Seeing the Harvest
Preached at Harvester Reformational Church by Prophet Chantal Pelser.
Steps to recognizing your harvest.
Scripture Reading
John 4
Who were the Samaritans?
The disciples had left Jesus by a well to go and fetch food. But Jesus was already eating.
Jesus was led to go to Samaria, a place disregarded and rejected by the Jews
Ancestry: When the kingdom after Solomon was split into Northern and Southern tribes,
many dierent kings ruled – some were loyal to God’s ways and others were not.
Rehoboam, king of the Northern side was overthrown by the Assyrians. They were led o as
captives, and some remained in the land by the invaders. There was intermarriage between
to two nations – and they became known as the Samaritans, because they primarily lived in
Samaria.
A Hebrew historian, Josephus, writes about Jewish priests who were expelled form
Jerusalem as a disciplinary action against violating laws and marriage to foreigners. These
fled to Samaria and created their own priesthood, and place of worship, referring back to
when Joseph was given the land by Jacob in Genesis 48:22. Claiming to only follow the
books of Moses, they regarded the Levitical priesthood as illegitimate, opposed the
rebuilding of the temple in the time of Nehemiah and saw themselves as the true
descendants of Israel. They believed that Mt Gerizim was where Moses intended for God to
be worshipped instead, not Jerusalem.
From a Jewish perspective, the Samaritans were seen as pagan, “half-breeds”, who defiled
the true religion, even more revolting than a Gentile.
Jesus was led to go to Samaria
Not only was Jesus meeting a Samaritan, but a woman. The divine encounter happened in
the hottest part of the day, suggesting that this woman was not accepted in her own
community. The rejection therefore was three-fold.
Jesus ministered to her – using water as the metaphor to explain His mission, and His
creative and redeeming power. He ministered to her heart. He disregarded the social
demand of society, the political environment and answered all her objections to
acceptance. He started in her a fountain of living water that would gush out to all her
community around her.
“Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”
“And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the
woman who testified, ‘He told me all that I ever did’” Jesus ended up staying there two days
and may more believed because they heard for themselves.
My food is to do the will of God and finish it
The disciples marveled because Jesus was speaking to this woman alone: the least socially
proper, the least accepted, the least attractive. When they oered Him the food that they
faithfully went to collect, He told them that He was already eating!
Doing the will of God is like eating. When we eat in the natural world, we are filled,
nourished, sustained, and energized. Therefore, it is in the obedience to the Word of God
that we are fulfilled, nourished and energized! Our spirits are fed with the Words of God.
“Man cannot live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from God.”
Deuteronomy 8:3 was quoted by Jesus when He was tempted by the devil in the
wilderness. The devil had offered Him bread. Why? Because He was physically hungry.
Understand that the devil will always prey on the very needs that you have physically and in
your soul, to tempt you. That is why the apostle teaches us that we must reckon ourselves
dead:
Verse Key Action Context
Romans 6:11 Count/Reckon Dead to the power and mastery of sin
Galatians 6:14 Crucified Mutual separation from the world’s value system
Colossians 3:3 Died – Life is now “hidden” and secure in God
Galatians 2:20 Crucified The “old me” is gone; Christ now lives in me
We live and move and have our being in Him and our spirits live of the very Bread of Life –
Jesus and His Body.
See the Harvest
“Do you not say, ‘there are four months left 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!”
3
Jesus said, the harvest is ripe. Where? In the field. Who was the Sower? Jesus! Who were
the reapers? His disciples! Did the disciples evangelize Samaria? No, Jesus did. What was
the command then to the disciples? Go and reap the harvest – go make disciples!
“I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored.”
We need to walk out the will of God to know when we are sowing the seeds of the Word in
someone’s heart and when we are to reap and make a disciple. In this instance, Jesus
explained the inner configuration of His harvest process.
“And he who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit for eternal life…” In this context, the
fruits are the souls of the saved.
“For in this the saying is true: One sows and another reaps”
In the parable of the Sower, who resembles the Sower? Jesus was the first Sower. He
became the Seed that died and rose and bore fruit which was eternal life.
Who are the Sowers today? Every believer of Christ! We are to sow seeds wherever we go:
on the road, on the rocks, on the thorns and on the good soil. The state and the response of
the soil is not our responsibility. The Holy Spirit is the One Who comes to convict of
righteousness, sin and judgement.
But we sometimes look at the soil, and discern its state, and we hold on to our seed. The
only time we were commanded not to share was when Jesus said not to cast our pearls
before the pigs.
That is why Jesus said, lift up your eyes and look! Do not look at the soil of the heart, or their
response to the Word.
Two Greek words are used here in this phrase:
“lift up your eyes” GR 1869
“and look” GR 2300
The first is implicating to shift your perspective, change your field of vision, look
deliberately! Don’t just look at your day-to-day needs like food and drink. Look into the
“Spiritscape” of where you are with intentionality.
The second word points us to gaze at something with a sense of awe, to study the
opportunity.
Eye has not seen and the ear has not heard what the Father has prepared for you! But by
His Spirit, He reveals it to you!
As we walk in the, according to, the Spirit and not according to our flesh, our eyes will see
the opportunities of sowing and of reaping. Do not say, ‘I will, when I am married, when I
have money, when I have a job, when I have a better job, when I have sent the kids to
college, or one day when I am older.’ Our responsibility is to add the intention and to be
open for the Holy Spirit to show us! Let us raise up in intentional prayer for your child, not
just for their physical needs, but for their discipleship. Let us soak the relationships in
prayer, seeking the Lord’s face how to sow seeds of love, kindness, goodness, peace,
without compromise to His commandments. Let us lean on Him more for every diicult
situation at home, at work, to see His harvest.
Samaria was part of His plan
If we fast forward to the first church as described in the book of Acts, we hear Jesus’ last
words before He ascends to heaven. He leaves a very specific trail for the apostles which
would be their salvation.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
– Acts 1:8 NIV
It is significant that Jesus mentions Samaria. When the persecution arose in the book of
Acts chapter 8 against the church, the believers were scattered and found refuge in
Samaria. It was there that Philip continued to reap the harvest witnessed a mighty revival,
which resulted in a vibrant church, active in signs and miracles. The apostles Peter and
John were sent from Jerusalem, and they laid their hands on the new believers, and they
were baptized in the Holy Spirit!
Jesus had the escape plan for His church ready!
What a mighty establishment of His church during persecution: the One that was rejected
became the Chief cornerstone! Samaria was disregarded and hated – but God redeemed
her and she became a place of safety for the first believers! Hallelujah!
Application:
Who is your ‘Samaria?’
Pray and allow the Holy Spirit to lift your vision above your immediate constraints to see the potential harvest of souls around you.
Pray for divine connections that will be mutually beneficial to expand Jesus’ kingdom in hearts and minds.