THE HARVEST TIME IS NOW

³⁴ Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. ³⁵ 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! ³⁶ And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. ³⁷ For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ ³⁸ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”… ⁴¹And many more believed because of His own word” (John 4:34-38,41).

The scripture passage of the message today is in relation to Jesus’ discourse with the Samaritan woman at the well of a city in Samaria called Sychar. Jesus told the woman to give Him water in a way to open His discussion with the woman. He started from the natural to the spiritual- a soulwinning strategy in personal evangelism. When the woman heard Jesus’ words, she was inspired to believe and be saved which she actually did. She no longer drew the water which she came for as she left the waterpot and went straight to the city shouting, “come and see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” Having said this, the Samaritans came out in large number to see Jesus and having heard him they believed: “Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this indeed is the Christ, the Savior of the world”. (Vs.42). They even hosted Jesus for two days (vs 43). There are many lessons for us to learn and act upon in this passage:

1. Soulwinning or evangelism is the heartbeat of Jesus. The Lord Jesus and His disciples had walked a long distance and they were all tired and hungry. His disciples went to the city to buy food. When Jesus saw the Samaritan woman, He knew that she was a candidate of the gospel, she ought to hear the gospel. Jesus, though weary and hungry, set His need aside and opened a discussion with the woman. We too should learn to set aside our problems whenever the need to meet a need occurs.
2. Jesus, as I said earlier, started from the natural to the spiritual- it’s a good strategy in personal evangelism
3. The woman left her waterpot and went to the city telling the people to come and see someone who had told her all the things she had ever done which made the people come in large number. When they came and heard the words of Jesus, they were convinced, convicted and converted. This was what a convert of one day did, and many of the Samaritans who believed were saved and testified that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world”. Having seen all this, Jesus then told the disciples to lift up their eyes and see that the harvest of souls was already ripe. There is no waiting for any convenient time, that now is the harvest time. If the harvest was ripe in 2,000 years ago, it must be riper now than then. Therefore brethren, you have the responsibility to preach the gospel and win souls to the kingdom of God. Your failure to do this will make you an unprofitable servant for which I say God forbid. On the day of judgment of believers’ works, this would testify against you. She was only a one-day convert and brought many people to Jesus; what a wonderful woman! Brethren, the harvest of souls is now. Go out two by two or individually or collectively as Jesus will give you mouth to speak with boldness and courage and you will be surprised. Go out today and win souls to the kingdom of God and your local church, and God will richly bless your efforts with fruitful results. Amen

    

   Prayer Points

1. Thank God for your salvation and opportunity to win souls.
2. Ask the Holy Spirit to revive your church’s members to preach the gospel and win souls to the kingdom.
3. Tell the Holy Spirit to help you win souls so that you will not be reckoned as an unprofitable servant on the day of judgment of “Believers’ Works”.