Lesson#19

THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #19
THE PARABLE OF THE SHEEP AND THE HARVEST (MAT 9:36-38)

• MEMORY VERSE: MARK 16:15

• READ MAT 9:35-38 AND ISA 53:6 FOR CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE OF THE SHEEP AND THE HARVEST.
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?
• ALL PEOPLE ARE LIKE SHEEP, AIMLESS IN THEIR DIRECTION OF LIFE, BUT MANY PEOPLE SEEKING TRUTH. GOD WANTS HIS DISCIPLES TO PRAY, HAVE COMPASSION, AND MINISTER THE TRUTH OF SALVATION TO THOSE WHO ARE LOST AND NEED A SAVIOR.
• TO WHOM IS THE PARABLE SPOKEN?
• JESUS SPOKE THE PARABLE TO HIS OWN DISCIPLES.
• WHO DO THE SHEEP REPRESENT?
• THE PASSAGE IN MATTHEW TELLS US THAT THE SHEEP ARE THE MULTITUDES OF PEOPLE FOLLOWING JESUS.
• WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN IT SAYS THEY ARE SCATTERED?
• THIS PHRASE IS JESUS’ VIEW AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE PEOPLE.
• WITH COMPASSION, JESUS SEES THEM AS WEARY AND FRUSTRATED WITH THE TRIALS OF LIFE. HE SEES THEM AS ABANDONED AND NEGLECTED BY THEIR LEADERS TO THE POINT OF CONFUSION. THEY DON’T KNOW WHICH WAY TO GO SO THEY FOLLOW ANYONE AND ALWAYS SEEKING TRUTH.
• READ MAT 10:6-8
• THERE IS A SPECIAL BLESSING FOR MINISTERING TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE AND HAVING A HEART FOR THE PEOPLE GOD ESPECIALLY LOVES.
• READ GEN 12:3
• THE BIBLE CLEARLY SAYS THAT ALL ARE LOST AND DISTANT FROM GOD BECAUSE OF SIN.
• HOWEVER, MOST PEOPLE ARE BLIND TO THAT FACT.
• IT IS THE TRUTH OF MAN’S LOST CONDITION BECAUSE OF SIN THAT CHRIST WANTS HIS DISCIPLES TO PREACH.
• WHO IS THE SHEPHERD?
• THE SHEPHERD IS JESUS CHRIST.
• HOW DO WE KNOW FOR SURE?
• READ JOH 10:11
• THERE ARE MANY WHO CLAIM TO BE THE SHEPHERD, BUT ONLY JESUS CHRIST IS WORTHY OF THE TITLE OF “THE GREAT SHEPHERD”.
• READ HEB 13:20
• WHAT DOES THE HARVEST REPRESENT?
• THE SCATTERED MULTITUDES THAT NEED GUIDANCE AND CARE TO BRING THEM TO THE SAVIOR RESULT IN THE HARVEST OF SAVED SOULS.
• THERE IS AN INTERESTING NOTE OF THE PRIORITIES OF JESUS’ MINISTRY:
• WE FIRST SEE JESUS TEACH.
• THEN WE SEE JESUS PREACH.
• THEN WE SEE JESUS HEAL.
• THE RESULTS OF THIS BALANCE IS THE MAKING OF DISCIPLES WHO, IN TURN, WILL MINISTER TO OTHER PEOPLE.
• WHO ARE THE FEW LABORERS?
• THE LABORERS ARE THE DISCIPLES OF JESUS WILLING TO WORK FOR THE LORD:
• THE TWELVE DISCIPLES IN JESUS’ TIME ON EARTH.
• BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST WHO ARE HIS DISCIPLES TODAY ON EARTH.
• WHAT DOES THE LABORER DO?
• =1= SOME DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST PREPARE THE GROUND (THE HEART). HOW DO THEY DO THAT?
• THEY CREATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD BY MEETING PHYSICAL NEEDS OF NON-BELIEVERS.
• THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF MIRACLES AND HEALING WAS TO ADVERTISE THE GOSPEL.
• SOMETIMES THEY CREATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD BY JUST BEING A FRIEND.
• =2= SOME DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST PLANT THE SEED (OF THE GOSPEL). HOW DO YOU DO THAT?
• PLANTING THE SEED IS DONE BY SPEAKING, TEACHING, AND PREACHING THE WORD OF GOD.
• =3= SOME DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST WATER AND WEED THE PLANTED WORD OF GOD. HOW DO YOU DO THAT?
• PATIENT PRAYER FOR NON-BELIEVERS IS NECESSARY TO BRING THEM TO HARVEST.
• DISCIPLING A PERSON IS NECESSARY SO THAT THEY COME TO KNOW TRUTH AND COMMIT THEIR LIVES TO CHRIST.
• WATERING AND WEEDING OCCURS BEFORE A PERSON GETS SAVED AND AFTER HE GETS SAVED.
• THIS PART OF THE PROCESS IS THE MOST FRUSTRATING, THE MOST DIFFICULT, AND MOST TIME-CONSUMING.
• =4= SOME DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST REAP THE RIPE GRAIN (THE SOULS OF MEN). HOW DO YOU DO THAT?
• THIS INVOLVES CONFRONTING A PERSON FACE TO FACE TO RECEIVE CHRIST INTO HIS LIFE.
• THIS INVOLVES PRAYING WITH A PERSON TO REPENT OF HIS SINS AND TO RECEIVE CHRIST.
• THIS PART OF THE PROCESS IS OFTEN THE MOST GLAMORIZED, HOWEVER, IT IS THE MOST PERSONALLY THREATENING PART OF THE PROCESS.
• IT IS THREATENING BECAUSE IT MAY MEAN REJECTION NOT ONLY OF CHRIST BUT REJECTION OF YOUR INVOLVEMENT AND FRIENDSHIP IN A PERSON’S LIFE.
• ALL FOUR PARTS OF THE PROCESS ARE IMPORTANT TO BRINGING PEOPLE INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
• WHAT IS THE MOTIVE OF THE LABORERS?
• THE CONVERSION OF A PERSON TO A PARTICULAR RELIGION IS OFTEN CONFUSED WITH CONVERSION TO CHRIST.
• THE LABORERS MUST HAVE A MOTIVE OF BRINGING A PERSON INTO A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST AND NOT A MOTIVE OF SEEING THE INCREASED NUMBERS OF PEOPLE IN THEIR CHURCH.
• IT IS LIKE FINDING A WONDERFUL HOUSEHOLD REMEDY FOR GETTING THE SCUM OFF THE SHOWER DOOR.
• IF YOU HAVE STOCK IN THE COMPANY, YOU WANT TO CONVERT THE PERSON TO BUY THE PRODUCT FOR YOUR OWN BENEFIT.
• BUT IF, OUT OF LOVE, YOU FEEL SORRY FOR SOMEONE SCRUBBING UNTIL HIS KNUCKLES ARE RED AND BLEEDING, YOU SIMPLY WANT TO HELP HIM EASE HIS TOIL.
• HOW IS THE OCCURRENCE OF LABORERS INCREASED?
• IN THE PARABLE, JESUS HAD THE DESIRE THAT THERE BE MORE LABORERS. IF THE SIMPLE DESIRE OF THE LORD IS NOT SUFFICIENT, THEN HOW WILL THERE BE AN INCREASE IN LABORERS?
• THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO INCREASE THE LABORERS AND THAT IS BY PRAYER.
• IT IS NOT A PRAYER THAT GOD SEND SOMEONE ELSE, SO I CAN STAY SAFELY IN MY HOME.
• IT IS ONLY GOD WHO CONVICTS THE HEART AND MAKES PEOPLE WANT TO DO GOD’S WILL IN HIS KINGDOM.
• IT IS ONLY GOD WHO OPENS OPPORTUNITIES FOR WHICH THE LABORER MUST RECOGNIZE IN ORDER TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE GOD-GIVEN OPPORTUNITY.
• AS WE HAVE A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IN PRAYER, HE CONVICTS OUR HEARTS AND SHOWS US THE OPEN DOORS OF OPPORTUNITY.
• AS WE PRAY, WE ARE THE LABORERS HE SENDS.
• WHEN JESUS SPOKE THIS PARABLE TO THE DISCIPLES, HE WANTED THEM TO PRAY SO THAT THEY WOULD BE THE FIRST LABORERS
• WHO IS THE LORD OF THE HARVEST?
• JESUS CHRIST IS THE LORD OF THE HARVEST.
• IT MEANS THAT THE PURPOSE OF WITNESSING IS FOR THE GLORY OF CHRIST AND NOT FOR OUR OWN GLORY.
• IT MEANS THAT HE IS IN CONTROL OF THOSE WHO COME TO CHRIST AND THOSE WHO DO NOT.
• WHEN IS THE FINAL HARVEST?
• THERE ARE VARIOUS ASPECTS TO THE HARVEST:
• =1= THE FIRST ASPECT IS WHEN YOU DIE AND CHRIST WELCOMES YOU INTO PARADISE.
• =2= THE SECOND ASPECT IS AT THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH, WHEN NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS RECEIVE THEIR NEW IMMORTAL BODY.
• =3= THE THIRD ASPECT IS AT THE END OF THE FUTURE TRIBULATION PERIOD WHEN OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS AND TRIBULATION SAINTS ARE RAISED FROM THE DEAD TO RECEIVE THEIR NEW IMMORTAL BODY..
• =4= THE FOURTH ASPECT IS AT THE END OF THE FUTURE MILLENNIAL PERIOD WHEN MILLENNIAL BELIEVERS INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE ALONG WITH THE PREVIOUS 3 ASPECTS.

HOMEWORK
PARABLE OF THE SHEEP AND WOLVES (MAT 10:16)
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE OF SHEEP AND THE HARVEST (MAT 9:36-38)
• WHAT PART HAVE YOU RECENTLY PLAYED IN BRINGING PEOPLE TO CHRIST?
• PREPARE THE GROUND:
• PLANT THE SEED:
• WATER AND WEED:
• REAP THE HARVEST:
• PRAY FOR GOD TO CONVICT THE HEARTS OF MORE BELIEVERS TO WORK FOR CHRIST’S ETERNAL KINGDOM.
• PRAY FOR GOD TO CONVICT YOUR HEART TO BECOME A MORE USEFUL LABORER.

• PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF THE SHEEP AND WOLVES (MAT 10:16)
• READ MAT 10:1-28 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE.
• TO WHOM WAS THE PARABLE SPOKEN?

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?

• WHO DO THE SHEEP REPRESENT?

• MAKE A LIST OF WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SHEEP:

• WHO DO THE WOLVES REPRESENT?

• MAKE A LIST OF WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF WOLVES:

• WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN BY THE PHRASE, “WISE AS SERPENTS”?

• MAKE A LIST OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SERPENTS (SNAKES):

• WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN BY THE PHRASE, “HARMLESS AS DOVES”?

• MAKE A LIST OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF DOVES:

• MEMORY VERSE: ACT 1:8