The Divine Art of Reaping

When I first started in ministry, it was all about the experiences that could take place...no money of course, just lots of opportunities and my brother Ralph was more than willing to oblige me.  He was a church planter in Nova Scotia and I could be his youth pastor... for free and work along the side with him in roofing and siding.  It all worked great until the business slowed down and I had to start looking for other work.  So, I'll never forget getting a job interview at New Minas Chev Olds.  They asked me about my sales background to which I replied, 'I sell Jesus'!  He smiled, I told him about Jesus and yeah, I didn't get the job.

On a serious note, I think some of us really struggle with this whole aspect of reaping because all too often we feel like this is ‘the sales job’

IJohn 4:34-38 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a 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.”

Reaping is challenging our friends to respond to the truth of God’s Word.  We should reap because it is the natural result of cultivating and planting. If we cultivate in love and plant God’s truth, the result will be the challenge and joy of harvesting.  In order to reap a response, we need to understand the difference between our job and God’s job in the reaping process. We will discover today how to share the gospel in a clear and compelling manner and understand that how a person responds to the gospel is connected to the condition of their own heart.  Cultivators, planters and reapers are all needed and some of us are better in place than another, but everyone is needed and everyone should know how to do all three. It is all about teamwork as we realize that every type of person is necessary and that every step of the process is hard work but the rewards of seeing someone come to know the Lord is what it is all about. The celebration party here and in heaven must go on!

t is my desire that we understand that leading someone to the Lord in terms of our focus is less about decision and more about transformation.  It is less about the individual and more about the community and it is less about the after-life and more about ‘mission-life’!

So, what is our job?  The human side of reaping

There are two skills that we need to develop

1. Clearly and concisely present the Good News

Have you ever tried to sell someone something they didn’t need, or in this case, didn’t realize they needed?  You need to be saved… what do you mean, I’m not drowning...

I'll never forget my first lesson in retail sales.  I asked my boss, "Should I ask them what they need?'  He responded, 'No, don't ask them what they need, they don't need anything!  Just tell them what they want."  So, with that I began to sell suits at Steel, a men's clothing store.  I learned the gist of sales ANPOCS - approach the customer, determine needs, make a presentation, overcome obstacles, close the sale and sell add ons.  I learned how to do the windsor knot backwards and make guys look amazing!!  I would sell suits to guys for every occassion knowing that for teenagers, they will probably wear it just once, their graduation. And here's the thing, telling people about Jesus is not a sales job.  It is the incredible life giving story of God!

Colossians 4:2-6

One of the hindrances to reaping is best expressed by this statement: “I would love to tell my peers about Jesus, but I don’t know the essential elements of a gospel presentation.”

Bad News / Good News

Romans 3:23; 6:23; Romans 10:9,10; Ephesians 2:8,9

On faith – it is not a cognitive assent, it is relational, it is complete trust in a person that moves us to act lovingly and with loyally to that person. 

2. Ask For A Response

Acts 2:40  Peter strongly urged all of his listeners

Acts 4:12  Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

2 Corinthians 6:2 For he says,
   "In the time of my favor I heard you,
      and in the day of salvation I helped you."I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.

There are questions that we can ask to determine where a person is at.

1. Which life best represents your current relationship with God?
2. What would keep you from beginning a friendship with God?

What is God’s Job?  The divine side of reaping

1. He convicts the spiritually lost of sin and convinces them of their need for Jesus Christ.  John 16:8
2. He draws the spiritually lost to Himself  -  No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.  John 6:44

The heart of reaping  Mark 4:1-20

It is not so much that these are four different types of people, but that these conditions can really reflect our heart at any given time and how effective the Word of God will reach us

First, there is what we can call the callous heart. The seed is sown upon the beaten, trodden-down pathway. This represents people whose hearts are busy, who are not open, who have been beaten down so many times they have grown cynical, hardhearted, callous to truth. When the seed hits them, the birds come and gather it up immediately. (Perhaps there are people like that here this morning. You are here not because you wanted to hear the Word but because coming to church is the "right" thing to do. Your hearts are callous and unresponsive, and the Word falls on them as on asphalt.) What does Jesus say about that kind of a life? He says it is strictly for the birds! The seed will be snatched away by Satan before you even have a chance to hear it.

Then there are the impulsive hearts. The seed falls upon them and they immediately respond with joy. The seed takes root and grows up quickly. The trouble is, they respond like this to everything -- food fads, new books, political leaders, whatever popular movement happens to be abroad at the time. As a result, their lives are so shallow that the seed of the life-giving Word cannot take deep root and change them.

The third condition of heart is represented by the thorns. These are those who hear the Word, but thorns spring up and choke it. This is what we could call the over-involved heart. There are three things Jesus details here which are thorns that choke the life-giving Word:

First, there are cares, i.e., worries concerns. These are people who are concerned all the time over what is going to happen next, worried about the situation they are facing -- fretful, anxious, troubled people who do not know how to rest, how to leave things in God's hands but are constantly trying to work it all out themselves. These people Jesus says, are losing truth. The seed has fallen upon their hearts, but it does not take root because it is choked by the thorns, and they soon lose it.

Second, there are those who delight in riches, who are caught up in the pursuit of wealth, Then there is what Jesus calls "desire for other things," or what we might call "restlessness." These are people who are always shifting from one thing to another. But then there is the receptive heart, the one ready to receive -- open and responsive immediately.

Spiritual Awareness In Reaping

Acts 8:26-40

Because the seed of spiritual life grows by the power of the Holy Spirit, we do not need to badger, dictate, cajole, or force people to believe. In fact, we cannot. Belief requires voluntary acceptance. Anything that looks like a threat or a bribe spoils true belief. Anyone who truly believes is drawn by God himself. We may plant the seed of faith by our witness; God alone makes it germinate, sprout, and blossom. We need to faithfully minister to others and trust God for the growth.

Sin – Let’s face it, when we use this word, the thing that jumps into people’s mind is a deed.  We need to make it clear that this is not just an accumulation of action, but that it is a disease of the human condition.  Isaiah 1:5,6; Proverbs 10:23, Romans 3:23.  It is a natural inclination and we are all suffering under its consequences.

Salvation – most people think “saved from what?” We need to stress the fact that faith in Jesus protects us from the defeats in every day life. It gives solutions to the problems in our lives. It does much more that merely improving our life however, because it saves our life from the effect of a terminal illness.

Saviour – faith in Jesus is the only effective cure. The Messiah took the disease upon Himself and let it be transferred upon Himself. He transferred it upon Himself and died, but He didn’t stay dead. The cure is something we have to appropriate upon ourselves like medicine. We have to take it to be cured.

1. Do not promise heaven on earth. John 16:33; Phil. 1:29
2. Be sensitive to your own forcefulness– know when to press and when to let up – ask the person if you’re coming on too strong. You can pray for God to reveal to them the truth of the Gospel. God wants a decision based on repentance and faith not intimidation and fear.
3. Game of 20 questions. Don’t allow yourself to get lost responding to many questions. You’ll get sidetracked and won’t get to the important questions.
4. You preach the wrong mountain. We’re saved not on the promises of what He’ll do when He returns. We’re saved based on what He did first time.
5. The missing Gospel – Jesus is the promised Messiah. However, we must never make the mistake of talking about Jesus without explaining what the purpose of His Messiahship and His first coming was. (1 Cor 15) He came to pay for our sins. Do not present His credentials without talking about His atoning sacrifice for our sins

The Joy of Reaping

Reaping is very exhilarating, to have the opportunity to lead someone to the Lord, to pray with them and welcome them as a brother or sister in Christ.  It is the greatest miracle of all, a new life, a new creation, born again, a brand new Christian!

Check out what brings Jesus joy -  Luke 10:21  Ministry that is done in Jesus’ name

Jesus knew that talking and training vs action could be the tendency of his young followers.  So Jesus actually sent them out to learn, to discover as they shared the good news.

God promises that his harvest will be magnificent and prolific—the best fruit ever grown. Our witness may be weak and our efforts may seem to influence so few, but the Word of God is a powerful growth agent. We should keep our eyes on the great harvest to come and not let bad soil or weeds discourage us from faithful service and witness.

Start with compassion that is born in prayer

The word for compassion here is ‘splankna’.  The meaning of the word is a physical all body response of mercy and compassion – He see them violently pinned by the enemy, the thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy.

Go to where the people are with the power of His presence and seek out the receptive.

Focus on being faithful at proclaiming – that is our job

Prayerfully depend on God to do the work of convicting – that is His job.

Why do we do what we do? Why is it so important for us to get the good news out there? Because when you really think about it, it is incredible to know that God loves us, His children, that much.  He is a Father to the fatherless, no matter what you have done and how far you think  you’ve gone,  He longs for you to come home to experience his unfailing love and forgiveness.  If you know Him as your dad, Your picture is in His wallet.  So, what does He expect of us?  First and foremost to believe who He says we are and then to be compelled by that love to share that incredible freeing truth with others.  I guess that is what makes Christianity stand apart.  It is not a religion, it is a relationship.

Check out James Chong's presentation of the gospel at

http://www.jameschoung.net/big-story-training.pdf

Planting on A Wing and a Prayer

In our journey through Mark 4 we come to a very familiar story of Jesus and His disciples who find themselves at sea in the midst of a furious squall after a long day of ministry.  As I read this passage, I found some key statements made by both Jesus and the disciples which really stood out to me and what it can mean for us today as it relates to planting our spiritual story.

Learn when it is time to leave the crowd behind v35,36

This passage teaches us that there are seasons in our spiritual life when we learn to ‘leave the crowd behind’.  We are not meant to fill our lives up with opportunities.  There is a recognition of the call to ‘steal away’ time with Jesus.  We have to be with Jesus in order to share about Jesus.

Going through seasons of desperation v37,38

There is also a ‘season of desperation’ when we do feel like we’ve been left behind, forgotten and are drowning in our desire to follow Jesus.  It in the midst of these storms when we are real and honest with others that we can have incredible opportunities to plant our story.

Isaiah 43:1-3

Identify your ‘defining moments’ in your faith journey v39-41

Finally, there are seasons in our life when we really sensed that God came through, defining moments, when we know that He answered our prayer and we have experienced the peace of God that transcends all understanding and God increases our faith.

Too much evangelism is an attempt to answer questions people are not asking.  Let the experience the life of the Christian community.  The church is the home in which God dwells by His Spirit.  And do not worry if life is sometimes less perfect than it should be!  We do not witness to good works but to the grace of God.  Tim Chester and Steven Timmis in Total Chuch

Plant In Season

To plant ‘in season’ means that we speak the truth in love. 

Ephesians 4:15… speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

Psalm 40:10  I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly.

It was said of Jesus that He was full of grace and truth. John 1:14

There are 3 types of planters:

As a chameleon – we over emphasize on the love side which gains a receptive audience but there is no mention of truth  so people know us a good human, a humanitarian.

Romans 3 states that we have to be honest with people and press them to their need. 

v10,11a  As the Scripture say, “No one is good, not even one, No one has real understanding; no one is seeking God.  All have turned away from God; all have gone wrong  NLT

As a cactus – we overemphasize the truth of the message, it clear, but it is not received because we are not compelled by love, we are only convicted by truth. 

1 Corinthians 5:13 If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

As Buckleys – a true friend will tell their buddy something even when they know what they might say will hurt,  Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.  Proverbs 27:6  A contagious friend have a receptive audience and a powerful message.  They love their friend too much to let them stay where they are, without hope, awaiting judgement without knowing God’s unfailing love.

Recognize The Field You Are Planting In

There are different types of audiences –

Antagonistic –  They are people that mock you, that belittle your faith, sarcastic with you Matthew 7:6  "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.

Uninterested – There are people that just move on to another subject in the conversation.  In Acts 26:28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?"

Inquisitive –  There are people that spark the discussion.  In John 3, we see the example of Nicodemus who was quite taken with Jesus’ explanation of being born again.  “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb… In Mark 10, the rich young ruler who came running up to Jesus and asked what must I do to inherit eternal life?

Receptive -  They have come through an experience, a wake up call or they just know there is a God shaped hole in their heart.  In Luke 19, we discover Zacchaeus  who was so intent on being able to see Jesus.  He was a believer waiting to happen!

 Can you discern your audience?  It is so important to understanding how much impact you will have.  Probably even more important is really understanding the leading of the Holy Spirit because as Romans 8:14 states

those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God

and John 16:8

When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:

Remember you are not the Holy Spirit, He ultimately will convict people of their need for the Lord,  our job is to sow the seed.

Plant Truth With Believers

Hebrews 10:23-25

23  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
24  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
25  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  – we were designed for community

For the next 30 days, every time God teaches you something, share it with a Jesus follower. This is really the best place to start because we already know that we have a receptive audience.  Your Christian friends should get excited to hear what God is doing and if they don’t then find some other Christian friends who will rejoice with you in your walk with Christ.  If we start here and begin with people who already know the Lord, you will see that it will soon become more natural to share those same things with those who need to know the Lord

Now let me say this of the flipside.  If we are on the receiving end, you have a responsibility to receive it well.  Try not to be demoralized by what is happening in their life, but let it inspire you to search and think more about what God is doing, little or big, in your life.

Plant In The Right Light

Acts 17  Paul In Athens

This passage teaches us a lot about Paul’s awareness of the people he was ministering to.  He recognized that they were spiritual and was able to speak to their belief and captured the truth found in the statue to the unknown God.

Look for the rays of light, the window of opportunity in your conversations.  This takes sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  As you are listening to them, as you hear how they are feeling, look for similar things that have taken place in your own life or when you have felt the same way.  Now, you have an opportunity to bridge the conversation by sharing the difference in your life now by sharing what Christ has done for you!

Your friends don’t know what they don’t know.  Unless you can go beyond just identifying with them, then you haven’t given them any answers or hope which deep down in their soul is what they are craving.

What about when they ask questions of you?

Take a deep breath, pray and ask God for wisdom and share from your heart.  If the answer doesn’t come, then be honest.  People appreciate the fact that we can explain it all because if we could we would be God.  Another good thing to do is to say “That is a really good question, can I get back to you on that one.”  It allows another opportunity to follow up.

Plant With Your Own Story

John 4:39Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." 40So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41And because of his words many more became believers.

They overcame (the accuser) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.  Revelation 12:11

Why?

When you share your life story, you share part of your life.  Your friendship can deepen as you talk openly about your best friend Jesus.  The deeper your friendship, (both with Jesus and with them) the greater the impact of your story. 

Your story shows how Jesus is real in your everyday life and this helps people understand how God can work in their life and be their friend too.

Your experience cannot be argued with because it happened to you.  Your story creates interest in the gospel and will help your friends to want to know more.  Once learned, your testimony will always be with you. 

• Understand that not every seed bears fruit right away, let it take time to germinate.
• Know this up front that you will probably get more people that will just nod their head and then move on to a new subject then turn to the Lord right there on the spot, but don’t let that discourage you, you have planted a seed for the Lord, don’t lose sight of that. 
• Know that you are making a difference.  Every God-inspired word is planting a seed… which leads to my final point…

Planting With An Expectant Heart!

There is something to be said about planting with expectancy.  We really need to believe that God‘s Word will take root in people’s lives, believe that the Word of God will not return void.  There is no greater power than the power of invitation.  When was the last time you invited someone to really know God?

Listen to the prophet Isaiah testify of life with God!

Isaiah 55  NLT

Invitation to the LORDs Salvation

 1"Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink--even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk--it's all free! 2Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen, and I will tell you where to get food that is good for the soul!

    3"Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, for the life of your soul is at stake. I am ready to make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the mercies and unfailing love that I promised to David. 4He displayed my power by being my witness and a leader among the nations. 5You also will command the nations, and they will come running to obey, because I, the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious."
    6Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. 7Let the people turn from their wicked deeds. Let them banish from their minds the very thought of doing wrong! Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
    8"My thoughts are completely different from yours," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
    10"The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. 11It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit.(The NIV states it will not return empty) . It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. 12You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!

The Art of Planting In The Organic Church

Did you have a chance to plant a seed of truth into someone’s life this week?

 Planting is sharing God’s truth with our believing and non-believing friends

It can be intimidating and seem very overwhelming at times to step into especially if we are trying to muster the courage up in ourselves to do it apart from the Holy Spirit.

Again we must remember that we start with cultivating.  Everyone has a story and if we miss listening to their story, if we don’t begin by opening our eyes to see them, opening our ears, understanding where they are coming from, and opening our hands that we show we really care about them, then what we have to say will most likely be lost on them. So, the seeds of truth that we plant may never make it into the ground. 

Now, planting can seem contrived and so it is very important to remember up front that people without Jesus are not our projects, they are not people we have to convert, they are not numbers. They are people for whom Jesus died for and gave His life so that they could come into relationship with God and a deeper relationship with you. 

If we really love our friends, our relationships will progress naturally to the place where we begin to plant seeds of God’s truth into our conversation with our friends. So we are going to focus on planting in season, learning to plant first with believers and as we become sensitive to the Spirit’s leading, discover planting in the right light.  Finally, we will bring planting full cycle as we learn to clearly share our own spiritual story.

I really believe that the power of life transformation takes place in us as we internalize what God has done in us and share it with others.

Mark 4:26 -29 

The parable of the Growing Seed...specifically v27

This is what the kingdom of God is like.  A man scatters seed on the ground.  Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.

The reading of this passage should come:

1. As a great sense of relief.  The salvation of those all around you does not depend on you.  We are not the key agent, we are not the ‘movers and shakers,’ the ones who get things done!
2. As a huge reminder of what is going on here!   Planters are not growers: it is the Holy Spirit’s responsibility to grow the kingdom. Our calling is to listen to the Spirit and be obedient in faith to His promptings.  It is organic, it is a mystery, and we are called to join in the harvest.

As one of “God’s spies,” are you always on the prowl to spy on the beauty, truth, and goodness Jesus is birthing in the world?  The greatest and most magical mystery of all is the mystery of Christ Himself.  The second great mystery is the church, His body.           Len Sweet in Christ Manifesto

The sowing of the kingdom is the sowing of Jesus’ life. The sowing is his incarnation, obedience, teaching, death, resurrection and ascension. In all these, we see close at hand that God reigns.   Dave Faulkner

The Parable of  The Mustard Seed.

At my previous church, we faithfully ran a soccer camp every year and it was always great seeing many unchurched families getting their first experience of church in a positive light through it.  In fact the present director of children’s ministry at Southside was reached through the camp. We would subsidize the camp experience for those who couldn’t afford it as well.  One year, we had a lady, Catherine who sent her daughter, Justine.  My wife Sharon connected briefly with her and God put her on her heart so much so that Sharon prayed, God, if you bring her out to church again, I will speak to her. Well God did and she was in the second row the next week. They would meet once again in the hall and from there in my office, she would open up to Sharon about the anorexia she had been struggling with since her teen years.  She felt God telling her just to let Catherine know how much God loved her and affirmed her worth.

It would be later in the fall that Catherine passed away and died of her disease.  I can remember Sharon telling me how she was angry with Him for not putting Catherine on her mind again.  I went to the funeral and it would be there that I learned about another pastor’s wife, Janet, who shared how God gave her the opportunity to connect with her and that she prayed and put her faith in Him. She would then share how Catherine experienced so much peace in God’s presence over her last few weeks.

1 Corinthians 3:6-9

The reality is that we don't know what part we will play in someone else's journey. The key is our faithfulness and the mustard seed is just that incredible visible reminder that we need to just be obedient even with that amount of faith that God can take what we plant and make it huge in the life of another person.  There are times when we feel like giving up and that a friend or family member will never respond, but the key is remembering what God can do in the process and letting the seed simply do its work!