Moved With Compassion
David Wilkerson's sermon highlights the necessity of acting with compassion as exemplified by Jesus' ministry.
David Wilkerson emphasizes that true compassion goes beyond mere pity or sympathy; it compels us to take action to help those in need. He illustrates this through Jesus' example, who, upon seeing the suffering multitudes, was moved with compassion and actively healed their sick rather than just offering words of comfort. Wilkerson critiques modern theology that often prioritizes prayer over action, urging believers to follow Jesus' example of being deeply involved in the lives of others. The sermon calls for a genuine response to the needs around us, highlighting that compassion should lead to tangible change.
Text
Compassion is not just pity or sympathy. It is more than being moved to tears or stirred up emotionally. Compassion means pity and mercy accompanied by a desire to help change things. True compassion moves us to do something!
At one point, Jesus departed into the wilderness to pray. When the multitudes discovered His whereabouts, they followed Him by foot and brought Him their lame, their blind, their dying, their demon-possessed ones. The Bible tells us: "And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick" (Matthew 14:14).
Had Jesus been hampered by our modern thinking, He might have gathered His disciples for a committee meeting to analyze the problems and talk about the sins that had brought society to such a place. He would have pointed to the frothing demoniacs and tearfully said, "Look at what sin does to people. Isn't that tragic?"
Or He could have said, like so many sanctimonious people, "Look, I feel your pain. I've worked hard ministering to you but now I'm exhausted, and I need to talk to my Father. Later I'll call My disciples together for a prayer meeting and we'll pray over your needs. Now, go in peace."
That is modern theology in a nutshell. Everybody is willing to pray -- but few are willing to act.
Matthew 9 says of Jesus, "When he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd" (9:36). The phrase "moved with compassion" here means "stirred to action."
So, what did Jesus do? He didn't just talk. His heart was stirred at what He saw and He had a consuming desire to change things. The feelings of pity and sympathy He felt moved Him to action.
"Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people" (verse 35). This was not some vain theology. Jesus did not just get alone with the Father and say, "Lord, send laborers into Your harvest field." No, Jesus went Himself. He got deeply, practically, intimately involved.
Sermon Outline
-
I
- Definition of Compassion
- Difference Between Pity and Compassion
- Call to Action
-
II
- Jesus' Example of Compassion
- Response to the Multitudes
- Healing and Teaching
-
III
- Critique of Modern Theology
- Importance of Action Over Words
- Being Personally Involved
-
IV
- The Role of Prayer and Action
- Stirred to Action
- Following Jesus' Example
Key Quotes
“Compassion means pity and mercy accompanied by a desire to help change things.” — David Wilkerson
“The phrase 'moved with compassion' here means 'stirred to action.'” — David Wilkerson
“Jesus did not just get alone with the Father and say, 'Lord, send laborers into Your harvest field.' No, Jesus went Himself.” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- Recognize the difference between sympathy and true compassion, which requires action.
- Follow Jesus' example by getting personally involved in the lives of those in need.
- Challenge modern theological perspectives that prioritize prayer over practical help.