Community is so important for the harvest! The season for spiritual harvest. We just have to be looking for it. The world is a bunch of helpless sheep without a shepherd (and there are wolves too). 

7 Steps to Harvest:

#1. The Soil. 

"Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times." Mark 4:8

How we live our lives will affect the "soil" of a person's heart. People need to see the light in us. There's enough strife in the world. They don't need it from us. 

#2. Seed.

"It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.” Mark 4:31-32

Jesus doesn't care about the depth or the size of the seed. He says for us to just cast the seed. God doesn't say to be selective in this process. Leave the results to Spirit.

#3. Showers.
The Holy Spirit will rain down on the seeds and cause the germination and growth. 

 "for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” Luke 12:12

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God." Romans 8:26-27

We can't force it.

#4 The Seasons.
"Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." John 4:35

The harvest is now. If you don't harvest when the harvest is ripe, it will rot in the field. It will be gone, no good. Look for someone who needs harvesting. Harvest is the best time of year.

#5 Servants.
“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’“‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go." Matthew 21:28-30

Are we the first son or the second son in our actions?

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," 1 Peter 1:3

He has given you what you need to do His work. Get engaged. Just do it. You have got to be wiling to do something. You hvae to watch where you're going (not your feet). If you drop the ball, there is temporary chaos. Do you work. 

"For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully." Romans 12:4-8

All of us are different. We all have something to give.We're all gifted to pray. We have immense capability in this room.

#6 Sacrifice.
"Those who sow with tears
    will reap with songs of joy.
Those who go out weeping,
    carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
    carrying sheaves with them." Psalm 126:5-6

Sacrifice is necessary. Time, effort, the things are most important to you will get your time. Everything you need will be provided. First Fruits -- give God your very best. We don't need to see it all. We just have to get to work. It might be seed planting. It might be harvesting.

#7 Sure Hope.
"Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness." 2 Corinthians 9:10

God will take care of it. You would not plant if you didn't believe you would harvest. Do the same with spiritual planting. As we gather, we can plant more.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9

Get engaged. Get involved. Don't give up. Ever. The harvest is here and the harvest is coming.

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." Romans 12:11

Don't lose your first love.

"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”" Isaiah 6:8

Here I am, Lord. Send me, Lord! Use Me! Use the gifts in Me. Use Me!

Mount vs. Plain:
Beatitudes are written in the 3rd person.
The Sermon on the Plain is written in the 2nd person.

"He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all." Luke 6:17-19

3 types of people present to hear the sermon on the plain:
The 12 apostles
The followers and Believers -- many, many followed Jesus who weren't part of the 12.
And The Multitude -- seeking physical healing and entertainment.

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you." Luke 6:20-22

There were also Gentiles present in the crowd that day too. Tyre and Sidon were Gentile towns.

20 "Looking at his disciples, he said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
    for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
    for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
    for you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when people hate you,
    when they exclude you and insult you
    and reject your name as evil,
        because of the Son of Man." Luke 6:20-22

Look at these "people Groups" From Jesus's perspective:

Poverty, Hunger, Sad and Hated. He wasn't saying you should seek to be poor or hungry or sad or hated. He just said if you know you are these apart from Christ you are blessed.

If you don't come empty to Him, He can't fill You. If you don't know you need Him, You can't receive Him.

"“But woe to you who are rich,
    for you have already received your comfort.
25 Woe to you who are well fed now,
    for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
    for you will mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
    for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets." Luke 6:24-26

Woe to you if you find satisfaction in anythig else but Him. Jesus is the 2-edged Sword.

Whatever stands between you and Jesus, get rid of it! 
Rich, well-fed; laughing, spoken well of. What's your great reputation based on? 

You can have Jesus or the World. Not both. You should come to Jesus starving for Him..

The context is what makes the difference. Of course we do these things (take care of the weak and voiceless and the poor and widows,,,the vulnerable), but we do it for Jesus.

"The poor you will always have with you,[a] but you will not always have me." Matthew 26:11

"‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[a] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.'" Revelation 21:4

Have Christ's attitude toward people. He is the reason we do things. There's nothing we need more than Jesus.

What truly separates the world from Believers:

​"Blessed are you when people hate you,
    when they exclude you and insult you
    and reject your name as evil,
        because of the Son of Man." Luke 6:22

"Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
    for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets." Luke 6:26

Jesus did it right.

OT Prophets had really hard lives.

Who are you really?

Seek Him. Whose eyes are we looking through? The world's? Jesus's?

Our motivation is the difference.

"Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets." Luke 6:23

I can never finish seeking Him and Running the race until I get to the finish line (which is Heaven). 

"We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”[a] 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had," Romans 15:1-5

A person's scars represent lots of lessons learned. Scars (if we learn by them) strengthen us. We have strength in Jesus.

"We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves." Romans 15:1

Our strength is in our hope.

"Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming." 1 Peter 1:13

Our hope is our strength.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power." Ephesians 6:10

"Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:1-2

Have compassion. Be humble. Pray. Give a hug. We don't help for ourselves. We help so we can build others up.

"Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up." Romans 15:2

Don't help to garner praise.

"not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:" Philippians 2:4-5

That's who I came for (Jesus says). Even if it is self-induced suffering, still help. God does. He dealt with the issue first, then spoke. Through the helping they saw the love of God. Don't worry about what others think.

"For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” Romans 15:3

Jesus picked people up. He didn't do this for himself. World asks, "What's in it for me?"

"If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love." John 15:10

This is the reward!

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." 2 Corinthians 8:9

Give grace always. Give a flood of grace so others can't help but get touched by that grace.

"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope." Romans 15:4

Where does our strength come from?

"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." Hebrews 10:35-36

Look at the goal. That's the encouragement. 

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Train and get better. Read your Bible. Spend time with Jesus. The source of our strength!!

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains--
    where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2

The spirit of unity:

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had," Romans 15:5

How do we live in unity? in strength in unity?

Remember where we came from:

"Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly; do not be wise in your own estimation." Romans 12:16

We need to get to someone's eye level, eye-to-eye. Get down to their level.

"To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;" 1 Peter 3:8

"And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own; but all things were common property to them." Acts 4:32

SO, WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

1. Work out spiritually! Add strength through Bible study and prayer and obedience.
2. Use your strength. Help others be strong.
3. Need Help? Follow the example of Jesus and the early church.
4. Endurance. Persevere. Hope.

(Story from recording about riderless horse)
His heart was trying but he couldn't win. What if he had had someone helping him? There are people who are trying alone -- if we recognize it we can help them. Help me Lord see the ones I can encourage to walk with you.

1. We have been given everything we need through Jesus!

"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." 2 Peter 1:3

If we choose not to know, that's on us.

2. Escape the world -- participate in heaven now.

"Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." 2 Peter 1:4

The world didn't change when Jesus came. We are the ones who are supposed to change.

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

Renewing your mind -- use the Bible. Conform to God's will. When we fail to do this, we are failing to develop the way God intends us to develop.

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love." 2 Peter 1:5-7

Check out the progression -- where are you?

Faith -- add Goodness.
Goodness -- add Knowledge.
Knowledge -- add Self-Control.
Self-Control -- add Perseverance.
Perseverance -- add Godliness.
Godliness -- add Mutual Affection.
Mutual Affection -- add Love.

Going toward these things. When we go back to God. it will all come back in line.

If you try and skip the knowledge, you will miss it all. 

3. We are meant to be different than the rest of the world.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

God did this to free us. But some of this is our responsibility.

"For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:8

"If!"  Increasing measure means always increasing.

4. The Sacred Secret.

Secret means a mystery or religious secrets.

"Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly." Ephesians 3:2-3

Jesus changed all this.

"The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them." Matthew 13:10-11

If you know Jesus, the secrets of heaven are open to you.

5. We are part of the family.

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him." 1 John 3:1

We are living in the time of Grace.  Galatia church had a problem. 

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervertthe gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! 10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ." Galatians 1:6-10

This church started the right way. Then they starting adding to it. Why? To please people! If we lose sight of God and His ways, we are going to wander off the path. If we try to please people first before God, we are going to wander off the path He has for us.

6. We have a job to do -- be the hands and feet of Jesus.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free," Luke 4:18


"But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind,forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins." 2 Peter 1:9

We are to be used by God. We have to take what He gives us and use it. A chainsaw is great but if we don't put our hands to it it is useless.

7. We have been chosen for a purpose.

"Therefore, my brothers and sisters,[a] make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:10-11

Jesus had a way of dealing with people groups -- radical!  Sometimes we're afraid of crossing lines. Jesus never is.

GASP! Jesus went to Samaria.

5 "So He *came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; 6 and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about [a]the sixth hour." John 4:5-6

He goes through and stops in the middle of the day.

7 There *came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus *said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Therefore the Samaritan woman *said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” 11 She *said to Him, “[a]Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? 12 You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?” John 4:7-12

She falls back on tradition.

13"Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
15 The woman *said to Him, “[a]Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.” John 4:13-15

Water was a big deal.  Her shame was relived every day as she walked to the well.

16 He *said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” 17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus *said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.” 19 The woman *said to Him, “[a]Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet." John 4:16-19

God knows all our sin. He knows all our dark spots. He knows it all but He still offers His living water.

She brings up a religious argument. Her question goes back to religion.

20 "Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” 21 Jesus *said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 God is [a]spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:20-24

True worshippers worship in Spirit and Truth.

Being filled with the Spirit.

Think of the disciples like us. 

27"At this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why do You speak with her?” 28 So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and *said to the men, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not [a]the Christ, is it?” 30 They went out of the city, and were coming to Him.
31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anythingto eat, did he?” John 4:27-33

Disciples uncomfortable with Jesus's actions but didn't confront him on them.

Woman took this encounter with Jesus and ran with it. Allowed it to change her! She goes to the ones who shun her and told them the Good News!

Jesus has just fulfilled His purpose with this woman. He was full. He gave. She accepted.

34"Jesus *said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. 36 Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this case the saying is true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.” John 4:34-38

He stayed two days. The Harvest was in process!

39"From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all the things that I havedone.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 Many more believed because of His word;" John 4:39-41

Live water= running water

Do you have a stock pond or a river in reference to your faith? Is your faith a stock pond (stagnate) or a river (deep and flowing)?

Live water is overflowing, pressurized, bursting out. Spirit will overwhelm us.

37"Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “[a]If anyone is thirsty, [b]let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From [c]his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." John 7:37-39

#1 You gotta be thirsty.
#2 Come to Jesus.
#3 Drink!

What's keeping us from drinking from the well?

What's separating us from the living water?

What fears keep you from commitment?

Whose rules are limiting your witness?

What is stopping your harvest?

We're missing the harvest. God's harvest will happen, but are you giving away the opportunity to take part in that harvest?

Have you encountered Jesus in this radical way?

Have you asked for the living water?

Have you received the living water?

"Then he showed me a river of the water of life, [a]clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of [b]the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve [c]kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; 4 they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will no longer be any night; and they [d]will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever." Revelation 22:1-5

Take it now!

10"And he *said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near."
Revelation 22:10

The time is near!

12 “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man [a]according to what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Revelation 22:12-13

He is coming soon!

He doesn't want us to be fans. He wants us to be followers.

What have you done for the kingdom of God?

Take them to the well!

Let the river flow!

​Shannon was the guest preacher for the Dupree Community Service today. Dupree is celebrating Pioneer Days this weekend and there is always a community service for all who want to attend.

I didn't take notes, but I can tell you Shannon talked about love -- how Jesus says in Matthew, 'You are to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" in all manners of love. Loving God and loving all people (friends, family, enemies, strangers and especially those who are hard for you to love). 

This world is lacking love. So many people are lacking love in their lives.

Loving like God loves isn't easy. Sometimes it is darn hard. But you'll never regret it.

Ever.