Who's Tending The Harvest?

Who’s tending the Harvest?

3/18/01

John 4:34-38

John Chapter four is a chapter of surprises.

The woman at the well was surprised Jesus spoke to her.

The woman was surprised Jesus knew about her.

The people in the city were surprised at the woman’s testimony.

The disciples were surprised Jesus hadn’t eaten.

Jesus comes along and shares concerning another surprise; the surprise of a great harvest.

He shares that this harvest is ready and good pay will be offered to those that reap the harvest. Let us focus on what Jesus said about this harvest.

The harvest is ready. This harvest Jesus is talking about has to do with finishing the work. Jesus said, “my meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work (34).” Christ finished the work. He paid for our sins by going all the way. He went the distance when he died on the cross.

We have trouble finished the lawn. It’s hard for us to finish the laundry. We think it’s a task to wash the dishes. Salvation comes from the finished work of Jesus Christ. Jesus gives us an example of perseverance. The word of God tells us we need to take a look in the mirror and this time not forget what we look like. You know what you look like but what are you going to do about it.

The harvest is ready. What is the church doing about it? What are you doing about the harvest? Jesus said it was ready now. We aren’t to wait four months or two weeks or five days. It’s ready now. The Lord is stressing the importance of bringing in the harvest now.

We live in a now society. The drive-thru is for now. The microwave is for now. The internet is for now. When it comes to souls we lose our now mentality and take on the spirit of procrastination.

If your minute rice takes an hour it won’t kill you. If your instant breakfast is less than speedy you’ll live. But when it comes to the souls of men, something has to be done NOW!

Jesus said, “lift up your eyes (35).” Get your mind off earthly things and start thinking about heavenly things. “Look on the fields (35),” he says. Don’t turn away; don’t ignore the problem. Realize the problem is urgent. Something has to be done now. Someone has to get a burden to take Jesus to those that are about to go over the precipice. It’s time to sound the alarm and bring in the harvest of souls.

Reapers are needed. In our sports driven culture we have become a society of spectators. We even have spectators in the church. We love to watch what other people are doing. This creates two problems. Because we love to watch that creates the need for entertainers. People that will give us something to gawk at. So not only do we have spectators in the church, we also have entertainers in the church. Spectators and entertainers are two big problems.

Spectators watch what everyone else is doing. Entertainers steal the spotlight from God.

To the spectators Jesus is saying, “faith without works is dead,” and to the entertainers he is saying, “decrease so God can increase.”

We have too many spectators and entertainer’s and not enough reapers. Jesus said, “the harvest is plenteous but the laborers are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest will send laborers into the harvest (Matt 9:37,38).”

The harvest is urgent and laborers are needed that will show Christ to the lost. Reapers are needed. The Lord demonstrated just a small piece of the harvest this morning. Those people need Christ. Now that we have seen them, what will we do to bring them into the Kingdom of God?

Rewards for the reapers. There is a payday. There are multiple paydays. We indeed receive wages down here. The blessings of God are not just for the afterlife. They are also available now. We can have the blessings of loving families, good health and long life.

Then there is the blessing of eternal fruit; fruit that we will be introduced to later; all those that we shared Christ with. Jesus said, “go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit remain (John 15:16).” Some fruit will pass away and perish. Other fruit will stand the test of eternity. Have you ever asked yourself the question, “Whatever happened to so and so?” I’m sure you have wondered about certain people you encountered in this world.

Whatever happened to that drunk you shared Jesus with? Whatever happened to that depressed co-worker you prayed for? One day we will be introduced to these people again. Except, this time we will see them differently. They will be those who Christ redeemed to them, in part, by our labor.