The Harvest is Now_Chantilly_10Feb08
Chantilly Baptist Church
February 10, 2008
Text: John 4:34-35
Subject: “The Harvest is Now”
Scripture: John 4:34-42
John 4:34-35
34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. 35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
When Jesus started His earthly ministry, it came as a surprise to the world. In chapter 4 of John, we see a meeting of Jesus with a woman at a well in Samaria. The meeting was full of surprises.
- A woman surprised that Jesus spoke to her (9)
- A woman surprised that Jesus knew all about worship of the true and living God (23)
- A woman surprised that Jesus knew all about her (39)
- A group of disciples surprised that Jesus was not hungry (31-34)
- The city of Sychar surprised by the changed woman (40-42)
- A group of people surprised to find the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the World (42
But as we look at the totality and context of this passage, we see that our Lord brought a surprising message about the Harvest
- It is ripe
- It is ready to reap
- Reapers are needed
- There are rewards for reapers
The Harvest is Ready
John 4:35
35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
There is often much confusion about the time of the harvest
- Not past tense – long ago
- Not future tense – years from now
- But today is the day of salvation
2 Corinthians 6:2
2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
Getting motivated for the harvest
- Lift up your eyes; see people around you
- Look on the fields; see them ripe for harvest
- Ask the Lord to help you see the harvest through His eyes
Do you know why the harvest is ready?
- People everywhere are troubled
- The world is morally adrift
- Religiously the world is bewildered
Reapers are needed for the Harvest
John 4:36
36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
There is extreme joy in working in an abundant harvest. Most do not expect to harvest today
- “Just holding on until Jesus comes back”
- Very little witnessing; very little soulwinning
- The laborers are few
Luke 10:2
2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
- We must pray for laborers
- We must become laborers
What are you doing in God’s great harvest?
There are rewards that are promised to reapers in the harvest
John 4:36-38
36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. 37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. 38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.
There are wages now: rejoicing (v. 36)
There will be wages later
Revelation 22:12-13
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
- These wages surpass any now known
- These are the wages of eternal value
- His “Well done!” will be our greatest reward
Are you willing to work in the Lord’s Harvest?
Were you once more involved in the harvest than you are today?
Get busy in the harvest today!!!!