Fields White for Harvest

Theme: Fields White for Harvest

Sub Theme: Conversion by Inference

Text: 2006 John 4.31-42

Intro:   John four infers the Samaritan woman was Saved.  Witnessing is NOT sure proof of Salvation but is an example of it.  I believe she was.  Romans Ten teaches that if we confess with our Mouth the Lord Jesus we will be saved.  The Samaritan Woman bore fruit two ways:  Some believed her Witness and others believed more fully after seeing and hearing the Lord for themselves.  I hope we might learn about the work of God in our Studies today!

  I.  Physical and Spiritual Food.  Vss.  Jn 4:31-34

A.  THE NEED FOR FOOD.  Jn 4:31 (See Jn 4:8)

1.  Purchasing Food - Interesting that God had to buy Food.  Jn 4:8

2.  Jesus needed Food while here.

B.  PHYSICAL FOOD.  V Jn 4:31

1.  The Twelve appeared to have a tender love and care for their Lord.

2.  A proper diet seems a reasonable necessity for good health.

C.  SPIRITUAL MEAT: Vss.  Jn 4:32-34

1.  Jesus gives his own commentary on Spiritual Meat...I’m glad He did...

2.  Spiritual Meat remains pretty much a Mystery to me.

3.  Most commentaries supply little information here but John Calvin has eloquent                         thoughts.

D.  THE LORD’S FOOD: V Jn 4:34

                        1.  Surely our Lord was making a comparative thought in our text.

                        2.  A man can live a long time without eating ... hunger is a natural/mental thing.

                        3.  Jesus became physically hungry like all men.  (See Matthew 21.18-19)

                        4.  He was Physically hungry in our text while receiving spiritual fulfilment.

                        5.  The best way to understand this text is to run your own test:

            Pray that God will allow you to lead someone to the Saving Knowledge.

            Make notes of how spiritually full you are after that occurs.

                        6.  The Lord’s physical appetite had been temporarily quench by Spiritual                                       Fruit/Food.

            That is the best I can make out of all this.

 II.  The Great Soul Winner’s Passage: “Fields white unto harvest.”  V Jn 4:35

If we are NOT harvesting - what could possibly be the Excuse?

A.  BRIEFLY TO THE PHYSICAL MEANING:

                        1.  In Nature you discover planting time, cultivation and eventually harvest.

                        2.  Often times the day of harvest is just that the day of harvest.

                        3.  One day could make a world of difference. 

B.  A CONTINUAL WORLD OF SOULS NEEDING DAILY TO BE HARVESTED.

                        1.  We live in a world of men and women walking with their eyes to the ground.

            Defeated and/or depressed.

                        2.  Cults never get tired and you cannot wipe the silly grin off their faces.

III.  The Soul Winner’s Reward.  V Jn 4:36

A.  THE JOY OF SEEING YOUR LABOR BEAR FRUIT.

                        1.  Why have fundamental Christians become dissatisfied with Soul Winning?

                         It was like the burden of the world fell from me when we stopped Thursday Night                       Visitation!

                        2.  The relationship between the Soul-Winner and the Saved person seldom                                    Deters.

                        3.  The Pastor receives a life time of support from those God allows to be saved in                                     his Ministry.

                        4.  Brothers and Sisters in Christ develop a lasting Bond worthy of the labor

B.  THE SOWER AND REAPER REJOICE TOGETHER:

                        1.  Often times we sow without the benefit of reaping.

                        2.  When the seed becomes ready for harvest ... the Sower enjoys the same benefits                       as the Reaper.

                        3.  Interesting that within a short period of study we learn again about Dormant                             Seed.

                        a.  It is not inferred that man receives partial light and he may act later.

                        b.  This is God’s method of Salvation: Sowing, Watering and God                                                  ultimately Saving.

 IV.  Briefly in Closing on the Subject of Sower/ Reaper.  Vss.  Jn 4:37-38

            1.  You may spend your entire life without seeing results of your Soul Winning endeavors.

            2.  A person may come right behind you and reap your Work.

            3.  God rewards both Sower/Reaper equally.

            4.  This text is Clear - The Disciples were Reaping but they had NOT Sown!

  V.  The Samaritan Woman as a Witness: Vss.  Jn 4:39-42

            1.  She had a thousand reasons to go home and hide following her conversion;

Instead of that she was powered by the indwelling Spirit of God to Witness.

            2.  When a Man or Woman comes to the Lord:

            a.  Their belief is NO longer based on another’s Testimony.

            b.  Their belief becomes Personal.

            c.  Their Faith then rest squarely on their understanding of the Lord’s Identity.

            3.  The Woman’s Witness led to Real Salvation for those who came to Jesus.   See.  V Jn 4: 42

Conclusion: We may only conclude that the Woman had reached the same pleasant conclusion as those she assisted in coming to the Savior.  Else it would be the unsaved being the ministers of true converts ... that would rob us of any Conclusion from the Bible to what is right and what is wrong.  The true Christian is known by his/her fruit no matter how small the amount.