A BURDEN FOR OTHERS
Matthew 14:34-36
October 14, 2018 @4pm
Hours after the hurricane Michael devastated the state of Florida, Gayle Sweet was sitting
in a red pickup truck watching her house torn apart refusing to leave. Her husband’s body was
still trapped in the debris. As the couple reached the front door of their house, an oak tree went
down, smashing their home, and landing on top of her husband. When her father and the
rescuers arrived, her husband was already dead.
You know why she didn’t leave her husband’s dead body? Because she has burden, she
loves her husband. You know why a lot of saved people neglect winning souls to the Lord?
because the Christians lack burden and come short in their love for Jesus Christ.
It is important to have a burden for others because without a saved person who has a
burden for others, you will never get saved, you will never be here today (Psalm 142:4).
How to have this burden? Look at the…
1. INFECTION – vss.35-36
Genesaret looks like a normal place for normal citizens, a happy town, a peaceful
community but when Christ arrived, we discovered that the people in the land are very sick.
That’s how the people around the world looks like today. They are religious, living morally
decent, they have an upright life, they look so okay, they have a job, they have a wonderful family,
a great business, great friends, but the reality is that they are infected by sin and they need to be
saved.
No matter how a person looks happy, wealthy, and healthy – if he is never saved, that
person is infected by sin – they are still a sinner condemned to hell in the sight of the Lord Jesus
Christ (Romans 3:10, 23; Galatians 3:22).
How do you view these people?
2. INTIMACY – vs.35
When they knew that it was Jesus Christ, the people became passionate in bringing all the
sick people of the land to the Lord.
You know what lacks in a Christian why we don’t care for souls? (“Wala mi-grow atong
relasyon diha sa Ginoo”) Because we lack personal intimacy, love and fellowship with the Lord
Jesus Christ. We lack intimacy, we are short of love in the Lord because we don’t read His word.
The Bible is the only book that will tell you what is in the mind and heart of God.
Jesus Christ asked Peter 3 times with the same question, “Lovest thou me more than
these?” Christ risked the future of mankind in the hands of weak Christians like you and me.
If you know and develop a sweet personal and deep knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ,
you will know what is in His heart. A heart that desires all men to be saved (John 10:15-16, 1
Timothy 2:4-6, 2 Peter 3:9).
But our problem is that we are so caught up in the world, in our business, in our studies
at school, in our professions, in laziness and fear and we forget to nourish our fellowship and
knowledge with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Do you really know Him? How much do you love the Lord?
3. INTERVENTION – vs.36
All of those who touched the hem of Christs garment – they were all healed perfectly. The
power of Christ intervened in their sickness.
Despite of the majority of people today who refuse and reject the message of salvation, I
still believe that Jesus saves. I still believe that Jesus has the power to save (Romans 1:16).
The question that has been asked for over several thousand years? (Romans 10:15-18).
And it may discourage us from winning people to the Lord, we are not alone. It’s not a new thing
if few people only will believe in the gospel because many years before, the prophets have also
the same problem.
Let me tell you this, even if people won’t believe in the gospel, just let God do the saving
but don’t lose your burden for souls. God will work, God will save, God will convict, God will
intervene.
Do you still believe that Jesus saves?