THE LORD OF THE HARVEST AND HIS LABOURERS

THEME: VISION OF THE HARVEST IN THE LATTER TIMES

LESSON: EIGHT

TOPIC: THE LORD OF THE HARVEST AND HIS LABOURERS

TEXT: Luke 10:1-7; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Acts 1:8; Matthew 9:36-38; 1 Timothy 2:4-6; John 3:14-21; Habakkuk 2:14;

OBJECTIVES

● To show the diversity of the field of the earth and its preparation for harvest.

● To exalt the person, administration, and provisions of the Holy Ghost in the harvest field.

● To show how labourers ought to partner with the Lord of the harvest to ensure none is lost.

INTRODUCTION

● The gift of Jesus by the Father was given to the whole world; therefore, the harvest encompasses every nation, tribe, tongue, gender, and race. God’s vision of harvest in these latter times extends to the uttermost parts of the earth, and believers ought to keep this in mind (John 3:16; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8)

● In an effort to make the gathering of the harvest difficult, the devil has led men in their own diverse and unique ways, each of which seems right in their own eyes. This diversity and separation are evident in the souls of men, often making them appear difficult to reach or bring into the harvest (Proverbs 14:12; Isaiah 53:6; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4)

● The adversary seeks to cut off generations from one another by pitting contrasting beliefs and ideologies against one another. He also did a very well-coordinated work within men's souls by making all men feel unique and difficult to be understood due to varying backgrounds, upbringing, life experiences, etc. (Ephesians 2:2; Deuteronomy 32:17)

● While this may be true in some sense, the labourers who are sent into the harvest fields must be enlarged, graced, and equipped to reach souls regardless of their diversities or the corners into which the adversary has driven them. Every believer ought to become skillful and dexterous through the ability supplied by the Spirit, ensuring that no harvest is lost (1

Corinthians 9:22; Luke 10:2; 1 Peter 2:25; 1 Corinthians 12:2)

GATHERING FROM ALL THE EARTH INTO THE HARVEST

● The gospel, whether spoken or lived out, remains the powerful and only means by which men are snatched from the hands of the adversary. It reaches all manner of souls, irrespective of ethnicity, race, background, upbringing, or life experience. The gospel has the power to search out a man, deliver him from his bondage, and bring him into the liberty found in Christ (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:22-24; Psalm 107:20)

● Through apostolic wisdom, Apostle Paul, who laboured tirelessly in the harvest, broadly categorized all men to whom the gospel was preached as either Jews or Gentiles. He uniquely described the Jewish disposition as one inclined toward signs, while the Gentile disposition was inclined toward wisdom (Romans 1:14; 1 Corinthians 1:22)

● Both the wisdom and the signs are therefore necessary for reaching all manner of souls, and these are not products of human ingenuity, nor can they be mimicked. Therefore, labourers must be properly equipped by the Lord of the harvest, who understands the unique condition and disposition of every soul in the field (Mat 9:37; 2 Thess 3:1-2).

THE HOLY GHOST: THE LORD OF THE HARVEST

● The earthly ministry of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, was marked by tireless labour in the harvest field of Israel for three and a half years. He interacted with many people who believed on Him. Yet He recognized that the harvest was indeed plentiful while the labourers were few (Mathew 4:16-17; John 1:12)

● Recognizing the limitations within the field of harvest, Jesus continually equipped His disciples for the work. Yet, He was moved with compassion when He saw the multitudes, instructing that prayers be made to the Lord of the harvest, who is not limited, for the preparation of labourers and the hearts of men for the harvest (Mathew 9:36-19; Luke 10:1-7)

● The Holy Ghost is the Lord of the harvest, deeply moved and burdened for the fields of the earth. He is continually at work to preserve the earth and ensure that destruction does not consume the harvest fields before they are gathered unto the Lord. He often has been around the unbeliever long before the evident harvest (Genesis 1:2; John 16:8)

● He simultaneously works around every soul, ensuring that men are not driven beyond recovery or beyond the reach of the gospel. Yet, God has ordained that the gospel be preached through human vessels; therefore, the work of the harvest still requires labourers who will carry His message to the world (John 6:44; Romans 10:14).

● A commission has been given to all who believe and continue in the Word to witness the gospel. However, a believer will be limited in effectiveness if he has not learned to partner with the Lord of the harvest. Since the harvest field is made up of diverse souls, the manner of reaching each person may differ. Therefore, there is no single formula for witnessing the gospel; rather, believers must rely on the grace, wisdom, and guidance imparted by the Holy Spirit (Mathew 10:7; Mark 3;14; Mark 16:15)

● The new birth experience is characterized by the quickening of the spirit and the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. However, it is not limited to these realities alone. It is also accompanied by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, through which the believer is infilled and empowered for the work of witnessing (Ephesians 2:1; 1:13-14; Luke 24:47-49).

● This was clearly demonstrated in the upper room, where the disciples were endued with power from on high and equipped to bear witness unto Christ. One of the primary purposes of this infilling is to make the believer an effective witness of the gospel (Acts 2:1-4; 14; Acts 1:8)

● The Holy Ghost convicts the heart, quickens the spirit, and baptizes the believer's soul. He also adds men to the Church, which is God's garner for the harvest of souls. Therefore, believers are not to rely upon themselves in witnessing, but upon the Holy Spirit, who initiates, sustains, and completes the work in men (Jo 16:8; 1 Cor 12:11-12)

EQUIPPING OF LABOURERS FOR THE HARVEST BY THE HOLY GHOST

● The diverse forms of wisdom that keep men under the bondage of darkness can only be overcome by the wisdom supplied by the Holy Spirit through the Scriptures. Likewise, the fallen supernatural powers that hold souls by unbelief are to be broken by the power of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:2; 1 Corinthians 1:19-21; 1 Corinthians 1:13)

● Every believer is therefore expected to receive and steward this equipping and supply of the Holy Spirit for the purpose of bringing in the harvest. For it is God's desire that none should be lost or perish. The following points are therefore noteworthy for every believer (Acts 6:7-10; 2 Peter 3:9):

● Scriptures and doctrine: The gospel is the message to be witnessed to unbelievers; therefore, a labourer must be established and grounded in it. He must be well instructed and widely read in the written Scriptures, building his understanding upon the Word of God rather than upon personal experiences (Matthew 22:29; 2 Timothy 16-18).

● The ability to rightly divide the Word and give understanding of its hidden truths is an essential requirement for labourers. Only the sound doctrine by the apostles, of Christ and the Father, is capable of undoing the erroneous persuasions and winds of doctrine that have carried men away from the truth (Jer 10:8; Eph 4:12; Tit 1:9; 2 Tim 2:15)

● This begins with hearing and acquiring the proper understanding and approach to the Scriptures before launching out to witness the gospel. It is then accompanied by diligent study and meditation upon the Word (Nehemiah 8:3,8).

● By these, a believer becomes equipped to out-reason the wrong ideologies and persuasions entrenched within an unbeliever. We see this pattern in Jesus as He taught in the temple, and in Stephen, who, being full of the Holy Ghost, ministered with wisdom in the synagogue (Luke 2:40; 46-47; Acts 6:9-10; Acts 24:24-25; Acts 26:28).

● Infilling and gifting of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:7; 1 Corinthians 14:22; Hebrews 2:4): Through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, a believer is no longer to be self-reliant, but becomes a vessel through which the Holy Ghost ministers

● Continuous infilling ought to be the lifestyle of a believer, and it is evidenced in both speech and witnessing. A believer must learn to yield to the Holy Spirit in order to effectively reach men (Ephesians 5:19-20; Acts 4:8)

● Some are given for the edification of the Church, while others are signs for unbelievers, and all are given to profit withal. These are equippings of the Holy Ghost that should accompany a believer in the labour of the field.

● Anointing and power: This is a special equipping of the Holy Ghost to perform all manner of miracles, signs, and wonders for the purpose of reaping the harvest of the earth (Acts 10:38)

● Knowledge of Church History & Various moves of the Spirit: Satan has sought to distort the faith and misrepresent the Church, leading many to hold a perverted understanding of what the Church truly is. Therefore, it becomes an advantage to the labourer—and a point through which the Holy Ghost can reach souls—for the believer to be aware of, and able to clearly communicate, the true nature and journey of the Church. (Acts 7; Acts 19:1-7)

CONCLUSION

The Godhead is fully engaged in the harvest of the earth: the Father as the Husbandman, the Son as the Word made flesh who gave Himself for the redemption of the harvest, and the Holy Spirit as the One who works in and through labourers to ensure that the harvest is not lost, believers are therefore called to join in this vision to bring the end to this age (Mathew 24:13-14).