Who has God Planted in your Field?

Introduction

Today, here we are having our first physical service here at the church since March 15. The world that we entered on January 1, 2020 we had our thoughts and plans at to what this year would bring. I had my plans for work, I had my plans for my sermons. Tell God your plans, His plans would supersede yours. Yet, God has put us here for this special season and these specific places we are at. The question is, Who has been planted in your field? Who has God specifically planted in your field? We often talk about planting seeds and watering seeds, and that is a critical part of our calling, but there is a third part of this…harvesting. Now to be clear we don’t do the saving, but we are called to be used as the instrument of God’s saving of a person. To be the person who the Holy Spirit uses to bring a lost one to the cross of Jesus. We are going to look at three example this morning. While we are studying the Word, who has God put in your field?

1. Field of Samaria (Harvest)—John 4:3-4; 4:27-42

· Back in September I preached a sermon entitled, Encountering Jesus, where I spoke from John 3 and John 4. Today I want to look at a few different parts of John 4 in regards to divine appointments in our fields.

· Jesus is heading back to Galilee from Judea (verse 3)

· He needed (it was necessary) for Him to go through Samaria. Literally in Greek it means, “one must”

· Now as I mentioned when preaching in September of last year, Samaria was a rare place for Jews to go through. The Samarians were considered half breeds. Half Jewish/Half Gentile. There were other ways to get back to Galilee from Judea, but Jesus needed to go through Samaria.

· There was divine appoint for Him. He knew the field that His Heavenly Father had placed before Him.

· Have you ever been “detoured” and had no idea why? Maybe you prayed that God would use you that day and this detour was really a divine appointment. Have you ever thought of that?

· While we are not going to look at the encounter that Jesus had with the woman at the well in detail, I would encourage you to read it.

· Some highlights:

Ø He goes to the well at around noon. No other people are out (hot out)

Ø This woman comes to get water (she is socially outcast). He asks her for water, which stuns her for two reasons. 1) He is a man and 2) He is a Jewish man

Ø Jesus graciously points out her sin, but also leads her to the truth…that He is the Messiah.

· Where I want to pick up is 4:27-30

· His disciples come back and the woman goes into the city and tells them of this man.

· As this happening John tells us of the conversation Jesus had with the disciples as she was going back to the city. (31-38).

· The disciples had gone to get food from the city, but Jesus had much more than physical food on His mind.

· He had been placed in this field for a purpose.

· “to do the will of Him who sent Me…to finish His work.” (34)

· Here Jesus gives the harvest metaphor. Four months to harvest? No, there are fields white to harvest.

· White to Harvest (Time is NOW to reap, or pick)

· There had been those who had sowed, but now it was time to reap.

· “I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.” (38)

· There are people who have heard the Gospel or whose heart has been prepared by others sharing the faith of Jesus Christ who are ready to accept Jesus Christ right now in your life, they are ready for harvest. There is not going to be a sign on them, but they are ready to accept Jesus. We didn’t sow the seeds, nor did we water them (1 Corinthians 3:5-9), but God will use you and me to lead them to Jesus Christ.

· Look at the results in 39-42.

· Now does this mean that each time you share Christ it is harvest season? No, maybe you are the sower or the water at that moment, but maybe it is harvest season.

2. Field in the Desert- Acts 8:26-40

· We move from a field of the well in Samaria to out in the desert. This field was one that was given to Phillip.

· The field that Jesus had started in Samaria continued with Phillip (Acts 8:4-8) with more harvests. His ministry would change, because God gave him a new mission. A detour from the great ministry in Samaria.

· Acts 8:26-40

· Go to this road (major trade road) from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is desert, Luke writes. Now, Phillip is not told WHY he is going there. He is only given one piece of the puzzle, not the full picture. He just takes the next step in this field.

· It only when the appearance of this Eunuch from Ethiopia (or northern Africa).

· Phillips’ field for the moment was going to be this man. Appears to be a proselyte, Gentile converted to Judaism.

· God sometimes leads you some where you were not planning on going…but God needed you go through here.

· He is reading from Isaiah and has questions about it.

· Phillip uses this at a starting point and leads him to Jesus Christ.

· You might be used to plant, water, and lead someone to Jesus Christ from a question about Scripture. If someone brings up a verse or passage from the Bible, did you know you can use it as a starting point to lead them to Christ? Remember the passage that Dr. Pedrone spoke of the two men on the road to Emmaus. Jesus started in the Law and showed them. Some passages, but more challenging, but God can lead you.

· As a result verse 37, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

· He is baptized proclaiming his faith…

· The Spirit “moves” Phillip Star Trek style

· That mission, that field was for that moment and there was a harvest.

· Phillip went to Azotus (Alz – tos) to Caesarea!

3. Field at Caesarea – Acts 10

· From the field of Samaria, to the desert, to the field of Caesarea

· The Apostle Peter will be truly moved out of his comfort zone as he went to this new field, the Gentiles. Up until now only Jews, Samaritans and Proselytes had accepted Jesus Christ. Things were going to change.

· Now Phillip had been there after the eunuch, preparing the soil, planting seeds, and watering, and then God was going to bring Peter for a harvest.

· Luke starts off by telling about a man named Cornelius. He is centurion. He is a devout man, fears God, so does his house, gives alms, prays to God.

· He receives a vision to send men to Joppa to bring Simon Peter.

· 9-16, God is preparing Peter to get out of his comfort zone. Something Jesus was doing since He called this fisherman to Follow Him and He would make him a fisher of men.

· Peter also has a vision, and he has three times (what else happened three times with Peter? Denial and then at the Breakfast by the Sea of Galilee.

· Then as he thinks about this…God has the field for him to go to.

· 17-13 Goes with them

· 24-33 “God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean”

· 34-35 “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him!”

· Peter is out of his comfort zone. He was out of comfort zone with the vision and now here he being stretched. (36-43)

· 36-43 – Gospel Preached

· 44-48 –They are saved and baptized!

· God might take you to fields that stretch you and take you out of your comfort zone. This is a common thing throughout Scripture. Moses, Gideon to name two.

· Peter was taken to a field that was ready for harvest. This field he had been given by God had people that made him uncomfortable, but God used him in this.

Conclusion:

· We are placed in different situations and locations. With everything that has happened this year, we may be moving to different jobs or put in situations and locations you didn’t imagine in 2019. Maybe it is a field that has had seeds that were planted and watered by someone else. God has chosen you to be the tool He uses to bring in a harvest. Maybe one or maybe more.

· I want to read two stories that Ron Hutchcraft shared on his radio ministry.

· story about Cory Booker Fire and Person Drowning

· What fields are you in? You could be the person who rescues a person from death, not physical death, but spiritual death.

· Maybe it is a divine appointment through a Samaria, or on the road somewhere, or in an uncomfortable location. God can use you in the field He has and is preparing to rescue someone from eternal separation and death through you. The question is: Are you willing?