Harvest Time
Our text today is from the book of Psalms. Psalms is filled with lots of passages of praise and worship unto the Lord about what He has done. Reading from Psalms helps us get in touch with how we feel down deep on the inside.
You should know that those feelings, those emotions you have are very important to your relationship with the Lord.
I have found that the people of God are often very emotional, and they can even become very sentimental about what God is doing in their lives. In fact, God’s people really seem to enjoy remembering all those good times of blessings.
There are some things (that you have experienced) you will never forget. Those blessings of yesterday will always have a special place in the hearts of God’s people.
No doubt but what we enjoy times of HARVEST in our lives. We don’t enjoy those times of struggles, trial and tribulations, but we will always remember HARVEST TIME. That’s what I call it…you know…those days when we suddenly come out of a period of time that was extremely difficult for us.
Question:
Have you ever noticed the best of times seem to always come right after (what you thought was) the worst of times?
The Word of God does such a great job of describing what or how we feel. In times of HARVEST (in your life) you may be so overjoyed with what is going on that you find it hard to describe your joy and happiness.
You may say something like, “I am at a loss for words!”
That’s okay, because My God is never “at a loss for words”.
Especially when it comes to experiencing HARVEST TIME.
Opening – Psalms 68:9 thru 10 NLT
Let us thank the Lord for how He has blessed us in recent weeks. I can assure you God is not through with any of us. He has many more blessings planned for us. But we must commit to God to never go back to how we used to live.
We must go forward, and we must press ahead for a continuation of His outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
For just a moment, let us reflect what has happened with this recent move of God.
1. For many of you, the devil has been defeated in your life.
2. The battle has been won and you have the sweet taste of victory.
3. God has delivered you from those things that have plagued you for a long time, such as, all kinds of sin, guilt, condemnation, and (even) depression.
Perhaps you have not realized it yet, but many of you are experiencing HARVEST TIME. Your accuser, Satan himself is doing everything he can to keep you from realizing this. He continues to lie to you and tell you that you are no good, and what you have experienced is only temporary.
But I am here to declare to you that God is sending you, and this church, a “bountiful harvest”.
In our text – King David is rejoicing with himself and others about something that had happened hundreds of years before his time. In these verses, David is rejoicing what God did when He delivered the children of Israel out of the bondage of Pharoah, and the land of Egypt.
David needed some encouraging words for his own life, just like many of you need for your life.
We should be confident in knowing that God is in the business to restore and lift up His people when they have just come out of a time of frustration and difficulty. My friend, God has not forgotten you…not a single one of you…ever!
Transition:
Now then, there is another story (I want to talk to you about) that illustrates for us what is going on in our lives and the life of this church. Many of you can probably quote this Bible story in your sleep. You’ve heard it before, but it should be a story that means a lot to you.
It’s the story of Elijah at Mt. Carmel.
You remember - Elijah had just had a great victory over the false god of Baal. Elijah was so relieved that God had come through for him when he so needed Him to. This was HARVEST TIME and a huge victory for all of God’s people.
But Elijah knew that what God had done was only the beginning. God had something else that He wanted to take place in Elijah’s life. There was more needing to be done.
Reference - Text: I Kings 18:38 thru 44
Elijah had won the victory but he needed to make sure that the prophets of Baal would never again bring confusion and havoc to the children of Israel. Elijah commanded that the source of sin be destroyed, once and for all! “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!”
All of the prophets of Baal were to be executed.
Listen - If there is anything left in your possession that you know would inhibit/interfere with your relationship with Jesus Christ, you need to seize and get rid of it immediately.
Don’t hesitate! Don’t put it off another DAY!
Perhaps the Lord has defeated certain false idols in your life recently. You may have lived with those things for a long, long time. God wants you to separate yourself completely from anything that tempts you to do wrong.
Maybe God has taken some ungodly habits from your life. You need to completely rid your life of their torment and temptation. Just like Elijah, you may have had to fight a tough battle to overcome those things. Don’t go back. Wash your hands and purify yourself, cause it’s HARVEST TIME!
Some of you have had to get rid of some old tradition and religious thinking you have had all of your life.
Those old ideas can be just as difficult to get rid of as drugs, alcohol, and pornography. Any religious pride or arrogance in your walk with the Lord can be just as threatening.
Whatever you have been delivered from was stealing the joy of the Lord from your life. And if you allow yourself to slip back into those things, you will find your self empty and dry once again.
There was much more planned for Elijah and there is much more planned for you. And now that you have victory in your life, you will need to stand firm in that victory.
In our story – Elijah began to listen closely to what the Lord was doing. And you know what Elijah heard?
Read verse 41. – sound of abundance of rain
Listen - The moving of the Holy Spirit has a sound all it’s own. Have you ever heard it coming? The church of Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost could hear it. There was the sound of “a mighty rushing wind” and cloven tongues of fire sat on each of them.
The Bible says that they spoke in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Those who were in the Upper Room could hear something just like Elijah could hear something coming His way. And just like Elijah, those who were gathered there in the Upper Room responded to the move of God.
Likewise - Those who are here and are listening closely to the move of God are going to experience the same thing Elijah did…the same thing the Church at Jerusalem did!
Today, God wants you to continue to experience and enjoy the incredible power of the Holy Spirit. There will be many different ways the Holy Spirit will affect you.
Spirit-filled singing, rejoicing, and Spirit-filled shouting!
You may see some folks begin to dance in the Spirit.
They may start to tremble, or they just may bow before the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. And they may even begin to laugh with the Joy of the Lord.
Like Elijah, you are going to know it when it happens...you will hear it coming your way. And maybe (like Elijah) no one else will hear it…maybe they will…maybe they won’t. don’t you worry though, you are not hearing things that are not there. You will hear the rain down of the Holy Spirit. God wants to continue to refresh you and cleanse you.
God is not through with you yet! He has more for you.
And there is a good reason for all of this excitement. It won’t be just to cause a lot of commotion. It will be for the purpose of glorifying the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, Himself.
When we hear the Holy Spirit coming, you will know that the HARVEST is coming. Jesus will be glorified because:
1. There will be the salvation of souls.
2. There will be a greater hunger for a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Christ.
3. A greater revelation of Jesus Christ for your spirit man.
4. We will be made more mature and disciplined in our faith. Our faith will be made into faithfulness.
5. We will easily recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. There will be more signs and wonders taking place.
6. Our friends and loved ones will hear about what is going on and they will know that the Lord is moving in His people.
Can you hear the abundance of the rain?
Verse 42 – Elijah went to the top of Mt. Carmel and Elijah bowed down and put his face between his knees.
When we see all these things happening, we will learn better how to travail and prevail in prayer. Meaningful prayer will be commonplace for more of us.
And like Elijah, we will begin to seek out a mountaintop of seclusion to find our time with the Lord. Nothing will be more important than conversing with the Lord.
Elijah’s servant went to look to see if there was anything coming…and then he said “There is nothing.” Nevertheless, Elijah told him in verse 43 – Go again
Persistence with the things of God will take on more importance when God is moving on this church during HARVEST TIME. We will find ourselves not growing weary in well doing. We will not give up on God.
We will walk in -
• Greater obedience to the things of God.
• Greater faith with what God is doing.
• Greater consistency with holiness.
In verse 44, Elijah gave one more instruction –
Prepare Thy Chariot
My friend - You have to hunger and thirst and desire to pursue God.
James 4:8
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands,…and purify your hearts...
We have to get ready for the next move of God.
We will continue to prepare for the next outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It may be this service, or next. We must be ready for Him.
Before we can meet with God the next time, we must do as Isaiah did,
Isaiah 6:5
"Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips…”
Prepare thy Chariot!
Our chariots have to be ready for the next rain of the Spirit.
We don’t want to be caught up with anything else that is not of God. Our chariots have to be ready so they are not bogged down with the cares of this world.
