Compassion – Sermon – Michael Morris – 8/30/26

Main message: Jesus relentlessly seeks out the harassed and helpless—teaching, preaching the kingdom, and healing—with deep compassion, and his followers are called first to pray for laborers and then to respond with humble, courageous compassion and evangelism.

Key points:

• Jesus went into every town and village, engaging all kinds of people and offering Zoe (God’s life) through teaching, preaching, and healing.
• He felt visceral compassion for the crowds, diagnosing them as "harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."
• Humanity’s brokenness (the Fall, Satan’s lies) leaves us unable to fix ourselves; honest confession and coming to God bring restoration (David’s example).
• Jesus’ compassion moves him to act and to call his people to act—first by praying earnestly for workers, then by stepping out of comfort to serve and share the gospel.
• Practical self-checks: recognize where you feel harassed/helpless, abandon cynicism, and be willing to join God’s mission to help others.

Scriptures mentioned: Matthew 9:35-38, John 10:10, John (Jesus wept), Psalm 32, Psalm 23, Psalm 34:18, Luke (triumphal entry), Genesis (the Fall), Hebrews (on Christ empathizing with our weakness)