What Do You See?

Devotional

Day 1: Baptized into Obedience, Crowned with Approval

When Jesus emerged from Jordan’s waters, heaven tore open to declare divine pleasure over surrendered obedience. His baptism wasn’t about sin but alignment – a model for how every act of submission unlocks deeper intimacy with the Father. Just as the Spirit descended like a dove, those who yield their plans to God’s reign discover approval that transcends earthly achievement. Hunger for righteousness isn’t a burden but a gateway to being filled. [01:40]

And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
(Matthew 3:16-17, ESV)

Reflection: Where has obedience felt costly recently? How might embracing that cost open you to hear the Father’s affirmation?

Day 2: Bankrupt Spirits, Blessed Inheritance

Jesus’ kingdom manifesto begins with an upside-down promise: spiritual poverty becomes the threshold of blessing. Like a beggar’s empty hands lifted high, admitting “I can’t do this without You” positions us to receive heaven’s resources. The Sermon on the Mount’s impossible standards aren’t meant to crush but to drive us to dependency – the very posture that attracts God’s empowering presence. [06:24]

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
(Matthew 5:3, ESV)

Reflection: What situation are you trying to “fix” through self-reliance? How might confessing your spiritual poverty here invite God’s intervention?

Day 3: Guts-Level Compassion for Scattered Sheep

Jesus didn’t just notice crowds – He felt their lostness deep in His gut. The Greek word for compassion (splagchnizomai) describes a visceral ache, the kind a parent feels when their child wanders into danger. This isn’t pity but identification – seeing people not as projects but as sheep without a shepherd. Such vision transforms grocery store lines and church foyers into holy ground. [19:04]

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
(Matthew 9:36, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your orbit seems “fine” but might actually be spiritually weary? Ask God to help you see them through His eyes today.

Day 4: Praying Laborers, Not Recruiting Volunteers

Faced with overwhelming need, Jesus didn’t start a sign-up sheet. He told disciples to beg the Harvest Master for workers with His eyes and heart. True laborers aren’t recruited through guilt but birthed through prayer – people who can’t unsee the divine appointments in everyday interactions. This prayer protects against burnout and consumerism, aligning us with God’s multiplication. [25:41]

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
(Matthew 9:37-38, ESV)

Reflection: Are you praying for God to send helpers, or trying to manufacture them? What shifts if you trust Him to raise up compassionate laborers?

Day 5: Shepherding the Entrusted, Not Managing the Crowd

New families at church aren’t random – they’re divine assignments. Jesus modeled shepherding as costly investment, not crowd management. Like a parent polishing silverware for future weddings, spiritual parenting requires seeing beyond surface needs to eternal potential. Every rough edge revealed in community becomes an invitation to grow together in Christlikeness. [22:13]

Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.
(1 Peter 5:2-3, ESV)

Reflection: Who has God entrusted to your influence? How might your interactions shift if you saw them as eternal investments rather than temporary relationships?

Sermon Summary

Jesus enters public ministry by fulfilling all righteousness in baptism, submitting Himself fully to the Father, receiving the Spirit, and hearing the Father’s pleasure over Him. God’s pleasure also speaks over sons and daughters who are digging deeper, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, and becoming more desperate for Him than ever before. Jesus then faces Satan in the wilderness, fights every attack with the Word, and begins with one straight call: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

The kingdom does not begin with a shallow prayer meant to secure heaven while a person keeps running his own life. Jesus calls people back under the reign of the King. The gospel of the kingdom means that God comes to rule over lives, have intimate fellowship with His people, inhabit them by His Spirit, dwell among them as a body, and get glory through them. Matthew 5, 6, and 7 show what that reign looks like, and the bar is high enough to make every self-reliant person say, “No way.” Jesus answers that despair from the beginning: blessed are the poor in spirit, because they know they cannot do this without Him.

Jesus heals, casts out demons, and brings kingdom power into a sin-sick world, but crowds can still come for the feeding, the healing, the fog lights, and the shout without coming under His reign. The call to discipleship requires self-denial, daily cross-bearing, and a life that has been bought with a price. The kingdom calls Christ’s people to stop making everything about me, myself, and I, and to get focused on His business, His will, and His glory.

Jesus sees the crowds differently. His compassion comes from down in the guts because the people are weary, scattered, and like sheep with no shepherd. The question becomes, “What do you see?” Self-focus sees personal problems first, but intimacy with God begins to give eyes that notice pain in faces, body language, children, families, and absent people. The harvest is plentiful, and the need is not merely for people to fill church roles. Jesus commands prayer for laborers who carry His heart, see people as He sees them, and respond with shepherding compassion.

The church family becomes a place where God entrusts people to one another. New families are not accidents, and young people are not side projects. The harvest calls for qualified, growing servants who can love people enough to tell the truth, walk beside them, disciple their children, strengthen marriages, and help everybody stay on the path that leads to life.

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Key Takeaways

1. The kingdom demands surrendered lives Jesus does not merely invite agreement with facts about salvation. His call is to come back under the reign of the King, where life, body, ambitions, and relationships belong to Him. The kingdom confronts the habit of self-rule at its root. Christ’s authority becomes real when obedience reaches beyond a church gathering into everyday life. [04:33]
2. Poverty of spirit is essential Jesus begins the kingdom manifesto with dependence because nobody can live its demands through willpower. The Sermon on the Mount crushes the illusion that external restraint is enough, since anger, lust, pride, and retaliation all expose the heart. Desperation for God is not weakness. Desperation is the place where His life begins to do what human effort cannot. [06:24]
3. Compassion sees beneath the surface Jesus looks at weary and scattered people and feels their pain down in the inward parts. His compassion is more than noticing needs from a distance. His compassion creates a burden to lead, help, guide, and care for people who have no shepherd. Spiritual maturity includes learning to see the hurt hidden behind faces and body language. [19:04]
4. Laborers need Jesus’ heart first Jesus commands prayer for laborers, not merely for volunteers, talented people, or empty ministry positions to be filled. A person can have a heart to serve and still need time, healing, truth, and qualification before carrying responsibility. Christ raises up laborers whose love is governed by discernment, humility, and a willingness to shepherd people faithfully. [31:44]
5. God entrusts families to His church The arrival of new families carries responsibility, not merely excitement over attendance. God calls mature believers to receive younger families as people to love, disciple, learn from, and walk alongside. The church becomes family when people pursue one another beyond Sunday and help each other stay headed toward life.

## [37:33]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:26] - Jesus Fulfills All Righteousness
[03:30] - Repent, the Kingdom Is Here
[05:53] - The Kingdom Manifesto
[06:24] - Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit
[09:04] - Living in Another Kingdom
[11:13] - Crowds, Consumerism, and Christ’s Reign
[14:53] - What Do You See?
[17:32] - Moved With Compassion
[20:09] - Prayer and the Weight of Shepherding
[25:41] - The Harvest Is Plentiful
[28:06] - Praying for Laborers With Jesus’ Heart
[31:44] - Serving Requires Qualification
[36:34] - The Church Being the Church
[39:58] - Praying for the Heart of Jesus

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 9:35–38
“And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’”
[25:41] [28:06] [31:44]

Matthew 4:17
“From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”
[03:54]

Matthew 5:3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
[06:24]

Observation questions

According to Matthew 9:35–38, what was Jesus doing as He traveled through the cities and villages, and what did He notice about the crowds?
What descriptions are used for the crowds in Matthew 9, and what does each description show about the kind of help they needed? [19:04]
In Matthew 4:17, what is the first response Jesus calls for because the kingdom of heaven is near?
What examples from Matthew 5–7 show that Jesus’ kingdom reaches beyond outward behavior and deals with the heart? [07:24]

Interpretation questions

Jesus calls people to repent because the kingdom is at hand. How is repentance more than agreeing with facts about Jesus or praying a one-time prayer? What changes when a person comes under the reign of the King? [04:33]
Jesus says the poor in spirit are blessed. Why does recognizing spiritual need prepare a person to live the kind of life Jesus describes in the Sermon on the Mount? [08:13]
Jesus saw people who were weary, scattered, and without a shepherd, and He was moved with compassion. What might it look like for believers to see beyond someone’s outward appearance and recognize deeper needs?
Jesus tells His disciples to pray for laborers rather than merely telling them to fill positions. What qualities would make someone a faithful laborer who can care for people well? [28:31]

Application questions

In what area of life is it easiest to keep control rather than submit to Jesus as King—time, money, relationships, habits, plans, or something else? What would repentance and surrender look like in that area this week? [12:28]
Poverty of spirit means admitting, “I cannot do this without You.” Where have you been relying mostly on your own strength to deal with a struggle, a relationship, or a responsibility? How can you bring that need honestly to God?
It is easy to move through the week focused mainly on “me, myself, and I.” Think about the places you regularly go—work, school, stores, home, or church. Who might God be inviting you to notice with greater care? [16:31]
Jesus’ compassion was not distant; He felt the burden of people who had no one to lead and care for them. Is there someone who seems weary, scattered, absent, or quietly struggling? What is one simple way you could check on them or walk beside them?
The harvest needs people with Jesus’ heart, not simply people to occupy a role. Where do you sense a desire to serve, and what growth, healing, truth, or accountability might help prepare you to serve faithfully? [31:44]
God places believers in a church family so they can help one another stay on the path of life. What could it look like for you to pursue real connection beyond a weekly gathering—through a phone call, meal, coffee, encouragement, prayer, or practical help? [37:33]
Pray specifically for the Lord of the harvest to raise up laborers who see people as Jesus sees them. What needs among children, families, marriages, young adults, or others should the group ask God to help this church family shepherd well? [38:27]

Sermon Clips

35s

“Jesus' words continuously were not, say a prayer, give your life to me so you can go to heaven. ongoing sermon was, come back under my reign. I'm to rule over your life. And so he would do that. He'd go into different towns. He'd go around preaching the gospel of the kingdom. And then what came with that? It came with all the miracles. It came with all the healing. It came with all the casting out demons. It came with all these different things.”

40s

“And you know what he said in the very first three verses? Says, you're right. You're gonna need me. You're gonna need me more than anything. You're gonna need me more than silver and gold. You're gonna need me more than that degree. You're gonna need me more than than than what you think you need to get things happening there at your house. You're trying to deal with problems trying to I'm trying to show you the bar is so high and the ways that you're gonna try to fix things or try to make things happen. You're gonna need to discover that all your efforts apart from me ain't gonna be able to accomplish much.”

76s

“My question for you today's sermon topic of today is What do you see? When you go about your life, it's so easy when it comes to going through life that we see our own problems. Right? It's so easy to see the things that we are struggling with. I don't have the eyes to see what Jesus sees unless I ask him for it. I don't have the eyes to see what my master says is what I should be concerned about unless I ask him for. If I do my own thing, which I still do quite a bit, I ain't seeing nothing but me, myself, and I and my problems.”

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