The Call to Sow: Embracing Our Role in God's Harvest

Bible Passage: John 4:27–38

John 4:27–38 ESV

27 Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” 28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” 30 They went out of the town and were coming to him. 31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

Summary: In John 4:27–38, after Jesus speaks with the Samaritan woman, His disciples return and are surprised to see Him talking to her. Jesus uses this moment to teach them about the nature of spiritual work, emphasizing that sowing and reaping go hand in hand. He illustrates the importance of recognizing that the harvest is plentiful, and the role of believers in sharing the Gospel message is crucial for bringing in that harvest.

Application: This passage encourages believers to be proactive in their faith, actively seeking opportunities to share the Gospel and planting seeds for Christ in their interactions. It serves as a reminder that evangelism is a shared responsibility, and every believer is called to contribute to God's work.

Teaching: This sermon teaches the significance of both sowing and reaping in the context of evangelism, exploring how each believer can play a part in God's redemptive plan. It emphasizes the joy and fulfillment found in serving God and loving others through intentional engagement and testimony.

How this passage could point to Christ: This passage points to Christ as the ultimate sower who came to gather His people and highlights His mission of salvation and discipleship that extends through His followers. It grounds the believer's call to action in the understanding of Christ's work in the world and the proactive mission He establishes for the Church.

Big Idea: Every believer is called to actively participate in sowing the seeds of the Gospel, playing a vital role in the unfolding of God's harvest.

Recommended Study: As you prepare, consider examining different commentaries on John 4 regarding the cultural implications of sowing and reaping in a first-century context. Utilizing Logos, you might look into historical farming practices referenced in this text to better explain the analogy Jesus uses. Exploring the theological significance of harvest imagery in Israel's history can also provide a rich framework for your sermon.

1. Sow in Surprising Situations

John 4:27–30 ESV

27 Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” 28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” 30 They went out of the town and were coming to him.

The disciples had been sent for food by Jesus back in verse 7

John phillips joked that this wasnt a task they would have wanted

it would have meant they had to interact with Samaritans

He joked that they may have looked at each other and said why dont you go

finally getting to Nathaniel

saying, You thought no good could come out of Nazareth, why don’t you go to Sychar and give that a shot. thus they all went.

To start here like in many Gospel interactions today

Jesus witness was interrupted by the returning Disciples

Jesus tells the woman that He is the Messiah

Then immediately the disciples come back and begin marveling

The woman then leaves

Now we pick up

The disciples have interrupted this Gospel opportunity

Simply in awe that Jesus was talking to this woman

As we had already said these cultural norms were being broken

the Disciples are unaccustomed to this in the moment

This is a new level of obedience

They do not say anything but the are just marveled

Then the woman left her jar and went to tell about Jesus

Yet again we see a surprising situation of the Gospel

this allowed the Lord the opportunity to share true living water

What a powerful opportunity

Jesus breaks cultural barriers

and because of this the Samaritan woman tells the entire town

Jesus simply is throwing out the seed

Knowing that seeds must be planted for harvest to be reaped

In this we see a true Gospel impact

And a challenge to recapture the call and focus of evangelism

Now Jesus expounds more on this

Perhaps you could explore how Jesus broke cultural norms to engage with the Samaritan woman, setting an example for us to break barriers in our evangelism. This passage suggests that by initiating conversations and building relationships with the marginalized or different, we are planting seeds of the Gospel. Jesus' actions here illustrate His role as the ultimate sower and challenge us to recognize opportunities for sowing in our daily encounters.

2. Sow with Sustaining Purpose

John 4:31–34 ESV

31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

Here Jesus starts to correct the mindset of the Disciples

Jesus is being told to eat

Remember the humanity side of Jesus from a few weeks ago

The disciples are thinking he must be hungry

so they say here eat this

Jesus responds

with a powerful thought provoking questions

I have food that you don’t know about

Jesus focus on God’s will has shifted his entire focus of the moment

Jesus in this opportunity to sow has left hunger and thirst behind

to pursue the Father’s will

The disciples are clueless to the lesson at this point

questioning who had brought this food to Jesus

As John Philips put it

Jesus had forgotten about his thirst

now he has forgotten about his physical hunger in His hunger to reach a lost world

What a powerful message from the sower

Jesus longing for reaching others with the Gospel overtook even his basic physical hunger

Jesus longed for the lost to the point where even hunger was on the back burner

This is something of interesting nature

when we think of hunger it drives a lot of what we do

I mean we have fellowship dinners

we have snacks

we eat three times a day

when we have get togethers there is food

Food is everywhere

its the big decision every night at dinner

Our hunger is a driving force in our lives that is powerful

because it is a basic need in life for sustenance

In all of that understanding

Jesus left hunger behind because He longed for the will of God more

Here we see a true understanding of the priorities of Jesus

the main goal and focus of the Lord

was to reach a lost and broken world

We have to sow seeds first and foremost

You might consider how Jesus redefines sustenance as doing God's will. Here, Jesus highlights that His nourishment comes from fulfilling the mission to sow and reap. This passage challenges us to find fulfillment in our role within God's harvest. By committing to God's work in sharing the Gospel, we experience spiritual satisfaction and align ourselves with Christ's mission. It's a call to prioritize spiritual nourishment over physical.

3. Sow for a Sure Harvest

John 4:35–38 ESV

35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

Here we see Jesus giving the priority of evangelism

We have a purpose and a goal of evangelism

at least we should have in life

We are to be sowing seeds and reaping harvest

This quotation has a lot of possibilities

Jesus could be referencing the desire for the physical harvest and then showing them a spiritual harvest that needs harvest now

Jesus simply tells them

The harvest is full

The one who reaps is gathering fruit for eternal life

Jesus is putting sower and reaper on the same level here

a level of opportunity to rejoice together

Not because of the actions and loyalty of the sower and reaper

but because of the faithfulness of God who provided the Harvest

Christian it should be exciting to see lost people saved

It should be exciting to be with a new believer as the have walked into an eternal hope with the Lord

Jesus even says this is worth rejoicing together over

Not everyone who sows gets to see the harvest and not everyone who reaps gets the chance to sow

but each have an = part in being vessels of the Gospel to those they interact with

Jesus doesn’t tell us we must do this this and this for the harvest

He says the harvest is full

the harvest is ripe

We don’t need extra programs or missions to reach people

those are a dime a dozen

we need LABORERS

We need people willing to sow and people willing to reap

when we do these things we come along side our Savior in evangelism

Psalm 142:4 ESV

4 Look to the right and see: there is none who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul.

this is the reality of those whom the church hides the Gospel from

for each one we don’t share with

we seem to not even care for their soul

or we would show them the opportunity of Salvation in Jesus Christ

Salvations message

This section could emphasize the urgency and joy in both sowing and reaping, as well as the interconnectedness of these roles. Jesus points out the readiness of the harvest and invites believers to recognize their responsibility in it. By participating in the Gospel mission, we join the continuous work of the Church, reaping where others have sown. This reflects the completeness of Christ's work and our role in His harvest.