The Harvest Is Ripe

THE HARVEST IS RIPE

MATTHEW 9:35-38

SERMON MANUSCRIPT

MINISTER KERMIT REAVES

God needs laborers in his harvest field. In this message we will look at…

The Potential of The Harvest (2a)

The Problem of The Harvest (2b)

The Power of The Harvest (2c)

The Perils of The Harvest (3)

THE PROTECTION OF THE HARVEST

OUR PURPOSE FOR EXISTING AS A CHURCH IS TO SHARE THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST! THE CHURCH HAS THE ONLY MESSAGE THAT CAN TRULY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLES LIVES...... AND OUR PURPOSE IS TO SHARE THE MESSAGE OF GOD’S LOVE. REMEMBER OUR LORD’S CHALLENGE “FOLLOW ME AND I WILL MAKE YOU FISHERS OF MEN (MATTHEW 4:19) I THINK WE SHOULD SAY IT THIS WAY IN REFERENCE TO THIS VERSE..IF YOU ARE NOT FISHING YOU ARE NOT FOLLOWING! WE ARE ALL TO BE LABORING IN GOD’S HARVEST FIELD

IN THIS TEXT WE’VE READ, AS JESUS LOOKED OUT ACROSS THE MULTITUDES HE REFERRED TO THEM AS SHEEP WITHOUT A SHEPHERD. JESUS WAS MOVED WITH COMPASSION.

JESUS MADE THE STATEMENT THAT THERE WASN’T ENOUGH PEOPLE THAT WERE WILLING TO DO THE WORK OF EVANGELISM “THE HARVEST TRULY IS PLENTEOUS, BUT THE LABOURERS ARE FEW;”. SHEEP WITHOUT A SHEPHERD ARE AT THE MERCY OF WOLVES, BEARS, AND ANY OTHER RAVENOUS BEAST THAT WOULD MAKE A MEAL OUT OF THEM. WITHOUT A SHEPHERD SHEEP WANDER AIMLESSLY. THIS IS EXACTLY THE CONDITION OF AN UNSAVED PERSON. PEOPLE WITHOUT JESUS AS THE SHEPHERD OF THEIR SOULS ARE AT THE MERCY OF THE DEVIL AND ALL HIS DEMONS. AN UNSAVED PERSON WANDERS AIMLESSLY INTO ONE DANGEROUS SITUATION AFTER ANOTHER. BUT THE WORST THING OF ALL IS WHEN AN UNSAVED PERSON DIES WITHOUT JESUS HE OR SHE GOES OUT INTO ETERNITY INTO A LAKE OF FIRE FOREVER, WHICH THE BIBLE CALLS “THE SECOND DEATH.” (REV. 20:14-15)

THIS STATEMENT THE LORD MAKES... “THE HARVEST TRULY IS PLENTEOUS, BUT THE LABOURERS ARE FEW” WAS MADE OVER TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO AND IS STILL TRUE TODAY....... THE REASON WHY WE ARE DOING THIS SPECIAL FAITH EVANGELISM THIS MONTH “PLANT, WATER AND GOD GIVES THE INCREASE” SERVICE TODAY IS TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO REACH OUT TO THE LOST. I’M NOT SURE IF YOU ARE AWARE OF THIS OR NOT, BUT EVANGELISM IS THE VERY LIFE-BLOOD OF ANY CHURCH.

WITHOUT EVANGELISM ANY CHURCH, EVENTUALLY, WILL DRY UP AND DIE! IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW BIG THE CHURCH OR HOW MUCH MONEY IS IN THE BANK, WITHOUT EVANGELISM ANY CHURCH WILL DIE. AND BY THE SAME TOKEN ANY CHRISTIAN THAT DOESN’T HAVE EVANGELISM AT THEIR HEART WILL ALSO DRY UP AND DIE SPIRITUALLY.

THE POTENTIAL OF THE HARVEST JESUS SAID, “THE HARVEST TRULY IS PLENTEOUS, BUT THE LABOURERS ARE FEW” NOT TOO MUCH HAS CHANGED.....WE FACE THE SAME DIFFICULTIES THAT JESUS FACED TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO. WE NEED PEOPLE THAT WILL DO THE WORK OF AN EVANGELIST! ..... DO WE REALIZE HOW MANY PEOPLE THERE ARE THAT ARE LOOKING FOR A CHURCH HOME? THERE ARE PEOPLE EVERYWHERE THAT ARE STARVING FOR A GOOD CHURCH TO GO TO. THERE ARE LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE FED UP WITH LIVING A LIFE WITHOUT CHRIST! AND IT IS OUR PURPOSE, IT IS OUR TASK TO SHARE WITH EVERYBODY, THE FACT THAT GOD LOVES PEOPLE......GOD LOVES YOU!!!! IN JOHN 3:16 WE READ, “FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.”

THE MAIN REASON THE CHURCH EXISTS ON PLANET EARTH – IS TO REACH PEOPLE.

WE ARE TO REFLECT THE HEARTBEAT OF GOD FOR UNSAVED PEOPLE! HE LOVES THEM...HE LOVES YOU.....

IT IS GOD’S DESIRE TO SEE LIVES TRANSFORMED BY THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

THE QUESTION IS, “DO WE DESIRE WHAT GOD DESIRES?” THIS IS A QUESTION THAT IS VERY TROUBLING. IT SEEMS THAT FROM THE BEHAVIOR OF MOST CHURCHES AND CHRISTIANS THAT WE DON’T DESIRE WHAT GOD DESIRES. GOD DESIRES FOR US TO BE LIKE CHRIST.......THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, GOD IS SHAPING US INTO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST.....

LOOK AT THIS TEXT........ THE MISSION OF CHRIST WAS THREEFOLD. TO MINISTER (V.35). TO, DEMONSTRATE COMPASSION (V.36). AND TO CALL MEN TO THE GREATEST OF ALL VISIONS (V.37-38)

LOOK AT VERSE 35: MATTHEW 9:35

AND JESUS WENT ABOUT ALL THE CITIES AND VILLAGES, TEACHING IN THEIR SYNAGOGUES, AND PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM, AND HEALING EVERY SICKNESS AND EVERY DISEASE AMONG THE PEOPLE.

THE MISSION OF JESUS CHRIST WAS TO MINISTER..... I SEE SOMETHING HERE.......LOOK AT HIS METHOD OF MINISTERING......... JESUS CHRIST HAD BUT ONE METHOD IN REACHING PEOPLE: HE “WENT OUT” AFTER PEOPLE. HE DID NOT SIT BACK AND WAIT FOR PEOPLE TO COME TO HIM. LUKE 19:10 SAYS..... “FOR THE SON OF MAN IS COME TO SEEK AND TO SAVE THAT WHICH IS LOST” .......ITS RATHER FOOLISH FOR US TO SIT BACK AND WAIT FOR PEOPLE TO COME TO US. BECAUSE THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WILL NOT COME. THEY DO NOT KNOW TO COME; WE HAVE TO GO OUT AFTER THEM. .......THATS WHY JEUSS COMMANDED US IN THE GREAT COMMISSION, “GO YE THEREFORE, AND TEACH ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY GHOST: TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER I HAVE COMMANDED YOU: AND, LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAY, EVEN UNTO THE END OF THE WORLD. AMEN.” (MATTHEW 28:19-20.)