Praise the Lord for this
last Friday of October, 2013! Those of you live in the region join os for our
weekly Television outreach this evening at 7 PM on Time Warner Cable channel 4.
We will gather for a Hymn sing at 7:30 PM this evening along with the Reformed
Presbyterian Church at the Wesley United Methodist Church, 1000 Day Hollow Road,
Endicott. We will meet for worship at 8:30 and 11:00 at The Union Center UMC and
at 9:30 at the Wesley UMC on Sunday morning. Sunday School will meet at 9:50 at
the Union Center UMC. Plan to join us. Plan to attend the worship of the Lord
wherever you live. Do not make poor excuses. When the saints worship, sing,
and witness to the power of the Risen Lord, Satan
trembles.
I love harvest season. I
love the smells and sounds of the season. We are just two months from Christmas
Day. Praise the Lord for how we come to the Advent and Christmas seasons
through the harvest season in the Northern Hemisphere. Here in the New York
region they are harvesting, corn, apples, potatoes, and grapes. I grew up in
the majestic mountains of Phulbani, Orissa, India, some 7000 feet above sea
level. I grew up on a farm, raising crops and harvesting them. One of the
very joyful times of the year was the harvest season. People who
were harvesting were singing the harvest Ballads and the songs which are some of
the very ancient songs in human history. Praise the Lord that our Lord talked
about harvest. Praise the Lord He is the Lord of
harvest.
The miraculous story
is recorded in the Gospel according St. John, Chapter 4, about a woman who came
out from the village to fill her water jar. Jesus asked her for a drink, and
initiated a conversation which led the woman to the knowledge of salvation.
Overjoyed with her discovery, she left her water pot, and rushed into town to
share her secret.
Meanwhile, the disciples
returned from the city, and were amazed that their Lord would be speaking with
such a person. On top of this, He missed His lunch. They urged Him to eat
something, whereupon Jesus said, (John
4:34-38) "My food is to do the will of
Him who sent me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, 'There are still four
months and then comes the harvest?' Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and
look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps
receives wages and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he
who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: one sows and
another reaps. I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others
have labored, and you have entered into their
labors."
There is the wonderful
opportunity for harvest! "Look on the fields," Jesus tells us
(John
4:35). It appears that the
spiritually dull disciples, with their earth-bound vision, saw only the recently
planted fields of grain, still months away. If they were more discerning,
however, they could see some men coming from the city who have heard the
testimony of the redeemed woman. These awakened Samaritans want to know more
about this Man who can change lives, and before Jesus left them, they came to
believe that Jesus is the Savior of the World. (John
4:39-42)
Indeed, if we, too, would
lift our vision beyond the horizon, with the eyes of faith we could see the
Spirit of God moving across the whole earth preparing a people to praise Him
from every tongue and tribe and nation. That's what Jesus was teaching
His disciples. He wants us to see the world's people as He sees them. Though
lost and on their way to Hell, they are precious in His sight. By divine grace,
they can become new creations, made beautiful in
holiness.
These people could be
reached while prepared, or literally "white" for harvest. Any of you raised on a
farm will recognize the force of this analogy. Ripened wheat takes on a golden
hue when ready for harvest. However, if reaping is delayed, the grain begins to
turn a pale white, and will soon fall over on the ground. To speak of fields
"white" unto harvest is to stress the imperative of getting into the fields
before it is too late.
We go into the
world with this sense of urgency -- to bring in the harvest while it is day, for
the night will soon come when the opportunity is gone (cf. John
9:4). Yet, we go knowing that God
by His grace is already preparing hearts to receive the message. Others have
preceded us by their prayers, some perhaps have even planted the initial seed of
a Gospel witness.
In John
4:36-37, Jesus referred to "sowers"
and "reapers," emphasizing that many people do the various jobs that are
required in this work. There are a variety of gifts and callings in ministry,
and all contribute to the harvest. Those people who finally bring in the fruit
actually are reaping the labors of others who preceded them. Whatever the task,
the harvest depends upon the supply of called, equipped , anointed obedient and
faithful workers.
What Jesus taught here was
made very clear in His own ministry. "Moved with compassion" when He saw the
multitude clamoring for attention, He likened them to harassed and scattered
sheep without a shepherd (Matthew
9:36). "The harvest is plentiful,"
He observed, "but the workers are few" (Matthew
9:37).
Calling attention to the
problem, He told His disciples to ask "the Lord of the harvest" to send out
workers into His harvest field (Matthew
9:38).
John the beloved saw that
final harvest when he was caught up in the Spirit on the isle of Patmos.
Peering though the door of heaven, he beheld a great worshipping host around the
throne of God. They were clothed in white robes, symbolic of purity, and waving
palm branches of victory. As far as the eye could see, they were gathered from
"every nation, tribe, people and language" (Revelation
7:9).
The great Commission is
fulfilled! In the God's timetable it is already accomplished; the celebration
has begun. Hallelujahs of the completed church are ringing through the courts
of heaven. A mighty shout can be heard saying: "Salvation to our God who sits
on the throne, and to the Lamb" (Revelation
7:10).
In
Christ,
Brown
