John 4:34–38 KJV 1900

Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. 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. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

WHO WILL WORK IN GOD’S VINEYARD

Introduction:

Every believer has an obligation to live and walk in a way that pleases the Lord. We are to live a life of purity, fully submitted to the Lord.

This is the most important aspect of our lives.

Without a right relationship with Christ, we will accomplish very little for Him.

Personal purity is necessary, but it isn't the only aspect of Christian living we are responsible for.

It isn't enough to live a pure life within our homes, churches, and even among the world.

A life of purity will be a great example and witness to the world, but we are called to take our lives a step further with the Lord.

We are also called to actively engage those who do not know Christ as their Lord and Savior.

I could live as spiritual and pure as humanly possible, but if I never shared my faith or reached out to the lost, then I would not be fulfilling the work my Lord left me to do.

Serving the Lord isn't only about church attendance and refraining from things that defile.

We must engage in active service for Him among the world. We are called to make disciples.

Commission

John 4:34–35 KJV 1900

Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. 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.

We have heard of the Macedonia call which Paul spoke of.

Some where in prayer, Jesus recieved a calling to go through Samara.

God heard the longing cry of this woman in deep despair.

Comission - an instruction, command, or duty given to a person or group of people.

Jesus speaks of the responsibility each believer has to labor for Him.

Submission - the action or fact of accepting or yielding to a superior force or to the will or authority of another person.

Jesus declares that He has not come to accomplish His will.

He has come to do the will of the Father.

Jesus was fully submitted to God's will as He walked this earth.

If our Lord was willing to submit to the will of God, doesn't it stand to reason that you and I should as well?

The Instruction Revealed

Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest?

Jesus instructs the disciples to consider the urgency of the time.

It is likely they were a bit complacent as long as Jesus was with them.

They probably tended to think there was plenty of time to engage in work.

Jesus wanted them to realize that the time was at hand.

Men needed to look to Him by faith at that moment, not later.

Illustration: About the crack in the dame.

Story of Pastor in the Philippians preaching on a island.

■ I am convinced that one of Satan's greatest lies concerns time. He would have us believe there is no need for concern, no need to be in a hurry.

There is plenty of time. After all, we've heard all our lives that Jesus was coming again and He hasn't returned yet.

It's not that we don't believe He is coming, but we tend to think His return will be later rather than today.

■ We need to heed the instruction of our Lord

We cannot assume that His return will be four months, four years, or longer away.

Even if His return isn't in our lifetime (although it may be today) we are living in harvest time right now.

None are guaranteed tomorrow.

We are surrounded by those who have not been saved.

Their eternal existence hangs in the balance. We must seek them today, while there is yet opportunity!

The Benefit

And he that reapeth receiveth wages.

Jesus reveals those who reap in the harvest will be compensated for their work.

The disciple's labor would not go unnoticed or without reward.

God was mindful of their efforts and He would reward them accordingly.

■ We too can claim that promise

We don't serve the Lord just for the benefits He offers, but it does pay to serve the Lord.

We are assured of His blessing in this life as well as in the life to come.

God is faithful and He will honor those who are obedient to Him.

■ We also need to notice that Jesus spoke of fruit unto eternal life

Here He speaks of labor and fruit that will last beyond this life.

Much that people enjoy in this life is temporal; eventually it will wear out and decay.

The wages that we receive of the Lord for our labor in the harvest will be eternal. Jesus speaks of those we influence in regard to their salvation.

When you have an active part in someone's salvation, fruit is laid up in heaven in your account.

Only those things that are done for Christ will follow us home, but He will reward all we do for Him in heaven.

That ought to encourage and challenge us to be faithful in the harvest.