Harvest Time
Notes
Transcript
Background and Context
Background and Context
Well i hope this learning journey in the Book of John is going well in your heart.
Today we talk about the HARVEST TIME
to get a harvest we need a few things:
Fertile Ground
Healthy Seed
Skilled Labor
Life Giving Water
and the SON TO GROW
I am not a farmer but I love to raise Bonsai and have a few in my office, at least one i have raised for over 20 years.
it took a few years of practice, education, and trial and error to learn to get it right
i need to make sure they are fertilized, watered and have LIGHT in the right measure
But i think i illustration from the Lord this morning is more appropriate as the field around our church or around your home
Those field are designated, planned and used to raise up crops for harvest.
The ground needs to be , filled with nutrition (aka fertilization) .
I would assume that a farmer test his soil to access what it needs.
Then at a point in the year the farmer will seek out GOOD SEED
Plant it in the Good Soil
and work and pray to have the Proper amount of water
I believe if i remember from High school Biology the seed in the right condition will sprout, push out roots into the good soil and if raised up correctly will be ready to harvest in a few month.
The harvest is a time to collect the Fruits of your labor and will only come if GOD allows the soil, the seed, the labor, and the water in proper amounts
This is our message today.
The Soil, The Seed, The Labor, The Living Water
AND THE SON TO GROW
i want to get you connected back to our message.
Think of it like reading an article a week ago and the next chapter comes out this week
so you need to go back and review
Last week:
The woman at the Well
--- we explored the process that she went through and how it can relate to us.
--- we all have ask the Question of Jesus --- Who are you?
— i hope this week that you ask that question
and it is also the core of this Study of the Book of John
DISCOVERING JESUS
we should be asking ourselves every week.
What did i learn about Christ?
How can i apply it to grow more like Christ?
if you are not able to make it weekly to service
then i invite you to listen or watch online
i pray that you desire to MISS nothing that would be of VALUE
for you to DISCOVER---- WHO HE IS?
Review:
last week Jesus is in Samaria and stops at this well
He starts to talk with a woman
and she seeks to discover WHO is THIS GUY?
we discussed the CULTURAL assumptions
we discussed the HISTORICAL references
and then we saw the LIGHT of UNDERSTANDING start to shine
We open today with that LIGHT shining in the dark
Open to your bookmark in the Book of John
it should be in Chapter 4 and we are going to look at .....
The Disciples Return
The Disciples Return
27 Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?”
28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people,
29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”
30 They went out of the town and were coming to him.
The disciples return and question Jesus --
- what in the world is HE doing talking to a woman, a Samaritan, and the Lord knows what else is up
I find it amazing that the Scriptures says that the woman “left her water jar”
Did she leave it for Jesus to finally get his drink
or
Is it symbolic of the Living Water that she had just received and no longer needed it?
Feeding on the Will of God
Feeding on the Will of God
34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.
what a statement on the Provision of God
JESUS: My need that you are concerned about is not a need that I AM concerned about
I am here to do what GOD commands of me and i will concern myself with that mission
Food is earthly and important but it is NOT BY CONCERN
God is the provider of ALL THINGS
Just think about the TIMING
Jesus has just announced to this Women that I AM THE MESSIAH
can you imagine the look on her face, the thoughts in her mind,
and the disciples come back. likely in a DISMISSIVE attitude because of the person being a SAMARITAN and a WOMEN.
There is almost a feeling of INTERRUPTION in them
WHY are you talking to HER?
The note of selfishness is here and should not be missed to understand the context in these verses.
look at John 4:33
33 So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?”
Jesus sent them into town (john 4:6) and they return and no one remembers if they got the RABBI any thing to eat.
Let me read again and expand on the Scripture
Harvest
Harvest
34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.
35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.
36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.
37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’
38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
Jesus is giving us the REAL MISSION IN THIS LIFE?
There is soil on this earth needing attention
and i am here to proclaim that the WHOLE WORLD, not only the OLD world is OPEN TO ME
Jesus says in verse 34… GOD PROVIDES ALL
I am the Living Water — I am here to ACCOMPLISH HIS WORK
There is a time for harvest vs 35
There is Skilled Labor vs 36
and HE IS THE SON
The Soil, The Seed, The Labor, The Living Water
and THE SON TO GROW
i hope you are thinking a version of Matthew 28:19-20
Matthew 28:19–20 (ESV)
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Our mission is to Make Followers of Jesus, Baptizing them and Teaching them
That is part of the issue in these verses today.
Jesus is GOING, BAPTIZING, and TEACHING
but the Disciples are still young in the Faith
They are concerned about the POT LUCK
and NOT THE MESSAGE
They are concerned about the Earthly and not the Spiritual
BUT THEY ARE WITH THE SON OF GOD
( Spoiler alert: great news is that the rest of this Gospel and the BOOK of Acts shows us that they GET IT RIGHT)
Jesus tells them here
you are thinking with your stomachs ( and yours and not others)
you need to learn the MAIN MISSION
God will provide, God will give Strength, God is the POINT
His Kingdom
Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
The Disciples walk into a Spiritual life changing situation
they question the TEACHER on His method
and then realize HEY DID ANYONE BRING JESUS FOOD?
Jesus answer with the mission
I am here to DO THE WORK OF THE FATHER
The Soil, The Seed, The Labor, The Living Water
THE SON TO GROW
to ACCOMPLISH THE WORK OF THE LORD
Focus.
the Harvest is but a short time away.
we need to do the work in the fields
Focus.
His Mission not Your Current Mission
for YOUR mission must be HIS Mission.
Focus Christians
This Word from Christ is the Very WORD to us today
Focus
Jesus tells them and it is recorded for us.
Your focus is to ACCOMPLISH THE WILL OF GOD
the Harvest time is COMING
LOOK around --- There is WORK for you all around you
the TIME is HERE TODAY --- People are being saved today
God is working in all to set the table for you to do YOUR WORK
Lift up your EYES - FOCUS
People are going to HEAVEN TODAY
because of the WORK that is BEING DONE around YOU
BECAUSE YOU ARE THE GUIDE TO THE SON
you do the work of talking to them at the WELL of their LIFE
JESUS WILL BEGIN THE GOOD WORK THROUGH THE SPIRIT AND GUIDE IT TO HARVEST
JOIN IN and Participate ----
Don’T miss it.
Dont walk away from the “WELL” moments of your life
You may be a Sower or a Reaper
do your part.
there is no need to sit on the side lines
The message is an ENCOURAGEMENT
Christian do you feel that you DON”T MATTER
You matter so much that CHRIST DIED FOR YOU
CHRIST Came to Earth
CHRIST trained up DISCIPLES
CHRIST Died on that CROSS
and then ASCENDED into HEAVEN
Friends here is our same process
You came into this Word
You were born LOST
You were REBORN in CHRIST
YOU train up Disciples
You will end your time on this EARTH
and you will ascend INTO HEAVEN
to hear Well done ==== GOOD and Faithful Servant
Celebration
Celebration
Just listen to the last section of Scripture for Today
the CELEBRATION of a Job WELL DONE
39 Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.”
40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days.
41 And many more believed because of his word.
42 They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”
The woman at the well
was well aware of the ugliness in this world
She was aware of the GROUND
She discovered SHE HAD A PURPOSE
JESUS demonstrated the LABOR
and provided the LIVING Water
The Soil, The Seed, The Labor, The Living Water
THE SON TO GROW
He is INDEED THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD
Lets LIVE THE LESSON