Harvest Principle

 
The Harvest Principle

By Pastor Dan Kennedy
© August 18, 2013
www.pastorkennedy.com

How does God want us to reach the world around us with the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

We struggle with fear in reaching out to others around us, but to reach others effectively we must understand the Principle of the Harvest.  It is totally different from how the world handles the gaggle and glitz of promoting its own causes.

This Principle is so contrary to the world’s principles; the world cannot comprehend its immense value.

A couple weeks ago we looked at Isaiah’s prophecy of how Jesus Christ, the Messiah would minister, in Luke 4:18-19:

Luke 4:18–19 
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, 
because he has anointed me 
to preach good news to the poor. 
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners 
and recovery of sight for the blind, 
to release the oppressed, 
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 

•	The Messiah would be Empowered by God’s Spirit in His Ministry.  

Christ would minister to:

A.  The Poor (in spirit).  

B.  Those Bound and Imprisoned (by Sin).  

C.	  The (Spiritually) Blind.  

D.  Those needing Spiritual Freedom… the Oppressed.  

We are to seek out those…“from the Highways and Hedges” (Luke 14:12–24), those who are willing to reach out to Christ, the Messiah.

We are seeking a Harvest in our Community, for the Kingdom of God, within the next few months.  What is the most effective way to assure ourselves of a meaningful harvest?  

•	Are we to be entertainers to intrigue folks so they will accept the Gospel?
•	Are we to be securely knowledgeable about the Gospel and the Bible?
•	Are we to show our great personalities, with lots of other things, which show  “benefit” for being a Christian?

To be “attractive” to those in the world, one would think that an excellent, dynamic program might be the best way to assure ourselves of a meaningful harvest.  
Is this the answer?
It is not so.  Those are the ways that the “world” attracts humans to itself.

When we share the Gospel of Christ, we share what is foolishness to the world 
(1 Corinthians 1:20-31).
How do followers of Christ have an abundant harvest for the Kingdom of God?  They follow the “Principle of the Harvest”.

“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone”…

…“But if it dies, it bears much fruit.” …John 12:24, see vs. 24-26

Jesus was speaking of this principle regarding the harvest, which would come because of His own death…but He made clear that He had the same expectation of those who would follow Him.  The principle is true for each believer in Jesus Christ.

God’s goal for His Children is not to build amazing organizations of religion and grand temples here on earth.  If that were the case, God would have sent His Son to establish a grand earthly model for us to follow.  Instead, Christ gave us God’s far greater challenge:  “the principle of the harvest”.

Jesus Christ lived out this principle.  Jesus taught this principle.
This principle is accurate and dominant regardless of the world’s opinion of its accuracy. 

“Die” to:
D esires that we know are not what God wants us to do.
I nternal anxiety and fear.
E go that sets itself up against God (pride, arrogance and deceitfulness).

The Scripture is quite clear that a true Christian should “die” to those things that will destroy him Spiritually.

Romans 8:5–9, 12-13
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 
9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live….

The truth, in fact is, if we do not die to our flesh, we will actually die in a much greater way.

Dying to our flesh and Putting On the New Person in Christ

Colossians 3:1–17 
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: 

•	sexual immorality, 
•	impurity, 
•	passion, 
•	evil desire, and 
•	covetousness, which is idolatry.

6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.

8 But now you must put them all away: 

•	anger, 
•	wrath, 
•	malice, 
•	slander, and 
•	obscene talk from your mouth.
•	9 Do not lie to one another, 

seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. 

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, 

 compassionate hearts, 
 kindness, 
 humility, 
 meekness, and 
 patience, 
 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, 
 forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 
 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 
 15And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. 
 And be thankful. 
 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, 
 teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, 
 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, 
 with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 
 17And whatever you do, in word or deed, 
  do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, 
  giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

The Harvest Principle Requires Death to our Flesh if we desire a Spiritual Harvest

•	If we do not “die” to the Desires that we know are dishonoring to God, then we are planting seeds that will mature into a destructive, carnal and a spiritually deadly lifestyle.

•	If we choose to not “die”, by the power of the Spirit of God, to the Internal anxieties of worry and fear, then we will be weighed down and entangled by all of the things that engulf and destroy those who are not Children of God.

•	If we choose to not “die”, through God’s Power, to our own Ego – our pride, arrogance, personal security, and deceitful heart, then our Ego will always be in competition with God…and no one can serve both God and serve themselves, at the same time (Matt. 6:24; Luke 16:13).

What we sow in our life is what we grow in our life.

The type of Seed that we Sow produces like-kind plants and fruit.

“Whatever you sow, you will also reap.”

Galatians 6:7–8 
7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

What is sown produces a harvest of its own fruit.

Galatians 6:9–10 continues with this encouragement…
9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

How are we to seek to reach out to others in our community?

We should minister as Christ ministered:

•	We must seek to be Empowered by God’s Spirit as we reach out.  

We should seek out those (in the “highways and hedges”) who are:

A.	  The Poor (in spirit).  
B.	  Those Bound and Imprisoned (by Sin).  
C.	  The (Spiritually) Blind.  
D.  Those needing Spiritual Freedom… the Oppressed.  

We are to seek a Spiritual Harvest by following the Principle of the Harvest:

We die to ourselves, so a harvest can be raised through our life.

We Die to ourselves:

To Desires that we know are not what God wants us to do.
To Internal anxiety and worry that binds us with fear.
To Ego that sets itself up against God (pride, arrogance and deceitfulness).

We live unto God.  We allow God to work through our “death”, to bring Spiritual life.


The Principle of the Harvest

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat 
falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; 
but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 
Whoever loves his life loses it, 
and whoever hates his life (is willing to “die” to his or her flesh) 
in this world 
will keep it for eternal life. 
If anyone serves me, he must follow me; 
and where I am, there will my servant be also. 
If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.”

John 12: 24-26


Each life will have its own Principle of Harvest.  For Christ, it was Crucifixion for the sins of the whole world.  For you or I this Principle will be unique to each of us, but if we do not choose to “die” when we are faced with the decision to grasp life’s worldly rewards, or die to the world’s carnality, then we will not have the benefit of the Harvest that God wants for His Kingdom.  If we choose the “Principle of the Harvest”, we will not only experience our part in building the Kingdom of God, we will also enjoy great, momentous, and eternal blessing.

What is the potential for our harvest, using this principle?

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