Wednesday: Preparing for the Final Harvest While We Wait
Jesus used farming language in His teaching about the kingdom, as pointed out in lesson 5. As we have seen, farming is not merely an event; it is a patient process! It is a regularly repeated cycle with different stages and different jobs for different people at different times. We need to be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit and the providences of God in regard to how we can be used by the Lord in the process of preparing the ground, planting seeds, and reaping the harvest.
Image © Darrel Tank from GoodSalt.com
Read John 4:35-38. What kind of imagery is being used there, and what is the message to us in regard to how we should work for others?
The fact is, we don’t know people’s hearts. We don’t know how the Holy Spirit has been working in their lives. We might look at various people and think that they have a long way to go before being ready to be harvested when, in reality, all they need is someone to urge them to make a commitment to Jesus. There is a battle for the heart and mind of every human being, and God is calling us to help people choose Him.
Read 1 Corinthians 3:6-8. What is the message to us here in the context of outreach?
In his own way, Paul is saying here what Jesus said in the previous example. The work of outreach is like the work of a farmer. We might not all be doing the same tasks, but that work is still a crucial part of the process of reaching out and winning souls. And though we are to be used by God in various capacities, in the end it is God alone who can bring about the conversion of a soul.
How can we learn to be thankful and humbled by whatever role God has given us in the process of ministering to others? Why is it truly a privilege?
(29)
1Co 3:6-8 is referred to in the Lesson page.
"I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither he that plants is anything, nor he who waters; but God who gives the increase. Now he that plants and he who waters are one: and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor."
In some churches, special honor is given to the person that established the church. The Lutherans, for example, gave Martin Luther special honor, because he was the one that effectively "planted"/established the church.
Paul established the church in Corinth. He was the first Christian preacher in that city; and if any distinction was due to anyone, it was [from a worldly perspective,] due him. Paul was still very much alive and active in the Gospel ministry, but Paul did not regard himself as worthy of any special honor in that important church. It was not the man Paul, nor was it the man Apollos, but it was God, who had given the increase/growth.
If, after planting, a church is not tended and sufficiently watered, it will certainly wither. The "plant" might survive, but it will show the signs of stress and strain. The welfare of every church is full of inter-dependencies, but all the facets are dependent on God. Even a hasty, inferior, planting can be rectified if the plant is well managed after the planting.
My mother uses to say: Do good and get a still neck. i.o.w. dont look back to be honored or thanked
Thank you Shirley. I like that!
It reminds me of a thought in Isaiah, about the "fast". It assures everyone who takes part in the true "fast" (in true abstinence from selfishness), that "the glory of the LORD shall be your rear-guard.” (Isaiah 58:6-8)
The "rear-guard" idea includes the concept [I suggest,] that when we have spoken or acted well, and come to the point of looking back, it will be God’s work, and God’s glory, that we see back there. He will be there guarding our backs – engaging the enemy lest some temptation rise up and we begin to boast.
Alternately, He may be guarding our backs, lest we begin to look back and lament, “I am not appreciated as I ought to be”.
Should we look back and entertain thoughts like these? I think it would only serve to invite disaster. Yes, let's leave it with Him, and have still necks. He will fight the rear-guard actions, defending us from pride and despair, if we will only leave it with Him.
Even in our church some times preachers/ evangelists who have conducted meetings that have seen many baptised are honoured most than all who have contributed in various roles for the success. Hence, sometimes others think they are more important than others. Conversion, "true conversion" is the work God, Himself not man. Man can just assist in preparing the grounds through a life of reaching out the members in the church community.
The time for reaping is now! Let us not sit idly waiting on some events to harvest God's people, but as each opportunity present itself, lead by God's Spirit, let us reap! Every activity done by God's people must be with a view to prepare the soil, plant the seed, nurture the seed and reap. All skilful farmer knows what needs to be done at any specified time in a plant's life. So if the harvest is ready it is not time to plant.
All the Glory goes to God.We are merely instruments being used by God and we should never become too big to think that it is because of us that the Church is growing,not only growth in numbers but I mean spiritual growth.We do not take credit because it is the power of God at work in us.
Jesus Himself never took that Glory so who are we to think that we can share the Glory of God.Each one ought to do what is expected from them and there is no work that God says its too small.All contributes to the final harvest which is all that matters.The Holy Spirit will lead us all the way through and ALL Glory goes back to the Father!
It is clear what GOD requires from all of us as we await the second coming of messiah to preach the word of GOD to every nation, tribe and tongue. Todays title says preparing for the final harvest while we wait. Jesus uses farming as a demonstration on how Christians/ brethren should minster the Gospel in that at every season in farming different individuals are involved until the final harvest is achieved so do the mission of preaching the good news about salvation. What is needed from us is to be open to the guidance of the holy spirit and allow God to use us in preparing the ground, planting the seeds and reaping the harvest.
Matt. 7:1 tells us not to judge...We cannot know a person's motives (why they do what they do) no more than we can know where they are spiritually. When we encounter people God has put in our path, we have no idea how the Holy Spirit has been working with them, convicting them, bring them into the full knowledge of their need for repentance. Our responsibility is just to continue to water them, until God gives the increase1Cor. 3:6-8. Yes the field is "white" but let's not go ahead of the Holy Spirit getting discouraged when we think they should say yes and they say no, not yet.
Our purpose is to just to let them know that there is a God of Love who wants them to know that they can be free from sin, free from guilt, forgiven, restored, have peace within, and live eternally with Jesus the Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Thanks for your thoughts, Mattie. I agree with you except for the "just's." 🙂 We are to follow the methods of Jesus because only they will give success, as we studied on Sunday, July 31.
Here we see that His method is not complete until we invite people to follow Jesus, as we also studied just a couple weeks ago.
While we may not know where people are spiritually, the Holy Spirit does. And when He prompts us to invite people to follow Jesus, we need to be ready to do so. The lesson "Thursday: Seek and You Shall Find" suggests some ways we can prepare to give the invitation. We may all need to review this lesson.
The verse under discussion (John 4: 35 - 38) has as much relevance today as it had in the days when Jesus was on earth. In this chapter, Jesus is found tired and alone by the well and had struck a conversation with a Samaritan woman who'd come to draw water from the the well. The disciples suddenly returned from town and joined the two. They had questions in their minds to see a Jew talking to a Samaritan woman, of all persons. It is my submission that the Lord took the opportunity to expunge racial prejudice and any other man-made differentiation the disciples might have had.
The Lord spoke of a harvest that was ripe. He had earlier lamented the lack of labourers (Matthew 9: 37-38, Luke 10:2) to reap it. He was talking about a spiritual harvest; a harvest of souls; a harvest of large numbers of Samaritans and all humanity until the close of probation. Christ was teaching us about soul winning, that soul winning involves preparation, sowing and reaping. Hearts need to be prepared to receive the goid news of the gospel. This process involves time, love, much prayer, compassion and patience. The process may not necessarily be accomplished by the same person (verse 38). Therefore, we should never boast and steal all the accolades. Yes lets by all means rejoice for the reaping. God has tasked us with sowing the seed (Ezekiel 3: 17-19). We must remain resolutely focussed on our work assured in the knowledge that God's Word is never sown in vain. (Refer Isaiah 55:10-11.