The Harvest - The PRIORITY of the Kingdom - A heart for the Harvest

Matthew 9:35–38 ESV

35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Intro

We will never have a heart for the harvest of humanity until we see the heart of the Lord of the harvest – Doug Carver.

Over the course of the last couple of months and more so in recent weeks, God has begun to place a burden on my heart for our community and for the people in our community. Oftentimes in the church, we develop an “Us vs. Them” type of mentality when we just don't see that principle fleshed out in the Word of God. That mentality has developed as a result of our sense of entitlement and superiority that has developed from being born and raised in the good ole US of A, not to mention the fact that many of us have grown up in church our whole lives and have developed a religious spirit that is akin to the Sadducees and the Pharisees and we, many times without realizing it, look down our noses on the very people we are called to serve and proclaim the message of the Gospel. There must be a change in our mentality or we as a church and as believers will not only be rendered ineffective and see the local church wither and die but there is coming a time of separation when God will divide the wheat from the tares, where the goats and sheep will be separated, where those that are not bearing fruit will be cut off from the vine and thrown into the fire. We are living in a crucial time and the very souls of many weigh in the balance and the decisions that you and I make today will have an eternal impact as to whether these souls, and many of us, will hear the words;

Matthew 25:23 ESV

23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

Matthew 13:24–30 ESV

24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

This passage of scripture clearly shows us this time of separation, it shows us that there is coming a time where;

• The seeds we have sown will be made known

• Others will begin to be able to easily identify the works of our hands

◦ The works of your hands are a result of the wishes of your heart

• The seeds that you have planted will either be gathered into the barn or burned up in the fire

• The tares and the wheat oftentimes appear very similar but in the time of harvest, it will be revealed which are the wheat and the tares;

◦ As harvest approaches;

▪ The wheat will bow over towards the ground due to the weight of the seeds that it is carrying

▪ As the harvest approaches for the believer, you will find them bowed over towards the ground as they humble themselves before the Lord and recognize their need for Him and due to the weight of the burden they are carrying

▪ When the wind blows, the wheat will bow even lower – the tares will stand strong and tall

▪ The seeds inside the wheat are heavy due to the substance in the seed

▪ The seeds inside the tares are black and light – due to the lack of substance

• I wonder how many that are seated amongst us that have the appearance of wheat but the seed that is within them is black with;

◦ bitterness

◦ anger

◦ unresolved conflict

◦ grudges

◦ sin

◦ addiction

◦ jealousy

◦ pride

◦ selfishness

The wheat brings refreshment, nourishment, and fulfillment to those that partake of it....The seed of the tares, when consumed causes dizziness, nauseous, sickness, etc. it leaves people feeling worse after they've consumed it then before!

• If there's someone in your life that leaves your head spinning, your stomach feeling sick, and generally leaves you feeling worse after you're with them then before – You need to distance yourself from them!

• Understand this, the servants wanted to remove the tares as soon as they were identified but the Master, knowing better, told them to let them grow together and they would be addressed at the time of harvest.

◦ Most anyone can identify someone that is trouble, but what we don't understand is that if we remove the tares at the wrong time, the wheat will be damaged as well.

◦ The other principle being taught here is this – In the spiritual and practical sense, we tend to react emotionally and hastily but Jesus is still hoping that those tares will recognize their condition and repent and ask forgiveness!

The tares have shown us what a heart that's not for the harvest looks like but let's look into the Word and find out what exactly does a “Heart for the Harvest” look like?

A Heart for the Harvest is;

A Heart for the Hurting

Matthew 9:36 ESV

36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

◦ There is no Us vs. Them mentality!!

▪ God has challenged my way of thinking and now I will challenge your way of thinking this morning

▪ Yanush Assembly is not a church of 130 but between the three surrounding counties there are easily 25-30,000 people to be reached - we have WORK to do!

• Stop looking at the drunk from your ivory tower of righteousness and put your arm around them and let them know that there is a better way!

• Stop looking at the drug addict with disgust but may your heart be filled with a desire to see them delivered!

• Stop looking at the woman pregnant with the 5th baby from 5 different Daddy's with judgement and let your heart be moved with compassion as you see a woman seeking for love and approval!

• Stop looking at the young person constantly getting in trouble as a juvenile delinquent and may your heart be moved with compassion to see them as a child searching for love, structure, and for someone to invest in them!

• Stop looking at unbelievers as the enemy that we oppose but as broken hearts and lives that desperately need someone to show them the love of Jesus!

2. A Heart of Hope

Matthew 9:37 ESV

37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;

◦ Understands the challenges that are before them but sees them as;

▪ Opportunities not obstacles

◦ You don't have to look far to find someone that needs Jesus!

▪ What a Mission Field!

◦ The very message that we bring is not a message of do's and don’ts but a message of hope that you don't have to stay a slave to the bondage that has you bound!

◦ There is an answer to every problem that Men & Women may encounter & we know the answer – JESUS!!! Proclaim His name!

◦ Hope has a name and His name is Jesus!

3. A Heart of Humility

Matthew 9:38 ESV

38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

◦ We understand that any help that anyone receives is not because of me but because of Him

◦ Too often we get the idea that the church couldn't go on without us, but I assure you, God is always going to have someone to do His work!

▪ Understand it's not about you, it's not about your preference, it's about HIM!

◦ Paul plants, Apollos waters, but it's God that brings the increase!

◦ This reinforces the realization that there's nothing we can do without Him and definitely NOT anything that will have eternal significance!

▪ The things that we try to do in our own power are wood, hay, and stubble and they, just as the tares, will be consumed in the fire!

▪ God help us to carry out your works! The works that have been tried by the fire! The works that will have an eternal impact!

◦ Just as the wheat begins to bow itself towards the ground – As we get closer to the harvest of souls God has in store for this body of believers and this community, we must bow ourselves lower in His presence and remember that we need Him!

Altar Call;

• Salvation

• Heart Check;

◦ Do I have a heart for the Harvest?

◦ Am I like the tare?

▪ Are the seeds I'm planting seeds that will make an eternal significance?

• A burden for our community