Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Every good and perfect gift comes from above
• Harvest time is a chance to stop and reflect
  • We are to give thanks to God
  • At the same time we ask - is there enough for a growing world?
• The Bible speaks to this - both in the Old and New Testament
  • Teaching directed to God's people:
    • To care for the poor - Gal 2:10
  • The Bible is not a manual for food aid
  • The Bible is not a cure for poverty
  • The Bible deals with much bigger issues - what is the value of a soul?
    • There is joy in heaven when someone is saved
    • Example
    • The value of a precious soul
    • Where will you spend eternity?
• Studying John's Gospel
  • The Word
  • The Wind
  • The Wonder
  • Now - The Whitened Harvest

The Promised Harvest

• God has always had a deep concern for sinners
  • He promised a harvest - to Abraham (Gen 22:18)
    • Abraham was not just a blessing to the Jews but to the whole world
    • Isa 49:6
      • Israel failed - so Jesus Christ came forth
    • Isa 42:7
• Chapter 4
  • The beginning of this fulfilment (of the promise to the world)
    • Jesus goes to Syca
      • The people come out on mass
      • They believe in Jesus Christ - that He is the Saviour of the World
    • John stresses that Jesus has come for the World
      • The Samaritans - half Jew, half Gentile
  • Pentecost - people throughout different Gentile regions are receiving the word of God
  • The word of God has come to us
    • Specifically to Wales - the land of revival
      • We must pray for this to happen again
      • Revival often comes to small places
• God is still at work

The Ignorance of the Harvest

• The disciples were unaware of the coming harvest amongst the Samaritan people
  • They seemed to despise this Samaritan woman
  • They were unaware she was going to witness to her people
  • That many would be converted
• v27 - They had gone to get bread
  • They marvelled that Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman
    • Jesus was breaking social taboos
      • A Jew would never pass the city of Samaria
      • The disciples should have asked 'why was Jesus going this way'
• v28 - The woman leaves her water pot and speaks to the people of the city
  • She recounted all that Jesus had said
  • She wondered 'is this the Messiah?'
• v30 - The people were looking for the Messiah
  • Because of this woman's testimony - they come out
• v31 - The disciples were thinking of the physical and unaware of the harvest to come
  • How much of our thinking is on our own needs?
  • How much of our thinking is about the physical?
  • Are we concerned about the value of one soul?
    • The disciples were not interested in this woman - despite that fact that Jesus had taken time to speak to her
• v33 - They did not understand
  • For Jesus it was more satisfying to do the will of God and share the Gospel, rather than eat food
  • Example of Christmas Day
  • Personal example
• v34 - Jesus' food is to do God's work
  • People accused Jesus of being mad/having a demon because He did not eat
• v35 - Jesus begins to teach them
  • The spiritual harvest is not the same as a physical harvest
  • The people are ripe for harvest (like a field of grain)
    • But the disciples could not see it
    • Let us not be ignorant of the harvest
    • Jer 8:20
  • Are you concerned about others?
    • Example of C.S. Lewis
      • Are we just watching - with no burden
    • Example of Andrew Meikin
      • Concerned for others - not himself
    • May we have this concern for precious souls
  • God used one Samaritan lady to unlock the whole town
    • An unlikely person
    • Example
• Are we ignorant of the harvest or are we seeing what Jesus is doing?
• Are you saved?
  • Example of TV Show
    • Is your life cluttered by sin?
    • What about the house of your heart?
  • We must ask for Jesus to cleanse and save us
    • Jesus offered this to the Samaritan woman
  • Have you come to Jesus?

Sowing and Reaping

• v36 - A message for the disciples
  • Who sowed in the life of this women - Jesus
  • Who sowed to the Samaritans - the women
• v38 - The disciple will reap a harvest they did not sow
  • They will enter into the labours of "others"
    • We don't know who these are
    • Maybe disciples of John the Baptist
  • Jesus spent two days with the Samaritans
• v42 - how would the Samaritans believe if no one had sowed the word of God?
  • We need to sow
  • The one who sows is not inferior to those who reap
    • Example
  • All rejoice together
• Are you a sower?
  • Sparingly or liberally?
    • Example of Prime Time
    • Why do we have events?
      • To sow the word of God
  • Ecc 11:6
    • Sow the word of God liberally
  • Ecc 11:1
    • There will be a return on your investment
    • Go to unlikely places - be adventurous
    • The Samaritan town of Syca was an usual place
  • Ecc 11:4
    • What excuses do we have for not sowing?
  • We have our part to play - but God brings the increase (1 Cor 3:6-7)
• Are we sowing and reaping?
  • Pray the Lord to send out labours into the harvest field