White Fields John 4: 5 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
When Jesus met the woman at the well in John 4, he was weary [v.6] and he was thirsty [v.7]. He could have easily ignored her since she was a Samaritan [v.7] and simply rested while he quenched his thirst and waited for his disciples to return with something to eat [v.8]. Instead, when she replied to his request with a question, he engaged her in a conversation about the gift of God and living water that springs up into everlasting life [v.10-14]. Though, she was not of the lost sheep of the house of Israel, he saw something in this woman that prompted him to offer her eternal life. For one thing, she was interested [v.15].
It’s obvious that there had been some sowing with this woman before Jesus met her. She told him that she knew the Messiah would come and “tell us all things.” So, Jesus revealed himself to her as the Messiah and she went and told the men of the city that she had met the man who “told me all that ever I did,” [v.39].
His disciples missed it [v.27, 31-33]. They were more concerned that he was talking to a Samaritan and that he needed something to eat. We are very much the same way. We are standing in the midst of white fields and we’re missing opportunities to sow and reap in the harvest. What must we do about this problem. We must follow what Jesus showed us to do in this passage. We must:
Lift Up Our Eyes – get them off of ourselves, our personal problems, our past, our stuff, our entertainment, our magazines, our internet, and our pillows. No telling how much time we waste on the computer and on the television.
Look On The Fields – look all around you and you will see people in the area. There are folks here ready to listen to the gospel, ready to be saved. This will cause you to look at people differently than just as cashiers, waitstaff, service technicians, or whatever. In v.27, the disciples saw a Samaritan woman, someone with whom they would have had no dealings; the Lord saw a soul ready to be saved. Start looking on the fields this way and you might see a mission field. In Jn 5:3-6 in the midst of a multitude of impotent folk, in a smelly place by the sheep market, Jesus saw a man who was ready to be healed. He saw one man in a multitude. In Lk 19:1-5 as Jesus passed through Jericho, Jesus looked up and saw Zacchaeus, one man in a tree amongst a multitude. But that one man got saved that day [Lk 19:9-10]. We must observe; we must be aware that there are people around us whom the Lord wants to save.
Labor In The Harvest – We need to look for opportunities and places to sow. Effective sowing involves more than just passing out a tract [although that is still a good thing to do]. In sowing in the soil, there is soil preparation, cultivation, watering, careful attention, etc. In sowing among souls, you have to let the Holy Spirit speak through you, you have to show them the Bible, you have to address their questions, you have to pray, you have to let Jesus reveal himself to them through you [your testimony] and through what you say [your witness]. We must preach the gospel.
We need to look for opportunities to reap. By the leadership of the Holy Spirit you have to know when a soul is ready to be harvested [farmers can tell when their crop is ready to harvest]. So, look at the harvest before you and determine if it’s ready. If it is then be ready to reap as the Lord leads. And if the soul is reaped then take it to the barn [your church]. Understandably, the more time you spend in the harvest, the more experienced laborer you’re going to be.
Conclusion: with the hundreds of thousands of people living in Corpus Christi, we undoubtedly are surrounded by opportunities to deal with folks as Jesus dealt with individuals all through his ministry. We must look up and look on the fields. We need to let the Lord know that we are available to be sent into the harvest and then trust him to lead us and use as he desires.