The Lord of the Harvest

Scripture: Luke 10:2, John 4

If you drive through this country especially in the prairies at this time of year, you’re going to see farm equipment and trucks in the fields and driving down the road. And lots of dust. We know it’s harvest time. Pastor Lorne says he usually likes to talk about what the Bible says about harvest. He said this week he was talking to one of the fellows who’s putting in the pipeline. They discussed their ages and families. The man said he had grown kids but no family. He’d been married and divorced 3 times. He said he makes lots of money on his job but only owns one suit. Talks a bit on phone to his brother but that was it. So, he made good money but he didn’t have much of a life.

Jesus was getting ready to send out 72 disciples to be a witness for Him. In Luke 10:2 we read, ‘He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."’

Pastor Lorne said you don’t have to go very far or talk to many people to find out people have despair and no hope. They’re not happy and they’re not enjoying life. Maybe on the outside but they’re empty and bankrupt inside. Jesus said the harvest is plentiful. Pastor Lorne said he wanted to spend some time on Jesus’ words ‘the Lord of the harvest’.

We feel we have to send money, or talk to this person, or visit that person and we become overwhelmed with all the things we have to do. But Jesus said to ask the Lord of the harvest for help. Sometimes people you know are in trouble. They’re aching inside and hurting. He said it seems we don’t have the opportunity to go to those people and encourage them. So today Pastor Lorne wants to say how important it is for us to pray to Him to send out people instead of us. If you know someone in need, ask the Lord to send someone to them.

Pastor Lorne said as he travels throughout the prairies during the summer, he’s learned a lot by listening to people pray. For an example, he heard a man named Lyle pray for God to send someone to encourage and help someone he knew. This was a long time ago, but it has stuck with Pastor Lorne for many years. He said he thinks of someone who he can’t reach, who isn’t receptive, or who he doesn’t have the opportunity to visit. So, he prays for God to send someone else so they would still know and have hope of eternity.

Pastor Lorne likes the King James version of Luke 10:2 ‘pray… the lord of the harvest’. He believes if you have a brother or sister or friend who’s close to you and you want them to have hope in Christ and know their sins are forgiven . . . and that they will go to heaven . . . and no matter what you do you can’t get to them to that point, then pray to the Lord of the harvest to send them someone. Just remember: this doesn’t release us from our obligations to go out and witness to others.

He drew out attention to John 4:35 ‘Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.’ Pastor Lorne said here’s the foundation for this story found in John 4: The disciples went to the town to buy groceries and saw the woman at the well. Jesus asked her to draw some water. She’d been married 5 times and was currently living with someone not her husband. V36-38 continues ‘Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.’

Jesus didn’t say the harvest will be ready in 4 months, Jesus said the harvest is ready now.

The pipeline worker whom Pastor Lorne talked to was just one man on that crew. People need to be brought hope and ministered to. When Pastor Lorne looks at the woman at the well, he doesn’t see someone you would pick to be an evangelist. Someone with her background? Yet, in v29, she said, ‘"Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?"’. And the people followed her and they believed in Him.

Sometimes when we pray to the Lord of the harvest, it can be the most unlikely person to bring hope to the needy. The woman at the well brought the hope of Christ to the people of the village. v 39 says, ‘Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony’. And V 42 says, ‘They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."’ So this woman brought them to Jesus and they heard him speak and developed their own personal relationship with Christ.

In all of this, the concept of the harvest stands out. Jesus was sitting at the well and seized the opportunity to share with this lady the fact that he was Christ.

We need to pray for our family members, close friends from school, neighbors and co-workers. We need to realize sometimes when Christ moves in people’s lives, they aren’t our choices. Christ saw the woman had a hungry heart and she was willing to accept Him and go the extra step. She was a worker and she got results.

Pastor Lorne wants to encourage us: When we feel we can’t reach someone, pray to the Lord of the Harvest for someone else to do it.

If you'd like to take to Pastor Lorne please email.