The Harvest

CBC Bishop 

1/12/03-PM Service

In a nutshell: The harvest is the gathering of people who are ready to put their faith in Christ. And each Christian can be involved in four ways: Prayer; giving; time; and working together.

I. The Harvest

A. What is the harvest?

Growing up on a farm in the Midwest, I learned that harvest time was the most important time of the year. When I say "harvest time" I mean the time that we gathered in all the crops that were mature and ripe. -It's what every farmer works toward-otherwise farming would just be "playing in the dirt". -And it's what every farmer looks forward to with great anticipation. Because that's when the rewards would come for all the hard work that you do.

And harvest time takes a lot of hard work. That's because there is always an urgency because of the short amount of time in which the crops can be gathered, before they begin rotting in the field.

B. What is the Spiritual Harvest?

And this film and the parable that Jesus told about the harvest, is talking about a spiritual harvest-by that I mean a gathering of people who are ready to put their trust in Jesus Christ…

John 4:27-38 27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?" 28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him. 31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something." 32 But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about." 33 Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?" 34 "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."

In the Bible, the harvest is an illustration of how the seed of the Good News of Jesus Christ (what we call the Gospel), grows in the hearts of people to the point where they are ready to and want to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.

Workers in the spiritual harvest are people who are intentionally involved in -situations, -events, -activities, -programs, and/or the lives of individual people, …looking for some way to be a link, somehow, in the chain of events that brings a person to faith in Jesus.

II. How can I be involved in the Harvest?

Now most of us understand what I've just said. But, if most of you in this room are like most Christians in the United States, then we intellectually agree with the concept of the harvest, but for some reason we're not intentionally involved in the harvest. We're watching from a distance. Or we don't know how to be involved. Or we're just half-heartedly involved. Or we're scared to be involved.

Friends, the "harvest" is my passion. And it's my intention to use Sunday nights to help make it yours, as well. So that as pastor and people we can be moving together as a powerful force in this town and the surrounding communities, for Jesus Christ.

So, how do you intentionally get involved in God's Harvest. Let me suggest four things to you, and I'll be expanding of these in the weeks to come, on Sunday nights.

A. Through Prayer

First of all, you get intentionally involved through prayer. -It can be as simple as individually asking God every day, to give you a heart of compassion for the people in your unique circles of influence, and in this area that we live in. -It can be looking at your interests, hobbies or your job, and praying each day, God use me to reach people who have the same interests with the Good News about Jesus. -It can be praying that God will raise up more people, like Alan, to take the Gospel to areas of this country and the world that you can't. -It can be your involvement in prayer meetings we have here at church-like Wednesday evenings, and Thursday mornings.

But prayer is something that every Christian can intentionally do, to get involved in the Harvest. The great devotional writer Oswald Chambers once said, "Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work."

B. Through Giving your money

A second way that you can intentionally be involved in the Harvest is by generously committing a portion of your finances to help with the work of gathering the harvest. -The church budget we'll be asked to approve in a few weeks isn't really a financial budget…rather it's a guide to help our church accomplish the harvest in this area. It's what we believe to be our church's part in the harvest for 2003. -Our missionary support isn't just support, it's sending workers and enabling workers around the world to open the doors for the Gospel to be shared and the harvest to take place in areas where we cannot go, or are not equipped to go.

Proverbs 3:9 9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;

2 Corinthians 9:7 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

C. Through giving your time

A third way you can intentionally be involved in the Harvest is to invest your time and effort in the work and ministries of this church. Many of you are involved in ministries already. If that's the case, you just have to realize how what you do connects to the harvest, so you can feel a part of God's cause, not just doing a job. Being connected to a "cause" that is much bigger than you keeps you from burning out and becoming discouraged.

Some of you are in the front lines, driving the combines. Others of you are support personnel, making the food. But if you're not doing anything, this group of harvesters at CBC Bishop is not as strong as it could be.

One of the things we're going to do on Sunday nights in the future is take you through a study that will help you discover your passion, your spiritual gifts, and the best way you work with people. Understanding those things about yourself will help you know where to plug in and help with the harvest.

Acts 1:8 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Friends, you've got to know this…Everyone of you has a supernatural power residing in you to help in the harvest. My main job as your pastor, and Rusty's main job as your pastor is to help you discover that power in your life and help you unleash it.

Ephesians 4:11-12 11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up

But it doesn't work unless you want the power within you unleashed.

D. Through working together

The final way you can intentionally be involved in the Harvest is to work together with a variety of people, churches, and organizations to accomplish this goal of bringing in the ripe crop.

One of the greatest things working against us in the Christian church is our divisions. Denominations-Charismatics and non-Charismatics-Music preferences-Bible version preferences-skin color and ethnic differences-Calvinist and Wesleyan differences. All these are valid things to be concerned about, but are not valid things to let divide us.

We are blessed in Bishop to have the evangelical pastors committed to working together. Our Harvest Festival, the 5th Sunday programs, Sober Grad night, and a lot of other things are going on in Bishop, that are not going on in other places around the country. They're happening because the leaders of our churches are committed to working together to bring in the Harvest-the Harvest is what unites us. But many of you need to get involved in these programs and opportunities, so the leaders can lead and not burn out.

III. Conclusion

Rick Warren, the pastor of Saddleback Community Church, in Orange county, often tells his people…"There are only two things that we can do here on earth that we can't do in heaven. One is sin, and the other is share the Good news of Jesus with someone that doesn't know Him. Which of those two do you think God left us here to do?"

I ask you, my friend, why did God leave you here after you became a believer, rather than take you straight to heaven? The answer is simple. He wants you involved in the Harvest! Amen.