The Whitened Harvest
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