Reaping a Harvest part 1
The Harvest Requires Preparing the Ground
I have a quick little quiz for you before we begin. Take a look at these photos and tell me which one shows land that is ready to grow crops.
Now, I know this may be an obvious question for an agricultural community (hopefully obvious for any community), but I’d like you to consider what’s wrong with these other pictures. In order for crops to grow, the ground must be ready. There is a certain set of conditions required if you want to grow something that isn’t a weed. The trees need removed, ground needs tilled, the soil enriched, rocks removed, and this one with the road is going to take a lot of work. And this beach photo is mostly hopeless. Unless you’re planting coconut trees, I’m not sure any garden will do well next to a large body of salt water.
We know this truth from everyday life:
If we want to grow something, we must prepare the ground for it.
It’s true for gardens, farms, businesses, schools, and it’s true for churches as well. It is not a coincidence the Bible uses so many agricultural metaphors to describe God’s people and God’s work. It’s not just because the ancient world was agri-centered, it’s because life works according to God’s design. And that design has to have everything in place to work. If something is off, then the whole system fails. It’s true in ecology, agriculture, business, education, and it’s true in churches.
Now, that’s not to say the system will not exist if something is off; it just means the system will not work as it’s designed. I can plant rows and rows of corn, but if water never makes it into the ground, I won’t be seeing much corn. Or what if the sun refused to shine? Or someone steals the seed? Or the ground is filled with rocks? Or some pests infest the ground? Or, what if I want to grow corn, but I’m sold a bag of apple seeds? And those are just the factors I know without being a farmer. I’m sure there are a myriad of other factors to consider as well. We haven’t even started talking about machinery!
But, just as it’s true for the farm, it’s true for the church. The Church is designed to function a particular way. We are given a lot of flexibility by the Lord in terms of what the church will look like and sound like, but if we want to grow into the church God has designed us to be, we have to adhere to the biblical principles He has already given us.
And these principles will sound familiar, because they relate to other parts of life:
To reap a harvest, the ground must be prepared.
To reap a harvest, seeds must be planted.
To reap a harvest, workers must do their jobs.
To reap a harvest, the harvest must be reaped.
That last one may sound funny, but the last step in any garden/farm is to actually pick the harvest. A thousand acres of apple trees can produce an enormous amount of apples, but if no one ever picks them, what’s the use?
Today, I’d like us to consider this first principle. In order to grow the church, we have to start with the ground work.
What are we growing?
Before we start talking about growth, it may be helpful to define what we are growing. Unfortunately, today there are a lot of ideas about what a church should be. Are we a civic organization? Are we a social club? Are we a welfare agency? Are we some religious organization with no influence or bearing on everyday, “real” life? Well…no.
The local church is a gathering of believers in Jesus Christ who have turned from sin, received forgiveness and eternal life, and they seek to imitate Christ by calling others to eternal life.
That’s the simple definition, but it holds large implications. Let’s take a look at the first part by turning to John 8.
“The local church is a gathering of believers in Jesus Christ who have turned from sin, received forgiveness and eternal life…”
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
John 8:31-36
Jesus is speaking to some men who claimed to be part of God’s people. Had they truly been following God, they would have recognized Jesus for who He was, but nevertheless, look at how Jesus describes His disciples.
They “abide in [His] word”—meaning they believe and trust what He teaches.
They “know the truth”—meaning they are convicted of what is true and distinguish it from falsehood.
They are free because “the truth will set you free”—meaning the truth of Christ has transformed who they are and their perspective of life.
Now, this last point hit a nerve with the Jews, because they believed their ancestry is what mattered most. They are from Abraham, and so they are God’s people by birth. Jesus is telling them, it doesn’t matter where you were born. It matters that you follow Jesus, because Jesus is God’s Son, God who came to us to point us to the way of salvation.
We cannot separate being God’s people (the church) from following Christ.
To describe the church as anything other than a gathering of people who follow Christ is to give a false definition. And churches who have decided to make other things their priority, putting the teachings of Christ at the bottom of their list, are no longer churches. We are truly disciples when we abide in His word.
And we follow Jesus, because Jesus is the one who brings freedom. Back to verse 34, if we continue in sin, we are a slave to sin. And if we remain slaves to sin, then we will not last. That line in verse 35 that reads, “The slave does not remain in the house forever,” is a subtle condemnation. The truth is explained throughout Scripture, and some places are much explicitly (Jn. 3:18), but the truth is those who do not follow Christ will face eternal death.
But, if we follow Christ truly, the truth will set us free, and “If the Son sets us free, we are free indeed.”
The local church is a gathering of free people, who worship the freedom-giver and point others to freedom.
Next, the second part of that definition reads, “And they seek to imitate Christ by calling others to eternal life.”
This part of the definition is why we are even discussing growth and harvest. We are called by Christ to bring freedom to others by imitating His example. That’s actually why we are called “Christians”—‘little Christ.’
And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
Acts 11:26
The first Christians were identified by their allegiance to Christ. Today, our allegiance to Christ should still be the one factor that identifies us. If we are described in any other way, then we have misrepresented who we are, and it is time to clear the miscommunication with the world around us.
Our call as Christians is best summed up by Paul.
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
Ephesians 5:1
We imitate God as children of God, because that is what Christ has made us.
The simple idea of growing as a disciple is to imitate God, and help others imitate Him as well.
When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he summed up the challenge to them as this:
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:1
Before we move to the next section, I’d like you to consider this:
Could you truthfully tell others “imitate me, as I imitate Christ”? Of course, we will all fail at times, but can you truly say you are doing your best, and you are growing in the freedom Christ gives? That is the first step of growth. We have to cultivate the ground, and the ground work begins in our own hearts.
Turn with me to Matthew 13, and let’s take a look at those things that need to be cleared away.
Where are we growing?
In Matthew 13:1-23, we have the Parable of the Sower. Jesus is explaining why people respond to the truth of God very differently from each other.
And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.”
Matthew 13:3-9
The parable gives us four types of soil: along the path, rocky ground, among the thorns, and good soil. As we go about sharing the truth of God’s Word, we have to remember not all soil is the same. Notice, though, the sower doesn’t really distinguish where he throws the seed. He’s sowing everywhere he can reach. But he knows he won’t be able to reap everywhere.
As a church, we can sow seeds of faith wherever we go, but the effectiveness of our sowing is contingent on the ground we sow.
Growing as a church requires preparing the ground.
Then, in verses 10-17, Jesus explains why He uses so many parables, and the answer is many will hear the message of Jesus, but not all are willing to listen. But to those who are listening, much more will be given as well.
If we receive the truths and blessings God is giving us now, then He will give us even more later. But if we reject those truths, then even what we have will be taken away.
Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
Matthew 13:10-12
In the passage, this conversation feels like a slight detour. We want to get straight to the explanation, but if we skip this part, we will skip an important truth of God.
Growing as a church requires us to complete the steps God is giving us now.
Jesus is confronting the crowd with the truth they needed right then. The Messiah has come, and we must follow Him. But many were not ready to follow, and so Jesus gives the deeper meaning of the parable to those who are ready.
When we follow Christ, we tend to worry about everything that might happen, but God will always give us a set of instructions for right now. Rather than feeling guilty about a past that is forgiven, or worrying about a future that may not even happen, God wants us to be faithful with what is given today. And until we complete the steps He has given us, we will remain halted. And worse, if we take too long to be obedient, what we have will taken from us.
The first step towards growth, as a church and as an individual, is to prepare the ground. So let’s read verses 18-23 to see what will prevent growth.
“Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
Matthew 13:18-23
The soil types are those things that will prevent the word of God growing in our hearts.
The path lacks soil altogether, and so the birds (Satan) can remove the word from us. These are people who reject the truth of God outright.
The rocky ground is shallow ground. The word is implanted, and the person receives it with joy, but they never develop a root system. Tribulation and persecution comes and the person leaves the faith. They cannot endure hardships.
The thorny ground gives a spot for roots, but the thorns choke the word. These are people who receive the word, and even though the word wants to take root, the trials of life or the lure of worldliness prevent the person from bearing fruit.
But, the good soil allows for roots and growth, and the person bears fruit.
Notice, it’s not what is in the soil that brings fruit. It’s what is not in the soil. God wants us to bear fruit, and He will bring about growth. But we have to clear the soil.
Church growth begins with the church clearing out what prevents growth.
First, we have to reject the lies of Satan and receive the Word of God. This includes all of the Word of God. Following Christ means giving Him everything. Everything in our hearts and minds is put on the table for Him to transform. As a church, that means every program, every worship service, every small group, every piece of music, every staff and volunteer, is put on the table for God to transform as He sees fit—not as we see fit.
Second, we have to recognize that tribulation and persecution is going to come. If we are to face it, we must be rooted in Christ. “Abide in me and you will bear much fruit,” Jesus says in John 15:5. If we are not bearing fruit as individuals, or as a church, then our first step is to examine our relationship with Christ. Are we abiding in Him, or is He someone we just think about on Sunday?
Third, we have to recognize the lure of this world is strong, but it will choke our ability to bear fruit. That’s what our series in Ecclesiastes was all about. If you missed those messages, please read through Ecclesiastes and watch those on our website, because I firmly believe this is the #1 reason why Christians struggle to bear fruit. They are simply “too busy” doing other things. And the crazy part is that God may not even want you to get rid of those things, He may just want you to remember that He has blessed you with that in order to be a blessing to those you are around. Our life, our work, our families, and everything else God gives us in this life is a gift, and we should enjoy it. But it is also an opportunity to be a blessing, and what better blessing is there than freedom from sin and death?
So, when we reject the lies of Satan, root ourselves in Christ, and then put the things of this world in their proper place, then we will have cleared the ground. And only then will we begin to bear fruit.
Notice the yield Jesus describes in verse 23. In one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty. If we are faithful, God will bear fruit in us. It may be a little or a lot, but there will be fruit. Now for those who easily get jealous of others who bear more fruit, go back to verse 12. God will give us an abundance, if we are faithful. And from that abundance, we will do even more—that’s the promise in verse 12. The first clause is a promise. The second is the warning.
If we are faithful to give God what we have, He will bring growth, but if we give Him nothing, then we will receive nothing…and even what we have will be taken from us.
Churches die when they do not follow where God is leading. And the saddest part is they do not die quickly. They decay slowly and surely as God continues to remove what they have been blessed with. The whole time God is calling them to repentance. He does not take away as punishment. He takes away so that the church will recognize their unrepentant hearts. But, as they continue in disobedience, they continue to lose what God has given them.
If as a church we are resigned to die, then it’s better to close the doors quickly and save the heartache. But if as a church we want to be faithful and bear fruit, growing as God has designed us to grow, then we must begin with the groundwork.
I’ll close with a word from Hosea 10:12:
Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.
Hosea 10:12