THE HARVEST
John 4:35-38
Introduction:
We are living in a day when there are more lost souls in the world then there are saved. Statistically, there are 95-100 million unchurched people in the U.S. alone. There are 180-190 million lost souls in the U.S., which do not attend church at all. If we were to be able to attach cables to the four corner post of this church and lift it high into the sky using a crane, we would be able to look out the windows of the church and see numbers of people out and about, while we are here in worship. I say to you, it is time for the harvest.
Jesus himself while talking to the disciples made it known that the time for harvest is all around us. We are all called to win souls for the glory of God. Some times we will sow the seed and some times we will reap the harvest. In John 4:35-38, we will focus on just that, “one sows and another reaps.” We can never expect for the statistics of saved vs. lost to improve if we do not understand the importance of winning souls.
READ JOHN 4:35-38
I. The Process of Sowing and Reaping
A. The Process of Sowing…
i. In agriculture, sowing involves preparing the soil and planting the seed.
ii. In winning souls to Christ, sowing likewise involves preparation and planting.
1. Hearts of the lost need to be prepared to receive the gospel
2. This requires time, teaching, influence, and visible results
B. The Process of Reaping…
i. In agriculture, reaping is the harvesting of what has been sown
ii. In winning souls to Christ, reaping involves a similar harvest
1. The involves souls that have already heard the Gospel Word
2. It also involves those who have decided to obey the Gospel Word
Both sowing and reaping are necessary to win souls. Yet we all need to remember that the same person does not always do the two…
II. We may Reap where others have Sown
A. This was the case in Samaria
i. Jesus sent His disciples to reap where others had labored
– John 4:38
ii. Who had done the sowing?
1. Jesus, in conversing with the woman at the well
– John 4:5-26
2. The woman, in telling those in town about Jesus
– John 4:28-30
The disciples were reaping what had already been sown. The people of Samaria had been planted with the seed of the Gospel by the message of the young girl saved at the well with Jesus. The disciples came along to reap the seed that had already been sown.
B. This is often the case Today…
i. There are times when people seem ready for the harvest
1. They are ready to obey the gospel
2. There is little effort required to bring them to Christ.
ii. This is likely due to someone else sowing the seed of the Gospel in their life earlier
1. Perhaps this could have been done through the examples or teachings of a friend or family member in the past
2. That soul may not have been ready to respond at that time, but the seed was plant and is now ready to harvest.
We will often benefit from someone else sowing the seed for us to come along and reap later.
C. This can be Misinterpreted though
i. We might think that we have won souls all by ourselves
ii. We might think that those who convert many are great soul winners in and of themselves.
iii. BUT, we must remember that reaping does not always reflect where the hardest work has been done. SOWING.
If a crop is never prepared and sown properly, then the crop will never come to harvest. Likewise if a seed is never planted into a lost soul that soul, will never come to be reaped.
III. We may Sow where others will Reap
A. This was also the case in Samaria…
i. Jesus did the sowing, but the disciples would do the reaping
ii. The woman at the well did some sowing, then Jesus and the disciples did the reaping – John 4:39-42
B. This is often the Case Today…
i. There are times when a lot of sowing is being done
1. Lives are influenced by the godly examples of other Christians.
2. Souls are taught the Word of God
ii. Yet the reaping is not enjoyed by those doing the sowing
1. Few seem to respond to the efforts being made by Christian witness
2. Don’t get discouraged or frustrated when you don’t see immediate results from those you are witnessing to.
iii. The reaping often comes later
1. It might takes years before the Gospel seed that you planted finally starts to sprout
2. It might be long after we are gone. The seeds we plant today, will be a effect for years to come
3. It might be done by others
C. The Misinterpreted
i. Those sowing with little visible reaping may thing they have failed
ii. Others may think those who sow with little visible reaping are failures
iii. We all must keep in mind though that the failure to reap does not always reflect the hard work being done.
Do not be quick to judge ourselves when sowing seeds and getting ourselves discouraged. It may be someone else the reaps what you have sown.
IV. We should be Diligent to Sow and Reap
A. Diligent in Sowing….
i. There will be times when we will doing more sowing then reaping
ii. There may be times when we see little fruit from our efforts
1. Jeremiah prophesied for nearly fifty years with little success
2. Jesus and his apostles had their periods when few would listen.
iii. Yet we can take comfort in knowing that God’s Word is never sown in vain.
1. It will accomplish its purpose in God’s timing – Your Gospel spoken words will not come back to you empty.
2. It has the power to save those who believe it
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
3. God only holds us responsible for sowing the seed – Ezekial 3:17-19
"Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. "When I say to the wicked, ’You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. "Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself.
B. Diligent in Reaping…
i. There may be times when we may reap where others have sown
1. Soul who come to us, wanting to study, ready to obey
2. Souls where others have sown, and we are privileged to reap
ii. There may be times when there is much reaping with little effort
1. Souls seem quick to respond
2. Numbers of members increase
iii. Yet we should be cautious not to boast
1. The power is in the seed, not the sower or the reaper
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
2. The providence of God is at work, He is the one who gives the increase
As we reap, be mindful of the contribution of others, including God, and rejoice together in the work of the Lord.
Closing
Fellow believers, we are all laborers in the harvest field. Do not hesitate to sow or reap. As we prepare to leave here today, let’s all remember to stay encouraged, when we see little fruit growing from our sowing and also humble us when we are reaping the Lord’s reward.
Finally, if we are not reaping at the moment, then let us be sowing the seed of the Gospel message.
