just don't realize it.

And so a question is, what can be done to open our eyes to the great spiritual need about us?

Now, let me mention this, I should mention a little bit earlier,

In Your Bulletin is a note-taking guide. Feel free to kind of follow along with that.

In our church in Fillmore, the kids like to do it. They like to fill in all

those blanks, and then I give them a candy bar after the sermon is done.

I'm sorry I didn't bring any candy bars with me, but anyhow,

that can help you think about the scriptures and reflect on that.

But that's In Your Bulletin this morning. And so, a question for us to consider,

what can be done to open our eyes to see this great spiritual need about us?

And I want to give you six very practical suggestions here in the first point of a message.

Walk through a secular bookstore and notice how many books there are on New

Age, cult, meditation, and the occult.

Now I don't know if a town like this has a Walden's book or a bookstore.

You know, in Fillmore we don't have a major bookstore. In fact,

we got a sawmill, a church, and 27 houses, four of those being vacant.

But the next time you go somewhere where there's a shopping mall and a secular

bookstore, walk through.

Take a look at the books that are there. They're not there because they're pretty.

They're there because people buy them. People read those materials.

Walk through the religion section and see what people are reading.

See what many people are buying into and allow that to open your eyes to where

people are at spiritually.

The second thing is drive past the Jehovah Witness Kingdom Hall or some other

false religious group during their meeting times.

See how many cars are in the parking lot and consider what people are being

taught by some of those false religion groups like the Jehovah Witnesses.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe there's Jehovah God, there's a separate God called

Jesus, there's no such thing as the Holy Spirit, there's no hell,

a lot of different things that they teach that are just really not in accordance with God's Word.

Write along or talk with a police officer about what he or she encounters on weekend night.

Tell me, what happens on Friday night in our community when you're out there?

Or write along with them and get a view.

For six years, I was a police chaplain.

I rode with police officers on the south side of Indianapolis and on the west side of Detroit.

And I tell you, I saw stuff and I learned stuff they never taught us in Bible college.

You see people, you see a different side, it lets you know.

And so whether you ride along or if you have a police officer friend,

say, hey what's it like? Tell me some of the stuff that you encounter.

And again, allow that to open your eyes to see the spiritual need about us because

a lot of times we don't see that stuff during the daylight hours.

Watch the evening news.

If you watch national news and you watch to the very end, there's usually at

the very end a very delightful story that talks about, you know,

some personal interest thing.

They want to end the news on a happy note so the next day, you'll tune in to

them and watch their news.

But watch the stuff before that final segment and think about what's going on in our world.

Think about what's going on across our nation end.

And maybe be reminded, like Jesus said, he saw the crowds as people harassed

and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.

Realize the spiritual need. Actually, you can use that for a prayer guide.

You know, as you're watching the evening news, pray for each of those items

as they come up on the news.

Another thing, notice how full the casino parking lots are. I've been doing a lot of driving.

Now, my commute from the Parsonage to the Church for Over the last 22 years,

it's been about from here to the back wall there. That's about how far I commute to work.

Now I've been told I'll drive 50,000 miles a year going around our conference.

If I go past a lot of casinos, I want you to know I go past, I go past, I don't stop.

Now I understand that a lot of casinos have really good food and that they mark

the prices down so that people will come in for the food and they'll spend the

money on the tables or slot machines or whatever.

And so I go past like Ho-Chunk and different ones that I see and you know,

even at very odd hours, parking lots are full.

They're probably a pastor just there for the food, right? We know that that's

the—no, I don't think so.

Allow that to speak to your hearts about maybe the addictions that people are under bondage to.

For me as a teenager, blackjack and poker, I'd play cards at some of those swim

meets I went to, and I know had the Holy Spirit not gotten a hold of my heart,

I would be one who would be at those places on a regular basis.

So allow that to help you realize what's going on in people's hearts.

And one final suggestion is engage a classmate or co-worker in a conversation.

And I have two questions to propose. Now, this is someone you work with,

this could be a neighbor, this could be a relative or whatever.

Ask them this question. In your opinion, what do you suppose happens to someone when they die?

What happens to them? A very non-offensive question. people won't get offended by that.

And most of the times, you know what they'll tell you? Go to heaven.

That's what you do. There'll be a few that will say, oh, you're just annihilated, you cease to exist.

Then follow that up with another question. That is, if you were to die and you

were to be standing at the gates of heaven with God there, and God would say

to you, why should I let you into my heaven?

How would you answer him? Now, that'll tell you a lot about where someone's

at spiritually. You know what most people will say?

When God says, why should I let you into heaven, they'll say,

because I'm good, I've lived a good life.

Occasionally, there'll be someone who'll say, because I have Jesus as my Lord

and Savior. That's the real key to getting in.

But listen to the response and allow that to open our eyes to the spiritual needs about us.

So are we in touch? Do we see the spiritual need about us?

Next is, allow our hearts to be moved to compassion. The scripture tells us

that when Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were

harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Compassion is a sympathetic feeling. Pity or mercy, the Greek word here implies

the moving of a man or a woman to the deepest depth of his being.

Jesus didn't just look at the crowds and see them and just register it as a

fact. His heart was moved with compassion.

Now, toward the end of his life on earth, we're told as Jesus approached Jerusalem

and saw the city, he wept over it and said,

If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace,

but now it is hidden from your eyes.

Why was Jesus weeping? As he was going into Jerusalem, he could have been celebrating

the crowds and all that was going on.

Was he weeping because these were just such good people?

I don't think so, because a short while later, some of those that he was weeping

about would shout, crucify him, crucify him.

Was he weeping because he would miss them? I don't think so.

Jesus was moved because of his love. Soon he would stretch out his arms for

them and die for them on the cross.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

And so are we moved to compassion? Do our hearts break for those who don't know Jesus in a personal way?

Maybe our hearts would be more moved if we could see into the hearts of those around us.

Jesus saw into people's hearts.

Now, he was the Son of God and he knew all things.

Yet notice in the scripture that we've looked at, he went through all their towns and villages.

He was in touch with the people. He walked among them. He talked with them.

He wasn't isolated from them.

I wonder if our hearts might be moved if we realize in an even stronger way

the importance of having Jesus in our lives.

You know, living for Jesus isn't just a good thing or a nice thing to do.

Living for Jesus is the only way we're going to get to heaven.

Jesus himself said these words.

He said, I am the way and the truth and the life. He didn't say, I'm one of many ways.

He didn't say, oh, we all worship the same God. but it doesn't matter what you believe.

He didn't say, I am a way. He said, I am the way, and the truth, and the life.

And then, as if to drive the point home further, he went on to say,

no one comes to the Father except through me. There's only one way.

We're going to make it to heaven.

And that one way is through Jesus. He's the one and only way.

Now, the county that I live in is called Fillmore County. So I pastored the

Church of Fillmore in the village of Fillmore,

so I pastored the Fillmore Free Methodist Church in the village of Fillmore

in the township of Fillmore Township in the county of Fillmore in the state of Minnesota.

And when I first looked at going there about 23 years ago, I almost did not

go there. And that was because a stat was shown me that 95% of people in Fillmore County are churched.

I thought, why would I want to go there? I want to go where I can lead people

to Jesus and help them trust in him.

But then the church delegate and leaders pointed out to me that a lot of people

in our county, Fillmore County, were baptized as babies and put on church membership roles.

But have had nothing to do with the church, have no living relationship with the Lord.

They just bank on something that happened when they were an infant.

And I went to that county and I found that to be true.

You know, we need to have a living relationship with the Lord.

It's not enough just to know that Jesus was the Son of God, that Jesus died

on the cross, that he was placed in the tomb,

that on the third day he rose from the dead, he appeared to his fellow believers

over a period of 40 days, he ascended to heaven, and one day he's coming back.

It's not enough just to know that. We have to have a living relationship with the Lord.

Jesus said these words, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord,

will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name

and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?

Lord, did I not teach Sunday school? Did I not serve as an usher?

Did I not serve on the worship team?

That's my adding to the scripture, you know, kind of, that I will tell them

plainly, I never knew you. Relationship.

We need to not just know about Jesus, we need to know him personally.

Do we have that relationship with the Lord? But then think about those who don't

have that relationship. What happens to them?

In our nation there's a subtle universalism that creeps up. Oh,

it doesn't matter what you believe. Oh, we're all going to go to heaven.

But, you know, that's not the case.

2 Thessalonians 1, it says, He will punish those who do not know God and who

do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence

of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people.

There is heaven and there is hell, and people will go to one or the other.

And in fact, as we look at other scriptures in the Bible, it says most people

are going to end up in hell.

Sometimes I'll be asked this question, how could a loving God send anyone to

hell? Have you ever heard that question?

God doesn't. He leaves the choice up to us.

And what we choose for this world, we get for eternity.

I think a better question is how can a loving God take someone who's not wanting

to have anything to do with Jesus or live for God and force him to be in heaven

for eternity in the powerful presence of God? How could God take someone like

that and force him to be in heaven for eternity?

To be in heaven. Bottom line is, what we choose in this world determines where we spend eternity.

And if we choose Jesus and we choose to live for him, we're going to go to heaven.

But if we say, no, I don't really want to have anything to do with Jesus,

I want to live for myself, we won't go to heaven. We'll end up in hell.

And so what we choose in this world determines where we'll spend eternity.

Now, what does that mean for your next-door neighbor. Where's your next-door

neighbor going to spend eternity?

What does that mean for your boss at work or your co-workers?

What does that mean for the fellow students who sit with you in the classroom?

What does that mean for some of the family that was around the Thanksgiving

dinner table this past week with you?

Where are they going to spend eternity?

You know, I can't think of anyone that I know that I'd want to spend and want

to see them spend eternity in hell, not even my worst enemies.

I'm not sure who my worst enemies would be. Third thing that rises up about

this passage is be moved to action.

We're instructed to pray. Jesus said, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out

workers into his harvest field.

The spiritual need is great.

We need to ask God to raise up additional

Christian workers and leaders to minister in the harvest fields.

By the way, when you are praying, say, God, raise up more Bible study leaders.

God, raise up more Sunday school teachers. God, raise up more people for our worship team.

God, raise up someone who will go and witness to my cousin who doesn't know you.

Sometimes as we pray that, we'll find that God is calling us to be part of the answer to that prayer.

The prophet Isaiah was worshiping God and as holiness we

find in Isaiah chapter 6 and then

Isaiah 6 · chapter mention

the scripture goes on to say then I Isaiah heard

the voice of the Lord saying whom shall I send it

who will go for us and I said here

am I send me are we

open to God's call to witness to serve

now we can also pray for unbelievers we're told to devote yourself to prayer

being watchful and thankful and pray for us too that God may open a door for

our message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ for which I am in

chains." The Apostle Paul wrote that in Colossians chapter 4.

Colossians 4 · chapter mention

We pray for workers, we pray, offer ourselves to God, and then I think it's

good for us to pray for unbelievers, for God to work in their hearts,

for them to come to a point of trusting in Jesus.

I'd like to encourage you, if you've not done it already, make a list of unbelievers

that you know and begin praying for them to trust in Jesus.

I have a list of 25, and I pray for them about four times a week.

I pray for everyone on that list. You might say, well, praying,

what do you pray after a while?

I mean, it seems like that could get old. There's a lot of things you can pray.

God, by your Holy Spirit, will you convict them of their sin?

God, will you bring a Christian across their path to witness to them?

God, will you open an opportunity for me to witness to them?

God, through this Christmas season and as the Christmas message is out there,

may it speak to their hearts.

God, as they live in this beautiful area and see the beauty of your creation,

may they recognize you as creator.

There's a lot of different things we can pray. And what I do, I list these 25 people.

I have them listed in one column, and then I have another column that's blank.

I have that column to write in when they commit their lives to the Lord.

And it's fun to write in a date when, it's a blessing to write in a date when

they've committed their lives to the Lord.

It doesn't always happen quick.

It usually doesn't. There's people that have been on my list for 20 years,

and I'm still praying for them.

Jesus set the example. He went through all the towns and villages,

teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom,

and healing every disease and sickness.

Jesus saw. Jesus had tears as he was moved to compassion.

But then he went on to teach, preach, and heal.

Are we sharing the good news with others? Are we telling them about Jesus?

Let me close with this illustration.

My dad was a twin.

Uncle Bob was very successful in life, my dad's twin brother.

He went out to California, had several patents, was very wealthy,

but he became an atheist where he said there's no God.

My dad lived in a much more humble setting, but my dad knew that Jesus,

entrusted in Jesus. Well, Uncle Bob was diagnosed with cancer,

and the doctors gave him a very short time to live.

And my dad knew that his brother didn't know Jesus.

And so my dad made plans to fly from Indianapolis, Indiana to San Diego,

California to witness to his twin brother before his twin brother would die.

Dad gathered up his things, he flew out, and my Aunt Noby, Uncle Bob's wife, met him at the airport.

And Aunt Noby said, I don't want you talking religion with him.

Aunt Noby, her religion was reincarnation. That you die, you become another

person, you live for a while, you die again, you become another person,

and just kind of a cyclic thing like that.

But my dad was on a mission. He knew that his brother didn't know Jesus.

So my dad visited with Uncle Bob in the home there and kept looking for an opportunity

when Aunt Noby would go run some errands.

And finally that time came.

And my dad shared with Uncle Bob about Jesus and the importance of having Jesus in his life.

And Uncle Bob prayed and asked Jesus to forgive him of his sins and to come and live in his heart.

Not too long after that, my dad flew back to Indianapolis, rejoicing.

I'm going to see Uncle Bob again. I'm going to see him again because my dad

told him about Jesus, and he trusted in Jesus as his Lord and Savior.

People need the Lord. They need to experience his love and his forgiveness and guidance.

They need to know that God really cares about them.

Will you tell them? You know, as a result of our sharing, there may be people in heaven.

Wouldn't it be great if one day when we die and we go to heaven,

that people, someone would come up to us and say, hey, I want to talk to you,

I want to talk to you, and I want to thank you because you told me about Jesus, I'm here today.

I made it because you shared with me the good news. Wouldn't it be great if

there was a line of people just waiting to tell us that?

And so what about us this morning? Do we see people as they really are,

harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd?

Do we see people that need the Lord?

And then are our hearts moved with compassion as we recognize that those without

that living relationship with Christ are headed to an eternity in hell?

Are we moved to tears when we think about that eternal separation from God?

And then what does that compassion do? Does it move us to action?

Pray to witness? I tell you, I think your pastor would love it.

If you're not actively serving in some kind of ministry and you feel God's turning

you to do that, talk to your pastor. I'm sure you'd be glad to plug in.

Let's pray. Before I close in prayer, it may be that as you've heard this message,

you've thought of someone you know, someone you care about, who does not know

Jesus as Lord and Savior.

And it may be God by His Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart and asking you to pray for them.

And so in the quietness of this moment, lift to the Lord someone you know who's

not yet a believer in Christ. Pray for God's working in their life.

Father, I lift to you my nephew, John Mark, and I ask God that you would be

at work in his heart and life.

Father, help him to recognize his need for Jesus.

And Father, may John Mark come to a point where he confesses his sin to you,

God, and invites Jesus in and says, Lord and Savior.

Father, as you've heard the prayers of those who are gathered here,

Father, we do pray for your working in the lives of those that you have placed

on our hearts as burdens.

Father, may each one come to a point of knowing you personally.

And Father, I pray for any who may be here this morning who would say,

you know, I'm not quite at that point of accepting Christ in my life, but I'd like to.

Father, may today be the day of salvation.

Father, help us to have eyes to see, hearts that are moved with compassion,

and guide us in our service for you.

We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.