WHAT ARE WE SEEING?
John 4:35 Do you not say, ’Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.
INTRODUCTION: WOULD YOU BE SURPRISED TO KNOW THAT 83 OF EVERY 100 PEOPLE IN THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES DOES NOT KNOW JESUS? I CONFESS, I WAS SHOCKED WHEN I READ THIS STATISTIC. THE REALITY OF THE MATTER IS, WE ARE LOSING THE BATTLE FOR THE SOULS OF MEN! YET, PERHAPS A MORE PRESSING QUESTION IS WHY. WHY ARE WE LOSING THE BATTLE? I DO NOT BELIEVE IT IS A MATTER OF ACTION, OR ACTIVITY, OR DESIRE, OR PASSION. RATHER, I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A MATTER OF PERCEPTION AND VISION.
THIS MORNING, I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT THE WAY WE LOOK AT WHAT WE ARE SEEING.
HOW DO WE SEE THE WORLD? THE LORD SAYS THAT HARVEST IS RIPE, AND PLENTIFUL.
I. THE CHALLENGE OF GOD FROM THE SCRIPTURES
Exodus 16:4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.
Mark 1:2 It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way"--
Jeremiah 1:11 The word of the LORD came to me: "What do you see, Jeremiah?" "I see the branch of an almond tree," I replied.
Ezekiel 8:15 He said to me, "Do you see this, son of man? You will see things that are even more detestable than this."
Amos 7:8 And the LORD asked me, "What do you see, Amos?" "A plumb line," I replied. Then the Lord said, "Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.
Zechariah 4:2 He asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lights on it, with seven channels to the lights.
A. CHRIST WANTS TO KNOW HOW WE SEE THE WORLD TODAY
1. DO WE SEE POTENTIAL FOR MINISTRY?
2. DO WEE SEE PEOPLE IN SPIRITUAL NEED?
3. HOW CHOOSE TO SEE THE WORLD WILL IMPACT WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT WEE SEE.
4. WE SEE EITHER PROBLEMS OR POTENTIAL
B. CHRIST WANTS US TO KNOW THAT THE HARVEST IS PLENTIFUL
1. THERE ARE PEOPLE EVERYWHERE WHO NEED CHRIST
2. THERE ARE PEOPLE EVERYWHERE WHO WANT TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD
C. JESUS SEES THE WORLD AS A PLENTIFUL/RIPE HARVEST
1. JESUS WANTS US TO SEE THE WORLD THE WAY HE SEES THE WORLD
2. IF WE DO NOT SEE THE WORLD THE WAY JESUS SEES THE WORLD WE WILL MISS THE HARVEST
3. WE NEEDS TO SEE THE USA, NEW JERSEY, AND PEMBERTON AS RIPE FOR HARVEST
4. IF WE MISS THE HARVEST, WE WILL LOSE THE HARVEST!
5. REGARDING THE HARVEST -- WE NEED TO HAVE THE MINDSET OF PLENTY, NOT THE MINDSET OF LACK
6. THE MINDSET OF LACK
a. I LACK THE TIME TO SEE THE HARVEST
b. I LACK THE FUNDS TO SEE THE HARVEST
c. I LACK THE RIGHT RELATIONSHIPS TO SEE THE HARVEST
d. I LACK THE OPPORTUNITIES TO SEE THE HARVEST
e. I LACK THE CONNECTIONS TO SEE THE HARVEST
f. I LACK WHATEVER I NEED BUT I JUST DO NOT HAVE TO SEE THE HARVEST
g. ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE POTENTIAL DISTRACTIONS IN OUR LIFE.
h. ALL OF THESE ISSUES ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SATAN TO DISTRACT US FROM THE HARVEST AHEAD OF US.
i. IF WE DO NOT SEE THE HARVEST, WE WILL SEE THE DISTRACTIONS.
j. IF WE SEE THE DISTRACTIONS WE WILL NOT SEE THE HARVEST.
k. IF WE DO NOT SEE THE HARVEST WE WILL NOT REAP THE HARVEST.
II. THE TRUTH ABOUT THE HARVEST
John 4:35 Do you not say, ’Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.
Luke 10:1-11 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. 5 "When you enter a house, first say, ’Peace to this house.’ 6 If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. 8 "When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ’The kingdom of God is near you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ’Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.’
A. CHRIST DECLARES THAT THERE IS NO LACK OF HARVEST
B. CHRIST ACKNOWLEDGES A LACK OF HARVESTERS
C. THE REASON A PLENTIFUL CROP IS LEFT UNHARVESTED IS BECAUSE THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH WORKERS IN THE FIELD
D. THOSE THAT WOULD HARVEST DO NOT HARVEST BECAUSE THE DO NOT SEE THE HARVEST IN THE FIELD
E. AN ABUNDANT HARVEST IS WAITING FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO HARVEST
F. THE HARVEST IS EVERYWHERE!
III. THE REASON WE ARE NOT HARVESTERS
James 4:2 You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.
A. WE DO NOT HAVE BECAUSE WE DO NOT ASK
B. WE NEED TO START ASKING GOD TO FIND THE LABORERS FOR THE HARVEST
C. WE NEED TO START ASKING GOD TO HELP US SEE THE ABUNDANCE
D. WE NEED TO ASK GOD TO HELP ME SEE MY ABUNDANCE
E. WE ARE SO BUSY LOOKING FOR THE MAGIC WAND THAT WILL TURN US AROUND AS A CHURCH AND AS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST THAT WE NEVER GO TO THE SOURCE – GOD, AND WE NEVER SEE THE HARVEST HE HAS PROVIDED.
F. GOD KNOWS WHAT WE WANT AND SHOULD WANT.
1. OUR WANTS ARE BASED UPON OUR NATURE.
2. OUR NATURE IS SKEWED AGAINST THE THINGS OF GOD
3. A PROPER PERSPECTIVE IS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO KNOW WHAT GODS WANTS US TO KNOW ABOUT THE HARVEST
G. WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT WE WANT – WE NEED TO WANT WHAT GOD WANTS AND THE ONLY WAY WE WILL GET THAT IS TO ASK GOD FOR IT.
1. NO ONE CAN GIVE US THAT
2. NO BOOK CAN GIVE US THAT
3. NY SIN NATURE LOVES DARKNESS RATHER THAN LIGHT
4. MY PERSON APART FROM THE WORK OF GOD IN MY LIFE WILL ALWAYS FAIL IN SPIRITUAL AREAS
H. WE NEED TO ASK THE LORD FOR HELP AND THEN ENTER THE HARVEST
1. WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THE GOAL – A RIPE HARVEST
2. WE NEED TO AVOID THE DISTRACTIONS OF LACK THAT KEEP US FROM OUR HARVEST
3. ANY DISTRACTION FROM THE HARVEST AND PEOPLE MISS AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD
4. PEOPLE THAT MISS AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD MISS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR GOD.
IV. PREPARING FOR THE HARVEST
Acts 2:42-47 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
A. THE EARLY CHURCH WAS ALL ABOUT JESUS.
B. THEY WERE DOING THE RIGHT THINGS, AND GOD WAS VISIBLY WORKING IN THEIR MIDST.
C. NOTICE THE ACTIVITY OF THE LORD IN RESPONSE TO THEIR PREPAREDNESS – HE WAS ADDING TO THE CHURCH.
D. SO, HERE IS THE QUESTION, “WHY WOULD GOD SEND PEOPLE TO A CHURCH THAT WAS NOT READY TO RECEIVE THEM”?
E. GOD ADDS TO A CHURCH THAT IS TOGETHER, MUTUALLY RESPONSIVE, GLAD, SINCERE, FULL OF PRAISE.
F. PREPARATION FOR THOSE GOD SENDS IS BOTH A CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY AND AN INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY.
G. WE HAVE A PERSONAL STAKE IN GOD’S ACTIVITY OF ADDITION.
H. WE HAVE CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY IN GOD’S ACTIVITY OF ADDITION.
I. WE HAVE GOT TO SEE THINGS THE WAY JESUS SEES THEM.
J. WE HAVE TO HAVE THE PERSONAL SPIRITUAL CHARACTER OF OUR OWN DEVELOPMENT
K. WE HAVE TO PREPARE TO RECEIVE THOSE GOD WILL SEND US SO THAT HE WILL SEND THEM – WHY WOULD GOD SEND PEOPLE TO US WHEN WE ARE UNPREPARED.
THE PLAN OF PREPARATION:
ASK GOD FOR SPIRITUAL EYES TO SEE THE HARVEST HE SAYS IS THERE.
ASK GOD FOR CONVICTION REGARDING OUR LACK OF UNITY, SINCERITY, AND PRAISE.
CHANGE THE WAY WE RECEIVE THOSE WHO GOD SENDS US BY PREPARING TO RECEIVE, WELCOME, AND ASSIMILATE VISITORS.
