The Harvest Series

The Harvest

Matthew 9:35-38

How I love the autumn season! There's something about this time of year that stirs the soul—inviting reflection, gratitude, and wonder. The blazing heat of summer has softened into cool, gentle breezes. The air feels lighter, clearer, and even the bugs—those opportunistic creatures that once saw you as a walking buffet—have mostly packed up and left. It’s as though nature itself has taken a deep breath and exhaled peace. Walking down a humble trail deep within the forest, I find myself pausing more often. The trees—majestic maples, towering oaks, and elegant birches—are cloaked in the radiant colors of glory. Crimson reds, golden yellows, and fiery oranges shimmer in the sunlight that filters through the thinning canopy above. Each leaf rustling in the wind whispers a testimony of God’s creative power. Every sunbeam breaking through the branches feels like a divine spotlight, reminding us of His presence and handiwork.

But autumn is not only a feast for the eyes—it’s a feast for the body and soul. This is the season of the harvest. The long days of planting, watering, weeding, and pruning have given way to the joy of reaping. The fruit of labor is now in hand. Fresh strawberries and blueberries—no longer hard or tart, but tender and bursting with flavor—delight the taste buds. And who doesn’t savor that first bowl of Hodge-podge, brimming with soft potatoes and vibrant yellow and green beans, drenched in fresh cream? It’s comfort in a bowl. And of course, with Thanksgiving on the horizon, our minds and stomachs anticipate the feast: turkey, stuffing, ham, squash, turnip, and those mountain ranges of homemade pies—lemon, blueberry, apple, cherry. It’s that beautiful time when the food flows freely, laughter fills the air, and if your belt isn’t loosened by the end of the meal, did you even celebrate properly?

Yet, as delicious as all this is, autumn also speaks to something deeper. Beneath the flavors and the colors, the gatherings and the gratitude, there is a spiritual lesson written in the season itself. Autumn reminds us of the beauty of change, the necessity of pruning, the value of perseverance, and the joy of spiritual fruit. Just as the farmer patiently waited for the land to yield its crop, God is cultivating something within each of us—calling us to grow, to bear fruit, and to prepare for a season of spiritual harvest. So today, let us listen not only to the crunch of leaves beneath our feet but to the whisper of God’s voice calling us to reflect, to rejoice, and to ready our hearts for what He wants to reap in our lives.

This is the final message in our four-part sermon series on the Parable of the Sower. In week one, we explored the seed and the Sower—and how, while the seed and Sower remain the same, the harvest is determined by the receptivity of the soil, which represents the condition of our hearts. In week two, we looked at what happens after the Word of God takes root—how essential it is for us, as born-again believers, to surrender our dreams, goals, and expectations to Jesus, so that He might till the soil of our hearts and plant furrows of righteousness. Then in week three, we considered the loving but sometimes painful process of pruning—how God, the Master Gardener, trims away not only sin but even areas of fruitfulness, that we might bear even more fruit to His glory.

Today, we turn to the final theme: the harvest. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are called to bear much fruit—but we must also walk in wisdom and humility, remembering that we reap what we sow. As we work out our salvation with fear and trembling, we do so not to earn God’s favor, but because we recognize the sacred call to obedience. The harvest belongs to the Lord, yet He has invited us into the process. And through faithful surrender, we are being conformed into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29).

The Fruit Inside Us

Now that we’ve seen how God removes what hinders growth, we turn to the joyful truth that the Holy Spirit actively produces a harvest of fruit in the life of every believer. Among the Spirit’s many roles, one of the most beautiful is producing fruit that reflects the character of Christ. In Christ, we have been set free from the desires of the flesh—from things like sexual immorality, impurity, idolatry, hatred, and selfish ambition (Galatians 5:19–20). No longer enslaved to sin, we are now invited to walk by the Spirit, where fruit is not forced but naturally grows out of a relationship with God.

At the center of this harvest is divine love—the kind of love that is unmerited (Romans 5:8), great (Ephesians 2:4), transforming (Romans 5:5), and unchangeable (Romans 8:35–39). This love binds all the other fruits together and flows outward into our lives. From love springs joy—a joy not anchored in changing circumstances but rooted in the unchanging reality of our salvation and heavenly hope. This leads to peace that surpasses understanding, a supernatural calm that guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6–7). Strengthened by God’s love and peace, believers are empowered to show patience and forbearance (Romans 2:4), extending kindness and generosity—even to their enemies—as Jesus commanded (Matthew 5:43–44). Finally, the Spirit gives us the fruit of self-control, enabling us to say “No” to sin’s temptations. Through the Spirit’s power, we throw off the sin that once entangled and enslaved us (Hebrews 12:1), knowing that in Christ, we are no longer bound but free to live for righteousness (Romans 6:6).