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.
37   Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
38  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

1. Fanny Crosby the great blind songwriter, who is known as "the queen of gospel music," had another noble quality about her which was appealing, and that was her burden for souls.

One night, in the summer of 1869, after leading a young man to Christ, wrote the immortal words:

2.    "The chief duty of every Christian is to win souls!"

3. Just write your ministry or even your very life a failure unless souls are won to Christ."

4. In the text before us, It talks about soul-winning.

You can’t study the pages of God’s Word without coming away with the stark realization that souls have an eternal place lodged into the heart of God Almighty!

SO, when we consider this matter of soul-winning, I know of no greater place to start than with the greatest soul-winner who ever lived: the Lord Jesus Christ!

We might ask ourselves the question,  "Why should I get involved?  Why should I throw out a lifeboat to someone who is sinking?"
                            Simple, because "There’s A Lord Worth Being Served!"

Briefly, let’s examine these verses of our text, and see that He’s worth being served because:

1. You’ll notice that verse 36 tells us that "when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them.."

As we observe the setting, the scene, and the situation of this
verse, we see that He had compassion because:

A. THERE WAS A CROWD THAT COMPELLED HIM

1. Notice the first part of verse 36.

We’re told that "when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion."

 Therefore, it’s apparent, that there was a crowd that compelled him, for you notice the word "saw" that’s used.

2. The word "saw" speaks of ‘beholding, looking upon, or contemplating.’   The word describes someone taking a long, deep gaze at an object.

3. The picture is this. Jesus did much more than take a glance at the crowd, he gazed at the crowd because they were something that required His attention.

4. You see, in order for Him to sympathize with them,  He had to first see them.
In order for Him to pity them, He had to first perceive them.
In order for Him to have compassion, He first had to contemplate.

5.  He gazed upon a crowd that was lost, and as a result, He was moved with compassion.

6. I ask you, today, how long has it been since you really caught a view of a world dying and going to hell?

   Have you truly seen your co-worker, your school mate, your boss, your friend, or even your family
   member as a soul that hangs in the balances of eternity?

7. You see, in order for us to win them, we must first see them.

We must gaze upon them, we must behold them, we must look upon them, as our chief example did.
 

B. THERE WAS A CONDITION THAT CONCERNED HIM

1. Notice the last part of verse 36.   There was a condition that concerned Him.

2. The condition of this crowd is described as saying, "because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd."
  When Jesus looked upon this crowd,  He saw a wandering, helpless, hopeless, and aimless people.

3. It’s interesting to note that often Jesus referred to us as sheep.

4.  In John 10 Jesus gave a wonderful description of the relationship that exists between Him and His sheep.
He said in John 10:7, "I am the door of the sheep."
In verse 11 he said, "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."
In verse 14 he said, "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine."
Then, in verse 27, he said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."

5. What He was describing was the relationship that the shepherd had with his sheep. Those sheep would know and recognize the voice of that shepherd. They wouldn’t recognize, and wouldn’t follow the voice of a ‘hireling,’ or a stranger.

6. BUT, when Jesus looked at this crowd, he saw a sheep having no shepherd. They fit the description that Zechariah gave the scattered people of Jerusalem in Zechariah 10:2, when he said, "they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd."

7. They had no guide, no goal, and no ground.
    They had no passion, no purpose, and no priority.
    They had no direction, no drive, and no determination.
    They were helpless, hopeless, and aimless, and this condition concerned Him.

8.  Today,  you don’t have to look very long to see many who fit this description.
      For, thousands upon thousands, today, are without God; and, as a result, they are simply wandering aimlessly,
  helplessly, and hopelessly through life with no direction whatsoever.

Immediately after seeing the condition of this crowd, he turns to his disciples, and issues a call.
I believe that this says to you and I, who are saved:

A. WE’VE BEEN CALLED BY A FORCE

1. Notice verse 37. "Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;"
 When we observe this call, we see that we have been called by a force.

2. Notice again who issued the call.
          It was their master, their employer, and their Lord.
          It was the One who they had left their family, fortune, field, and finances for.

3. This was more than a different call, a distinct call, or a definite call.   IT WAS A DIVINE CALL!

4. Can you think of any greater reason to go other than that He has called you to go!   I don’t know about you, but I don’t need any other reason, or any greater reason, for we have been called by a force!

** I believe too often we are like the young man who poured out his heart’s devotion in a letter to the girl of his dreams. He wrote:   "Darling, I would climb the highest mountain, swim the widest stream, cross the burning desert, and even die at the stake for you!"
PS "I will see you on Saturday, if it doesn’t rain!

5. Right before Jesus ascended, He said in Mark 16:15, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

6. Did you notice one very small, yet very powerful word in that verse?
 I’m talking about the word "GO!"
You see, though He’s now Gone, we’re now to GO!
We’re, as Paul said, "ambassadors for Christ."
 We’re the representatives of God, and we are to GO!

B. WE’VE BEEN CALLED TO A FIELD

1. Notice, again, verse 37.  Not only do we see that we’ve been called by a force, but we’ve been called to a field.

2. For, Jesus speaks, and says, "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few."
  With those words, a distinct line has been drawn, and a field has been marked off.

3. You see, what he’s describing here is a vast, and an all-inclusive field. He’s referring to a harvest that’s ripe to be picked, BUT, can’t,  because there aren’t enough workers to pick it.

4. He’s describing a field that has produced a marvelous crop;  yet, it stands untouched because there are no workers to bring it in.

5. He’s speaking of a factory full of a crop of souls.
    He’s speaking of an office whose vine is loaded with souls.
    He’s speaking of a home whose family tree is full of souls.
     We’ve been called to a field.   A field full of souls!

6.   If every one in this room today led 1 person to Christ each year, and that person leads one to Christ each year, the harvest would be enormous.

7. The attitude of letting someone else do it won’t work any longer.
   The mentality that someone has done their part, and it’s time to let someone else do it, isn’t justified any longer.

8. The fact of the matter is that the field is overflowing with souls, but, there are few Christians, who, though they’ve been called, will fill out a job application and go to work.

 It’s much like a lot of folks today who want to get paid, but who don’t want to work.

9. Many Christians today want the recognition, but they don’t want the responsibility.
   Whether we acknowledge, accept, or admit it, the fact is that if we don’t go, the crop will spoil.
   If we don’t go, the harvest will be ruined.

For, We Have Been Called By A Force, and We Have Been Called To A Field! Yes, He’s worth being served, because His Call Seeks Us!

We move to the concluding thought of this passage, and we see that He’s not only worth being served because His compassion stirs us, and His call seeks us; but, because His command shows us.

The words in verse 38 indicate a command that’s been given.
SO, as we look at His command, we see that:

A. HIS COMMAND REQUIRES A PRAYER

1. Notice verse 38. Jesus says, "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest."   We see that His command requires a prayer.

2. Some people think that what is being said is that we are to pray that God Himself would reap the harvest.

3. But, what Jesus is really saying, is, "To not pray that God will reap the harvest, but pray that He will send you to reap the harvest!"

4. Now,  he isn’t implying that we need pray to see if it His will for us to
go.  We already know that His will is for us to go.
However, we’re to pray that He’ll burn, blaze, and burden our heart for souls, that WE WILL GO!

5. You see, you can’t be a soul-winner unless you’ve spent time in prayer.
    You can’t have a burden for souls unless you’ve received that burden from God in prayer.

6.  While we must pray that God will send others; we have to pray that God will give us a desire to see people saved,
 so that we, ourselves will go.

7. I like how a preacher prayed concerning this matter:

8. His Command, the command to go, Requires A Prayer!

B. HIS COMMAND REVEALS A PURPOSE

1. Notice, again, verse 38.
 Not only does His command require a prayer, but His command reveals a purpose.

2. What is the purpose of this command to pray?   It’s so that "he will send forth laborers into his harvest."

3. These words literally read, "Pray that the Lord of the harvest that he will force out, and thrust workers, laborers, and those who will go into His harvest."

4. One of the reasons we’re to pray for those that are without God, and lost, is that He may lead someone in their direction.
 Again, we’re to go, ourselves.  BUT, if we can’t go, may we pray that God will send someone by who can go, and bring them in.

5. I believe that if you were to be honest today, you’d have to say that you’re glad that somebody prayed that God would send somebody by your way to tell you about Jesus.

6. Though we must go, and we ought to go, we need to also pray that others will go, and join in on this harvest of souls to be snatched from the burning.
                            His Command Requires A Prayer,
                           and His Command Reveals A Purpose.
                            He is worth being served because His Command Shows Us!
 

It’s said that when J. Hudson Taylor was director of the China Inland Mission, he often interviewed candidates for the mission field.  On one occasion, he met with a group of applicants to determine their motivations for service. He asked one, "Why do you wish to go as a foreign missionary?"  The young man answered, "I want to go because Christ has commanded us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature," was the reply.  Another said, "I want to go because millions are perishing without Christ." Others gave different answers.   Then Hudson Taylor said, "All of these motives, good though they be, will fail you in times of testings, trials, tribulations, and possible death.  There’s only one motive that’ll sustain you in trial and testing; and that’s, the love of Christ".

Friend, I don’t know about you, but when I think of His love, and what He’s done for me, I don’t need any other reason to tell others about Him.

 To think, that He, in His loveliness,  would love something so unlovable.
 That He, in His holiness, would love something so unholy.
 That He, in His purity, would love something so filthy.

Truly today He is worth our service in telling, and sharing with others of His great love.

I believe you would agree with me, today, that we should get involved, and throw out a lifeboat, because: