Wayne Curles
Biblical Education by Extension
Country Coordinator for Burma
February 26, 2006
Old Cutler Presbyterian Church - Missions Conference
Text: Matthew 9:35-38
I don’t normally blog sermon notes, but then I don’t normally attend OCPC and, quite frankly, I didn’t have a pen during the sermon, but I found Mr. Curles’s teaching to be inspiring enough that I remembered almost everything he said – except for those 5-7 minutes I spent worrying about my son in the nursery. Which I told myself was silly – he was fine, but when I picked him up he was absolutely shaking from crying so much (my fault, I miscalculated when he would be hungry again). I guess I didn’t spend enough time worrying; I’ll have to make up for that next time.
One thing that I have been impressed with lately is my own lack of compassion for other human beings. In Jeremiah, the Israelites are condemned for worshiping idols and then suddenly condemnation for their lack of compassion is slipped in as well. To me this says that lack of compassion is probably pretty close “big sin-wise” to idolatry. After all the most important commandment is to Love the Lord your God…and the 2nd Love your neighbor as yourself.
In Mr. Curles sermon, he pointed out that:
1. Jesus saw the crowds – rather took notice – do we take notice?
2. Jesus had compassion – Mr. Curles noted that the kind of compassion He felt is hard for us to identify with, and that it is more like the kind of compassion we feel for a dog we see being hit by a car, it does not have to be our dog and we still would feel tremendous pity and sorrow to see this happen. (I really like dogs and have in honest moments admitted that I like some dogs much more than some people.)
3. The crowds were harassed and helpless – this is a spiritual problem, we know from the previous verses that Jesus healed physical problems as he went along his way. Additionally harassment is not a physical or visible problem in most instances.
4. The harvest is plentiful – plentiful implies ripe – you would not call trees full of unripe fruit plentiful. Mr. Curles quoted a noted Christian writer who surmised that there are many many lost people who need only to hear the gospel and they will be saved.
5. Jesus commands us to ask the Lord to send workers. Mr. Curles told of churches in Korea where every member is one of 4 distinctions – learners, teachers, sent-ones, and senders – and suggested that the church in America doesn’t take our identity as Christians as practically
Another thing I found interesting about Mr. Curles was that he had only been in the ministry since he was 50 years old (he looked to be about 70 presently). I guess it’s never too late to give your whole life to the Lord.
