 Our sermon title this morning is a time to sow and reap a time to sow and reap and this is part 2 in our sermon series as we work Through John chapter 4 verses 27 through 42 in John chapter 4 We saw at the beginning of this chapter in verses 1 through 26 an Example here with the Lord Jesus Christ and the woman at the well an example of the Lord evangelizing He evangelizes this woman at the well shares the gospel with her We saw how the Lord did that and now here beginning in verse 27 as we began last week We see those truths that we learned in verses 1 through 26 now Expanded and there are lessons for us to learn about this and these are glorious lessons that we need to take these lessons to heart Beginning in verse 27 last week We first saw the glorious provision that the Lord makes for his people to be involved in this work It is not a light thing to say that wicked sinners like you and I now because of the grace and mercy of God Get to participate in the work that God does to redeem a sinner. That is a glorious blessing It can't be lost on us that former liars former fornicators Former adulterers rebels enemies in their mind by their wicked works Former lost wicked sinners like you and I get to be involved in the work of evangelism And if you don't see that as a grace, you don't see that as a blessing You don't see that as a joy that I would submit to you There's a problem in your heart that you need to do business before God with the fix It is a heart problem. This is a blessing and it's a joyous Work that we do joyous blessing to see a lost sinner saved by God It's a glorious blessing that we've seen our share that are not here Amen That is a great blessing of God here in our church and it gives us great joy More joy in heaven over one sinner who repents right? We share as a little outpost of heaven here. We share that joy here when someone gets saved It's a glorious provision of God's work He says in verse 27 at this point his disciples came they marvel that he talked with a woman yet No one said what do you seek or what do you why are you talking with her? So the woman then left her water pot She went her way into the city and said to the men come see a man who told me all things I ever did could this be the Christ and then they went out of the city and came to see him We see in verses 1 through 26 the example of our Lord witnessing to her and in that example We know that ultimately it is God who saves right Jonah chapter 2 verse 9 says that salvation is of the Lord Salvation is of the Lord, but God here doesn't operate Apart from the means of the Lord Jesus Christ witnessing to her He uses the Lord witnessing to the woman at the well to save her and in that we're reminded that although God is sovereign We are responsible and God uses the means of his people to accomplish his work So when you signed on to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ if you turn from your sin put your faith in him Then you have signed up for employment with the Lord to do his work and we see that exemplified Perfectly here by the Lord Jesus Christ Additionally now from 27 to verse 30. We see the disciples and Their work that they're about to enter into Think about this because God has chosen in his wisdom to use the means of his people to save others He involves us and Provides opportunity for us to be involved in this work of sowing and reaping that we see here We saw last week how his disciples here were being prepared for that work by the Lord's example And there are lessons there that they're learning in verse 28 We see the woman right a brand new disciple fresh out of the oven Already going off into the city to do the work that the Lord has given her to do God has sovereign over salvation, but makes glorious provision for his people to be involved In fact, he makes it the mission of his people and it's always been that way It's been the mission of God's people in the Old Testament It is the mission of God's people in the New Testament and it is a tremendous place blessing What a tremendous grace right what a tremendous grace in fact We often around here refer to evangelism as a means of grace to God's people Now think about it for a moment It is certainly a means of God's grace that that person that he's gonna save as a result of that evangelistic encounter, right? Certainly a means of grace of that person who's gonna be saved. What about the person evangelizing? Listen, it's a means of grace to you too think about it if you are faithful in this work of Reaping of sowing and reaping in the Lord's harvest field then it is rocket fuel to your Christian growth, isn't it? If you've been faithful in that work, you know how the Lord has grown you through that work It leads to growth in God's word. You've got to study. You've got to answer objections You've got to know what the Bible says you need to know how to faithfully and accurately and articulately and compellingly Give the gospel message. You're gonna be in God's word and when you're in God's word You're gonna grow it leads you to pray doesn't it for the person that you're witnessing to how many of you genuine Christians in this room have Shed tears lost sleep praying over that lost family member that lost co-worker that lost child that you want to see saved, right? Causes you to pray and the Lord grows you in your community with him through prayer That's a grace a grace that comes from the Lord through the means of evangelism It causes you to put to death that sinful fear of man When I first Witnessed to a stranger. It was knee-knocking fear involved But by the Lord's grace you be faithful to the Lord in that work and the Lord helps you overcome put to death that sinful fear of man Convicts you of your hypocrisy How can you stand there talking to a stranger about their sin when you're in your own, right? So it convicts you of hypocrisy teaches you how to put off that sinful flesh put away your sin repent You learn apologetics you learn apologetics It gives you a backbone of steel doesn't it a forehead of Flint because you've got to answer those objections You've got to answer those sometimes hostile questions Most of all most of all in proclaiming the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ You ascribe praise and glory and honor to him the Lord of glory it is a precious and blessed Privilege of God's people And you're gonna be blessed by God in that work if you're faithful to do it So in verse 28 now in verse 28 After her stunning encounter with the God man, right after a stunning encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ Who told her everything she's ever done the woman now the woman at the well Leaves as the disciples are just arriving on the scene and she goes into the village The disciples are walking up in time to hear that last statement I who speak to you am as the Lord Jesus Christ reveals himself as the messiah and reveals his deity And so in verse 30 now her witness Her witness Is so compelling that the villagers begin pouring out It's what that word means there pouring out of the city pouring out of that village to see christ to hear him To hear him speak as the messiah They are pouring out of the village of sycarp now Meanwhile as the woman departs forgets her water pot leaves that behind goes off into the village Another conversation now ensues at the well And this is the Lord's conversation with his disciples and we see that in verses 31 through 35 And what that is communicating to us there and those four verses five verses Is now point two on your notes the priority of the work We've seen God's provision of the work for his people Now we see the priority that that work should be to us the priority that should have in our lives Look at verse 31 in the meantime his disciples urged him saying rabbi eat But he said to them i have food to eat of which you do not know Verse 33 therefore the disciples said to one another has anyone brought him anything to eat Jesus said to them my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work Now simultaneously in these verses we see two different perspectives or two different priorities Being asserted here at exactly the same time We see a worldly priority or a worldly perspective and we see the heavenly priorities or the heavenly perspective Think about it as you look at verse 31 the disciples thinking in a worldly sense urged Jesus to eat in verse 31, so Jesus then in hearing them say rabbi eat Jesus thinks about the heavenly food that sustains him right the heavenly food that strengthens him the heavenly food that brings him joy And that is as he explains doing the will of the father and finishing his work So as jesus then mentions the heavenly food that i have that he has I have food which you don't know about the disciples all of a sudden with their worldly perspective think Somebody must have brought him a sandwich And so they're thinking in a worldly sense Now as jesus christ again starts differentiating or showing distinction between the heavenly perspective that we should have The worldly perspective that here the disciples have this is a pretty remarkable lesson that christ is going to teach with The economy of words at just a very short time Think about this lesson The most important thing to the lord jesus christ That thing which is most important that thing that would take priority over even his necessary food Would take priority over anything else in his life is doing the will of the father And finishing his work The most important thing to christ with a heavenly perspective is doing the will of the father and finishing his work You have to ask yourself then what is that what is the will of the father? What is his work here doing the will of the father is characterized in large part by evangelism By witness by bearing witness by witnessing to this woman at the well her witnessing to the samaritans His work of seeking and saving that which is lost here this Priority exemplified perfectly in the life and work of the son of god Everywhere that the lord jesus christ went he was witnessing wasn't he? Everywhere that he went he was involved in the father's work of sewing and reaping that was his art That was his desire that was his joy. That was what sustained him. That was what strengthened him He longed to see lost people saved And you think about that for a moment jesus christ put himself in the company of tax collectors and heathens and harlots for what purpose To see them saved to see them to see them in heaven one day to save their souls It was jesus who in just a few chapters from now Showed compassion to a woman who was caught in adultery right and he told her go and sin no more saved her It was jesus christ who stood on the mount of olives Overlooking the city of drusselam and cried out jerusalem jerusalem the one who kills the prophets stones those who are set to her How often i wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings But you were not willing It's the compassion of the lord jesus christ for lost sinners lost souls They would come to faith We see that same heart. We see that same heart in paul right in romans chapter nine Listen to this paul's statement in romans chapter nine. He says i tell the truth in christ I'm not lying my conscience also bearing me witness in the holy spirit that i have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart Over what paul over what what is the sorrow? What is the burden on your heart verse three? For i could wish that i myself were accursed from christ for my brethren my countrymen according to the flesh He wanted to see his countrymen saved yet a burden a burden that would come to faith in christ Listen to this from david an old testament example listen to this from david in song chapter 40 David says sacrifice god an offering you did not desire He says my ears you have opened david was a saved man his ears are open His eyes are open his heart has been changed and look at what he says Burnt offering and sin offering you did not require Then i said behold i come in the scroll of the book it is written of me I delight to do your will oh my god and your law is within my heart The will of god the father with his necessary food Will of god was sustenance to his soul strength to his soul his delight was to do god's will And listen to david's words in reference to what that will what that work is listen to what he says He says i have proclaimed the good news of righteousness in the great assembly Indeed david says i do not restrain my lips. Oh lord you yourself know If you're a christian If you've had your heart changed if you've been indwelt by the holy spirit Then it's not a matter of i gotta do this. It's a matter of i can't restrain my lips And if you're restraining if you find yourself in that situation of restraining your lips It's a heart problem. There's sin there that we need to repent of A christian has got to speak of christ. It's a compulsion here. We see that in david I don't restrain my lips. Oh lord you yourself know listen I have not hidden your righteousness within my heart Think about it if you restrain your lips you are hiding that treasure you are hoarding that treasure Within your own heart you got to give that out Tell someone else about it Here he says i'm not hitting your righteousness within my heart. I have declared your faithfulness god and your salvation I've not concealed your loving kindness and your truth from the great assembly Can't conceal that glorious blessing the lord has given us responsibility to speak to bear witness A significant problem a significant problem with many professing christians today And i use that word professing on purpose is they just don't do it. They just don't do it widespread the reason that the church seems so ineffectual the professing church seems so ineffectual in the world today is because the church just by and large isn't doing it God's people if they have that treasure or hoarding that treasure to themselves so to speak A significant problem is that what many in the professing church would look at in many of you here And see overboard zeal Is simply a faithful christian What the bible would describe is simply faithful All right, you know many of us have gone to churches before we see that one guy right that one The kooky guy over there always talking about jesus. Listen, that's just faithfulness of the lord, but he looks out of place Because the others aren't Romans 12 says this is listen. This is our reasonable service our reasonable service is doing the will of the father and finishing his work Preaching christ luke chapter 17 says when we've done all this We are at best unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do Write biblical priorities. Okay, write biblical priorities followed by obedient action From the heart in the power of the spirit for the glory of god is simply faithfulness to the lord Simply faithfulness of the lord write biblical priorities Followed by obedient action from the heart in the power of the spirit for the glory of god Is simply faithfulness to the lord If you're in the word of god at all You know these things intellectually, but so many professing Christians simply don't do them simply don't do them I was reading a book By Colin Marshall We're taking our leadership group through it now called the trellis and the vine called the trellis and the vine and in that book is a quote from a One half of a comedy team called pen and teller the quote from there a pen Gillette a pen Gillette is a staunch atheist and after a show of pen and teller one time a man came up to Pen Gillette and tried to witness to him to evangelize him after the show. Here's what pen Gillette said. This is coming from an atheist Pen Gillette said I've always said, you know that I don't respect people who don't proselytize That means in our case sharing the gospel. Okay, this atheist said I don't respect people who don't proselytize I don't respect that at all if you believe there's a heaven and hell and People could be going to hell or not getting eternal life or whatever and you think that well It's not really worth telling them because it would make it socially awkward He says how much do you have to hate somebody not to proselytize them? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that? He says I mean if I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you and you didn't believe it And that truck was bearing down on you. There's a certain point where I tackle you And this he says is more important than that Coming from an atheist sowing and reaping Is a priority of god in redemptive history Sowing and reaping is a priority of god in redemptive history It was a priority of the lord jesus christ and his earthly ministry And now if you're a disciple of christ, it is a priority for you and me. It's our priority too Take a cue from an atheist We'd have to say that many professing christians are so disobedient in this work simply because they don't themselves believe And this work is a crucial part of doing the will of the father and finishing his work If they do believe if they do believe it just means it's simply not a priority Not a priority to them It's neglected And that points to a significant heart problem I want you to think about this Be thankful to god Praise god Worship god magnify god Honor god because someone before you it was a priority for them Because you came to faith because someone else prioritized getting the gospel out It was a priority to someone before you you have a bible in your hands in your language Because it was so much a priority to that man that he translated it to his own demise cost him his life He burned at the stake for it Someone gave their life to get it to you You are a product Of the fact that getting the gospel out this work of sewing and reaping You are a product of the fact that it was a priority to someone Make it a priority for you so that for the sake of someone else's soul They can be saved and for the full glory of god And make it a priority to you so that christ receives a full reward for his suffering Now this is important serious business There is a heaven there is a hell there is an eternity and People are just dropping into hell right now dying there's so much work to be done Jesus here in that reality takes an opportunity to teach his disciples a lesson in just these few verses And it's a lesson that Jesus is teaching about his own Priority for sewing and reaping all of which he summarizes as the will of him who sent me Jesus said to them in verse 34 My food Jesus says is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work He was so heavenly minded that when it came to everything around him so concerned To seek and to save that which is lost so filled with delight overdoing the will of the father That food just wasn't that important to him right now You ever been so excited about something you just forgot to eat? Yes, forgot to go to sleep, you know you you stay up all night and somehow Nine o'clock in the morning rolls around you're just not tired, right? That that thing which just occupies your excitement your desire your will To him it was here. It was doing the will of the father. It was evangelizing the law seeking and saving that which is lost And have you yet? Tell me this isn't true. Have you yet realized That the more selfish you are The more self-centered you are the more self-indulgent you are the less Happy you are The less joyful you are in truth right really the less joyful you are the less happy you are There is joy in doing the will of the father and finishing his work There's joy in entering into this work And so you got to think to yourself. What's your water pot? What have you not left behind the woman at the well came to the well She's so preoccupied with that conversation. She forgot the original reason. She went She leaves her water pot behind to go into the city to do exactly what the lord had called her to do She's been saved to mission. She goes into sycar to tell the men of that city about the lord jesus christ And leaving that water pot behind. What's your water pot? What is it that you prioritize over doing the will of the father and finishing his work? Is it pleasure? Is it leisure? It just those self-indulgent things think about it Whatever that water pot is leave it behind and get into the harvest field work for the lord It is a great priority, but now next it's a priority because it's so important It's such an important work to do because we're talking about heaven and hell and eternity But also it's an important work because it's an urgent work We see the priority of the work of sowing and reaping In its urgency look at verse 35 Bible says here Do you not sit? Do you not say there are still four months and then comes the harvest Behold I say to you Lift up your eyes. Look at the fields for they are already white for harvest and he who reaps receives wages And gathers fruit for eternal life Jesus christ in verse 35 Reminds the disciples of an adage a proverb a proverbial statement that went around at that time That is there are still four months and then comes the harvest the idea is We've got a time you got time right we sow then we got four months to reap in other words Don't get yourself in a tizzy slow down right take time these things don't happen immediately You can be england you can be france, but don't be russian Right take your time Here he makes that statement gives them a proverbial statement, but then he says this listen Behold he's addressing them with great emphasis great authority and great urgency. He says now look get this Pay attention church pay attention pay attention Lift up your eyes Focus now on what must be your highest priority right now The fields are already white for the harvest However, you usually view the time that comes between sowing and reaping you got to put that out of your mind That's no longer the case. That's not your reality now. You've got to redeem the time because the days are evil Doing the will of the father in sowing and reaping has been the lord's priority That work is now also going to be on the forefront of the disciples priorities as well They can't prioritize sowing You know some time somewhere and then waiting around and to see what happens. They've got to be involved in the work now I can't help but imagine in this passage. We don't know for sure But I can't help but imagine in this passage that as the lord jesus christ is talking to them And he says behold lift up your eyes that he's pointing And as he's pointing the disciples lift their eyes and look into the fields around sycar As the men of the village start pouring out of the village to come here christ He says the fields are already white for the harvest and in this this picture that is being portrayed again We see the worldly perspective in one case and the heavenly perspective on the part of the lord jesus christ From a worldly perspective here come the people of sycar now it was common for them at that time To wear a woven garment that was knee length or longer that would have been white Would look like white robes so here through the fields outside of sycar come The samaritans Dressed in white the fields are white for the harvest in the heavenly's perspective of the lord jesus christ This is the harvest that we're reaping. This is the work that needs to be done. You disciples entering into my labor This is the work that i've given you to do the souls of men people going to heaven going to hell And he just looks up and they they witness this this scene of the men of sycar coming out to hear jesus christ preach These men crossing over ancient boundaries right Disregarding ancient grievances For salvation for the lord jesus christ When you think about the arresting use of that word behold And when you put that into the context of people pouring out of the city at that time And then the true desire and joy of the christian in doing the will of the father Sewing and reaping would now at this moment have to be chief among their priorities It's got to be a priority There's another very key word in this passage They got that keyword behold and the urgency of it all But another very key word in this passage that can Convey is great urgency is the word already. It's the word already Do you say do you not say there's still four months and then comes the harvest? Behold I say to you jesus says lift up your eyes look at the fields for they are already White for harvest this word already communicates urgency Don't let that right fruit rot on the vine How many of you have had an opportunity presented to you by the lord to witness to somebody and you didn't Have you am I the only one? There's opportunity There's opportunity work in the lord's harvest field Reap that fruit the lord that opportunity the lord has given you They're already white for the harvest. Don't let the fruit rot on the vine sewing Is no longer Only a time When you plant a seed and then wait around you've got to be about the work You can't wait You can't wait to get involved in the work if you're not involved in the work If you're not prioritizing repent of that sin and get involved in the labor the fields are already White for the harvest And now because of the urgency of the work and the priority of the work sewing The time in between and reaping are all now according to verse 36 just happening simultaneously He who goes out to sow the seed sows the seed as the reaper is coming back and they both meet in the middle rejoicing together It's all happening simultaneously. It's an urgent work It's also very interesting if you look at the original language if you look at the greek the word already Is the very last word of verse 35 Now back in that day when these manuscripts were written you didn't have verses, right? They didn't have verses the language just ran on just kept going So there's no verse division between 35 and 36 in the original language And already that greek word is the last Word of verse 35. I actually think that it's more appropriate that it looks forward to verse 36. Look at that Either way it communicates the same truth but looking forward to verse 36 and already He who reaps receives wages Already the one who is reaping is receiving reward receiving wages for his labor already people are pouring into the kingdom Already a Samaritan to that well got saved already the people of the village of sycar coming out to hear Jesus christ and already Samaritans are going to be saved Already Jesus christ the savior of the world Is doing that work of saving the world Already he who reaps receives wages The point is that there is no time to waste and you and I live in this same time We live in this same time. It is a time of sowing and reaping a time of sowing and reaping now that For which the sower sows And that for which the reaper reaps is for a purpose and that purpose now here is to gather fruit for eternal life that is Those are the wages for the reaper. That's the fruit of the reaper. That's that which he is reaping for Is the gather fruit for eternal life That should remind us now think about that that should remind us that this is no light work that we undertake It is a work of eternal Significance they're gathering fruit for eternal life There will be eternal death Or eternal life Here the reapers go out to reap for eternal life It should remind us that it's not a task that we can take lightly And it needs to remind us That it does ultimately matter whether we do it or not Some people think to themselves about the work of the lord and they think in a very unbiblical way That if if I don't get it somebody if I don't get to it somebody else will Now you get a you get a need comes up. There's a need that comes up. You think to yourself Other people have this email other people have seen this. I don't have to do anything. Somebody else is going to get to it That is sinfully negligent That's unbiblical thinking stinking thinking Some people think to themselves well if I don't witness that person if lord wants to save him Lord's going to save him the lord is sovereign and is an unbiblical way to think it is our responsibility We have responsibility and the lord if the lord is going to save him The lord is going to use the means of his people to do it And it's not right to think that apart from those means that somehow the lord's going to do that work and just push Push it back on him We don't know how that all fits together how god's sovereignty and man's responsibility at the end of the day Work together, but we know that they do because that's what the bible teaches You can't pass up opportunities thinking about things that way This task that we have This task of sowing and reaping Involves the eternal life of someone the eternal the eternal Life of someone it's going to go on forever We have to have this work as an urgent High priority work if we are the people of god It was god's work. It's the lord's work. It's our work has to be a high priority to us There's a prophecy In the book of amos listen to this from amos chapter 9 Verse 13 speaking about all this together. He says Behold the days are coming says the lord when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treacher of grapes Him who sow seed the mountains shall drip with sweet wine and the hill shall flow with it Now this is An end times an eschatological prophecy, but it's a now prophecy too. It's a now and not yet This is the day that we live in when the plowman's overtaking the reaper The treacher of grapes is passing by him who sow seed It's just we're sowing and reaping and sowing and reaping together and Lord's people god's people are rejoicing in that So is this a cause then for complaining Is this a cause for complaining look at all this lousy work I gotta do now. I'm a christian. I gotta gotta go share the gospel with somebody. I mean is it is it something to begrudge? No Anyone who is a christian a genuine christian would not feel it if there's any sense of that in your heart again That's something to repent of again. It's the you've got to go to god's word cry out to the lord for help Cultivating yourself a desire to see lost people saved and then follow up that desire with action Someone says look at all these people I have to deal with now. No No, this is the harvest field. It's a field in which we should take joy that we get to work in It's a cause for rejoicing There A lot of so-called christian That would so-called christians that would rejoice over the great apostasy coming Because you don't have to evangelize What a what a wicked attitude the thing in your heart, I don't have to evangelize or I don't want to evangelize It's a problem in your heart. You know, there's an old joke about pastors Uh the pastor who says, you know work in the ministry would be great if it weren't for all these people That is that is the ministry verse 36 He says in he who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit for eternal life That both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together When biblical desire Meets god provided opportunity and someone is brought out of death to eternal life Listen, that is flat out awesome and we should rejoice over that. Amen It's a cause for great rejoicing. So that points us to point three on our notes Is the present joy of the work the present joy of the work We see that in verses 35 through 38. Look at verse 36 He who reaps receives wages he who reaps is already receiving wages And gathers fruit for eternal life that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together For in this the saying is true one sows and other reaps I sent you to reap for that which you have not labored others have labored you have entered into their labors The purpose in verse 36 of sowing and reaping Is so that there may be rejoicing together. We rejoice with the lord If you start here in verse 36 37 38 start trying to figure out Or pin who it is who reaps and who it is who sows you're missing the point, right? It's going to lead you down a rabbit trail the great joy is the point Great joy is no matter what part you play in this whether you sow whether you reap There's great joy in entering into the work Let's remember that together right because oftentimes folks can get discouraged or disheartened Disappointed when you feel as though you're sowing sowing sowing sowing sowing like crazy and you're not seeing any fruit You're sowing doing the work of the father doing the will of the father You're sowing in the lord's harvest field. You just keep sowing our responsibilities to be faithful to god God's in control of the results There will be many many have sown before you many have sown before us And they were not permitted to see the reaping We live in a day now of sowing and reaping if you've been here as a part of this church And you've been faithful in evangelism you have been reaping and rejoicing with us when someone comes and they're genuinely saved And usually you hear their testimony and they've talked to 14 different brothers and 12 different sisters And you know this person's been a major impact on them and that person's been a major And the lord has used all that to provide the increase But god is the one who provides for the increase. He gets all the glory Here the disciples and us we live in a time of reaping think about those that went out before us here Those that have gone out before sowing john the baptist was one John the baptist went out sowing until his head was removed from him, right? Think about the prophets. Certainly the lord jesus christ is out sowing But think about the prophets before in jeremiah, right the weeping prophet weeping over the souls of his people There have been many who have gone out to sow before us think about our context and the Reformers who went before us that man that gave his life so that you'd have a translated bible Right those reformers that gave their lives to fight for justification by faith alone in christ alone those great saints of old who sowed Before and we now reap a blessing Those that gave their lives It's true. This is true of verse of the disciples in verse 38 Jesus says i sent you to reap that for which you've not labored Others have labored and you have entered into their labors They had the blessed privilege of being sent out by the lord into the harvest to reap that for which they have not sown Reminds me of paul in first chrithians chapter three paul says i planted Apollos watered, but god gave the increase now listen So then neither he who plants is anything nor he who waters But god who gives the increase now he who plants and he who waters are one and each one will Receive his own reward. That's interesting. We receive our own reward. We're going to receive a reward according to our labor This is the same thing as he who reaps receiving wages. There's a reward here For the disciples at this point in time This is the first time they've been put into the work here come the men of the city And the disciples are going to begin sowing and reaping among those men of the city It's the first time they've been put into the work And the lord sends them to reap a harvest among the Samaritans and they're going to receive a reward for their labor in that It's an amazing thought the lord saves us The best possible reward lord blesses us and all that seats us in the heavenlies with christ Adopses as a something about all these blessings right and then the lord blesses us to be able to participate in the work He gives us the power of his spirit to do it We're to do it through faith in the lord jesus christ the lord does literally everything for us We just have to put our faith in him And then in doing all that the lord then rewards us for doing that for which he Saved us for doing that work that he gave us today It's just an amazing thought isn't it the lord just lavishes grace lavishes grace lavishes grace The lord sends us out too. This is true of you and me God ultimately does the sowing but we get to enter in and reap and there is a reward waiting for those that do Matthew 9 36 says this When jesus christ saw the multitudes He was moved with compassion for them. It's when he saw the multitudes his heart was moved to compassion but sometimes you got to get out in the field to see the multitudes to Cultivate an understanding of the lostness of this world in which we live to cultivate in you a compassion He was moved with compassion for them because they were weary and scattered like sheep having no shepherd Then he said to his disciples The harvest is truly plentiful But the laborers are few therefore pray the lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest There is always it is that statement is as true as it was two thousand years ago is just as true today There is so much work to be done There are so many lost people whom the lord will Save because matthew 16 says that jesus is building his church. He's doing that even now There's so many lost people that the lord will save there is too much of a harvest out there right now that We don't have enough laborers to go get it And we need to pray that lord would send out more laborers, you know I've often thought before just real simple logic right if you could walk out the front door of this church You knew beyond a shadow of a shadow of a doubt you just walk out into that parking lot There's going to be a person standing there You're going to share the gospel with that person and that person is going to be gloriously saved saved right there on the spot How many of you in this room would reject the notion of going out the door to do that just sit in your chair No, no, no, it'd be a fight getting out of here to go talk to that guy If you knew he's going to be saved. I mean he's got fresh pickings right there That's the way it is The lord has people of harvest is plentiful plentiful The harvest is out there. That's the laborers that are few You just got to go out and share the gospel and you're going to come across them The lord has many in this city that he will call to himself We just have to get out and be faithful in the work but also This all leads us to point four on your notes The eternal fruit of the work the eternal fruit of the work That reward those wages Aren't the only fruit that's produced there's fruit for eternal life being produced here verse 39 says many of the samaritans in that city Believed in him because of the word of the woman who testified he told me all that I ever did So when the samaritans had come to him they urged him to stay with him and he stayed there two days And many more believed because of his own word Then they said to the woman Now we believe not because of what you said for we ourselves have heard him And we know that this is indeed the christ the savior of the world There were many there who believed Because of the faithful witness of this once lost immoral scandalous samaritan woman But many there believed because of the grace the gracious witness of the lord jesus christ himself They came to believe that jesus is the christ the son of god and believing they received life eternal And it's interesting at the end of 30 at the end of verse 42 Samaritans the most unlikely of peoples And they were saved simply by believing upon him coming to him in faith That's a lesson also for us to learn. There is no outcast Which the lord to bring glory to himself will not save There's no rebellion so severe that the lord can't They're so gorgeous. So gracious. So good. So kind Praise your worship lord. Did you say us now we're flying us fable to go out with that word for it? Don't Allow us kind of a hoard that treasure Horing your righteousness with our own hearts But let us speak of it in the great assembly that you may be glorified that lost centers would be redeemed to you god And worshiped praise you forever We do this for your glory and for the good of those people Lord we just We enjoy our fellowship so much here god. I enjoy the peace of me giving us this little outpost at heaven And we just want to take many many more with us in the glory And we as you know you do from the word rejoice together in that glorious truth All these things we pray with blessing in our savior the savior of the world our gorgeous christ