Spiritual Sowing and Reaping John 4:35-42

Text:  “And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life Eternal; that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.  And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.”

John 4:36-37.

Good morning, Christian fellow-labourer!  We labour by day, we labour by night; whether it be day or night; summer, winter, spring or autumn - we that have been born again by God’s grace, labour that we might bring in His precious Harvest of souls.  Hallelujah!  What a truly fulfilling purpose in life!

“Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine…do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”  (2 Timothy 4:1-5)

In other words, ‘Reap a Harvest of souls for the Lord God Almighty!’

But, what has all this to do with today’s Bible reading in the Gospel of John?  What Spiritual message is here contained that might inspire, encourage, or exhort thee and me?

Christ, in His message today differentiates between what is merely natural day to day purpose in life; and what is Eternally vital.  The disciples were focused on a vital need of this mortal life - food. 

The Lord Jesus immediately turned their thoughts to Eternity, and the vital need to reach immortal souls with the Gospel message of Salvation in Christ alone.   (Acts 4:12)

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”  (Romans 10:17)

The disciples and all the farming community knew by experience that there were ‘…yet four months, and then cometh harvest…’ - mortal life would be sustained by a harvest of food-producing crops.

However the Lord Jesus turned their thoughts to the multitudes of immortal, yet still unsaved souls; souls that would either perish in a Christ-rejecter’s Hell, or spend Eternity in Heaven in the perfect Presence of God Almighty.  Now, that is a vital difference that every living person must understand.

The ‘…fields…’ that Christ spoke of were of course the countless nations of the world that needed to hear the Word of God; receive faith by that hearing; in order to receive God’s free gift of Salvation, found in the Cross of Christ alone.

The world’s teeming millions are a harvest field just waiting to hear and receive the Gospel message; be convicted of their sins; Christ’s righteousness; and the Divine judgement that must surely come.  How can we who are born again fail to have compassion on such teeming masses of immortal, precious, yet unsaved human souls?  Lord, we beseech Thee, help us to reach them - red, yellow, black and white!

“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those books, according to their works…And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”     (Revelation 20:12-15)

The Western nations have had the Gospel for many hundreds of years.  At first, many heard the Word of God and the Gospel of Christ Jesus gladly, and were gloriously saved. 

Today, in the 21^st Century, few in the Western nations have any time to hear the Word of God, thus, countless souls are teetering on the brink of a Christ-rejecter’s abyss.   What an Eternal waste!

On the other hand, over in places like Asia, and Africa, and the Philippines, countless souls are hearing the Christian Gospel for the very first time - and the Spirit of God is moving in mighty power to anoint such hearers with faith to receive God’s saving grace. Hallelujah! What a Saviour! (Ephesians 2:8-9)

“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision; for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.”  (Joel 3:14)

Read again Christ’s vital message, beloved Christian!  Receive His promise for your labours:  “And he that reapeth receiveth wages; and gathereth fruit unto life Eternal; that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.”  (John 4:36)  The Lord God bless your labours abundantly.

Thought:  “Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”!  “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?  Then said I, Here am I; send ME.”