The Joy of the Harvest
Acts 17:1-15
Intro: Someone in Elgin once had a neighbor named Jack. Jack was a tough man. He worked hard, he drank hard, he fought hard, and he was harsh and gruff in his manner. Most people were afraid of Jack. But this one neighbor got brave and said hello to him over the fence one day. He started a conversation with him, which was pretty one-sided at first. However, every chance he got, the neighbor started talking to Jack, and even went over and visited him in his house. He would sometimes bring him a fresh loaf of homemade bread that his wife had made, or a batch of cookies. He just tried to be neighborly and share the good things he had with him.
-One day, the neighbor, who was a Christ-follower, brought up the subject of heaven. He asked Jack if he believed in heaven. At first Jack said he didn’t want to talk about religion, and that was the end of the conversation. But a couple years later, Jack’s son was killed in a boating accident. The neighbor came over to tell Jack how sorry he was about the loss of his son. Overcome with grief, Jack just broke down and cried like a baby in front of his neighbor. The neighbor didn’t know what to do, so he just put a hand on his shoulder and let him cry. Eventually, Jack started talking. He said that his son was the only child he had, and that he felt like he had failed him as a father. His son had tried to talk to him before about God and religion, but Jack told him religion was for people who were weak and who needed something to make them feel good about themselves.
-So Jack asked his neighbor, “Do you think my boy is in heaven right now?” The neighbor replied, “If he was trusting in Jesus for forgiveness and was living His life for God, then he is certainly in heaven right now.” Jack thought about that for a moment and said, “I hope he sees his mother there.” The neighbor said, “Jack, there is no reason why he cannot see his father there too.”
-A few months later, Jack came over to his neighbor’s house and said, “I’m ready!” “Ready for what?” asked the neighbor. “I’m ready to get right with God,” Jack said. They talked and the neighbor was able to pray with Jack and help him start a relationship with Jesus. This neighbor had been praying for Jack for over three years. You can imagine his joy when he finally saw the answer to his prayers.
-Folks, there is joy in the harvest! That neighbor could be you! You have something good to share that will help the people who need help. There is nothing in this world as important or as exciting as leading other people to Jesus! That leads us to the main theme today:
Prop: If we ever want to see the harvest, we must faithfully plant the seeds and tend the garden!
Interrogative: How do we know this to be true?
TS: The Bible gives us an example of this in Acts 17:1-15. I’d like to share 3 main ideas from these verses.
I. If We Keep Sharing Our Faith, We Will See Results (Acts 17:1-4)
1When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women.
-If you are obedient to the Lord and continue to seek opportunities to tell others about Jesus, you will eventually see results. If Jesus and all of the apostles faced resistance to their message, why are we surprised when it happens to us? We should prepare ourselves for the reality that many of the people we talk to about God’s grace and forgiveness will not want to have anything to do with us or our message. However, we also need to prepare ourselves for the reality that if we keep on sharing our faith, somebody will receive Jesus!
-Most of us want ATM results, but people are not wired like that. In one sense, we do need to become automatic tellers of the good news, but some people may require months or years before they are ready to respond. So, what we’re really talking about here is patience.
-A few weeks ago, I started planting our garden. I had tilled it three separate times and then spent a lot of time trying to get all the rocks out of the soil. At last, after making a shrine out of these stones of remembrance, I was ready to start planting (or so I thought). As I planted, I found that the rocks have a way of multiplying. Anyway, I put in a whole row of radishes and a whole row of carrots. I had done so much bending and stooping that my back started complaining. Being the spiritual man I am, I couldn’t help but think of the verse that talks about sowing in tears. I was very sore and weary, and I just wanted to get all the early seeds in. Psalm 126:5-6 says, “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. 6 He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.”
-After planting the seeds, I keep checking everyday, hoping I’ll see something other than weeds popping up. There is a measure of joy when the first plants start popping up out of the ground. I get excited about that! I see radishes and peas, and a few carrots and spinach coming up. But I still have to water, weed, wait, and fertilize in order to enjoy the final crop. I don’t keep planting the same seed over and over, but I cultivate and tend the good seed that was planted, allowing it to grow into the next phase of its development. It takes time, patience, and a little bit of work.
-Why do I go to all this trouble when I could just walk over to the grocery store? Because there is joy in the harvest! When God gives the increase, it is an exciting time of celebration.
-Folks, as we share our faith with others, and plant good seeds of truth in their lives, we need to hang in there and keep watering and nurturing and investing in them until we see the joy of the harvest! Don’t give up because the soil seems too hard or rocky. Don’t give up just because some of the seed you plant does not seem to want to grow. Pray, share, love, believe, and keep on doing it! Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
-Start somewhere! If you have not been sharing your faith with others, ask the Lord what you can do to help spread the good news about Jesus. There are dozens of ways to get involved in sharing the good news. Pray: Pray for friends, family, neighbors who do not know Jesus yet. Give: Support missionaries so they can take the good news about Jesus to other nations. Live it! Talk about it! The good news of God’s grace and forgiveness should shape who we are to such a degree that it naturally flows from our lives. If you never plant the seeds, you will never have a garden!
-If you have a hobby or interest, you probably don’t have a problem talking about it. It excites you. You’ve studied it out and you know a lot about it. If the good news about Jesus really is that good and has changed our lives, shouldn’t we be able to find joy in sharing it with others? Can we not study it and become passionate enough to talk about it? If Jesus just fits in one small corner of our lives, people will think that we really aren’t that sold on Jesus ourselves. The good news about Jesus, when active in our lives, will inspire passion and excitement that does not fade with time.
-Now, what are some of the motivators that would make us want to share the good news about Jesus? a) Love for God- Jesus said if you love Me you will do what I ask. We show our love for God by doing what He asked His followers to do – that is, tell others about Jesus, and the forgiveness and peace they can find in Him. We show our love for God by caring about what He cares about. He cares about people! He does not want anyone to perish or die without knowing Him, but He wants all people to turn away from sin and turn to Him for forgiveness and life. Do we want that? I hope we want that for every person in our family, our neighborhood, our community, and our world.
-That leads us to another motivator for telling people about Jesus. Not only should our love for God motivate us, but our love for people should motivate us. If we really love our family, friends, and neighbors, we won’t want them to miss God’s forgiveness. If we really love people, we won’t want them to be left behind when Jesus returns.
-Here is a little video clip that helps remind us that Jesus is coming back, and we want everyone we know to be ready for His return. [Show rapture clip]
-I don’t know about you, but I don’t want anyone to miss the grace of God!
-TS: Well, telling others about God’s love and grace isn’t always an easy task. Sometimes we will face rejection, anger, and other problems, just like Paul did.
II. If We Keep Sharing Our Faith, We Will Face Resistance (Acts 17:5-9)
5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus." 8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.
-I don’t know what kind of environment you are accustomed to, but I personally do not like to be hated by others. I like to be liked. But sometimes being liked will not be compatible with sharing the good news about Jesus.
-Jesus can be a threat to people. Why? Because Jesus messes with the way people want to live. I’ve known people who did not want anything to do with Jesus or church because they thought it meant giving up some of the things they like. I’d become a Christian, but I don’t want to give up drinking. I’d become a Christian, but I don’t want to give up the immoral relationship I’m involved in. I’d become a Christian, but I might have to start tithing and giving my hard-earned money to some church. I’d become a Christian, but what would people think about me? They’d think I was some kind of fanatic or religious nut!
-These might seem like extreme examples, but Jesus can also be a threat to religious people, as we see in our text. Those who come to Jesus must acknowledge that He is the only way to get to God or to heaven. That invalidates every other religion that proposes any other means of salvation or enlightenment. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. Nobody comes to God except through Me.” Acts 4:12 tells us that “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t love and respect people who are following other religions. However, we cannot pretend to agree that there is any other way to God than through Jesus Christ!
-This truth alone has led to accusations of bigotry and close-mindedness against those who follow Jesus. Because Christians do not acknowledge any other religion as offering any real answers, they break the politically correct commandment of tolerance. That commandment states that different viewpoints must all be seen as equally valid. If you claim that your religion is the only true religion, then you are violating the law of tolerance. Now, let me say that there have been a number of so-called Christian groups in our day who have promoted hate and intolerance. We do not associate with them because we don’t believe they reflect the heart of God. Some of these groups have put words in God’s mouth, saying that He hates gay people, and other hateful things. I believe homosexuality is wrong, but God does not hate those who fall into its clutches. But these groups help shape people’s view of what Christians are like, leading them to believe that we are hateful, close-minded, self-righteous, arrogant, and exclusive.
-The good news about Jesus is exclusive in the sense that Jesus is the only way we find forgiveness and spiritual freedom in our lives. However, it is also the most inclusive of all religions, because Jesus invites everyone who is willing to come to Him and share in His life.
-And we as Christians do need to be careful that we don’t put roadblocks up that keep people from coming to Jesus. If we give people the message that they need to clean up their act before they come to God, then we are putting words in God’s mouth. The cleaning up of our lives is a work of God that happens when we invite Jesus to become the leader of our lives. Yes, we have a part in the process, but to tell someone that they have to stop acting like a sinner before God will accept them is simply not true. God changes us from the inside out. When we call on Him and ask Him to forgive us and to lead our lives, He breathes new life into us – spirit-life. Jesus called it being born-again. The life of God is birthed in our spirit and He begins to change us on the inside. Our desires begin to change and we find that we don’t need all the things of the world we thought we needed. We just need more of God and His word, and to spend time with other believers who are part of His family.
-I’ve strayed from our point, so let me return. There are those who will resist us and fight against us if we keep sharing the good news about Jesus. There are times we will get discouraged and wonder if it is worth it. It may help for us to understand that they are not rejecting us. It is God they are rejecting. We cannot force spiritual results. Jesus told His followers, “Go and tell people that God wants to forgive them. If they don’t receive you, just move on and tell somebody else.” There are times when we will have a chance to deliberate and discuss God’s love and grace with others like Paul did in vv. 1-4. But there may also be times when we have to move on, or even run for our lives, like Paul did in 10.
-F.F. Bosworth was an early Pentecostal who was part of the Assemblies of God for several years. He relates what happened after he had ministered to blacks at a Camp Meeting.
A larger mob of about 25 took me from the depot and knocked me down and pounded me with heavy hardwood clubs with all their power, cursing and declaring that I would never preach again when they were through with me. As they pounded me with these heavy clubs (made from the oar of a boat), I offered no resistance, but committed myself to God and asked him not to let the blows break my spine. God stood wonderfully by me and no bones were broken except a slight fracture in my left wrist. When they left off pounding me with the clubs as I got up others of the mob who had no clubs knocked me down hitting me in the head with their fists. I was knocked down several times but was not for a moment unconscious, which was a miracle of God’s care. I was then not allowed to take my train but had to walk 9 miles to Calvert where I got a train Sunday at 2 p.m. for home.
The suffering during this pounding was terrible but as soon as it was over I looked awav from wounds and bruises to God and he took away all suffering and put his power and strength upon me so that I carried a heavy suitcase with my right arm over 9 miles. I never had the slightest anger or ill feeling towards those men who beat me so cruelly, and the walk to Calvert in the dark with moon-light was the most heavenly experience of my life and the Lord gave me wonderful intercession for those men that He should forgive them and prepare them for his coming.
-TS: Opposition will come if we keep sharing our faith, but we must still share it! Our final point shows us how to stay in it for the long haul. To set up this final point, I’d like to sing a quick song by Kenny Rogers. [I’m not endorsing K. Rogers, nor gambling, but there are some words here that can help us. You gotta know when to hold em…]
III. If We Want to Keep Sharing Our Faith, We Must Remain Flexible (Acts 17:10-15)
10 As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12 Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. 13 When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. 14 The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. 15 The men who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.
-Paul was a bold, courageous man, but he was not stupid. He did not have a death wish – even though he was willing to give his life for the sake of the good news about Jesus.
-So, it was necessary for him to be flexible as he followed Christ and shared the gospel. V.10 shows him leaving Thessalonica during the night so he would not be attacked by his religious enemies. V. 14 shows him leaving Berea to go to Athens because of the trouble the Jews had stirred up in Berea. Even in Philippi (ch. 16), Paul & Silas were beaten, imprisoned, and asked to leave the city.
-If Paul had not been willing to be flexible, he likely would have either been killed prematurely, or would have quit the ministry.
-We already talked a little about what Jesus told His followers. “Take the good news out to all the cities and villages. Tell them that God’s kingdom is coming and that they can be forgiven. If people do not receive you, shake the dust off of your feet and move on.”
-That’s exactly what Paul did, and it is often what we will need to do, as we tell others about Jesus. Again, we cannot force the good news on anyone. Nobody comes to the Father unless the HS draws them. The HS may be working on someone, but maybe they just aren’t ready yet. We need to be strong enough to always share the good news with clarity and excitement, but flexible enough to know when to move on. Let the HS continue His work on people’s hearts, and perhaps they will be ready at a later time.
Conclusion: As we close, there is joy in the harvest! If we will keep on sharing the good news about Jesus with others (that He can restore hope and change lives), we will experience the joy of seeing their lives transformed forever! We will face resistance at times, but God is greater than those who would oppose Him, and He promised to be with us. We must remain flexible if we want to stay in it for the long haul. God will work through us, but we must learn to listen to His voice and as country singer, Kenny Rogers sings, “You gotta know when to hold em, know when to fold em, know when to walk away, know when to run.”
-Before we close in prayer, if there is someone here today who has not made things right with God, I hope and pray that you will see your way clear to do so. The good news about Jesus is this: God loves you so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to take the penalty of your sins on Himself. He died so that people like us could turn away from the wrong things that we do and be forgiven. However, He did not stay dead! He came back to life on the 3rd day as He said He would. One day He will come back for all who trust in Him for forgiveness and follow Him with their lives.
-If you want to be forgiven and follow Him, you must be willing to do things His way. You start by confessing your sins to Him, and asking Him to forgive you and to become the leader of your life. You simply tell Him this in your own words. The words you use aren’t as important as the fact that in your heart you want to make things right and live your life for Him. You can pray to Him today, or if you want to talk to someone first, please see me or any other Christian here. We’d love to help you take that first step and ask Jesus to forgive you and change your life for the better.
-To every Christian here, we must do whatever it takes to get the message out! We need to take intentional steps to talk to our neighbors, our friends, and our family about Jesus. They need to see Jesus in our lives and by the way we love people. There is joy in the harvest! Let’s all ask the Lord to help us do our part in planting and watering. Stay on top of the weeds that try to creep into your life. And God will give the increase as people all around us begin to call on Him. [Pray]
