LIFT UP THINE EYES FOR THE FIELDS ARE ALEADY WHITE FOR HARVEST

TEXT: John 4:27–42 (AV)

27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? 28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, 29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? 30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. 31 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. 32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. 33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? 34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. 35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. 36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. 37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. 38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours. 39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. 40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his own word; 42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

ILL: The least likely candidates to get saved. There was a time and perhaps still is that convicts were considered least likely to get saved, some called it jailhouse religion and rightly so but convicts were genuinely getting saved. Our fellowship experienced same issue, hippies were getting saved but the churches didn’t want these young people there, so they missed out on what God was doing.

-In our text the disciple would have missed out on the opportunity to get people saved if it wasn’t for Jesus stepping in and showing them that although Samaritans were least likely to get saved they were actually ready to receive the good news of the gospel.

-Peter in Acts 10 almost missed out on seeing whole nations get saved b/c in his eyes they were the least likely to get saved. Acts 10:28 (AV)

28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

-I want to preach a sermon “LIFT YOU EYES FOR THE FIELDS ARE ALREADY WHITE FOR HARVEST.”

I. THE LEAST LIKELY IN YOUR EYES

A. TO GET SAVED

1. This is what was happening in our text. Jews had no dealings with the half breed Samaritans.John 4:9 (AV)

9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

2. Sometimes sinners feel this way about Christians. “Christians have no dealings with sinners,like me.”

a.) Which is wrong to think that way but the reason the think this way is b/c that’s how Christians have made them feel. ILL: Old song, “ Does anybody hear her”, show Christians not giving this lost waitress the time of day.

1. That’s not just a woman in a music video but that’s how many men and women feel about the Church because if not careful we can have a least likely mind set . This person can but not this one.

ILL: I told you the story of a convict we called Chocolate, I was looking at him one day and though he can’t get saved and the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said,”do you think my grace can’t save him?” “Now go tell him I love him.” When i did he had a face of a child.

2. Oh Church how many times are we missing out on the harvest of people because of our prejudices? ILL: Albert was telling me that David suggested to go downtown and witness, by jail many homeless, drug addicted down there and no one gives them the time of day, and they are the very ones that white and ready for harvest!

II. LIFTING UP YOUR EYES

A. CAN YOU SEE

ILL: Many people today walk around with their face buried in their phones

hardly taking the time to look up.

1. This is what Jesus wanted the disciples to get, Look up he said , look around guys the people you think can’t get saved or you believe don’t want to be saved are the very ones that are ready to be harvested.

2. Other believers have already planted the seeds of the gospel in them now its time for you to reap. John 4:38 (AV)

38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

ILL: I don’t know about you Church but many people sowed in me the gospel seed and one day it produced.

a.) Jesus is telling us that there are many people out there who have had the gospel seed sown in their hearts and he has sent us to reap that for which we have not laboured! ILL: P.A. area, seeds were sown by Marbauch Church , when Lisa, the girls and I went there we were reaping the seeds that were sown by them.

B. DELIBERATELY LIFT YOUR EYES

1. Pray Lord open my eyes that I may see. We pray sometimes “Lord sent across those who’s hearts you’ve already opened?” Acts 16:14 (AV)

14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

2. She was a worshipper of God according to the Jewish tradition, just like Cornelius, when she heard the gospel she got saved and baptized!

3. This tells us that religious people can get saved too. But we must have eyes to see, Church.

b.) Jesus went where he knew she would be. This is why outreach is so important because you are going where the sinners are. We have go out and compel them to come in! Luke 14:23 (AV)

23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

1. God wants his house to be filled with people.

III. CAN ANYBODY HEAR HER DOES ANYBODY SEE

ILL: VIDEO BY CASTING CROWNS, “CAN ANYBODY HEAR HER