Sharing The Harvest (Discipleship) Series

Series: Sharing the Harvest! (discipleship/mentoring)

Video Illustration: Mentoring others by BluefishTV.

Thesis: The Bible teaches us that we need to share the harvest financially but also physically by discipling and mentoring others for the Kingdom of Heaven. We should desire to invest our time and talents into another person for the Lord. Especially since we have been blessed by God to bless others!

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15:

Sowing Generously

6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

7Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

9As it is written: “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”

10Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.

11You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

12This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

13Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.

14And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.

15Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

But Jesus acknowledges that there is a problem in bringing in the Harvest – a lack of workers!

Matthew 9:35-38: The Workers Are Few

35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.

36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.

38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

“Desire that your life count for something great! Long for your life to have eternal significance. Want this! Don’t coast through life without a passion.” ? John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life

This sermon is inspired, quoted and gleamed from Mark Batterson’s book, “Double Blessing” Multnomah, 2019.

Introduction:

For those in Biblical times, the harvest was a most important event. The gathering of things planted, a natural time of reaping in joy what has been sown and produced during the year. In addition to the literal use of the word referring to the harvesting of crops, the Bible uses the same term when referring to the rescuing of the remains of Israel and the resurrection of believers from the earth.

In the Bible it was expected of those who follow God to provide for the poor and the needy and even the foreigners. They were reminded repeatedly that it is God who sends the rains at the right time to bring in the abundant harvest and we need to share the harvest with others around us.

For example listen to Leviticus 23:22: “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.’”

Deut. 24:19-22: “19When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. 21When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. 22Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I command you to do this.”

Sharing the Harvest is a Command of the Lord – it is not just a nice suggestion, or an option but a action we are to do to honor God and acknowledge we too were in the position of need once and God blessed us! So we too must pass the blessing from God we received onto others so they too can be blessed by the Kingdom of Heaven.