King Jesus and the Queen City

As a new year begins, we will continue to press on through Matthew’s gospel to continue to understand and embrace the end of our vision statement that reads, “It’s our dream that Charlotte will one day be known more as the City of King Jesus than simply as the Queen City. A city where the collective bride of Christ longs for “his name and renown to be the desire of our hearts!” As citizens of this kingdom of God we should not, must not, and will not stop until this dream of the tangible glory of God is lived out in Charlotte and beyond.”

Matthew represents a clear picture of the Kingdom of God and Jesus as the King. This morning we looked at Matthew 9:35-38. This was a powerful moment where Jesus helped his disciples understand that they “must care” if change was going to occur. Verse 35 shows that Jesus understood the enormity of the task at hand as He taught, proclaimed, and healed throughout the region. In today’s terms and numbers, we see that 4.8 billion out of 7 billion people on earth have NOT placed their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. They are currently on a crash-course with hell and eternal separation from God. Verse 36 reveals that as Christ followers, we must have an emotional response to that number! Compassion means to suffer with, to walk with, and to see people as they are BECAUSE He saw them as they are…harassed (skinned and thrown down and in great danger.)

Verse 37 speaks of the harvest, which is a clue to the judgement. There is an eternal state for each of us. 4.8 million is not a game…it is speaking of eternity. Finally, in verse 38, we see the only command. We must pray, and then go. To “send out”, or “ekballo”, means to throw out violently. We must have a compassion for the lost.

To discuss as a family today
1. Do you really care about the lost? How does that show itself?

2. Do you want to love people like Jesus? Why?

3. Write 4,800,000,000 on a piece of paper and put it on your bathroom window to remind you to feel the weight of the number of those without the hope of Jesus.

4. Where is your mission field?

Prayer
Father, thank you for Jesus. Jesus, help me have compassion for people like you do. Please do whatever you need to do to get my attention and point me the way you want me to go. Help me see lost people and suffer with them in order to help compel me to love them like you. Father, this is a scary prayer, but I trust you.