11-13-2005

Celebrating the freeing, supportive presence of God. So your experience of God may become your experience of life. It is wonderful what God can do!

"The Harvest is Plentiful"

November 13, 2005

Good Morning!

   What do you think about when you hear the word ‘harvest’ ? Do you think about the hard work of preparing the land, planting the seed, and regularly praying for rain? Or do you think about a field already bursting forth with well grown and multi-colored vegetables and grains almost crying out to be gathered in and not left to rot? Or perhaps you think about a farmer’s market or supermarket abundantly stocked with almost every conceivable type of vegetable and fruit available for your perusal and purchase?

   In one sense, the last two kinds of thinking (the fields and the markets) are really quite a lot alike. Location, convenience, and ease are the primary differences. Both places are well stocked with endless possibilities. In the field, a little extra effort is required to bend over and pick vegetables one by one. In the market place vegetables can be scooped or grabbed by the handful at waist-level counters.

   In both cases, an intentional effort is required to go and gather. Even back in the days when growers would traverse the city and suburban streets with their vegetable carts, it was still up to the individual to be alert for the call or the passing wagon and run to it before it got too far passed. I have yet to encounter a vegetable that all by itself provides door to door service.

   The same is true of persons who have yet to get in touch with the power of God’s love, grace, forgiveness, and healing. Just like vegetables, there are valuable and worthy of being gathered up; but rarely will one come rolling across the threshold of the church door. That’s a part of why we provide as many and varied opportunities as possible for people to come to God. Making the church a comfortable place to be must continue to be a high priority.

   Why should each of us care so much about this? Need we say that this mission comes from the founder of the church, Christ Jesus himself ? Some might say, “well, we seek more people to help us pay the bills,” but that attitude completely misses the point. Jesus wants persons brought into a living relationship with him and the Creator God. Our church website reminds us each time we click on it that “we’re on a mission from God.” This should not simply be a cuteness on our website, but rather it should be one of the powerful dynamics which move and motivate us to do what Christ has asked us to do.

   When Jesus thinks about the word ‘harvest,’ he associates it with people! According to our scripture this morning, people are the most important harvest there is. People are growing on their individual vines all over the place, often good and ready to be harvested for God. Being harvested for God is the beginning of a process whereby we come to a saving knowledge of God’s great love for us. Our hearts come to understand and grow in the power of God’s love as ultimately demonstrated on the cross of Jesus Christ. Who else would be willing to sacrifice their son for the benefit of strangers—only the God who loves us so profoundly.

   But how shall they hear of this love, let alone begin to experience it, if we who know God continue on our paths of quiet existence? I am not asking you to go stand on a street corner and preach. Nor am I asking you to constantly give your personal faith testimony to every one you meet. I am asking only two things—that you maintain a spirit of love, and that you always maintain a spirit of welcome. Remember always to extend the voice and hand of Christian fellowship and welcome to everyone with whom you share a conversational or biological relationship.

   You, the Christian believer, are the only hands and feet of God in the world today. God depends on you to help carry out the mission so others might come to know his love for themselves.

   Jesus never forced himself on anyone. Quite the contrary; Jesus used a relatively soft sell style for raising people’s interest in God’s kingdom. We need to use that example as we look over the fields white unto harvest and extend a regular, warm, and undying invitation to bring persons to worship where they just may find the answer to some of the hopelessness and aimlessness that they may be experiencing well beyond the surface.

   For those who walk to church, offer to come by a friend’s house and walk together. For those who drive to church, offer to pick them up and bring them to the place where the peace of Christ may be found. Please do not leave valuable human lives to rot on the vine of short-term living. Let’s continue a strong mission and ministry of introducing people to the living God now and for eternity.

   The harvest is indeed plentiful and the laborers are indeed few. The churches of Perry are no where near the census number of Perry on any given Sunday morning Worship. There is room for much to be done and much love and enthusiasm spread throughout the fields of the Perry harvest. Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart … will you answer?

   This morning, let us also give God thanks for the hope we have in Jesus Christ and for the abundance of life which we experience in this great land. God is a gracious and generous giver and we are the recipients of that great love.

   This morning, also let us give thanks to God for all those who have served, who have placed their lives on the line, and for all those who have given themselves totally for the cause of peace and democracy in our land. We are grateful for the profound impact that our veterans have had on us and on our nation in the years gone by, and in these present days. God keep them safe and return them to us, making this time of Thanksgiving a time of true blessing. Amen.

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