Three Absolute Truths That Determine The Harvest

TEXT: (Psalm 126:5-6) “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

ETS: It is necessary to sow the seeds of the Gospel if we are to reap a harvest.

OSS: Believers will commit to passionately sowing the seeds of the Gospel in a lost world.

PQ: What are the absolute truths that determine the kind of spiritual harvest that we will reap?

UW: Truths

TOPIC: “Three Absolute Truths That Determine The Harvest”

INTRODUCTION:

We all would like to see a great harvest of souls into the Kingdom of God. Why are we not seeing that harvest? The majority of American churches are either plateaued or declining.

We must come to grips with the fact that It is necessary to sow the seeds of the Gospel if we are to reap a harvest. It does not matter where the Lord has placed you… there are people … and people groups who will never come to know Christ until we passionately sow the seeds of the Gospel.

Psalm 126:5-6 states, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

TS: Notice with me … “Three Absolute Truths That Determine The Harvest”

I- THERE MUST BE AN ABSOLUTE ACCEPTANCE THAT SEED-SOWING IS NECESSARY TO THE HARVEST (VS. 5).

A. The inescapable principle in the text is that there is a direct connection between joyful reaping and passionate seed- sowing.

1) There can be no harvest without sowing seed.

a.(Pr 20:4) “The lazy man will not plow because of winter; He will beg during harvest and have nothing.”

b.(Gal 6:7) “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

c. Example: Statistics for Local Area & nationally. Seed sowing has been neglected here, therefore the harvest is not being reaped in many areas.

B. The implied promise in the text is that passionate seed-sowing will result in joyful reaping.

1)When the seed is sown, the harvest will come!

II- THERE MUST BE A PASSIONATE COMMITMENT TO DO WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE SURE THE SEEDS ARE PLANTED THROUGHOUT THE FIELD (VS. 6).

A. There must be a commitment to “go forth” into the field.

1) The command to do so has been given.

a) (Matthew 28:18-20) “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 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.”

b)(Mark 16:15) “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

c)(Acts 1:8) “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

B. There must be a passionate investment of ourselves in fulfilling our commitment.

1) We must answer the call just as Isaiah did: (Isa. 6:8) “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”

C. There must be a clear purpose in our going and a recognition of the quality of our seed.

1) We must recognize that our purpose is to sow the gospel seed… not spread empty religion.

2) We must realize that the seed we carry is “precious”. Only the gospel of Christ is … “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth”.(Rom. 1:16)

3)“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).

III- THERE MUST BE AN ACTIVE FAITH THAT KEEPS US BUSY WORKING TOWARD THE HARVEST (VS. 6B).

A. We must move in the energizing assurance that the promise will be fulfilled.

1) The text gives this assurance… “shall doubtless come again with rejoicing” .

B. We must keep busy in the field, looking to the harvest that will come.

1) Because the harvest will come…”bringing his sheaves with him.”

2) (Isa 55:11) “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

CONCLUSION:

God wants to do amazing things in and through our lives… through your life. He wants to bring a great harvest of souls… remember… God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9). He desires that the people for whom He died come to know Him as savior and Lord.