The Harvest Ready to Be Gathered

Tom McCormick

Hope for the World 2023

Sermon Only Sermon Audio

Nov 19, 2023

Matthew 9:35-38

In this message Pastor Tom McCormick teaches from Matthew 9:35-38. The church doesn’t have a mission; the mission has a church. That is what we explore in this sermon.

Sermon Notes

The Harvest Ready to Be Gathered

Matthew 9:35-38

· On the track to baptize 300 people in 2023

· 10,000 new church plants in the US since 2010

· 10,000+ people are in the world

· 178,000+ people who became Jesus followers in 2022

· 21,000+ new churches that were started in just 2022

· More than 7000 Unreached People Groups worldwide

· California (1 church for every 1665 people)

· Nevada (1 church for every 2042 people)

· 10% of Las Vegans are Christians

· 5.8 billion people who are not Christians

· In other words, 7 out 10 people on earth are not Christians

· 1.7 billion of the 5.8 billion have never heard the Gospel once

· In other words, 1 out of 3 people on earth have never herd the Gospel

“The church doesn’t have a mission; the mission has a church.”

Matthew 9:35-38

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

“He said to His disciples…”

TRUTH #1

The Harvest is plentiful.

TRUTH #2

The laborers are few.

Distracted – other things have our attentions

Desensitized – we’re numb to what’s best

Disengaged – we choose other lesser things

Jesus saw what the disciples could not see and knew what the disciples did not know. Jesus also sees what I cannot see and knows what I do not know.

THE COMMAND – PRAY EARNESTLY

“Go, make disciples of all nations…” -Matthew 28:19

“Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to all creation.” -Mark 16:15

“…that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations…” -Luke 24:47

“Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As that Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” -John 20:21

“…and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost…” -Acts 1:8