JOHN 4; 35
HARVESTING THE GRAIN
INTRO:
A. I never paid this passage of scripture much attention before [not that it wasn’t important] but like so many other verses that we read and for some reason they never speak much to us.
a. But one day in prayer God begin speaking to my heart about this verse and by His help I want to share with you what He shared with me.
I. WHAT IS A HARVEST
A. Let’s turn to the meaning of the word harvest to help us answer this question.
a. A harvest is the act or process of gathering a crop.
b. Now a crop is the product of seed that has been planted watered weeded fertilize.
c. Of course for seed to be planted there must be preparation of the soil to receive the seed.
B. In Jeremiah 4:3 we read FOR THUS SAITH THE LORD TO THE MEN OF JUDAH AND JERUSALEM BREAK UP YOUR FALLOW GROUND AND SOW NOT AMONG THRONES.
a. Hosea 10:12 tells us break up your fallow ground.
b. Now fallow ground is ground that has been left un- attended through neglect or total disregard.
c. It is ground where weeds briers vines have taken over and covers the ground.
d. It is ground that has become hard and crusted over.
e. It is ground you would not want sow seed on if you want a harvest.
1. We need to understand that these words were spoken to God’s people by two different prophets so it means they are being spoken to us.
2. Once the ground has been cleared of the rubbish that grows there and plowed up it is ready for the seed that produces the harvest.
II. Now let’s go back to John 4:35 and notice what Jesus said.
A. First He said LIFT UP YOUR EYES
a. Now why did Jesus say lift up your eyes?
b. Because they were looking down ward in a discouraged dejected condition.
1. Good people are looking at many other things therefore they do not see the need of evangelism.
2. They don’t see the lost perishing every day in the darkness of sin.
3. They don’t see the need of importune prayer as Jesus talked about as well as a host of other things.
4. They don’t see the hour is late and the time for gathering in the harvest is rapidly coming to an end.
5. It’s as the Inspirations sing WHEN WE CROSS THE JORDAN THERE WILL BE GREAT CELIBRATION OVER THERE WE CAN NO LONGER TELL THE LOST.
6. The songs begins IS THERE SOMEONE IN YOU PAST THAT DON’T KNOW THE SAVIOR THEY MAY NOT EVEN KNOW THEY MUST DECIDE.
7. Now is the time to tell them but because their eyes are else where they don’t see the need and especially the urgency of the need.
c. To lift is to direct or carry from a lower to a higher position.
d. In this case it is to lift the eyes from a down ward position to an upward position.
e. The Psalmist said I WILL LIFT UP MINE EYES UNTO THE HILLS FROM WHENCH COMES MY HELP. MY HELP COMES FOR THE LORD.
f. This presents the impression the Psalmist was looking down and living in a dejected condition.
g. He had his eyes off Jesus and the goal on other things that causes discouragement.
h. If we are going to see the field’s ripe ready to be harvested we are going to have to lift them up.
1. When one lifts their eyes off all the negative things and begins to see the ripe grain waving in the wind it puts wind in their sail thus getting them moving in an upward condition.
2. But when the eye is lifted up they become like the little switch engine that said I THIN I CAN, I THINK I CAN AND THEN I KNEW I COULD.
3. Inspiration and possessiveness grips the soul as they go forth conquering for Jesus in His Holy name anointed by His Holy Spirit,
4. Others catch on and soon the church becomes an unstoppable force as satan and his host flees.
5. The problem that has kept the church down is removed for it is no longer in view no longer seen.
6. In surmountable mountains crumble at the sound of their marching feet.
7. Swirling Flood Rivers become dry ground as they march across.
8. Raging storms with all its wind rain hail thunder and lightning break up before them as they go sing WERE MARCHING TO ZION BEAUTIFU SION WERE MARCHING TO ZION THE BEAUTIFULY CITY OF GOD.
9. Why the eyes have been lifted their upward gaze lifts the rest of the life.
B. Then He said look on the fields.
1. The word look is very important here for it means:
2. To employ one's sight, especially in a given direction or on a given object.
3. To turn one's gaze in a different direction and on a different object.
4. In this situation Jesus is telling them and us to turn our sight or gaze on the whited fields.
a. Many need to examine what there focused on.
b. Apparently these people weren’t focused on the right thing and needed their attention called to the situation.
c. Jesus wanted them to stop looking at the difficult situation they were in and look at the work that needs to be done.
d. To stop looking at their insufficiency and look at His suffice.
e. To stop looking at their limited resources and look at His unlimited resources.
f. We have a song we sometimes sing that says:
HE IS ABLE HE IS ABLE HE IS ABLE TO DELIVER THEEE. HE ROLLED BACK THE WATERS OF THE MIGHTY RED SEA AND HE SAID I’LL LEAD YOU PUT YOU’RE TRUST IN ME.
C. LAST HE STATES THE REASON FOR THE
FIELDS ARE RIPE READY TO BE HARVESTED.
a. Someone wrote a song that says;
ALL MY CHILDREN WANT TO SIT AROUND MY TABLE BUT ON ONE WANTS TO WORK IN MY FIELDS.
b. Preparing the field for the seed sowing the seed weeding the field then reaping the grain is hard work.
1. But there is no place He may ask you to work in that His love won’t sustain you.
2. There is no work He may call one to do but that He gives detailed direction as to how to do the work, help us do the work then bless us for doing what He called us to do and helped us do,
c. But God didn’t create nor redeem us to just set around His table but to work in His field gathering the grain of the harvest.
D. My friend if we are going to enjoy the harvest when the cold dark night sits in we are going to have to gather in the harvest.
a. Without the gathered harvest we will wither up and die.
b. What are you going to do sit around moaning and growing because the church is slowly but surely withering away or go out and harvest the grain?
c. If we are going to enjoy the harvest at the banquet supper of the lamb we are going to have to gather in the harvest.
d. Look at it this way no harvest no banquet
e. If there is no grain to prepare the banquet there can be no banquet.
g. I like the words of the old hymn that says, JESUS HAS A TABLE SPREAD WHERE THE SAINTS OF GOD ARE FED AND HE INVITES HIS CHILDREN TO COME AND DINE.
1. Note too that if there is no harvest there will not only be no grain to prepare the banquet but there will be no one to enjoy the banquet.
2. I want to be thee not only to partake of the banquet Jesus is preparing but to fellowship witht those that have been brought in from the depths of sin.
3. This banquet Jesus is preparing will be the greatest banquet ever for Paul tells us in I Cor. 2:9 eye hath no seen heither has it entered into the hearts of man the things God has prepared for those that love HIM.
4. I believe this could be applieid to the banquet table being prepared fot the husband and his bride as well as to Heaven the home of the newly wedded couple.
