WORKERS IN THE HARVEST

MATTHEW 9:36-38


      Jesus felt the pull of the people upon His heart. What Jesus saw affected His heart. With a heart of compassion Jesus appealed for workers in the harvest.

•          The harvest takes workers with eyes to see.

•          The harvest takes more than twelve workers.

•          The harvest takes workers out into the fields.

•          The harvest takes workers who listen to God.


  I. Call of the workers (magnitude, minimum)


Mt. 13:3 [ESV]. And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow.”

Jn. 4:35 [GW]. Don't you say, 'In four more months the harvest will be here'? I'm telling you to look and see that the fields are ready to be harvested.

Jn. 15:16a [GNB]. You did not choose me; I chose you and appointed you to go and bear much fruit, the kind of fruit that endures.


      Jesus emphasized the magnitude of the harvest against the minimum of harvesters. The size of the task outnumbered the size of the workers. In February 1836 for thirteen days the Mexican army of several thousand outnumbered the Texas force of about 180 including Davy Crockett. The Texans needed more workers.


      Jesus’ call for workers unsettled some theological systems (sovereignty and soul-winning) or schools of thought (deeper life and evangelism).


      Jaroy Weber once wrote, “People will respond to every type of call–from cleaning up the old church cemetery to raffling cakes for the new building–but pitifully few will answer the plea to win souls.”


      A one-legged school teacher from Scotland offered himself for missionary service to China. J. Hudson Taylor asked, “Why do you with only one leg, think of going as a missionary?” George Scott replied, “I do not see those with two legs going, so I must go!”


      A new Chinese convert named Nyi asked J. Hudson Taylor, “How long have you had the Glad Tidings in England?” Ashamed to tell Nyi, Taylor replied, “For several hundred years.” Nyi exclaimed, “What, several hundred years! Is it possible that you have known about Jesus so long, and only now have come to tell us? My father sought the truth for more than twenty years, and died without finding it. Oh, why did you not come sooner?”


      A missionary reported of Muslim villages in Guinea-Bissau crying out for Jesus Christ. Village chiefs have requested pastors or laymen to come and teach them about Jesus. Because enough believers are not willing to go themselves, Muslims have taken the “Jesus” film to their own villages. (Commission, Fall 2006, 24)


 II. Partnership of the workers


1 Cor. 3:6 [GNB]. I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plant, but it was God who made the plant grow.

John 4:36-38 [ESV]. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.

 37. For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.'

 38. I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.


      When asked who would be willing to go down in India with the Gospel, William Carey replied, “I will go down but remember that you must hold the ropes.” Carey understood the principle of laboring together. Often lost in William Carey’s missionary fame was the man who led him to Christ. John Warr, also an apprentice in the shoe-shop, persistently witnessed to William Carey. As a teenager Carey was addicted to swearing, lying, and unholy conversation. Finally, the Gospel broke through by Warr’s witnessing, and Carey saw the guilt in his heart. One sowed another reaped.


III. Faithfulness of the workers


Prov. 10:5 [GNB]. A sensible person gathers the crops when they are ready; it is a disgrace to sleep through the time of harvest.

Prov. 20:4 [MSG]. A farmer too lazy to plant in the spring has nothing to harvest in the fall.

Prov. 24:27 [ESV]. Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.

Prov. 24:30-31 [GW]. I passed by a lazy person's field, the vineyard belonging to a person without sense. I saw that it was all overgrown with thistles. The ground was covered with weeds, and its stone fence was torn down.

Ecc. 11:4 [GNB]. If you wait until the wind and the weather are just right, you will never plant anything and never harvest anything.

Mt. 13:25 [GNB]. One night, when everyone was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.


      An Associated Press reporter, while a new convert, attended the Southern Baptist Convention expecting to see Baptists aroused and stirred to reach the world for Christ. She said, “I expected to see an army of men moving and ready to shoot down the enemy. What I saw was a marching army of mediocrity, of men who packed the dead weight of bullets that only fired blanks, who spent most of their time shooting down each other and did not seem to know who the enemy was.”


 IV. Reward of the workers


Gal. 6:9 [MSG]. So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit.

1 Cor. 3:8 [GNB]. There is no difference between the one who plants and the one who waters; God will reward each one according to the work each has done.


      At the Judgment Seat of Christ, the Lord will take into account motives (Mk. 12:41) for service as well as materials (approved or disapproved) used. Christ will declare, reveal, and prove a believer’s deeds after salvation.


      Jesus indicated that believers will receive rewards (Mt. 25:21; Lk. 14:14). The New Testament identified rewards as crowns.

•          Crown of incorruption (1 Cor. 9:24)

•          Crown of rejoicing (1 Th. 2:19)

•          Crown of righteousness (2 Tim. 4:8)

•          Crown of life (Jas. 1:12; Rev. 2:10)

•          Crown of glory (1 Pet. 5:4)


      Trench noted that the stephanos was the woven “crown of victory in the games.” Endnote Pentecost explained, “In Revelation 4:10, where the elders are seen to be casting their crowns before the throne in an act of worship and adoration, it is made clear that the crowns will not be for the eternal glory of the recipient, but for the glory of the Giver.” Endnote John MacArthur said, “Your reward in heaven will be your capacity for service in heaven. . . .” Endnote Faithful service on earth will yield the privilege of service in heaven (Rev. 22:3).