Preparing for the Harvest

Have you ever been lost? Have you ever found yourself with no idea where you are or where you are headed? Now, I’ve never been lost. I am a guy. Guys never get lost. Of course we do. But we never admit it. But that reminds me of a story. On our tenth anniversary, Becky and I were riding snowmobiles out in the wilderness north of Wenatchee, when we stopped on a ridge to overlook the stunning vista of the winter wonderland spread out before us – when our guide asked us if we knew where our cabin was located. It was at that point we had no idea. Then he pointed to a wisp of smoke that appeared to be somewhere ten miles south of us. At that moment it dawned on me. If we lost our guides, we would never find our way back, and we’d be lost without hope. We’d probably die alone in this frigid wilderness. So, we stayed close to our guides the rest of the day, because without them we’d be lost.

So, think with me in terms of being spiritually lost. I read a line recently that really stuck with me: “Lost people can’t make themselves unlost.” That’s one of the main reasons Jesus came into our world. He said: “The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.” Luke 19:10. He was sent by the Father to find lost people and bring them home to God. To find us. And one of the more neglected truths about us as followers of Jesus, is that we share the same calling. On the evening after Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to His followers. They were filled with joy at seeing him. But He said something profound to them that night. He said: “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” John 20:21 That’s our calling. Just as Jesus was sent to seek and save the lost, today we have the very same mission.

This is why we’ve spent the last four weeks unpacking the gospel. Lost people don’t realize they are lost. They don’t understand how their sin has alienated them from God. They don’t understand how their sin has offended their Creator. They don’t realize, as a righteous God, He must punish all sin. And they don’t understand that there is nothing they can do to fix this. So, God solved His righteous dilemma and our sin problem by sending Jesus to remove our sin and restore our relationship with God by offering Himself to die in our place on the cross. Now all anyone needs to do have their sins removed is to turn from their sins and trust in Jesus. Repent and believe in Jesus and you will be saved.

However, before we look at our mission as sent ones, I need to say another word about repentance. Last week, I taught that if one doesn’t repent and continues to live in their sin, and nothing ever changes, chances are you are not saved. Here’s what I want to clarify: Every person who turns from their sin and turns to Jesus as their Savior and Lord will be saved. However, every person who turns from their sin still struggles with sin. But it’s not like it was before. When you repent and believe in Jesus, Jesus sets you free from slavery to sin. Oh, you may still sin, but sin is no longer your master. Scripture is very clear on this.

So let me give you one more truth about repentance: Repentance also means a change of mind. So, when you truly repent, you are changing your mind as to who is now calling the shots in your life. Previously you were calling the shots; but now you want God to call the shots. Repentance means you now want what He wants. But you don’t always know what He wants right away. So, then, the person who has truly repented will want to learn what God wants and will want to change. The person who has not repented will not want what God wants and will not care to change. That’s the difference. In fact, living the Christian life involves repentance every day. That’s why all of us need to grasp these truths in I John: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:5-7

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9 You see, God knows we will sin, but He’s made a way to make things right whenever we do sin. It’s called repentance. It’s agreeing with Him that we need to turn from our sin and turn back to Him. When we confess this to Him, He cleanses us and restores our relationship with him. Repentance doesn’t just happen at salvation. It’s something that’s a vital part of every Christ follower’s life.

Ok, I hope that was helpful. Now, let’s get back to the task at hand. If lost people don’t know they are lost, and God sends us to find them and bring them home to Him, how then do we prepare ourselves for the harvest? First,

Be Prayerful This is where the harvest begins If we want to see people restored to God, we need to be a people who will feel compelled to pray for conversions. After all, God is the only one that can make that happen. So how should we pray?

Pray Earnestly for the Harvest When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest, to send out laborers into His harvest field.” Matthew 9:36-38

Notice, Jesus had compassion for the lost. He had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. The idea is that they were being battered, bruised, and exhausted by their sinful and hopeless condition. They had no one to lead or care for them. They were running after pleasures, pursuits, and people of this world, thinking that they could find satisfaction apart from God, but they couldn’t. And Jesus knew this. It broke his heart. This is where praying for the lost begins. It begins when we see what Jesus sees: the emptiness and hopelessness of everyday people. Jesus saw it, and he turned to his disciples and asked them to pray for a harvest from among these people.

In His request He gives us three truths about the role of prayer in the harvest of souls:
1) The harvest is plentiful. God is already at work in preparing hearts for the harvest. We cannot see the emptiness in people. But God sees. So, then we need to see that the harvest is not a hopeless task. God is at work in every weary heart.
2) Those who are willing to work in the harvest are fewer than the opportunities. Notice that Jesus doesn’t ask us to go into the harvest field. He asks us to pray. So how are we to pray? Simple:
3) We must pray earnestly. The word earnestly means pleading, begging, imploring entreating and doing so urgently. This kind of prayer is intense and continual. This may be one of the reasons, we rarely see conversions today. There is a lack of urgency in our prayers. However, if we were to start praying this way, our heart’s will align with God’s heart. We will begin to see people like Jesus sees them. God wants us to have the same burden for the lost that He has. And it begins when we earnestly pray for the harvest. But that’s not the only way we are to pray.

God also want us to Pray Expectantly For Lost People: Jesus told his disciples: And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14:13-14 Jesus wants us to pray expecting that He will answer our prayers. He wants us to pray for conversions. Why? Because anytime a lost person turns from their sin and turns to Jesus, the Father is glorified in the Son. Notice, that Jesus says you may ask him anything in His name, and He will do it. This is a call to us to make bold prayers: To ask God to save every person in Robson Ranch. To ask God to save that person who makes fun of God. To ask God to save that person who seems the far from God. For whenever one of these repents and turns to God, God is glorified. Do you have a prayer list of lost people? If you don’t, is it because you don’t expect God to save them? God can turn the hardest heart to faith in Jesus. He just wants us to ask. To pray expectantly.

Now, I recognize that some of you have asked and asked and asked God for years. Perhaps you’ve grown weary, and you no longer pray expectantly. But have you ever prayed with others? Perhaps you should. That’s the third part of praying for the harvest.

We need to Pray Steadfastly Together: Paul commanded, Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Colossians 4:2-3 When the Church began God’s people were devoted to prayer. What exactly does this mean? In the original language this word “devoted” means to “steadfastly continue in” “to be busily engaged in,” or “to busy oneself with.” What you are devoted to is what you constantly think about, regularly give your life to, or continually make plans for.

The early church loved to gather and pray. They prayed in their homes; they prayed at the temple; they prayed together. As a result of their steadfast devotion to prayer God added to their number daily those who were being saved. They had a sense of urgency. They wanted God to open the hearts of their friends and neighbors to the gospel. You see, God loves it when 2 or 3 are gathered in His name to pray! It’s so much easier to pray when you have the support of others praying with you. That is why this year we are encouraging our journey groups to pray regularly for their lost friends and neighbors, and why we hold our monthly prayer gatherings. For when we pray together, God meets us in our prayers, and He may just add to our number daily those who are being saved… So, this is where the harvest begins. By praying earnestly, expectantly and together. So, let’s be prayerful. But that’s not all we need to be. Let’s also be

2. Be Salt and Light This is where the harvest is cultivated Jesus said this about our impact on the world around us: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. Matthew 5:13

When we are being salt in our world, we bring the flavor of God’s grace and goodness to our relationships. There is a paucity of grace in our world today. Instead, what are we seeing: conflict, hatred, and violence. But when we are being salt our flavor begins to season our relationships. When you are patient with the person who irritates you, you season that relationship with grace; when you forgive of the one who hurts you, you season that relationship with mercy; when you accept the one who is not like you: when you help rather than ignore, when you welcome rather than reject – whenever you do any of these things you season our world with grace. And when you are salting rather than assaulting, you don’t just show the world another way to live, your life creates a thirst for God. This is one way we prepare the hearts of others. When we season our world with grace, we begin breaking up the hard ground of hearts that are opposed to God. And we begin creating a thirst for a life that’s better than the what the world offers them. We do this by being salt – bringing the flavor of God through our grace to those around us.

We also break up hard ground by our light, by our good works. Jesus also said, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16
The word for “good” here is meant to emphasize attractiveness or beauty. Therefore, whenever shine our light, whenever we do a good work, we reveal the beauty of Jesus.

This is how you and I are meant to make a difference in our world. When you do a good deed, you show what Jesus is like. When you give a cup of water to the least of these your reveal His grace. When you forgive someone, you reveal His mercy. When you mend a broken relationship, you reveal His peace. When you include people in your life you reveal His love. And when people see your changed life, you reveal His hope. That’s how we cultivate hard hearts and make them ready to receive Jesus.

Your light is the dynamic that brings hope to a world lost in darkness. Remember this is what Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 Since we have Jesus, we have His light. This is why we are to let the light of Jesus shine through our lives. So that when you let your light shine, you soften the hearts of unbelievers and show them what Jesus is like.

Now this kind of cultivating work make take a while. And it may take more than one person loving your friend with the love of Jesus. People are damaged goods today. People are blinded by the darkness and hardened by sin. They’re skeptical, critical, and reluctant to believe in God because they’ve been hurt by churches or turned off by judgmental Christians.

When I was a Youth Pastor, we took our youth to Santa Cruz, California to participate in a mission called SEMP (Students Equipped to Minister to their Peers). We would go to one of the beaches in the area in teams of two and ask people if they’d be willing to take a brief questionnaire about life and religion. If they say yes, and the questionnaire went well, we’d then ask them if we could share what we believe about life and Jesus. Then take them through the gospel. One day, we walked up to two twenty something guys. I asked them if anyone had asked them if they would be willing to take our questionnaire. They immediately shut me down, saying they’d already been accosted by some Bible thumpers. I responded by apologizing to them and asked them why they were so angry. That led to a 45-minute conversation about God and faith. All the while I listened to them, let them get their beefs out and occasionally revealed truths about Jesus and the gospel. At the end of our conversation, they didn’t receive Christ, but do you know what they did do? They thanked me and shook my hand. It seems they had never met a kind Christian before. What I had done was simply to be salt and light and put a crack in their resistance to God. And for most unbelievers, that’s what they need. For until their hearts become receptive to the truth, all we can do is cultivate relationships by being salt and light to those lost in darkness. Being salt and light is how we cultivate hard hearts for the harvest. Now, let’s look at one more thing we must do to prepare for the harvest. We need to…

3. Be Prepared This is where the harvest is reaped And the best way to be prepared is not what you think. It doesn’t start with you. It starts with your relationship with Christ. Listen to how Peter frames it. He says: But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 1 Peter 3:14-15 Peter outlines three things we can do to be personally prepared to share the gospel, that is, “the reason for the hope that you have.”

First, Honor Christ as Lord in your heart. This simply means to enshrine Jesus as the object absolute reverence in your heart. It’s the attitude of your heart where you acknowledge Jesus as the one calling the shots, but it’s an attitude of reverence or worship. An attitude that says that in whatever you do this day, I want Jesus to get the glory. Scott McKnight says it this way: “This implies a constant willingness to speak up for Him, to confess your allegiance to Him, and to witness fearlessly to His saving grace.” In other words, when your heart is full of reverence for Jesus, it will become natural to speak of the goodness and grace of Jesus. Honor Christ as Lord in your heart, and you won’t struggle to share the hope you have in Jesus. It will come naturally.

Second, Be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. The idea here is to be able to articulate what you believe about the gospel. To tell how Jesus is God’s solution to our problem of sin. To have enough knowledge about Jesus, that you can tell how He lived a sinless life; how He willingly laid down his life; how he died and rose to new life so we can have our sin removed and our relationship restored with God… It always amazes me how people can articulate the accomplishments of their favorite athlete, or can argue why their team is superior, or speak glowingly as to why so and so is their favorite actor or politician, but when it comes to being able to speak glowingly and accurately about who Jesus is and what he has done… most Christians struggle to say more than He was a good teacher, or a good example and that he died on the cross for us, but not much else. To truly be prepared to share the reason for the hope we have, we need to fall in love with our Savior and really learn who He is and what He has done. And the more you know Him., the easier it will be to give an answer to the hope you have in Jesus.

And finally, Do this with gentleness and respect. When we get the opportunity to talk about Jesus, our approach and our words ought to reveal the way of Jesus. Jesus was gentle and humble in heart. He always spoke words of grace and truth. We need to do likewise. We are not to argue or come across as superior. That just turns people away. But when we are gentle and give respect to those who ask, we gain a hearing. That’s what happened when I spoke with those two young men on the beach in Santa Cruz. I didn’t hammer them with the gospel. I respected them, listened to their complaints, their objections, and then gently talked about the Jesus I knew. And they listened. In our world where people are angry and refuse to listen to much of anything today, we need to heed these words more than ever. I’m always reminded of the proverb that says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath” Proverbs 15:1 When we share the gospel with humility and love. When we are respectful, God will open hearts to hear the truth about Jesus. And we might just be the people He uses to bring in the harvest.

So, there you have it. Lost people don’t know they are lost. But just as Jesus came to seek and save the lost, we are to do the same. We can do our part in bringing about the harvest: Be praying! By being salt and light. And by being prepared to share the hope we have in Jesus. And the more we’re prepared for the harvest, I really have to believe the more God will add to our number daily, those who are being saved.