Scripture Reading:
Matthew 9:35-10:1-8 NLT [35] Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. [36] When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. [37] He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. [38] So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”[1] Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. [2] Here are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (also called Peter), then Andrew (Peter’s brother), James (son of Zebedee), John (James’s brother), [3] Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew (the tax collector), James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, [4] Simon (the zealot), Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him). [5] Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, [6] but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep. [7] Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. [8] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!
Text:
Matthew 10:7 NIV As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’
Introduction: Beyond the Foundation
As we continue our foundational series, to open this new year, “Things Worth Remembering,” we reflect on the foundation we laid last week. We declared that if 2026 is to be a year lived truly bigger and better, it must be built upon the eternal necessities of Faith, Hope, and Love.
But let me be clear: A secure foundation is not a safe place to hide; it is the launchpad for monumental work! This morning, we move from the internal necessities to the external mandate by asking the vital question: How does God use a heart prepared with Faith, Hope, and Love?
Today’s message is simple, urgent, and personal: "God Can Use You."
The Ant Analogy: A Call to Action
The Allegheny ant is tiny, yet powerful. Studies show that a single colony can move fifteen tons of subsoil to the surface. So it’s No wonder that Solomon, the writer of Proverbs challenges us:in
Proverbs 6:6 (NIV) | “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!”
If God can use a creature smaller than your thumbnail to move fifteen tons of earth, surely God can use you in 2026!
God is not urging us to move the dirt; He is urging us to move souls. He is urging us to move past apathy, doubt, and fear, and to embrace our God-given commission.
Matthew 28:19-20 NIV [19] Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Today, I’m going to outline five essential ways we must turn our renewed commitment into compassionate, enthusiastic, and powerful action.
Here are the five ways
God Can Use You When You See Others Compassionately
God Can Use You When You Respond to the Challenge Enthusiastically
God Can Use You When You Come to Him Prayerfully
God can use you when you accept His power with a yielded heart.
God Can Use You When You Share the Gospel Joyfully
1️God Can Use You When You See Others Compassionately
Jesus saw past the crowds to the crisis. He didn't just see people; He saw souls that were harassed and helpless.
Matthew 9:35-36 NIV [35] Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. [36] When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Compassion is the starting point of effectiveness.
Even on the Cross, Jesus’ priority was compassion.
Luke 23:34 NIV Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
The phrase "they do not know what they are doing" is key to understanding how Jesus saw those standing at the foot of the Cross. He did not see them as merely "evil" or "cruel"; He saw them as spiritually blind. While the soldiers saw a dying man and a chance to gain some clothing, Jesus saw souls trapped in a darkness they didn't yet understand.
We are called to love to have compassion like this! We talked about it last week, when we said that love is essential. This love agape,the God kind of love, is the kind that reaches out to the different and the desperate. This kind of love as it says in 1 Corinthians 13:7 NIV… always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
The world doesn't need judgment from us or the church; it needs the compassionate tenderness of Christ reflected through us.
Look at what it says in John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
2. God Can Use You When You See Others Compassionately and God Can Use You When You Respond to the Challenge Enthusiastically
The moment Jesus saw the spiritual state of the crowd, that they were harassed and helpless, He didn't offer a eulogy; He issued a challenge.
Matthew 9:37 NIV says Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
The task of reaching a lost world is immense. The challenge of a society pouring resources into temporary pleasures and distractions is overwhelming. But Christ met that overwhelming reality not with defeat, but with enthusiasm and purpose!
The harvest is plentiful is not a problem; it is a promise!
Because the job is huge , and because so few are willing to commit, our response must be unreserved enthusiasm. The fact that the workers are few should motivate us, not discourage us. We must rise to the challenge and dedicate ourselves entirely to this monumental, life-changing work!
3️ God Can Use You When You Come to Him Prayerfully
When we see a challenge this large, our human nature wants to complain about the burden. Christ gave us the solution in
Matthew 9:38 NIV Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
The instruction is to pray to the “Lord who is in charge.”. He is the Lord of the Harvest. This is the key that shifts our focus from our weakness to His infinite resources.
We pray because He is the Owner. The harvest—the salvation of souls—belongs entirely to Him.
His interest in the success of this mission surpasses our own concern.
Let's look quickly at one of Jesus’ parables
Matthew 13:24-29 NIV [24] Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. [25] But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. [26] When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. [27] “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ [28] “ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ [29] “ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them.
Here is the explanation of the parable it is at Matthew.
13:37-43 NIV [37] He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. [38] The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, [39] and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. [40] “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. [41] The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. [42] They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. [43] Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
Jesus is the Son of Man who sowed the good seed and is the one who guarantees the eternal destination of the crop.
Acknowledge His Lordship through prayer, and you will find the confidence to move, knowing He is already at work. Don't wait for others to join you. Lead the way in prayer and service, trusting that your commitment will ignite the hearts of others.
4️ God can use you mightily when you accept His power with a yielded heart.
God’s greatest works are performed through a heart fully yielded to the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. While compassion and enthusiasm are noble traits, they are just human fuel; they will eventually run dry. For the spiritual battles and "God-sized" tasks ahead, we require the supernatural acceleration that only the Spirit provides.
The disciples did not succeed because of their talent or pedigree; they succeeded because they operated under delegated divine authority. They understood that human ability cannot solve spiritual problems. They simply stepped out as yielded vessels, allowing the power of Christ to flow through them.
Matthew 10:1 (NIV) “Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.”
Today, the physical absence of Jesus is not a disadvantage. In fact, it is our greatest strength because He sent the Holy Spirit to be our constant, internal Source of power.
Acts 1:8 (NIV) “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
The Greek word for power used here is dunamis—the root of the word "dynamite." This is not a quiet, passive influence; it is an explosive, life-altering force.
Just as you leaned entirely on the work of Jesus for your salvation, you must now lean entirely on the Holy Spirit for your sanctification and service.
The moment you sincerely surrender your agenda to the Father, the Holy Spirit stands ready to give you the wisdom, boldness, and strength necessary to accomplish what you could never do alone. As an ambassador, you aren't just carrying a message; you are carrying the very Presence of the King.
2 Corinthians 5:20 NIV We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
5️ God Can Use You When You See Others Compassionately, God Can Use You When You Respond to the Challenge Enthusiastically, God Can Use You When You Come to Him Prayerfully, God can use you when you accept His power with a yielded heart and finally God Can Use You When You Share the Gospel Joyfully
What is the ultimate message of the harvest?
Matthew 10:7 (NIV) | “As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’”
This is not a message of doom; it is a declaration of joy and excitement because of the Power of the Gospel: As the Apostle Paul said;
Romans 1:16-17 NIV [16] For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. [17] For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
There is never a person, a life, or a situation the Gospel cannot change.
You don't have to wait for the Kingdom of Heaven—it is at hand! You can enter it today!
Conclusion: Used By God
In 2026, God can use you to move souls into His Kingdom, just as surely as He used a colony of ants to move tons of earth. But only when you choose to:
See Others Compassionately
Respond to the Challenge Enthusiastically
Come to Him Prayerfully
Accept His Power with a Yielded Heart
Share the Gospel Joyfully
I challenge you today to move past apathy and step into your full purpose as a zealous laborer in the harvest.
Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, Lord of the Harvest, we come before you today acknowledging that the harvest is yours, and we are simply the laborers you have called into your field.
Lord, help us to see others compassionately, as Jesus did. Open our eyes to look past the crowds, the distractions, and the differences, and see the souls who are harassed, helpless, and without a shepherd. Remove our fear and our judgment, and replace them with the tender love and concern that moved Christ even while He hung upon the Cross. Let our love be active, always protecting and always persevering.
When we see the overwhelming size of the task let us not respond with despair or doubt. Equip us with boldness to face obstacles, knowing that the harvest is plentiful and the opportunity to serve is immense.
Help us always to come to you prayerfully. Remind us that when the challenge feels too great, we must shift our focus from our limited burden to your infinite resource. We ask you, Lord, to send out more workers into your harvest field, and use our consistent prayer life to inspire and mobilize those around us.
We recognize that we cannot accomplish this work in our own strength. Thank you for the Holy Spirit, the source of supernatural power. Just as we trusted Christ for salvation, we trust the Holy Spirit now to sanctify our will, reason, and emotions, empowering us to be your effective witnesses in our homes, our community, and the world.
Finally, Father, help us to share the Gospel joyfully. Let the message we proclaim be one of excitement, reminding everyone that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand—accessible now! Give us confidence in the unchanging power of the Gospel to transform any life, so that we may share it with joy and conviction.
Use us, Lord, in 2026, to bring glory to your name and souls into your Kingdom.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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