Part of the Harvest - Part 4
Reaping the Rewards of the Harvest At New Beginnings
Joel 2:12-14; Hosea 10:12
INTRO: About a month ago I started a series dealing with Being Part Of The Harvest. I have preached about being Mindful Of The Harvest, Making the Harvest Happen With The Right Attitudes, and Making The Harvest Happen With The Right Action. Today, I want to end the series with the message, Reaping The Rewards Of The Harvest At New Beginnings.
Joel 2:12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?
Hosea 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
Painstaking preparation is rational
Turn to the Lord…
With all your heart…
Active approach
Prayerful approach
Loving approach
Plentiful planting is reliable - it works
Fasting, weeping, with mourning…
It is…
Serious business
Consequential - it works
God's plan - 1 Cor. 3
We need to…
Spread the Word
Show our love
Stand with the Lord
1 Cor. 3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
Proper pruning required
Rend you heart, not your clothes…
Pruning helps things grow stronger
God wants to prune our lives
God needs to prune the church
We need to teach God's Word
God's Word will prune our lives and those we win to the Lord
Prosperous picking realized
Luke 10:2 2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
The Harvest will come from God
The Harvest is for God and those harvested
The Harvest is also for us to take part in
May we be blessed in the Harvest at New Beginnings
Answer these questions please…
Do I need to be involved with the Harvest?
Am I doing enough to help the Harvest?
What can I do for the Harvest?
To the last question, let me tell you what I see a need for…
A greater closeness to the Lord
Personal prayer life
Study of God's Word
Obedient walk
Drive to be a better servant for the Lord - what ever it takes
A greater closeness to each other
Not surface niceness, but real caring and concern
Sharing with each other's lives
Helping each other in problems
Being there to listen
Be willing to talk - and be willing to keep your mouth closed (secrets)
More powerful prayer for our church and its ministries
Steve's men (few) gathered around me Sunday morning
Steve had told me about it, but WOW!
Prayer makes a difference
More obedient worship
Attend first of all
Participate next
Enjoy
Seek God about it - "What can I do?"
More heart rending prayer (specifically pointed towards people you know)
Finding a helpful job and doing it consistently
Volunteering to do something, even if it is inconvenient or maybe not even glorious
Wednesday nights we have needed help transporting kids
There are several opportunities for us to do if we wish. Talk to me.
Gary Marcum - New Beginnings Church - 103005am