Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Selected For The Harvest (Mt. 20:1-16) (Part 2)

YOU SHOULD WORK FOR THE LORD BECAUSE THE HARVEST IS READY.

THE LANDOWNER “WENT OUT EARLY IN THE MORNING TO HIRE LABORERS (Mt. 20:1).
Why did he need to hire laborers?  The grapes were ripe and bountiful, and they needed to be harvested before the devastating rains came.  Let's switch from the grape harvest to the harvest of human souls.  Jesus said, Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.” (Jn. 4:35).  “White” means “ready.” Any delay would mean disaster.

THERE IS AN URGENCY CONCERNING THE HARVEST.  There is an urgent goal: The Lord wants all the harvest to be gathered.  There is an urgent means: All the harvest will not be gathered without all the workers.  There is an urgent deadline: The time for harvest is almost over.  Jesus said, We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.” (Jn. 9:4).   There is an urgent motivation: Some of the un-gathered harvest consists of your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers and your family members.  What are you going to do about it?

THERE IS AN IMMEDIACY CONCERNING THE HARVEST.  But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” (Mk. 4:29)  The problem with “tomorrow” is that you're not guaranteed it,  The problem with "someday" is that it never arrives.  The problem with "today" is procrastination.  You do understand that “today” really means “not now,” right?  The immediacy of “now” is biblical (2 Cor. 6:2).  What are you going to do about it?

THERE IS A TRAVESTY CONCERNING THE HARVEST.  The travesty is this: The un-gathered harvest will rot and wither while we who know Jesus continue to “greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Pet. 1:8).  That doesn't seem right, does it?  What are you going to do about it?

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