I Sent You to Reap What You Did Not Sow

Well, it's great to be back with you all. Que bueno estar otra vez con ustedes. To see Brother Carlos, Brother Randy, Brother Eli, Brother Randy, Walter, Brother Lee.

Que no los hemos visto desde hace mucho. Wonderful. Maravilloso.

Let's begin by thinking about your church. Whatever church, this church or whatever church you belong to. Vamos a empezar pensando en su iglesia.

Sea cual fuera, esta o la que sea. Why is it here? ¿Por qué está aquí? How did it get here? But now that it's here, what's its purpose? No, la pregunta no es cómo llegó aquí. Sino que ya que está aquí, ¿cuál es su propósito? You could say our church is to be an oasis in a spiritual desert where people come and get refreshed.

Podría decir que nuestra iglesia es un oasis en un desierto espiritual donde la gente viene a saciar la sed. One could say our church is a temple built of living stone. Jesus is the cornerstone, filled with the spirit, the habitation of God in the spirit.

Podríamos decir que es un templo, y el Señor Jesucristo es la piedra angular, y el espíritu de Dios lo llena. All this is true, but our church has a purpose beyond what goes on inside these walls. Todo esto es cierto, pero el propósito de la iglesia se extiende aún más afuera de todo lo que esté pasando adentro.

In fact, the truth, that what goes on inside these walls is really of God, is what we do when we go out there. La verdad es que la prueba de que lo que se habla dentro de estas cuatro paredes está en lo que hacemos afuera de las cuatro paredes. From John, chapter 4, verse 35.

En Juan, capítulo 4, versículo 35. Through Trinity. Al treinta y ocho.

Do you not say there are yet four months, then comes the harvest? I tell you, lift up your eyes and see how the fields are already white for harvest. He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying is true, one sows and another reaps.

If I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor, others have labored, and you have entered into their labor. ¿No decís vosotros, aún faltan cuatro meses para que llegue la siega? He aquí os digo, alzad vuestros ojos y mirad los campos, porque ya están blancos para la siega. He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.

For here the saying is true, one sows and another reaps. If I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor, others have labored, and you have entered into their labor. Jesus did not call these men to discipleship just for their own edification.

He called to put them to work. And he did not call us to discipleship just for our edification. He called us to put us to work.

You're a disciple, now go and make disciples. You didn't choose me, I chose you. Go ahead.

And ordain you that you should go and bring forth fruit. As the Father sent me, even so I send you. All authority has been given to me in heaven and earth.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. And you shall be my witnesses.

In Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, to the uttermost parts of the earth. Now this is the part that scares us. Most of us don't picture ourselves going out there and actually making disciples.

I don't know how. I'm shy. That's not my gift.

I'll come to church. And I'll pray. And I'll serve God in other ways.

It's for me to go out there and be some kind of evangelist. But that's exactly what Jesus is calling every one of us to do. Do you not say there are yet four months, then comes the harvest? I tell you, open your eyes.

Lift up your eyes and see how the fields are already white for harvest. When Jesus said that, there was a crowd of people coming down the road from the village of Sychar. I sent you to reap, verse 38, that for which you did not labor.

Others have labored and you have entered into their labor. Jesus had already made this happen by talking to the woman at the well. He did the work.

Then she did the work. And all these people came. And now you guys get to work.

That harvest is out there. It's coming toward us. All we have to do is go out there and reap.

So what does that mean? How do you read it? Jesus never tells us to do something without first pioneering the way. For example, Jesus is sitting by the well all by himself. Well, along comes this woman.

She's got a water jar on her shoulder. What does she have to do with the harvest? She's a woman. He's a man.

In that culture, a man doesn't talk to a woman in public. She's a Samaritan. He's a Jew.

In that culture, a Jew doesn't talk to a Samaritan. She's minding her own business. Why doesn't he mind his business? Now notice how Jesus sees this woman.

He sees her as someone sent to him by the Father. Does he ask her if she's saved? Does he give her the four spiritual laws? No, he just says, give me a drink. He is her guest.

He becomes her guest. This is her well. He sees her.

Not as another bloody Samaritan. But as someone special. And he deals with her.

Person to person. Suppose this week you're in a bus station. Or the waiting room in the doctor's office.

Or at the checkout at the supermarket. Somebody wants to come and talk to you. Or maybe someone comes and wants to borrow something.

One of your neighbors. How do you see this person? As an intrusion? Or do you see this man or woman as someone whom maybe God sent to you? John chapter 4. Certainly the first time. Person of talent.

Jesus answered her. I'm not saying to you, give me a drink. You would have asked him and he would have given you living water.

The woman said to him, sir, you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us the well and drank from it himself and his sons and his cattle? Jesus said to her, anyone who drinks of this water will thirst again. But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will be ever thirst.

The water that I shall give him will become a spring of water well enough to eternal life. The woman said to him, sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst or come here to draw. And you say, that's all right for him.

And you say, that's all right for him. He knew what he was doing, Jesus. He knew how to talk to her.

He knew he had living water. And he knew he was going to be able to show her that God really cares for her. What do I have to offer? You have more to offer than you want to admit to yourself.

Do you know why we get so stagnant and half-baked when it comes to our faith? It's because we're not giving what God has already put into us. What happens to a pond when it has water running in, nothing going out? After a while, it gets a scum on top. That's what happens inside us when it's all potting up.

The grace of God comes in and it stays here and it's not going out. It begins to get a scum on top. What do you think happens when we take communion? This is my body, given for you.

This is the blood of the new covenant, shed for your sin. You're joining yourself to Jesus' death. Paul says that every time we eat of this bread and drink of this cup, we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

So what happens to that proclamation when we go out the door? If you believe that the Spirit of God comes upon us as we worship, and gives us life, what happens to that life when we go out the door? The truth is that you do have something to give to the person that God sends you. And you're going to answer to God for what you do with it. Christ in you, the hope of glory.

I live in you, says Jesus. I'm your life. I'm your health.

I'm your wisdom. I'm your peace. Christ in you is the living bread.

He's the light of the world. You have the light of the world inside you. So get the bushel off.

It's within your power to give life, grace, hope, healing, to the lives you touch. Without any fancy religious talk, you're going to give people a taste of God's goodness. You're going to touch their broken hearts with healing.

You're going to do that. Jesus said to the woman, everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again. But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give will never thirst.

It'll become a spring inside welling up to eternal life. So what is this living water? The spirit of God in us. Now, this woman didn't understand all this.

But she understood enough to know that Jesus was giving her hope. And she reached out to grab it. Give me this water.

If you believe that certain people aren't really sent to you by God, and if you understand the spirit of God is in you, then you have to know that the same God who did all that will open a way for you to speak to this person. It may not all happen in one afternoon as it did for Jesus. You may have to drink coffee, listen, be a friend for a long time.

But as you do this, you know in your heart that you are giving them something wonderful. You may not say it to them, but you're thinking, I'm giving you something wonderful. Something that will prove to this person that God is really there.

And really, He loves you. John chapter 4 starting at verse 16, verse by verse. Jesus said to her, go call your husband and come here.

The woman answered, I have no husband. Jesus said to her, you're right in saying I have no husband. For you've had five husbands and he whom you've never had is not your husband.

This he said truly. The woman said to him, sir, I perceive that you're a prophet. Our fathers worshipped on this mountain and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

Jesus said to her, woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the father. You worship what you do not know. We worship what we know for salvation is from the Jews.

The hour is coming and now is when the true worshippers will worship the father in spirit and in truth. For such the father seeks to worship him. God is spirit and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Now notice, all they were doing was talking. While they're talking, living water is flowing from Jesus into this woman. He's not doing anything fancy.

He didn't ask her to get down and pray the sinner's prayer. He didn't lay his hands on her head. But when he's through talking, her heart has come to faith.

She leaves her water jar there by the well, runs back to town. Says, come see a man who told me all I ever did is not this the Messiah? Now this is what each of us is being called to do. It's not complicated.

The spirit of God does all the work. All we have to do is read. By believing four things.

First, believe that you have been sent. You're not a volunteer. You were called.

The same one who called you, sent you. A volunteer can quit anytime he wants to. But not one who was called.

Secondly, believe that there are specific people who are being sent to you. A few years after Jean and I went back to Nova Scotia, at the end of a service in the church where I was serving, when everything was over and people were all gone, we're closing up the door. In comes this man and he says, What time is Mass? Whatever you like, Mass or whatever.

I said, Mass is over. Come back next Sunday at 10.30. I said, I'll come and visit you this week. He says, I work.

I'll come on Saturday, I said. Where do you live? 55 Pleasant Street. My name is Alan Parker.

So, Saturday afternoon I went to see Alan Parker. He says, let's go for coffee. So, we go to Tim Hortons.

Alan knew half the people coming into Tim Hortons. Alan says, I know you from the Nova Scotia Hospital. The guy says, shut up, I don't want to talk about it.

I'm pretty sure we have about four men sitting around the stairs. We're talking about God. I say, at least a dozen people came into that flock through Alan Parker.

He was sent to us. A couple years ago, Gene and I were having a vacation in Florida. One of the benefits of old age.

We were walking along the beach and decided we'd walk far enough. As soon as we turned around, this man says, are you guys quitting already? So, he tells us his life story. He has five children and a daughter who's an alcoholic, one of the five.

That's where he's from. The Detroit area. The Detroit.

So, we've been friends ever since. Pastor Bob has been to visit his daughter. She was sent to us.

This happens in every single one of our lives. God gave us eyes to recognize it when it happens. Number three.

Believe that you have the living water in you. It's not you. It's the spirit of God.

Listen to what they have to say and let God give you something to say in return. If you don't know what to say, do like most preachers do. Keep talking until you do have something.

I'm sweating up here now. I'm sweating up here now. Four.

Believe that you will not come up empty. You will see results. What so often happens when God blesses a church.

At first, we just are thrilled and rejoice and give thanks to God. Then, the spirit said, receive, now give. You're in the kingdom.

Now go and get somebody else. Bring him in. Now comes the critical time.

Because we've come to know each other. We feel comfortable together. We're family.

Do we really want to bring strangers into our family? It's so much easier to praise God when we're with a family. And now we're in danger of becoming a spiritual club. With the unspoken rule, members only.

When we do that, we stagnate. We're a pond with a scum on top. If this is the kingdom of God, we're an open family.

We have a lot of empty chairs at our table. And there are specific people who belong in those chairs. The whole purpose of our family is to bring others in.

When we think that way to bring others in, then we stay fresh. And we don't stagnate. Let me read, once again, these two verses.

Verses 35 and 36. Do you not say there are yet four months, then comes the harvest. I tell you, lift up your eyes and see how the fields are already white for harvest.

I thank you to reap that for which you did not labor. Let us have labor that you have entered into their labors. This is a word from God to us.

I brought you into my kingdom. I'm sending you out to bring others in. Believe that you have been sent.

Believe that specific people are being sent to you. Believe that you have living water to offer them. Believe that you will not come out empty.

And God will confirm your faith with signs following. And this stagnant pond will become a river of living water. Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank above all things for the gift of Jesus. We thank you for his unspeakable love. But give us heart for God to also see his awesome holiness.

And to know that when he commands, he expects obedience from his disciples. Grant that we may be fruitful disciples. Empower us by your spirit.

And for this we give you thanks, Lord God. In Jesus' name. Amen.