Day 26

26 - Bringing In The Harvest // Reap 

“The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike!”

John 4:36 

Every farmer is excited when it's time to reap the harvest. Whether its corn, soybeans, peaches, cherries, cotton, or apples, reaping time is the best time, because that's when you get paid! If you don't reap, you don't get paid. You can’t reap if you don't first cultivate and plant, but you don't get paid if you only cultivate and plant. In order to get paid, you've got to reap.

In God's spiritual harvest field, it is very important and vital to work hard cultivating and planting. But just building loving relationships (cultivating) and talking about God (planting) does not translate to lost people receiving the gift of eternal life. We must finish the work and REAP with lost people by sharing the gospel.

Read John 4:27-38.

• This occurred at the end of the encounter with the Samaritan woman that we read yesterday. What does Jesus say in verse 36 that the reaper harvests a crop for? 

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Reaping is done when we present the gospel clearly, ask for a response, and give the person a chance to receive the gift of eternal life by placing their faith in Jesus to forgive their sin. Whether they respond by trusting Jesus for eternal life or not is really out of our hands. Only God can draw people to Jesus and make seeds “grow" (John 6:44 and 1 Corinthians 3:7). Your job as a “reaper” is to simply present the Gospel clearly and give them a chance to respond.

Read John 4:38.

• What does Jesus say is the hard work? 

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That's right. The cultivating and planting is the "hard work." When you build loving relationships and are able to talk with genuineness, grace, and truth about God, it really assists the work God is doing on their heart and makes it easier for them to respond to the gospel. The reaping is easier when you work hard to pray for your friend, love your friend, and share the truth about God with your friend.

I can remember lost high school students named Matt, Kyle, Olivia, and many others who came to our youth groups over the years. They were "loved on" by other students, heard the truth about God many times in many ways, and then responded to the gospel be receiving eternal life through Jesus. The reaping was easier because many students in the youth group did the hard work of cultivating and planting. Many students showed them love, and many students shared about God.

Remember, although cultivating and planting are HARD, they are not the END of the work. We must reap to "get paid." After the hard work of cultivating and planting, a student named Nicole led Matt to Christ, a student named Albert led Kyle to Christ, and a student named Destiny led Olivia to Christ. After the cultivating and planting came the reaping! And after the reaping is when you "get paid."

Philemon 1:6 (NIV) says:

"I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ."

• What are some of your benefits (getting paid) when you reap (share your faith)? 

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Read Luke 15:1-7.

• Who was Jesus hanging out with again? 

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Think about the effort required to go find the lost sheep. What do you think the shepherd had to do to find

the lost sheep? According to verse 7, what is the ultimate pay-off for reaping?

Reaping is rewarding, both for you and the people you "harvest." Jump in and enjoy the work in the Father's harvest field! 

Apart From Him…

• Pray again for your lost friends and ask God to help you do whatever it takes to go find those "lost sheep.” Ask for the courage to share the gospel and ask for a response. 

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Walking As Jesus…

• Practice sharing the gospel today with a friend who believes. Then share it for real with a friend who doesn't. Do it today. 

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• My Personal Disciple-Making Plan: