Looking Forward to a Great Harvest
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Intro
Intro
Text - Matthew 9.35-38
35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Title - Looking Forward to a Great Harvest
Background
Background
Lessons from great investors
Warren Buffet - he learned to invest in stocks early in life
Henry Sy - he bought companies (Banco De Oro) during the time of economic recession;
Jesus’ attitude
He saw a great harvest at the time of Israel’s spiritual decay
He asked for more “laborers” to go into the field
Key questions
Key questions
are we expecting a great harvest ahead of our life?
in soul harvest?
in our source of income?
a great future for our children?
a great future in our relationship?
how much labor are we putting into life today?
A great harvest does not happen by accident
A great harvest does not happen by accident
a good farm harvest is the result of hard labor and investment
a great future is the result of hard labor in the present
What constitutes a great harvest
What constitutes a great harvest
if you want a great harvest in the future, you need at least 3 things -
a good seed
a good ground
a good attitude
A good seed
A good seed
The farmer looks for the best seed to plant.
A good seed contains the right genetic materials
God planted a good seed in the life of Abraham - His Word/promise
1 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.
2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Jesus’s parable of the soils
11 “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
when we preach the word of God, we are planting good seeds - the best seeds!
God expects great things from our lives -
22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,
23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
24 because “All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away,
25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.
purified souls
love out of a pure heart
enduring to forever
A good ground
A good ground
A good seed needs a good ground
18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower:
19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.
20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.
22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
For God’s good seed to produce its potential, Abraham must a good ground.
1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!”
4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.”
5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
God declared His plans
Abram believed!
17 And the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing,
18 since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
19 For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”
God was investing in the life of Abraham and expecting a great harvest in the future
God has given you the seeds for a great harvest
10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,
11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.
Sow your seeds “to the Spirit”
6 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
A good attitude
A good attitude
Farmers need a good attitude because -
harvest takes time
plants need cultivation
Good farmers are “patient”
7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.
8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Good farmers cultivate the ground
1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
takes away means “lift up”
vines that drop very low and touch the ground donot bear fruit
7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’
8 But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it.
9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ”
Good farmers are courageous and generous
1 Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days.
2 Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, For you do not know what evil will be on the earth.
3 If the clouds are full of rain, They empty themselves upon the earth; And if a tree falls to the south or the north, In the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie.
4 He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap.
5 As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.
6 In the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do not withhold your hand; For you do not know which will prosper, Either this or that, Or whether both alike will be good.
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
How can we apply these principles into life
How can we apply these principles into life
Are you looking forward to a great harvest in the life of your children?
sow the word of God into their hearts early
plant their lives in the right place
bring them to church
let them experience God
know their friends - teach how and where to get the right friends
pray a lot - for them, with them
Are you looking forward to a great harvest in your finances?
learn the principles of God in finances
honor God with the firstfruits of your increase
let God direct you how you spend, save, invest
support the kingdom of God with your money
sow - even when times are hard
Are your looking forward to a great harvest in the salvation of souls?
sow the word of God
talk to someone who needs God
use every opportunity to share your faith
plant in the right times - when people are hurting, confused, in trouble
cultivate - by prayer; by follow-up; by inviting
Conclusion
Conclusion
What is holding back the church from having a great harvest?
God has provided the good seed
He’s already given us word
He’s already placed seeds into our lives that we can sow and plant
The good ground is all around us
the ministry - is the best place to sow your seeds
people who need help
Fear - is holding many Christians back!
fear of losing what little/few we have
fear of what other people might say about us
the more we hold back the seeds for planting, the less harvest we will have.
the seeds that we keep to ourselves can never multiply unless they are planted
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