HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Table of Contents

Sermon 1: Understanding the Harvest

Sermon 2: The Importance of the Harvest

Sermon 3: Requirements of the Harvest

Sermon 4: The Role of the Holy Spirit in the Harvest

Sermon 5: The Mindset of Harvesters

Sermon 6: The Ways or Means of Participating in the Harvest

Sermon 7: Personal Responsibilities of the Harvest

Sermon 8: Hindrances to being a Harvester

Sermon 9: The Consequences of Ignoring the Harvest

Sermon 10: Benefits of Engaging in the Harvest

Sermon 11: The Laws of the Harvest, Part 1

Sermon 12: The Laws of the Harvest, Part 2

Sermon 13: Christmas, the Reason for the Harvest

How to Share One’s Faith

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 2

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Sermon 1: Understanding the Harvest

Matthew 13:24-30

Main idea: The harvest is ready and will be harvested by harvesters with desire and desperation

to advance the Kingdom swiftly and intentionally.

A. Introduction

John Wesley said, "Give me a hundred men who desire nothing but God…and these will

shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on earth."

 Do we desire nothing but God?

 Are we willing to do what it takes to shake the whole world for Christ?

Read Joel 3:12-13 from the NIV.

B. Harvest is both a season (noun) and an action (verb)

In both the Old Testament Hebrew and New Testament Greek, Harvest has both SEASON and

ACTION elements.

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew translation for the word “harvest” is qatsir

Harvest is a process of reaping at a point in time, and is literally translated as the

harvest of twigs or branches

In the New Testament, the Greek translation for the word “harvest” is therismos --

harvest; literally a time of reaping; figuratively, a time of judgement where the saved as

gathered into heaven.

According to the Mariam-Webster dictionary, harvest as a season is defined as:

 the SEASON for gathering in agricultural crops

Harvest as an action is defined as:

 the ACT of gathering agricultural crops.

If you are a farmer, or if you know about farming, you will understand that harvest-time

is the most important and special season in the entire year! The season of harvest is the

time where the farmer collects the reward of their hard work.

Are you excited when it is pay day?

 Some workers are paid every two weeks; others are paid monthly; yet others are paid

when a job is finished.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 3

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

 Harvest season is the season the farmer has worked so hard and is ready to gather their

crops and get paid / earn their pay!

 Harvest was the most important season in the time of the Bible! It was important to

survival!

C. Harvest of souls is prophesied in the Old Testament and explained and

fulfilled in the New Testament

What are we harvesting?

 We are harvesting souls!

The prophet Joel in the Old Testament prophesied that the harvest is ripe (ready), the grapes

are ready to be crushed, and there would be great wickedness among the people!

 We are living in a wicked age in a world that is ready for harvest!

 The book of Joel prophesied a harvest that is coming in the end times.

In Revelation, and we see this prophecy fulfilled. Read Revelations 14:14.

“The harvest is ripe and ready to be reaped…”.

 The Harvest is PROPHESIED in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the new testament at

the coming of Jesus Christ!

We are in the end times! Covid has been a time of re-setting us and moving into a new

season.

 The fulfilment of the harvest of the old testament is seen in the book of Revelation

Chapter 14 which discusses the “Harvesting Angels” which are the angels first out of the

temple in heaven (verse17), like the angel who issued the command to harvest the earth,

and the second from the altar (verse 18). As before, the first angel is carrying a sharp

sickle, and the second gives the order to use it.

The Harvest is READY!

D. Swift, intentional harvesting advances the Kingdom of God

Do we desire nothing but God?

 We show we desire God when we harvest swiftly and intentionally,

Harvesters are so desperate for God that they insist on being led by the Holy Spirit in their work

for God and taking everything God’s kingdom has for them!

 Harvesting requires intentionality and being led by God’s Spirit.

 When we desire God more than anything else, harvesting comes naturally.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 4

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

In Matthew 13:24-30, we find Jesus telling a parable which is called “The Parable of the

Weeds”. Please read it!

The enemy has planted weeds such as lies, division, fear, and anxiety, …but it is time to go

into the field and destroy the weeds and collect the harvest for Jesus!

E. Kingdom advancement requires desire and desperation to advance the

kingdom swiftly and intentionally

Matthew 11: 12 says:

And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom suffers violence and the

violent take it by force.

This verse speaks of the desperation of men and women to see God’s kingdom. They are so

desperate for God that they insist on swiftly and intentionally taking everything God’s kingdom

has for them!

 Fellow harvesters, it is time to stop standing on the sidelines of the football field as

spectators. It is now time to take the harvest! It is time to jump ONTO THE FIELD

and join the game! We can no longer be spectators of the game, but we must be in

the game! (analogy may be made with any sport relevant to the local culture)

 It is time to rise up and go out into our cities and nations to divide the wheat from the

weeds and take what is rightfully God’s.

 There are evil men and women who need Jesus. God does not love their deeds, but he is

seeking them just like he chases after the one lost sheep.

Church, the harvest is READY!

 Matthew 18:11 says “The son of Man came to seek and save the lost”!

 There is a lost and dying world out there!

 Let’s wake up and rise up, Church!

 We are in a new age, a new season, a season of Harvesting as Harvesters in the Kingdom

of God!

Revelations 14:15 says:

Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was

sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for

the harvest of the earth is ripe.”

F. Conclusion: Let’s get busy harvesting!

My friends, Jesus is coming soon for a bride that is ready for Him. He is going to swing his

sickle (cutlass etc.) and will harvest!

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 5

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

 The fields of souls are ripe but the laborers (or harvesters) are few.

 Please join me to swing the sickle and harvest souls for Jesus, for the harvest is ripe!

 It is God’s will to harvest, so then let’s get busy with desire and desperation to harvest

souls for His kingdom!

Closing Invitation

Call for salvation: Are you ready when Jesus returns for His bride? If Jesus were to return

today, are you going with him to heaven?

Call for action: Are you willing to answer God’s call to go into the fields and harvest souls? Are

you willing to do what it takes to go into a lost and dying world and win the lost at all cost while

the opportunity is available?

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 6

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Sermon 2: The Importance of the Harvest

Matthew 9:36-38

Main idea: The harvest is important because it is precious to the heart of Jesus, as it provides a

pathway to salvation, leading to growth and fulfilment

A. Introduction

The importance of the harvest cannot be overemphasized.

 The fact that Jesus spoke on several occasions about the harvest means that it was and is

still precious to his heart.

 No one can get into heaven without the harvest. We are part of the harvest when we

accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

 We participate in the harvest by sharing the gospel; it’s in participating in the harvest that

we give others the opportunity to confess Jesus as Lord; and it’s participating in the

harvest that we disciple others to learn how to fulfill their calling and thereby participate

in the harvest as well.

 In order to fully understand the importance of the harvest, let us share Five important

principles related to the harvest.

A. The harvest is PAINFUL

Matthew 9:36 says:

“But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they

fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”

Often, we see in scripture that Jesus was moved with compassion and He wept, not for

himself, but for the spiritual condition of others.

 When was the last time you “hurt” or cried over a lost family, an unsaved friend or a co-

worker who does not know Jesus as Savior and Lord?

Watching people, we love and those we don’t know go to hell is painful.

 It’s painful to see the enemy blind the eyes of people to the love of God.

 We live in a world where the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life

dominate.

 The preaching of the Cross is foolish to those who are perishing. That’s painful! We

can’t afford to let that happen!

 We want a world where no one lives and dies without Christ. We refuse to allow the

enemy to prevail.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 7

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

God will turn our pain to joy into harvest! That’s why the Bible says that there is great joy

and rejoicing in heaven when a sinner comes to repentance.

Next, we see…

B. The harvest is PLENTIFUL

Matthew 9:37 says:

“Then saith He unto His disciples, the harvest is truly plenteous.”

 In the previous verse we saw that Jesus looked at the multitudes. This word “multitudes”

is used over 200 times in the Bible as it relates to the harvest.

 It is very important to emphasize that there is no shortage when it comes to the harvest.

There are thousands and millions of people who are still in need of hearing the gospel.

God has called us to participate in the vast harvest.

 Look around you; look at your workplace, look in the market; look and behold the

harvest! Ask God to open your eyes to see the harvest. Hear the cries of humanity; hear

the cries of the hopeless; hear the cries of those seeking God; hear the cries….

Many churches have turned so inside of themselves that they have lost sight of the harvest

right outside their backdoor.

 How long will we abandon them?

 How long will we turn our back?

 How long will we ignore the call of God?

 How long will we allow others to go to hell?

 How long will we allow Satan to keep “winning?” …..

 How long?

Now is the time…. today is the day of salvation.

Third, remember….

C. The harvest cannot be POSTPONED

Matthew 9:37 says:

“But the laborers are few”.

In most developed countries, when the harvest is ready, farmers use large machineries to

gather their crops.

 Historically, and in many places around the world today, farmers bring in workers called

“harvesters” to help with gathering the crops. Other farmers use communal or

community farming to harvest their crops.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 8

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

 Listen, we can use machinery to harvest crops, but it takes people to harvest people! It

takes people to spread the seed of the Gospel and it also takes people to harvest.

 If a farmer does not harvest the crops in time and takes them to the market, he/she not

only loses the profit, but the crops will be totally ruined.

Listen, if we do not harvest the fields God has placed us in, it is not crops and produce that

will spoil it is individual souls that will be lost for all eternity.

 We as Christians should have the same mind-set. If we miss an opportunity to share the

Gospel, we might not ever get it again. The Harvest can’t be postponed.

Listen, the harvest is so important that the Lord said emphatically,

D. The harvest requires PRAYER

Matthew 9:38 says:

“Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest.”

·The great evangelist and teacher, Oswald Chambers, said “Prayer is not preparation for the

greater work; prayer is the greater work.”

If more of us pray for people to be saved, more would be saved.

 Prayer breaks the yoke.

 Prayer sets people free.

 Prayer breaks down the barriers.

 Prayer sets the captive free.

 Prayer liberates those who are in captivity.

When was the last time you took time to pray for the harvest of souls?

 Every work… every ministry of this church must be bathed in prayer!

E. The harvest requires PARTNERSHIP

Matthew 9:39 says:

“That He will send forth laborers into His harvest”

The work of the harvest is God’s work that He allows us to be a part of. We partner with

God when we participate in the Harvest.

 One definition of the words used in Matthew 9:39 is “send forth laborers” which is to

“thrust them out by force.”

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 9

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Telling folks about this wonderful Savior of ours is not only a blessing and a privilege but it

is our responsibility.

 We need to remember as we commit to be a "Harvester", we not only partner with God in

sharing His Word but we partner with the Holy Spirit to do the work. We cannot go in

our own strength. We must rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to move and work in and

through us.

 It is the job of the church... every born again, blood bought child of God to be in the

harvest. Not just the pastor’s job... not just the few deacons or those on the evangelism

team that should go out. but every Christian is responsibility to share the Gospel...

 Finally, participating in the Harvest requires partnership one with another.

F. Conclusion

The harvest is of such great importance that we need to everything we can to be a harvester

at all cost!

I would challenge each member of Harvest Intercontinental Ministries Unlimited to seek

out a partner to hold you accountable and one that will go out a witness with you.

Closing Invitation

 First of all, if there is anyone here today who has not entered into that personal

relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ the opportunity is yours right now.

Come and receive His forgiveness by faith in His death, burial and resurrection.

 Second, some here today are not committed to the harvest. Can you make a pledge to

God to become a harvester? I am making my commitment this morning to be a

"Harvester". Will you join me?

Let us pray!

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 10

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Sermon 3: Requirements of the Harvest

Mark 4:26-29

Main Idea: A successful harvest is a collaboration between God and the Believer co-laboring for

the harvest and requires a supernatural strategy with an intentional kingdom process!

A. Introduction

The Harvest is a spiritual process and not just an event.

 Sometimes we depend on programs within the church to help us win souls. The Bible

tells us that harvesting souls is more of a process rather than an event, but both are

important

 Yes, there are events that are necessary to achieve a harvest, but there is a kingdom

process to getting there.

Let’s take a look at what it takes to achieve a harvest!

Matthew 4:26-29 is often called the parable of the growing seed. It says:

²⁶He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the

ground. ²⁷Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows,

though he does not know how. ²⁸All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then

the head, then the full kernel in the head. ²⁹As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle

to it, because the harvest has come.”

The word ‘harvest’ means much less today than it did in times past but it a critical concept

in the Kingdom!

 Jesus loved using agricultural stories to illustrate spiritual principles.

 He begins with the story of the sower which points our hearts to the truth of the seed, the

soil, and the sower. Next, He teaches us about the principle of growing and harvesting.

Finally, Jesus tells a story to illustrate the potential of the harvest.

In verse 26 Jesus begins with these words, “The Kingdom of God is like this.”

 From the Agriculture illustrations Jesus communicated a process that involves the Holy

Spirit and Harvesters coming together to accomplish one goal!

Let’s learn FOUR requirements of the harvest, namely, Planning, Process, Picking and

Preserving.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 11

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

B. The Harvest requires planning

In Luke 14 Jesus says:

“Who builds a house or goes to war” without proper planning?”

Some people think it’s unspiritual to plan, yet Jesus says, “Make plans and count the cost or you

may find you embarrassed and/or suffer defeat.” So, consider these 3 things when planning for

the harvest:

Begin with the end in mind and ask yourself:

 What are you planting?

 What are you expecting, wanting, and desiring in life? Are you a planter?

 Do you intentionally plan to plant seed into the lives of others that yields kingdom

results?

 When your life comes to an end, what will the Lord say to you? How would you have

impacted lives on this earth?

 Who are you taking to heaven along with you?

 Where you are planting?

God wants us to plant on good soil!

 The scripture tells us that the sower put the seed on the ground. The word for “on” is

translated in many ways, “about, on, to, at, upon,” but the one which seems to fit is “IN.”

That is, in the soil. The farmer planted the seed in the place he knew it would grow. It

takes no imagination to know that the farmer prepared the soil to ensure that he yielded a

great harvest. We better plant in a place where it will grow. Harvest Intercontinental

Ministries Unlimited is a good soil. Plant here! Harvest here!

When are you planning to start planting?

 The time is now!

 The farmer always plants in the right season of the year. If we desire to make a difference

in our world, we have to plant the right seed which are the seed of the gospel; the seed of

faith, the seed of a change life, and the seed of Christlikeness.

 Make no mistake: Tomorrow is not promised. Now is the time to plant those seeds. Now

is the day of Salvation!

C. The harvest requires process

Harvesting is the joining of God-breathes spirit process with the harvester. We are

responsible for planting and then God does something mysterious! He causes growth.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 12

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Progress versus process:

Stop seeing your faith through the lens of “programs” and to see it through the lens of

“process.”

 We do not need programs to make us what God wants us to be, just as a child doesn’t

need a program to become an adult.

 Within our body a process is at work to mature us, and all we have to do is eat right,

healthy and hearty, resulting in processes taking over. What is the process needed to

reach people for Jesus?

There are 3 parts to process which work together.



The Right Seed

 Everything begins with the seed. Is it healthy or good? To sow bad seed is to

harvest a bad crop.

 The seed we must plant is the Word of God. It is His word which can bring about

healing, help, and hope. It may start out small like a mustard seed and then grows

huge because it is His word.

 The Bible says that the “grass may wither, and the flowers may fade, but the word

of God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8). Just as surely as we must plant pepper, peas,

or even tomatoes to receive this produce, we must have God’s word in our heart.



The Rich Soil

 In gardening, the soil is called ‘rich soil’ when the soil is good, soft, and conducive to

growth.

 At times the gardener will break up the soil which does not contain the ingredients

necessary for growth. He/she may add fertilizer, water, nutrients, and other chemicals

which could change the character of the soil. In changing the character of the soil, he

makes it rich and ready.

 The Holy Spirit does the work of softening the soil. He prepares the heart for

the Word to be planted. He convicts or sin, righteousness and justice. He makes

the soil rich.

 When the soil is rich and ready, you can see it; you can tell it’s time to plant. The

color changes, the weather changes, the condition for planting is good…. Below, the

rich soil!



The Reliable Sower

 Earlier we said, “If we are to experience a good harvest, the seed we must sow is the

word of God.” While the seed must be right, the sower must be reliable.

 God has taken His wonderful, life changing, and soul saving word and entrusted us to

sow it. Is this seed being sown by you and me?

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 13

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Please get a handle on this process!

 Those of us who have received and thus, possess the word of God are not identified in

scripture as the keepers of the word (God can keep His word), but we are repeatedly

identified as the sower of the word. God expects us to sow His word faithfully and

consistently.

Scripture tells us in Hebrews 4:12:

“The Word of God is powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating so as to

divide the soul, spirit, joints, & marrow. It is the judge of the ideas and thought of the

heart.”

We sow the seed by sharing the Word of God through the leading of the Holy Spirit.

 With the seed of God planted, the Holy Spirit comes into garden that heart. Because we

have planted the good seed, He is able to work the soil and make the heart (the fruit)

ready to harvest.

D. The harvest requires the right picking

This may sound a bit trite (not a big deal) and certainly not an intellectual concept. But

while it might seem trite, it is still true (and required).

When the soil is worked, seed is planted, and the harvest is ready, and no workers show up

to bring in the harvest the results will be devastating. “Picking” has to take place. Picking

involves 3 things:

 The Timing

“When the crop is ready.” In the story about Jesus and the woman at the well

(John 4), Jesus told his disciples, “Do not say the Harvest is four months away,

open your eyes and see the fields, they are ripe for harvest.”

o Make no mistake, when the fields are properly seeded, the harvest will be ready!

There is something interesting about the timing of harvest, not all fruit is ready at

the same time. We must stay focused on the fields and the expected fruit to be

ready for the harvest.

 The Tools

“He sends for the sickle.” A sickle has a small handle (maybe 6-10 inches),

adjoined by curved blade. The harvester takes the sickle in one hand while

holding a bunch of the crops in the other hand (or with a wooden stick) and

swipes at the stalks to bring in the harvest into his bag.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 14

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Here is the spiritual image: First, the Sword of the spirit must do His sickle-like work of

cutting the lost soul loose from the things of this world.

o Next, the shape of the sickle, when used gently, can be used to embrace and

collect. We don’t have to be the hard swipe of conviction and conversion; the

Holy Spirit will take care of that. We can then collect the fruit, embrace it, and

take it out of the field into the barn (church) and take care of it.

 The Take

“The Harvest has come.” Candidly, the harvest we receive today, in large

measure, is from the sowing of others. But don’t forget to “see the fields which

are ripe and ready.” If we are alert and ready there is a harvest to receive today.

By the way, Jesus says the harvest is always abundant, plenteous, and plentiful.

The problem is the “take” (harvest) is limited only by the number of willing

workers. Think about the ramifications of this truth. Few workers mean wasted

fruits.

C. The harvest requires preserving

We live in a day when many are trying to preserve a great number of things, some good

and some bad. In the matter of the harvest it is important that we do some ‘preserving.’

Let’s see why?

 The Agricultural picture

o This is the natural and what we call normal model for farming. We take care of

the seed so that we can have food for this year but also for planting next year.

When the seed and soil are good and the sower simply sows, the harvest is

productive.

 The Spiritual process

o There is so much more at stake in the spiritual than in the agricultural realm. If we

make mistakes in the Agricultural process some food will not be harvested.

However, if we mess up in the spiritual, souls are lost for eternity.

o We must preserve the thought that the Lord wants us in the Harvest; we must

preserve the thought that God is depending on us to cultivate the Harvest; we

must preserve the thought that souls will be lost without our intervention or

involvement as God’s instruments; we must preserve the thought that Harvesters

we are and always will be

o We must preserve the thought that we want to live in a world where no one lives

or dies without Christ.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 15

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Sermon 4: The Role of the Holy Spirit in the Harvest

John 16:7-14

Main Idea: A successful harvest involves the person, power, conviction, wisdom and leading of

the Holy Spirit!

A. Introduction

We need the Holy Spirit to participate in the harvest.

Who is the Holy Spirit?

He is the third person of the Trinity. He is the one who lives in us and enables us to do the will

of the Father. Without Him, we can do NOTHING but with him, we can do ALL THINGS!

B. The Holy Spirit gives us power and boldness to participate in the harvest!

How does the Holy Spirit make us effective?

 The Lord Jesus asked the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they are filled with the Holy

Spirit. He knew that without the power of the Holy Spirit they will not be effective

harvesters/witnesses for Him.

The Holy Spirit gives strength and boldness to face any opposition.

 Without the Holy Spirit, these disciples had fled in fear and denied Jesus during his

crucifixion. Even though they had listened to all the teachings of Jesus and seen all his

miracles, they still did not have the strength to stand for Jesus in the hour of trial.

 Therefore, Jesus asked them first to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit before

they began to witness for Him. After they received the Holy Spirit, the disciples were

willing to even die as martyrs for Jesus.

C. The Holy Spirit brings about conviction during the harvest

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity and His job is to convict the hearts of the sinners.

In John 16:7-14 Jesus describes the role of the Holy Spirit. He says:

⁷ Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not

away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

⁸ And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of

judgment:

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 17

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

⁹ Of sin, because they believe not on me.

¹⁰ Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more.

¹¹ Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

¹² I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

¹³ Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he

shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will

shew you things to come.

¹⁴ He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you.

As Harvesters, we are tasked to share the Word with love and compassion like Jesus did. When

we do, the Holy Spirit takes control of their hearts and draws them to the saving knowledge of

Jesus.

D. The Holy Spirit gives wisdom to the harvesters

Knowledge and wisdom work together!

 Knowledge of the facts in God’s word is important but not enough alone. Having

supernatural wisdom given to know how to apply His word, how to share it, is very

important.

The Holy Spirit is the one who gives a harvester wisdom to know what Scripture or

illustration to use that will pierce the heart of a sinner to whom he/she is ministering.

 The Holy Spirit also comforts and encourages us when we face opposition, persecution

and suffering for the sake of the Gospel.

The Holy Spirit empowers the believers with words to say!

Matthew 10:16-20 says:

¹⁶“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents

and harmless[a] as doves. ¹⁷But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils

and scourge you in their synagogues. ¹⁸You will be brought before governors and kings

for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹But when they deliver you up,

do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that

hour what you should speak; ²⁰for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your

Father who speaks in you.

When you face opposition, the Holy Spirit will fill you with wisdom just as he filled Stephen

with wisdom!

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 18

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Acts 6:8-10 says:

⁸Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and

signs among the people. ⁹Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of

the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces

of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. ¹⁰But they could not stand up

against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

The Holy Spirit gives the kind of wisdom of Stephen to bring in a great harvest!

E. The Holy Spirit leads and guides the harvesters

Holy Spirit guides us and leads when we go out to preach the gospel. He will tell us where

to go and where not to go according to the will of God.

 The Holy Spirit also helps us to pray according to the will of God before we go out to

witness each day and while in the field. That is why Jesus told his disciples not to leave

Jerusalem until they had received the Holy Spirit.

o Walking in the will and plan of God can only be done through the leading of the

Holy Spirit. It is He who knows the mind of God and makes it known to us. In

John 14:16-17 we read Jesus saying, "And I will ask the Father, and he will give

you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the

world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him.

 You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." "Helper" (advocate,

counselor, or comforter in other translations) comes from the Greek word parakletos.

o This term referred to a person called alongside another. It includes the idea of one

who comforts and assists.

Romans 8:26-27 says:



26 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.

F. The Holy Spirit gives discernment to harvesters

The discernment we as harvesters receive from the Holy Spirit is to recognize the voice of

God and the voice of Satan. Jesus discerned when Peter had a revelation from God.

 But he also discerned when the devil spoke through Peter.

 We must be careful because Satan is a deceiver and can transform himself into an angel

of light to deceive the people of God.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 19

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

 In the field, a farmer must know the weed from the actual crop. Similarly, harvesters

must know and discern who is a believer, who needs prayer for yokes to be broken, when

to pray and how to pray. In other words, we must be able to discern what is before us and

be led by the Holy Spirit to deal with it spiritually. Pray for the gift of discernment.

(Cross References: 1 John 26-27, Matthew 16:13-23, John 2:23-25, Matthew 22:15-22, Mark

2:1-12, Luke 20:19-26, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, Galatians 3:1-3, 1 Kings 13:1-34, John 21:17-

23, John 8:44, Matthew 24:11, Matthew 7:15-20.)

G. The Holy Spirit produces the fruit of the spirit in the lives of the harvesters

In order to be effective and efficient harvesters, we need the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

 Some people will accept Christ immediately when the Gospel message is shared. But for

others, it will require time. They will need more “evidence”. They will want to examine

more; look at our lives as harvesters.

 In these situations, we need to exhibit the fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace,

forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

(Read Galatians 5:22-23, Matthew 7:21-23, Matthew 27:1-10, Ephesians 6:10-18.)

H. Conclusion

 Have you been filled with Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues? Have

you received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit? If not, let me give you the opportunity.

(Take the time to pray for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit).

 Pray also for the Holy Spirit to manifest his power in the lives of God’s people as they

dedicate their lives to be harvesters.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 20

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Sermon 5: The Mindset of Harvesters

Philippians 2:5-11

Main idea: A harvester has a strategic mindset and is filled with wisdom from the Holy Spirit

that makes them effective at what they do.

A. Introduction

How we think determines how we conduct ourselves.

What should be our mindset as harvesters? How should a harvester or a soul winner think

about lost people/souls?

The word “mindset” means:

 An established set of attitudes; a mental attitude or inclination; a fixed state of mind.

It simply has to do with how we have established our thinking.

Philippians 2:5-11 says:

⁵In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶Who, being in very nature[a] God,

did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

⁷rather, he made himself nothing

by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

⁸And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

by becoming obedient to death—

even death on a cross!

⁹Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

¹¹and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 21

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Let’s establish our thinking by having the same mindset as Jesus Christ!

 An effective harvester has their minds set on Christ and understands that God has

already given them all that they need to succeed in winning souls.

 An effective harvester knows that he/she is qualified to participate in the harvest. He

understands that it is a wise thing to win souls!

Prov. 11:30 says:



“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life and he that wins souls is wise.”

While many are waiting for a call, a harvester knows that he/she has already received the

call and that God has given everything needed to fulfill the call.

Finally, he/she knows not to take rejection personally when sharing Christ with others.

 When rejected, it is the Lord and His Word that are being rejected, and not you.

Rejection is to be expected. Jesus was rejected and so will we. Rejection is not

indicative of our failures or inabilities as a harvester.

B. With these things in mind, let us examine at least seven key mindsets a

harvester must have in order to be effective and pleasing to God.

1. Every person is a candidate for the Gospel message

In Colossians 1:28 says,

²⁸He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we

may present everyone fully mature in Christ.

Paul explains that everyone is a candidate for the gospel. It doesn’t matter who the person is

(rich, poor, black or white). Everyone has a soul. God is not a respecter of person. Our mindset

should be to present the gospel to whoever the Lord brings our way.

2. Some people will not be saved

This may be hard to process but the reality is that not everyone will be saved when we

share the Gospel.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 22

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Matthew 7:12-13 says:

12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up

the Law and the Prophets.13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and

broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

Some will not choose the narrow gate. However, that should not discourage us.

 If we witness to a hundred people, all of them will not get saved, but some will. We

don’t know who will but that shouldn’t deter us from sharing about Christ.

3. We owe it to lost people to tell them the Good News

Romans 1:14 says:



¹⁴I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.

We should be seekers; seekers of those who need to be saved.

 We owe it to them and should seek them out. When you owe a debt, we pay it. We

are obligated to preach the gospel by virtue of possession, knowledge and grace. It

has been committed to us to preach this Gospel.

4. We don’t need to worry about causing conversion. We only need to share the

Gospel.

It is not us, but God who changes a person’s heart. God does the heavy lifting.

1 Corinthians 3:6 says:

⁶I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.

Your eloquence, knowledge, testimony and lifestyle don’t save anyone. It is God who does

the saving.

5. Sowing the seed or witnessing is rewardable and is not optional (Read I Cor. 9:16-

17)

We are rewarded if we do it, but not doing it is not an option.

 We can’t pick and choose and then add it to our spiritual arsenal. We are commanded

in the Great Commission to share the gospel.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 23

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

I Corinthians 9:16-17 says:

16 For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to

me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not

voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.

6. Evangelism should be viewed as a process to find out what God has already

planned out.

There are people in this city who are ready to be saved. God has already done the work in

their hearts and they are ready to be “harvested.”

 All we need to do is to step out.

 The harvest is ripe, but the laborers are few….

 Some may not be ready until next year, but we are called witness to “whosoever”.

 This is a “search and rescue mission.”

 If we have to knock on a thousand doors to find the one, that’s okay.

 God has gone before us already and done the work.

 People are ready.

 Wake up each day and say, “Spirit of God, lead me to the right person. I need to find

that one person.”

7. If we are silent, people will go to hell and we will be held accountable

Nobody will believe until they hear, and they won’t hear unless someone tells them.

Ezekiel 3:18 says:

“If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to

warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall

die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.” Also read Romans 10:14-

15.

We are not responsible for their response, but we are responsible for telling them that the

truth that has the ability to set them free.

Prov. 24: 11-12 says,

“Deliver those who are being taken away to death, and those who are staggering to

slaughter, oh hold them back. If you say, "See, we did not know this," Does He not

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 24

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And

will He not render to man according to his work?”

C. Conclusion

Jesus was a soul winner (1 Tim.1:15; Lk.19:10). God’s heartbeat is soul-winning (Luke

19:1-10; Mt. 9:35ff). Soul Winning is the greatest call and every believer is called upon to

bring the light of God’s word to unbelievers (1 Tim. 3; 1 Tim. 6:12).

1. We must be strategic in God’s redemptive plan. Jesus said, “occupy till I come” (Luke

19:13).

2. We are to be “fishers” of men (Mark. 1:17)

3. We are not to be judgmental. (John 3:17) We are not the Holy Spirit. Our mindset should

be to catch the fish before attempting to clean it. No one catches clean fish.

4. We need to practice soul winning (2 Cor. 5:10-11; Matt. 11:12; Jude 1:23). This speaks

of bringing people to a point of decision. It involves Presence, Proclamation and

Persuasion.

5. We please God when we participate in the harvest.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 25

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Sermon 6: The Ways or Means of Participating in the Harvest

I Peter 3:15

Main idea: The best way to participate in the harvest is to have a ready response for the hope

that is within you.

A. Introduction

Harvesters are ready to bring in the Harvest!

 Are you ready to participate in the Harvest?

I Peter 3:15 says:

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to

everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with

gentleness and respect.

Some believers have incorrect ways of thinking when measured against God’s Word.

o Some are of the mindset that God will bring people into the kingdom with or without

them.

o Yes indeed, God does all things and He does them well, but He has chosen to

partner with us to bring in the harvest.

o WE ARE THE PRIMARY MEANS He uses to bring others to His saving

knowledge.

o We can decide to be used by Him or decide to ignore the harvest and let humanity

die without Him.

Ask yourself: When was the last time told someone about Jesus?

o There are those who think that they can participate in the harvest without planting a

single seed (the Word of God). They claim that “I don’t have to go out to tell others

about my faith; my faith is private.” Thank God that someone took the time to make

his/her faith public by sharing it with you and me. That is why we are believers today.

o Yet there are those who claim, “There are different means of evangelism or

harvesting. I have my style and it works for me.”

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 26

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

So, let us deal with the question of “What are the best means of evangelism or participating

in the harvest?

o The answer is simply: “The best means or way is the one that presents the gospel clearly

and asks for a response.” Unless the gospel is explained and the person is asked to

respond to the gospel, then there is no evangelism.

If you have been around the church for a while, you have probably heard that there are

multiple evangelism methods people and churches use to share Jesus with others, but I

want to submit to you that each one has its own strengths and weaknesses.

o Just like a farmer may be comfortable with a particular tool and not with another, you can

decide on which tool you are most comfortable with, but the underlying factor is the

gospel must be presented and a response solicited.

Keep in mind please that for these means to be utilized, we are presupposing that:

 Prayer is deployed; prayer

(Matt. 9:36-39, Romans 10:14-16, Ephesians 5:16).

 The Holy Spirit is engaged

(the agent of conviction) (John 16:8-9).

 The Gospel Message is understood

(Sin exists—Romans 3:10-12; 23; the wages of sin is death—Romans 6:23;

Jesus paid the punishment for sins---John 3:16 and a sinner must receive Jesus

as Lord and Savior-----John 1:12; Rom 10:9-10; 1John 5:11-13).

 Human resources are available:

o Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 16:15-20)

 Material and financial resources are present: Read Luke 8:1-3; Phil 2:25; II Cor. 8:24.

B. Common ways to evangelize and participate in the harvest

Let us look at a few of the common ways that we can participate in the harvest.

1. Lifestyle Evangelism

o This is often presented and understood in one of two ways: Live right and

people will see the gospel in one’s life or live right and people will ask you

about God.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 27

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

o This method is built on the foundation of how one lives, with the idea that one’s

life will lead others to Christ, or at least lead others to ask about him.

Strengths: It encourages righteous living and self-evaluation and it helps one’s life accord with

the gospel

Weaknesses: It implores a passive approach. Like a farmer saying, “I will leave the crops and

hope they understand they need to grow and produce fruits. It contradicts Acts 1:8.

Living is not evangelizing; lifestyle is not evangelism. Evangelizing or participating in the

harvest requires proclaiming the gospel.

2. Servant Evangelism (sometimes referred to as Service Evangelism)

o This approach emphasizes simple acts of kindness, or service, for evangelism.

Strengths: It emphasizes showing love, it’s simple and often affordable to implement, can be

done anytime and it does create opportunities for the gospel to be shared.

Weaknesses: Service doesn’t equate to evangelism; sharing the gospel and seeking a response is

not emphasized.

o There is a place for service in the kingdom. The world accuses Christians of

preaching love and not showing love; evangelists critique Christians for showing

love and not preaching love.

o Hence, this means does provide opportunity to open doors to the gospel. But, let

us keep in mind that what it does is “Open the door”. We must take advantage of

sharing the gospel when the door has been opened.

3. Event Evangelism

o This is a popular method among churches and groups, the most famous of which

are revival services and crusades. An outreach event is held, the public is invited,

and ideally the gospel is shared with those who attend.

Strengths: It creates and builds on public interest and can generate name identification for the

church or pastor (evangelist).

Weaknesses: Often builds name identification for the church or group, very little for the gospel.

It can also be very expensive, and attendees are often primarily members of the local church or

sponsoring groups. Additionally, most believers don’t feel they have to evangelize, or they

choose not to evangelize and of course evangelism becomes an event rather than a regular, daily

activity.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 28

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Events evangelism is a wonderful idea, if they are evangelistic. To be evangelistic, they should

be about promoting the gospel, not promoting the church. The gospel should be presented.

4. Neighborhood Evangelism (also called Door-to-Door Evangelism)

This method involves going to homes and sharing the gospel with those who answer.

Strengths: This method is common in many churches. It’s is easy to schedule and inexpensive.

Weakness: Participation is generally very low. Urbanization, gated communities, technological

advances, and other cultural changes reduce access in many communities. Additionally, it often

becomes more about church promotion and new visitors than gospel proclamation.

o Door knocking, though a traditional approach to evangelism, is becoming less effective

as an evangelistic strategy and more effective as an event promotion strategy.

o Society has changed, along with its ways of communicating and the way people live.

Door-to-door evangelism may be effective in one area and nearly impossible in another.

It is best to determine its usefulness based not on history, but on the current situation.

5. Street Preaching Evangelism

It involves someone standing at a location with pedestrian traffic and proclaiming the

gospel.

Strengths: It is effective at getting attention and the gospel can be clearly articulated. It can

certainly lead to opportunities for one-on-one evangelism and is not audience dependent.

Weaknesses: You have a limited captive audience—most people will ignore the speaker. It

requires thick-skinned practitioners—there usually arises those who are hostile. Public

perception and response are often very low.

This method requires a certain “gift”. Its secondary and tertiary impact is potentially greater than

many other forms. It’s recommended that those interested in this method be well-versed in

Scripture, ready to address questions often asked by non-Christians (apologetics) and be able to

articulate clearly.

6. Tract Evangelism

Tract evangelism uses gospel tracts to present the gospel. There are three ways to use tracts:

(1) take someone through the tract, using it as a visual aid, (2) sharing the gospel then giving the

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 29

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

person a tract for further consideration, or (3) leaving the tract for someone without a personal

conversation.

Strengths: It is one of the most simple and versatile methods of personal evangelism. It is ideal

for situations where a conversation is not feasible (e.g., busy store cashier, passersby,

waiter/waitress, etc.). There is a wide variety of tracts available for almost any style of gospel

presentation and it can be great conversation starters.

Weaknesses: The Tracts can become substitutes for or tools to avoid personally witnessing to

others. It requires purchasing tracts (or the expense of self-printing) and some tracks are wordy

and thus may not be read. The receiver may accept the tract but discard it without reading it.

You will agree that when it comes to personal evangelism, tracts are one of the greatest tools

available, second only to Scripture. Some people aren’t sure how to explain the gospel, and the

tract addresses that uncertainty. Furthermore, the tract can be left with someone to read later.

7. Conversational Evangelism (commonly called Relational Evangelism)

Conversational evangelism is starting a conversation for the purpose of sharing the gospel;

o Relational evangelism is seeking to relate to the person, looking for

permission—i.e., an open door—to discuss spiritual matters. While they may be

technically different, their general approach is the same: sharing the gospel

during a normal conversation.

o Conversational evangelism is the method most often used by Jesus. It involves

finding ways in normal, everyday conversations to share the gospel with

someone else. This can occur in a store checkout line, at a sporting event, on an

airplane, or almost anywhere.

Strengths: It is personal evangelism and can occur anywhere at any time with any person. A

variety of tools can be used (tracts, the Bible, etc.) and does not require schedules, only

willingness. It can be done by anyone and it is the method Jesus and the disciples used regularly.

It involves going out and sharing.

Weaknesses: It can be intimidating to some and that why we need the Holy Spirit to give us

boldness. That was the instruction Jesus gave to His disciples. It is often misunderstood some

think it requires special training or special gifts.

This is the method that is most highly recommended for Harvesters.

o There is a plethora of ways to engage in conversational evangelism. One can use

apologetics, a Q&A format, tracts, a pocket Bible, one’s personal testimony of how they

became saved, or many other means. Although conversational evangelism is probably the

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 30

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

least common method of evangelism, it’s undoubtedly the most effective. It is simply

sharing Jesus with someone in a normal, everyday conversation.

C. Conclusion: Start evangelizing!

When it comes to evangelism, there really is no wrong way of doing it. It simply requires

telling others about the gospel and soliciting a response from them.

o Some people prefer one method over the other; some may disagree with the overall

assessment of each method.

o Regardless, none of these methods of evangelism alone constitute the best means or ways

to share the gospel. All of them can be part of that strategy.

o Are your ready to tell other abut the love of Jesus? Go into the Mission field and fulfill

your calling.

o The Lord is depending on you.

o Souls are waiting for you!

o It is time to depopulate the kingdom of darkness!

o Receive the anointing you need to be the ambassador you are called to be in Jesus’ name!

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 31

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Sermon 7: Personal Responsibilities of the Harvest

John 4:1-42

Main Idea: Every Christian is personally responsible to get involved in the harvesting of souls

for the Kingdom of God.

A. Introduction

It is God’s desire that every Christian becomes personally involved and takes responsibility

for the harvesting of souls into the Kingdom of God.

The word Harvest in the Bible is often used as a figurative term for a time when many are

ready to receive the gospel (Matthew 9:37-38; John 4:35-36; Luke 10:2).

 Jesus depicts the task of enlisting followers for the kingdom of God in terms of

harvesting and he spoke often of the harvest in connection with the harvesting of souls.

Today we use the words evangelism and missions more than harvesting or harvest.

 Evangelism is sharing the Gospel with others for the purpose of leading them to the

saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

 Missions is an important assignment given to a group of people, especially abroad in

another country.

Evangelism aids in the process of harvesting and the harvest of souls is our mission.

In John Chapter 4, we read of Jesus’ exemplary one-on-one evangelism of the Samaritan

woman that led to a significant harvest of souls from her city, Samaria. We see how

significant just the sharing of the gospel with an individual can opens the door to a mighty

revival and harvest of souls for the kingdom.

John 4:1-42:

¹The Pharisees heard that Jesus was winning and baptizing more disciples than

John. (²Actually, Jesus himself did not baptize anyone; only his disciples did.) ³So when

Jesus heard what was being said, he left Judea and went back to Galilee; ⁴on his way

there he had to go through Samaria.

⁵In Samaria he came to a town named Sychar, which was not far from the field that

Jacob had given to his son Joseph. ⁶Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired out by the

trip, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 32

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

⁷A Samaritan woman came to draw some water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink

of water.” (⁸His disciples had gone into town to buy food.)

⁹The woman answered, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan—so how can you ask me

for a drink?” (Jews will not use the same cups and bowls that Samaritans use.)[a]

¹⁰Jesus answered, “If you only knew what God gives and who it is that is asking you for

a drink, you would ask him, and he would give you life-giving water.”

¹¹“Sir,” the woman said, “you don't have a bucket, and the well is deep. Where would

you get that life-giving water? ¹²It was our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well; he and

his children and his flocks all drank from it. You don't claim to be greater than Jacob, do

you?”

¹³Jesus answered, “Those who drink this water will get thirsty again, ¹⁴but those who

drink the water that I will give them will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give

them will become in them a spring which will provide them with life-giving water and

give them eternal life.”

¹⁵“Sir,” the woman said, “give me that water! Then I will never be thirsty again, nor will

I have to come here to draw water.”

¹⁶“Go and call your husband,” Jesus told her, “and come back.”

¹⁷“I don't have a husband,” she answered.

Jesus replied, “You are right when you say you don't have a husband. ¹⁸You have been

married to five men, and the man you live with now is not really your husband. You have

told me the truth.”

¹⁹“I see you are a prophet, sir,” the woman said. ²⁰“My Samaritan ancestors worshiped

God on this mountain, but you Jews say that Jerusalem is the place where we should

worship God.”

²¹Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman, the time will come when people will not

worship the Father either on this mountain or in Jerusalem. ²²You Samaritans do not

really know whom you worship; but we Jews know whom we worship, because it is from

the Jews that salvation comes. ²³But the time is coming and is already here, when by the

power of God's Spirit people will worship the Father as he really is, offering him the true

worship that he wants. ²⁴God is Spirit, and only by the power of his Spirit can people

worship him as he really is.”

²⁵The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah will come, and when he comes, he

will tell us everything.”

²⁶Jesus answered, “I am he, I who am talking with you.”

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 33

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

²⁷At that moment Jesus' disciples returned, and they were greatly surprised to find him

talking with a woman. But none of them said to her, “What do you want?” or asked him,

“Why are you talking with her?”

²⁸Then the woman left her water jar, went back to the town, and said to the people

there, ²⁹“Come and see the man who told me everything I have ever done. Could he be

the Messiah?” ³⁰So they left the town and went to Jesus.

³¹In the meantime the disciples were begging Jesus, “Teacher, have something to eat!”

³²But he answered, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”

³³So the disciples started asking among themselves, “Could somebody has brought him

food?”

³⁴“My food,” Jesus said to them, “is to obey the will of the one who sent me and to finish

the work he gave me to do. ³⁵You have a saying, ‘Four more months and then the

harvest.’ But I tell you, take a good look at the fields; the crops are now ripe and ready to

be harvested! ³⁶The one who reaps the harvest is being paid and gathers the crops for

eternal life; so, the one who plants and the one who reaps will be glad together. ³⁷For

the saying is true, ‘Someone plants, someone else reaps.’ ³⁸I have sent you to reap a

harvest in a field where you did not work; others worked there, and you profit from their

work.”

³⁹Many of the Samaritans in that town believed in Jesus because the woman had said,

“He told me everything I have ever done.” ⁴⁰So when the Samaritans came to him, they

begged him to stay with them, and Jesus stayed there two days.

⁴¹Many more believed because of his message, ⁴²and they told the woman, “We believe

now, not because of what you said, but because we ourselves have heard him, and we

know that he really is the Savior of the world.”

 We see the role of Jesus and that of the Samaritan woman and Jesus’ instructions to

his disciples about their personal role and involvement in the harvest.

 It is also clear that the Instructions of Jesus to His disciples are also for us who are

Jesus followers in the world today.

B. So, the question is, what are our responsibilities for the Harvest?

1. We Are Responsible to share the good news about Jesus as the Savior of the

World.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 34

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

We see this from the Samaritan woman’s eagerness to take the news to her city about her

encounter with Jesus (Read John 4:28-30).

 This simple action of one convert led to the harvesting of several other souls into the

Kingdom of God.

All believers have this same responsibility to joyfully share the Good News about Jesus. It

is your task and mine!

 Don’t wait for others to do it.

 Jesus is depending on you!

The challenge for most of us is that we have lost the joy of our salvation and so we are not

eager and joyful again in our efforts to reach people for the Kingdom of God.

 We pray that the Holy Spirit will rekindle the joy of Salvation in us to push us into the

harvest field in order for us to share the Good News joyfully.

 Harvest time is always a joyful time!

2. We are responsible to be on the lookout for spiritually ready souls.

Jesus had been on a long journey and was tired, thirsty and hungry. However, his physical

condition didn’t interfere with his alertness to the spiritual state of the Samaritan woman.

He was on the lookout and ready!

 Jesus’ commitment to the assignment He has received from His Father overrode his

physical appetites that He told His Disciples: “^……… “My food is to do the will of him

who sent me and to accomplish his work (Mark 4:35b).

This is a very strong message to all of us in this generation who are often so committed to

our physical welfare and comfort in ways that affect our ability to be involved in the

business of harvesting souls for the Kingdom of God.

 We all need to always have spiritual vision and perception of what is happening in the

lives of people we meet, especially those in our regular circle of acquaintances.

 If the disciples had been on the lookout spiritually, they would see people with spiritual

hunger in Samaria when they went to look for food.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 35

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

 Jesus in a way rebuked them and instructed them and us to always be spiritually alert to

see the spiritual hunger in the people around us and seize the opportunity to share the

Good News about Jesus.

John 4:35 says,

“Don't you say, ‘In four more months the harvest will be here'? I'm telling you to

look and see that the fields are ready to be harvested.

The harvest of souls was ripe on that fateful day over two thousand years ago when Jesus

and His Disciples passed by and it is still ripe today in our cities.

 Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will open our eyes and hearts spiritually to see with the

eyes of God so we can bring in the ripe Harvest.

3. We are to be personally involved in the harvest

If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, you have been sent into the Harvest field by Him from

the day of your salvation.

 Jesus told his disciples in John 4:34 that He has been sent by the Father to this world for

the salvation of mankind and He is now also sending them into the Harvest field to bring

in the ripe harvest.

“^I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have

entered into their labor” (John 4:38 ESV).

 Later on after His resurrection He commissioned them and us officially into the same

work the Father sent him to accomplish but this time through us His followers here on

earth in every generation beginning from the initial disciples to all who would believe in

him till He comes again.

 In John 20:21, we read,

“Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even

so I am sending you.”

Every believer is a harvester sent by Jesus into His Father’s harvest field. The field is

worldwide and our focus for the Harvest should also be worldwide.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 36

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Not all of us can go as missionaries to other countries or even in other parts of our home

country where laborers are needed for the Harvest. However, there are ways we can be

personally involved in this worldwide harvest from our home country.

C. Ways we can personally be involved in the global harvest

1. Be Involved in the Global Harvest Through Giving

Missionary work is very capital intensive and most missionaries have had to abandon their

mission fields for genuine financial reasons.

 You can financially support missionaries and their families through the regular missions

offering collected in our Churches once every month.

The Apostle John in his second Epistle commended Gaius for his commitment to support

those who have gone out in the service of Jesus Christ and by so doing share in their work.

 John 1:5-8 says:

⁵This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him

there is no darkness at all. ⁶If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the

darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. ⁷But if we walk in the light, as he is in the

light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us

from all[a] sin.

⁸If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

Besides our tithe and offerings, we can set aside a regular amount to give as missions

offering every month knowing that this way, we are personally involved in reaping the

harvest for God’s kingdom.

 Remember Jesus taught us that the way we show we are passionate about God’s work is

what we do with our money (Matthew 6:21)

2. Be Involved in the Global Harvest Through Praying

Another way we can be personally involved in the global harvest is through prayers. Jesus

himself commanded us to be involved in this way.

 Luke 10:2 (ESV) says:

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 37

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray

earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

Don’t just pray generally. Ask your pastor for the names and contact of some of our

missionaries and connect with them personally to request prayer points. You can also

check the websites of missionary agencies on the internet for prayer requests.

Harvesting the souls of people for eternal life is a serious spiritual battle that requires

sustained prayers by God’s people.

 The actual work of soul winning is in the prayer closet; so, the more people we have

praying for our worldwide soul harvesting efforts the greater our results will be.

Even the great Apostle Paul was always requesting prayers from the recipient churches of

his Epistles for his missionary work in harvesting souls for the Kingdom of God.

 Let’s read what the Apostle Paul says in II Thess. 3:1:

Finally, brothers,[a] pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be

honored,[b] as happened among you,

D. Conclusion: Let’s rise up and embrace our personal responsibility for

harvesting souls for the Kingdom!

Beloved the main reason why we are not immediately taken into heaven when we are saved

is because the harvest is still on and more laborers are needed in God’s harvest field here

on earth.

 Let us not be slack (lazy or relaxed) about the Lord’s business but let us rise up and be

personally involved to our responsibility in the work of Harvesting souls for eternal life.

Let us pray.

1. Lord please me a fresh passion for the harvest of souls!

2. Holy Spirit open my eyes and ears spiritually to see the ripe harvest all around me!

3. Lord Jesus show me how I can adjust my finances so that I can release more funds to

support missions over and above my tithe and offerings!

4. Pray for missionaries all over the world!

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 38

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Sermon 8: Hindrances to being a Harvester

Luke 16:19-31

Main Idea: Even though God’s design is for us to be harvesters, there are things that can stand

in the way of our success! We need conviction, concern and consecration to overcome all

obstacles in our way!

A. Introduction: The world remains largely unreached and without Christ

The following facts compel us to ensure no one will live without Christ and no one will die

without Christ:

 The world’s population is 7.8 billion, but many have not heard the gospel.

(https://ourworldindata.org/births-and-deaths; see: population through 2099)

 According to UN data, 60.2 million people are projected to die in the year 2020.

 According to the Pew Research center, there are 2.3 billion Christians in the world

(29.48% of the population) in 2019 (https://www.learnreligions.com/christianity-statistics-

700533)

 If that is the case, one may estimate that 70.5% of all people die without Christ, and that

42,441,000 people will die in the year 2020 without Christ!

 Most believers have never and may never win a soul to Christ. In other words, they

may never become Harvesters in spite of the Great Commission found in Mat. 28:16-20.

Many may claim that they don’t have the training they are afraid, or they are not ready.

 Is that really the case? Training is available (talk about it). Talk about how to overcome

fear and remind harvesters of the role of the Holy Spirit.

It behooves us to know the reasons what we may be stopped an ineffective as a harvester

and find solutions in order to become the harvester the Lord has commissioned us to be.

There are Three additional reasons why many are not involved in the Harvest. Let us take

the time to examine them.

B. There Is A Lack of Conviction That Hell is Real and that People Are

Really Lost without Christ.

Some Christians struggle with the belief that there is a literal Hell. They invoke God’s

goodness and love and therefore say, “A good God can’t allow all those people to go hell.”

The Bible teaches that Hell is real

John 3:18 and 3:36 say:

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 39

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

¹⁸Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned

already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

³⁶Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall

not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

John 5:28-29 says:

²⁸ Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear

his voice ²⁹ and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those

who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

Daniel 12:2 says:

²And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting

life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Thessalonians 1:7-9 says:

⁷and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is

revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on

those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord

Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from[a] the

presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.

Revelation 20:15 says:

¹⁵And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the

lake of fire.

It is worth noting that without the conviction that hell is real and the conviction that those

who refuse to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior will be lost forever, we as a harvester

will not see the urgency of sharing the Gospel.

We need to keep in mind that we are God’s hands and mouths to a lost world.

 Romans 10:11-17 says:

¹¹For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” ¹²For

there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of

all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. ¹³For “everyone who calls on the name

of the Lord will be saved.”

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 40

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

¹⁴How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to

believe in him of whom they have never heard?[a] And how are they to hear without

someone preaching? ¹⁵And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is

written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” ¹⁶But they

have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has

heard from us?” ¹⁷So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Soul winning is literally snatching men and women out of the fire!

 James 5:20 says:

²⁰let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul

from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

 Jude 22-23a says:

²²And have mercy on those who doubt; ²³ save others by snatching them out of the fire; to

others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment[a] stained by the flesh.

C. There Is A Lack of Concern for the Lost

“Concern” is almost a lost word. Most of us have felt like David at some time. He claimed

in Psalm 142:4,

“I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No

one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me” (New Living Translation).

We need to ask ourselves, “Are we showing concern for the lost?”

 This can’t be our attitude as harvesters!

Why should we care for the lost?

 Jeremiah was concerned over his generation! (Jer. 9:1)

 Paul was concerned over the people of his day! (Rom. 9:1-3)

 Jesus demonstrated His concern constantly. (Mt. 9:36)

Harvesters, we need a fresh anointing of concern for the lost.

 We must be like the Psalmist who claimed, “Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to

sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them” Ps. 126:6—NIV.

I wash my hands in innocence,

and go about your altar, LORD,

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 41

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

 God is looking for someone to stand in the gap and lead people out of darkness into His

marvelous light. (Ezek. 22:30)

³⁰“I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in

the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.

D. There Is A Lack of True Consecration Among Believers

Consecration is dedicated, obedient living, set apart for a purpose. Consecration makes us

available to God (Rom.12:1-2).

¹Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies

as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper

worship. ² 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.

 We as harvester MUST have…

o The conviction that people are really lost without Jesus

o The concern that would constrain us to do something about their condition.

(Sympathy vs. Compassion)

o We must be consecrated (set apart) by God which sets us apart from the heathen.

A farmer doesn’t depend on or wait for another farmer to prepare his farm, sow his seeds,

maintain the ground and then come on his land and harvest the crops for him while he sits

and praises the Lord. He gets up and does the work knowing that each farmer has his/her

field to manage.

 To be consecrated to God implies a willingness to enter a process. Some key verses on

consecrations are as follows:

Ezek 22:30 says:

“And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in

the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.”

II.

Rom 12:1 says:

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies

a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And

be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,

that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”

III.

Rom. 10:11 says:

"Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame."

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 42

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

IV. Romans 10:12-17 says:

12 ¶ For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all

and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the

Lord will be saved” 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?

And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they

hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they

are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has

believed our message?" 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and

the message is heard through the word of Christ.

E. Conclusion: Are you convicted, concerned and consecrated?

 Are you convicted that so many people need Jesus and will go to hell if they die without

accepting him as their Lord and savior?

 Are you concerned about lost souls who desperately need to know God?

 Have you consecrated yourself to be a harvester?

 Have you engaged in the process of harvesting?

 Have you started planting?

 What do you need to get involved if you already aren’t?

Let us pray.

 Pray as the Holy Spirit leads.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 43

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Sermon 9: The Consequences of Ignoring the Harvest

Ezekiel 33:1-9

Main idea: The wise engage in the harvest and win souls as watchmen for the kingdom, while the

foolish do not, and there are serious consequences for not doing so.

A. Introduction: He/she who wins souls are wise watchmen

Many people believe that soul winning is only for certain people in the church. We may

think it is the Pastor’s job, other staff members, missionaries, or those who have been

called to do it.

 The truth is that all believers are called to win souls!

Prov. 11:30 says:



“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life and he that wins souls is wise.”

He/she who wins souls is wise! God commands us to win souls, yet some of us have lost that

zeal!

I Corinthians 9:16 says:



“For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to

me if I do not preach the gospel!”

God is going to give you an opportunity this morning to be re-commissioned in this task!

Let’s get ready for a great move of God and a re-commissioning!

Mark 16:15 says,

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every

creature.”

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 44

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Matthew 28:19-20 says,

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of

the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have

commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

The Gospel can work wherever or whenever. God does not limit the Gospel to a certain

group of people, but it is for everyone.

 The Gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the anchor of what

we believe; it is the Good News. It is the greatest news that has ever been heard or will

ever be heard. Unfortunately, many of us have abandoned our call to share this good

news. The “Great Commission” has become the “Great Omission.”

As Harvesters, we have to return to telling others about the love of God demonstrated in

Christ Jesus because there are consequences of ignoring the Harvest.

That’s our focus this morning: the consequences of ignoring the Harvest. There are big

consequences to ignoring the harvest, but I have I have good news for you! Today we will

realize how serious this mandate is!

B. The consequence of ignoring the harvest.

(See Ezekiel Chapter 33 and Chapter 34)

1. The blood of the Unsaved will be on our hands if we refuse to tell them about Jesus

As we turn to chapter 33 of Ezekiel, we find a metaphor and the picture of a watchman,

then in chapter 34 there is the picture of a false shepherd and a true shepherd. Both are

pictures of prophets and leaders within the nation of Israel, people whom God has chosen

to lead the people spiritually, civically and nationally.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 45

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

 Going back a few chapters to the beginning of the book, we see that a watchman's duty

was to sit at a vantage point over the city where he could see if any enemies were

coming. He was on lookout for the city and for its people, and he was there to warn and

to sound the alarm if the enemy was coming.

 Now here in chapter 33 Ezekiel is recommissioned; his commission is renewed. He is

commended by God that he has already done a great job - he has heard the 'Well done,

thou good and faithful watchman' - and now he is being recommissioned for the same job

that he had in the past.

 He was to warn them again: to repent, to follow God's law, to follow the true and living

God! God was telling him again that if he warned them, then he would not be guilty -

their blood would be off his hands. Their blood would be on his hands if he did not warn

them, but if he warns them, their blood is off his hands, and it is the people's problem - it

is their responsibility after the responsibility of the watchman is discharged.

This is what God is doing in chapter 33 of Ezekiel: He is reminding Ezekiel of his call as a

prophet, as a watchman. I want you to note very carefully that we have a very similar

passage to this in chapter 3 of Ezekiel, another similar passage in chapter 18, and now we

come a third time to where God is saying exactly the same thing to Ezekiel in chapter 33.

 This is what is known as the principle of third mention. When God says something to

each of us once, that is very important, and of course we must obey God whenever He

says anything. When God says something twice, we need to sit up and listen. But when

God says something three times, we can be absolutely assured of the essential nature

of what God wants to teach us, and it is of the utmost importance that we listen to

God!

 So, why did God do this three times for Ezekiel? It is because God was recommissioning

him.

 I believe with all my heart that there are some of us who need to be recommissioned by

God. We need to be recalled by God; we have forgotten when we first believed!

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 46

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

 We can say like the hymn writer: “Where is the blessedness I knew when first I saw the

Lord?”

We have lost the zeal! We have lost the thrill, the love, the enthusiasm of the Lord in our

life! We have become complacent! Calvary rolls off our back; it does not touch us

anymore! Our eyes are dry, our hearts are cold and hard - and could it be that we need to

be recommissioned by God?

Do you know of what God was reminding Ezekiel in this passage about a watchman?

 He was reminding him that He still wanted men to live. God is saying in this passage:

'I'm not willing that any should perish'.

 He is telling Ezekiel: 'It's still My will that men are not destroyed by their sin, but I want

them to be forgiven from their sin'. Look at verse 11 of the chapter. God says: “Say unto

them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but

that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why

will ye die, O house of Israel?”. God wants them to know!

Now listen, this passage has nothing to do with salvation - the salvation as we know it. This

passage is in the legal dispensation, and it is talking about men and women obeying the law

of God, the Ten Commandments, the first five books in the Bible. That is the old economy

and dispensation; that was what men and women did to show their obedience to God.

 Today, it is to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, but in those days, it was to obey the

law. God was telling them: 'Obey the law! Obey My will and you will live!'.

2. We abdicate our God-given commission/responsibility to tell the World about Jesus

The Principle of Responsibility:

There is a principle which runs right into the New Testament from the Old Testament- and

scripture bears it out. It is the principle of responsibility.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 47

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

 You are responsible for your own sin. You are responsible for your own disposition

before God in the realm of salvation, but more than that, you are responsible as a

Christian to take the Gospel to other people, and if you do not, their blood is on your

hands!

 I know there may be those who will say: 'Oh no, you're confusing, that was the legal

dispensation, the dispensation of law - we're now under grace and that does not apply'.

Well, I would remind you of Paul in Acts chapter 20 and verse 26 when he said: “I take

you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men”.

 He had preached the Gospel, he was pure from their blood, his hands were clean - and

there we see that principle of responsibility in the New Testament.

Verse 22 says: “Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was

escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth

was opened, and I was no more dumb”.

 It was prophesied earlier in chapter 32 that whenever Jerusalem fell, there would be a

messenger who would come from Jerusalem to Ezekiel to inform him that it was all done

and Ezekiel would get his speech back, and he would be able to prophecy.

 Well, here it happens, and Ezekiel's mouth is opened! The silence was over, and we know

that seven years has passed - seven years of silence, not allowed to say a word to the

people of God!

But now he is being recommissioned by God to go to those people who had offended God

and preach God's promise to the nation.

But let me say this: Ezekiel's silence was God-ordained; our silence is not.

God commands us to put the trumpet to our mouths and warn them! Do we need to be

recommissioned? Do we need to be called again? Do we need to remember the reason why

we were saved?

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 48

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

 To be responsible watchmen before God for people's souls! This passage informs us that

if we will not be watchmen, we will damage our own souls, and we will damage the souls

of those that we need to warn when we do not fulfil God's commission. Have we

forgotten?

Come on, let us be honest! Let us cut through all the facades! When was the last time you

spoke to a soul about Christ? When was the last time you had a burden to pray for a man

or a woman to whom you were speaking? When was last time you led a soul to Christ?

Have we forgotten?

 It is true that God speaks to preachers in this passage, but we are all preachers - preachers

of the Gospel. We are to take it and spread it abroad. The only time the Gospel of Christ

does not work is when we do not use it!

3. Though we are God’s children, He will be ashamed of us if we refuse to tell others

about His Son.

A Christian who does not witness to win souls should not be proud of him/herself as a

Christian, because a Christian is to be “Christ-like”, full of compassion, bearing the

awesome name of Christ. He is not to be ashamed to spread the powerful name of Christ.

Romans 1:16 says,



“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation

to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

How could one hold back the working of the Holy Spirit from inside of them?

 I tell you, it is sin! Sin is the problem.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 49

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

One who does not share the gospel and thereby withholds it (by omission) doesn’t give

others the opportunity to experience the Saving Grace of Jesus. How could we not share

such a Great News! Do you love Him?

 Share His name; tell others about the Good News. Luke 9:26, “For whosoever shall be

ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall

come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.”

Sinners cannot get saved without the preaching of the gospel. It is the soul winner’s (ours;

yours and mine) duty to preach to them.

Other implications/consequences of neglecting or participating in the harvest include:

1. The loss and waste of ripened harvest (Matthew 9: 37-38).

2. Requirement of sinners’ blood from negligent soul-winners (Ezekiel 3:17-21; 33:1-16).

3. Christ being ashamed of Christians that neglect to witness (Mark 8:38)

4. Loss of soul-winners’ reward (Daniel 12:3; Proverbs 11:30)

5. Spiritual decline and stunted growth of local churches (Acts 2:36-41) and

6. Delay in answer to prayer (Proverbs 28:9; Psalm 66:18).

The consequences of neglecting personal evangelism on the part of the sinners, the soul-

winners and the church are very great. Every believer must therefore wake up to this great

responsibility. We must arise to renew our first love for Christ (Revelation 2:1-5).

1 Corinthians 9:16 says,



“For when I preach the Gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to

me if I do not preach the Gospel.”

The penalty for not sharing the gospel is woe, intense sorrow, and shame on the day Jesus

judges His church.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 50

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

 Paul was a grace preacher, but at the same time he never neglected the subject of God’s

judgment. Paul taught both that we are saved by grace alone and that God was going to

reward or shame us at His judgment seat.

The final consequence we will discuss today is:

4. We will face God’s judgment one day.

Some Christians wrongly believe that after they became Christians they will no longer be

judged. However, it is very clear from the Bible that Christians will be judged.

 Though the Christian will not be judged according to their salvation, they will be judged

according to the works they did as a Christian. This is not a judgment about sending a

Christian to hell because of sin. It is a judgment to receive one’s reward.

The “Great White Throne Judgment” will be when Jesus separates the sheep from the

goats and sends all those who do not have their name written in the Lamb’s book of life

into the lake of fire.

Revelations 20:11-15 says,

 At the “Bema Seat of Christ,” Jesus will reward or rebuke His people based on their

obedience to His commands.

Paul described this “Bema Judgment” in 2 Corinthians 5:10,



“For we must all appear before the judgment [Greek, “Bema”] seat of Christ, so that each

of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or

bad.”

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 51

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

The word “Bema” comes from the Greek word for judgment in this text. Thus, we as

Christians will be judged.

C. Conclusion: It is time to for a recommissioning to go forth into the

harvest!

Like Ezekiel, we are commanded to be spiritual watchmen who must be familiar of the

consequences for not participating in the harvest.

 The greatest illustration of the consequence for not sharing the gospel with those who

perish comes from Ezekiel 33. God commanded Ezekiel to be a spiritual watchman for

the people of Israel. He said that if he was faithful to warn the people of judgment to

come their blood would not be on his hands. However, if he failed to warn them their

blood would be on his hands, Ezekiel 33:2-9.

Paul used this same expression in Acts 20:26-27 regarding “proclaim/preaching,” when he

said,



“Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. For I

have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.”

Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 that the Christian’s works would be judged by fire. If

our works were done in obedience to Jesus and His commands, our works would remain

and appear as precious metals.

However, if what we did in this life was not what Jesus commanded, we would be saved as

only one escaping the flames, but our works would be burned up like wood, hay, and

stubble!

 Therefore, do not be disobedient to God’s commands- go into the entire world and preach

the gospel!

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 52

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Sermon 10: Benefits of Engaging in the Harvest

I Thessalonians 2:19-20

Main idea: The reward of engaging in the harvest confers great benefit that will last for eternity

and live on for generations.

A. Introduction

Those who engage in the harvest receive everlasting benefit in this life and the next to

come!

How many of us hate receiving rewards?

Is there anyone who will honestly say, “I don’t like being rewarded for a job well done.”

 When we know there is a reward to be given, we will jump at the change to get that

reward!

A reward is simply a form of compensation for effort made. It is not necessarily money. It

would be an acknowledgement, a gift, a kind word, etc.

 We all love to be acknowledged.

 Pastors usually get into “trouble” when they don’t do that often.

 In our families, we “reward” good deeds.

 We reward our spouse or our children when they have done something we deeply

appreciate.

God does the same. He rewards a harvester. The Bible mentions that He rewards us with

crowns. Some of the crowns a believer will receive from the Lord are:

1. The incorruptible crown, for those who live a disciplined life (1 Corinthians 9:25);

2. The crown of life, for those who patiently endure trials and testing (James 1:12);

3. The crown of glory, for those who faithfully care for the flock (1 Peter 5:2-4);

4. The crown of righteousness, for those who love His appearing (2 Timothy 4:8);

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 54

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

5. The crown of rejoicing, for all who are faithful soul-winners (1 Thessalonians 2:19-

20).

This morning let us examine the rewards a harvester receives. It is worth noting that these

rewards are both spiritual and physical; both present and eternal. Let us start with the

present.

1. The Present Rewards

There are three present rewards one receives when he/she participates in the harvest.

a. The reward of satisfaction from just doing the work.

There is a satisfaction found in participating in the harvest! The work itself brings its own

immediate reward.

Many people do different things for enjoyment. Sometimes we play sports, go fishing, biking,

exercise for sheer enjoyment. Likewise, those who engage in the work of winning souls are

rewarded by the deep sense of joy and satisfaction that comes to them. The greatness of the work

gives us a sense of great satisfaction. Read James 5:20.

b. The Joy that comes through obedience

We experience peace, joy and happiness when we obey the Lord. Look up Psalm 19:11 and

compare it Matthew 28:19. Also look up Psalm 119:165, and compare it Acts 24:16. These are

the “reflex benefits” that come to a harvester who obeys the Lord’s command to win souls.

c. The affection and gratitude of those whom we influence and win to the Lord

We appreciate those who led us to the Lord or somehow influenced us in coming to Jesus. We

hold them in high esteem. We are grateful to them for their sacrifices and willingness to share

the Good News with us. The same is true when we take the time to tell others about Jesus. They

appreciate us and some express their affection, appreciation and gratitude in different ways. It

makes us feel appreciated and loved. What a present reward to have someone thank you for

leading him/her to Christ!

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 55

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

d. The rare privilege that may be ours of placing some lost one at the Savior’s

feet.

A harvester must constantly remind him/herself of Daniel 12:3 “Those who are wise will shine

like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for

ever and ever.” Also read Psalm 126:5-6, Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 and Galatians 6:9. When you work

in the field, you help in bringing in the shelves (people) into the kingdom. Do you want shine as

the stars in the eyes of God….be a harvester! Our calling is spelled out in Acts 26:18 “To open

their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that

they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith

that is in me.”

2. The Future Rewards

There are numerous future rewards we receive as harvesters. Let us discuss a few with the

goal is helping us keep our eyes on heaven.

a. The first reward that awaits us is the Lord’s commendation, and the joy and

honor that will accompany it.

In Matthew 25:21 we read,

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a

few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s

happiness!”

Please notice that the reward the Lord promises is for faithfulness. Whether we have met

with much or little success in the harvest field is not the point.

 The reward our Lord will give us is for our faithfulness. The value of our work will only

be fully seen and appreciated at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

b. The second reward that awaits us is the thrill of meeting those who have been

blessed and won to the Lord through us.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 56

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

In 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20, Paul anticipates the rapturous moment when he would meet in

Heaven those he had led to the Lord on earth.

 What a reward this will be, especially when we experience what we might call the thrill

of discovery; when we shall discover people converted through our ministry of whom

down here, we have known nothing!

c. Next are supernatural rewards

Harvesters, our mission to preach the Gospel is not just physical, it’s also supernatural. It

is not just present, it’s futuristic and there are benefits.

 Let us examine Acts 26:18 and pull out a five-point outline of God’s supernatural work in

individual lives through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In other words, when we participate

in the Harvest and sinners come to repentance, five things happen spiritually:

i. Participate in opening the spiritual eyes of unbelievers

When we participate in the harvest, we give the Holy Spirit the

opportunity to open the eyes of unbelievers.

1. Unbelievers are blind to the Gospel. They are lost not knowing their way

to God. Often, they are in bondage to a false religion.

2. Unbelievers serve phony gods from paganism to atheism and everything in

between. But the God of Heaven can open their eyes!! God can make the

blind to see the Glorious Gospel of Christ!

Isaiah 42:6-7 says,

“I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, And will hold thine hand,

and will keep thee, And give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light

of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, To bring out the prisoners from

the prison, And them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.”

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 57

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

ii. Participate in turning them from darkness to light

Blindness equals darkness. Unbelievers live in darkness. They cannot see

what they stumble over in this life. They grope and groan desiring to see!

1. Thank God for the light! The light makes manifest their condition showing

the way to God. The Savior rescues the children of darkness and makes

them children of the light, but He does that though us.

2. He has chosen to make us partners with him.

2 Corinthians 4:6 says,

“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in

our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face

of Jesus Christ.”

iii. Participate in setting them free from the power of Satan and turning

them over to the power of God

Satan is a hard master. He leads with fear, intimidation, and punishment.

He imprisons lost souls in a web of lies, deceit, discouragement, and

destruction. His goal is to deceive them straight into Hell. New believers

are given the full rights and privileges of a child of God regardless of

where they are from or what they have done.

1. God rescues sinners from Satan’s power! He miraculously changes their

earthly destiny and their eternal destination.

2. Christ frees them from bondage and makes them His own to live by grace

and faith.

Ephesians 2:1-9 says,

“This spiritual and supernatural thing takes place because we participate

in the harvest.”

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 58

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

iv.

We participate in sinners receiving forgiveness of sins

Many sinners long for forgiveness. They seek it in false religions. They

hope for it through good intentions. Desperation for forgiveness sets in as

a sinner gets closer to death. They grasp for it through religious

contrivances.

1. The Gospel gives them the answer! God forgives sinners for Jesus’ sake.

God releases sinners from the penalty of sin through faith in the death,

burial, and resurrection of Christ.

2. What joy forgiveness brings! The priceless knowledge that one is at peace

with God - that death holds no danger!

Ephesians 1:7 says,

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,

according to the riches of his grace;”

We participate in sinners receiving a Divine Inheritance

1. Not only are sinners saved from Hell, but also, they are given the

inheritance of sons. They are birthed into God’s family through faith in

Christ. They are given full rights and privileges of a child of God

regardless of where they are from or what they have done. Earthly

blessings and eternal rewards are now their inheritance!

2. This is made possible because of the Holy Spirit work in their lives and

our wiliness to participate in the harvest.

Colossians 1:12-14 says,

“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers

of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the

power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear

Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness

of sins.”

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 59

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

C. Conclusion

There are great rewards associated with participating in the harvest!

It is important to remember that we are rewarded (now and in the future; physically as

well as spiritually) when we participate in the harvest but not participating in not optional.

 We should participate because we are commanded to by Jesus; because it brings others

into the kingdom, because it gives us satisfaction; because we will receive rewards but

more than all of these—because we want to be pleasing to the Lord. Arise, behold the

harvest and become the harvester God has called and commissioned you to be!

Let us pray

 Pray as the Holy Spirit leads.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 60

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Sermon 11: The Laws of the Harvest, Part 1

Galatians 6:6-10

Main Idea: There are several laws in the Word of God that pertain to the Harvest and when we

follow them, we will prosper and yield a great harvest!

A. Introduction

God’s laws regarding the harvest are linked with prosperity.

A law is defined by the Mariam Webster dictionary as:

 a binding custom or practice of a community: a rule of conduct or action prescribed or

formally recognized as binding or enforced by a controlling authority

The Word of God is filled with different laws which, when followed, yield great fruit!

Psalm 1:1-3 says there is a BIG blessing in delighting in God’s laws. Those who delight in;

who enjoy it; who love the laws of the Lord, will prosper in whatever they do! Psalm 1:1-3:

1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that

sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,

2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on His Law Day and

night.

3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.

There are certain laws mentioned in the Bible that have to do with the harvest and they are

no exception! When these laws are followed, prosperity follows!

We will discuss these, and in the meantime let’s take a look at what some Great men of God

have said regarding the harvest.

 The way you store up treasure in heaven is by investing in getting people there.” -

Rick Warren



“We should be more concerned with reaching the lost than pampering the saved.” -

David McGee.



“When a man is filled with the Word of God you cannot keep him still” - Dwight L.

Moody

 It was Hudson Taylor who said, “The Great Commission is not an option to be

considered; it is a command to be obeyed”.

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 61

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series



“And he said to them, go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole

creation.” - Mark 16:15---Jesus Himself

God declared, “But for this purpose, I have raised you up...so that my name may be

proclaimed in all the earth” (Exodus 9:16)

B. Overview of the seven laws of the harvest

Harvesting of souls is a MUST for every believer. We are called “Harvester” because that

is what we do. We harvest souls—bringing people into the kingdom of God.

 That was God’s original intent when He created humanity and still is today. He

wants to have a personal relationship with us. Sin destroyed that relationship and

Jesus came to restore it. That is the message of Good News.

 These laws are universal and extremely beneficial to us as harvesters. We need to

know them, understand them, profess them, remind ourselves daily of them, claim

them and implement them. If we do, we will be the kind of Harvesters God has called

us to be.

Let us begin to examine SEVEN LAWS OF THE HARVEST.

 Law 1: We always reap the same in kind as we sow (the law of sowing and reaping)

 Law 2: We sometimes reap what we did not sow

 Law 3: We sometime reap in a different season than when we sow

 Law 4: We reap more than we sow

 Law 5: We reap in proportion as we sow

 Law 6: We will reap the full harvest if we persevere

 Law 7: We cannot do anything about last year’s harvest, but we can do something

about this year’s harvest.

These are simple, powerful & complex laws. Today, we will focus on the first three laws.

Illustrate the Laws using a fruit (Have a piece of fruit with you to use as an illustration)

As you show the piece of fruit to the congregation explain the following about the piece of

fruit in your hand:

©Harvest Intercontinental Ministries

Page | 62

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

 Law 1 = This fruit came from a _____ tree giving proof we reap the same in kind as

we sow.

 Law 2 = I did not plant the tree from which this fruit came. I have reaped what I did

not sow.

 Law 3 = This fruit came from a tree that was planted perhaps years ago. Sometimes

we reap in a different season than when sown.

Each of these laws is built upon the single law of sowing and reaping.

Galatians 6:7 says:

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”

Each of the laws has a positive aspect and negative aspect. They represent what we have

sown. It is called reaping the results. These laws have consequences, so let’s take a look at

each.

C. Law 1: Harvesters understand the law of sowing and reaping

There is a quote by an unknown author which says:



“Sow a thought, reap an act; Sow an act, reap a habit; Sow a habit, reap a character;

Sow a character, reap a destiny.”

1. Beginning Again & Again

When Adam sinned, he reaped the results of spiritual and physical death.

 Because of Adam’s sin in the beginning, the beginning comes again and again to each

of us. Each time a child is born, he/she is born a sinner (cf. Psalm 51:5; Job 15:14-16;

Romans 5:12-15).

2. Beginning with a New Beginning

Page | 63

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

In Adam we may not have the best beginning, but praise be to God He offers us a new

beginning.

 That’s the message we need to take to the world as harvester. They can begin anew

(cf. Genesis 3:15; Romans 5:15-20; II Cor. 5:17).

3. Beginning with End in Mind

Ecclesiastes 7:8 says,

“The end of a thing is better than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the

proud in spirit.”

We must begin to see the end of our sowing; our thoughts, attitudes, and actions in sowing

should be for a future harvest. Time may pass before the crop ripens, but the harvest never

fails.

That is also our message to the world: don’t simply think about “now”. Think about your

tomorrow—where will you spend eternity?

D. Law 2: Harvesters reap what they did not sow

John 4:37-38 says,

³⁷Thus the saying 'One sows, and another reaps' is true. ³⁸I sent you to reap

what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have

reaped the benefits of their labor."

We are the beneficiaries of the fruit for which we have not worked.

Page | 64

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

1. Positive Side

Each of us has received an abundance of blessings for which we did nothing to earn. Jesus

spoke of God’s care of the birds of the air who neither "sowing or reaping"

Matthew 6:25-34 says,

⁵"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink;

or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the

body more than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap

or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not

much more valuable than they? ²⁷Can any one of you by worrying add a single

hour to your life? ²⁸"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers

of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even

Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God

clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into

the fire, will he not much more clothe you-you of little faith? ³¹So do not worry,

saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows

that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all

these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about

tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble

of its own.”

Two aspects of this include:

Reaping Good from Others

 We have benefited from what others have done (our parents, relatives, friends and

those who fought for freedom in our nation). Some people prayed us into the

kingdom; others shared the Word of God with us.

Page | 65

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Reaping Good from God

 We have and continue to receive blessings from God.

1. Salvation: Man is the recipient of God’s unearnable favor (cf. John 3:1, Ephesians

2:8-9).

2. Daily grace: God by His grace blesses all people (Read Matthew 5:45b and James

1:17-18).

2. Negative Side of the Column

We sometimes reap the bad of others. Ex. Weeds in our yard. The ground produces weeds.

Reaping the sin of Adam

 We are born in sin because of Adam’s sin. That is why we should be harvesters, so

we can lead others to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ that brings freedom to

captives.

Reaping the Sin of the world

Matthew 4:7-7 says,

⁷Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[a]”

⁸Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of

the world and their splendor. ⁹“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down

Matthew 16:25-27 says,

²⁵For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me

will find it. ²⁶What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their

soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? ²⁷For the Son of Man is going

Page | 66

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person

according to what they have done.

I John 2:14-16 says,

¹⁴I write to you, dear children,

because you know the Father.

I write to you, fathers,

because you know him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men,

because you are strong,

and the word of God lives in you,

and you have overcome the evil one.

¹⁵Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the

Father[a] is not in them. ¹⁶For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the

eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world

3. Application: Sow the Word

The Word will change the lives and destiny of others so intentionally deposit it into the

hearts of your spouse, children, family members, co-workers.

Sow love in the lives of others based on the Word.

 When you sow love, you are applying the Word into the lives of others.

Matthew 5:43-48

⁴³“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’

⁴⁴But I tell you,

love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

⁴⁵that you may be children of your

Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the

righteous and the unrighteous.

⁴⁶If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are

not even the tax collectors doing that?

⁴⁷And if you greet only your own people, what are you

doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?

⁴⁸Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly

Father is perfect.

Page | 67

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

E. Law 3: Harvesters sometimes reap in a different season than when they

sow

1. We may harvest during another Season

A farmer doesn’t always reap his harvest the same season (ex. Some trees take months or

years to produce fruits).

 Plant the Word today and trust God

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says,

“There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens.”

2. We should get rid of the “Give it to me now mentality” ---Instant gratification.

We can easily live life wanting quick and easy results. Impatience at times produces little or

stunted growth.

 Pray, share your faith and trust God for the result. HE WILL DO IT!

1 Cor. 3:6-7 says,

⁶I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. ⁷So neither the

one who plants nor the one who waters are anything, but only God, who makes things

grow.

3. Not because we don’t see instant results means there will be no results.

Numbers 32:23b says,

"Be sure your sin will find you out"

If we claim to be sharing Christ but we are not, God will expose us!

Page | 68

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

God has ordained a planting season and a due season of harvest. What we sow we will reap.

As harvesters, we need to know that the harvest has promised us.

 It’s just a matter of time for us to multiply; it’s just a matter of time for ministries to

begin to experience exponential growth; it’s just a matter time…. (share the local

vision) …It’s just a matter of time….

F. Conclusion

Harvesters will reap a blessing if they do not give up.

Be encouraged this morning knowing:

Like others sowed in your life, you do the same!

 The 1^st laws states, “We reap the same in kind as we sow”. Sow the Word and reap

the benefits!

 According to the 2^nd law, we have and will continue to REAP what we did not sow.

 Finally, the 3^rd law says, “We may reap in a different season than when we sow”.

Harvesters don’t ever let the emeny discourage you.

 That person; parents, child; friend, etc. will come to Jesus.

 Keep sowing! God will do the rest! Be a co-laborer!

Page | 69

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Sermon 12: The Laws of the Harvest, Part 2

Galatians 6:6-10

Main Idea (part 2): There are several laws in the Word of God that pertain to the Harvest and

when we follow them, we will prosper and yield a great harvest!

A. Introduction

There are different laws of the harvest that bring great blessing to the harvester.

To recap what we spoke about last week, the Word of God is filled with different laws

which, when followed, yield great fruit! Psalm 1:1-3 says there is a BIG blessing in

delighting in God’s laws. Those who delight in; who enjoy it; who love the laws of the Lord,

will prosper in whatever they do! Psalm 1:1-3:

¹ Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that

sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,

² but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on His law day and

night.

³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.

There are certain laws mentioned in the Bible that have to do with the harvest and they are

no exception! When these laws are followed, prosperity follows!

Let us briefly review the seven laws that we discussed last week. We learned about he first

three laws last week and this week we will discuss the last four:

 Law 1: We always reap the same in kind as we sow (the law of sowing and reaping)

 Law 2: We sometimes reap what we did not sow

 Law 3: We sometime reap in a different season than when we sow

 Law 4: We reap more than we sow

 Law 5: We reap in proportion as we sow

 Law 6: We will reap the full harvest if we persevere

 Law 7: We cannot do anything about last year’s harvest, but we can do something

about this year’s harvest.

Page | 70

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

B. Law 4: "We reap more than we sow."

Illustration: Cut a fruit in half (ex., an apple). Count the number of seeds. Ask the

question: “How many apples can you get from one Seed?”

 Answer: countless/or unknown.

 Point: "You can count the number of seeds in an apple, but not the number of apples

in a seed.

1. The Measure of More

The Law says, “We will reap MORE than what we sow.” The “more” depends on what is

sown.

 Read Parable in Mark 4:1-8.

 The seed fell on good ground (verse 8) and produced thirty, sixty, or a hundred more

seeds.

 Farmers live by the principle of “more”.

 If their work returned exactly what he they planted, their labor would be futile.

Listen: The harvest is always greater than the seed planted when done correctly.

2. Personal Testimony

(Pastors, please share your testimony at this point of how you came to know the Lord.

Share how someone sowed in your life - share how you have impacted countless lives by

the grace of God because of that one person or few individuals who sowed in your life).

C. Law 5: "We reap in proportion as we sow"

At first glance one might think this law contradicts law 4, "We reap more than you sow." The 4th

law can be viewed as "God’s part" and the 5th law has to do with "our part"--- how we sow.

1. Biblical Basis for this Principle

Principles govern our lives. Principles are eternal and fundamental to life. 2 Cor. 9:6 “But

this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will

also reap bountifully.”

Page | 71

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Here’s another way to look at it:

 If you want to be rich … GIVE

 If you want to be poor … GRASP

 If you want abundance … SCATTER

 If you want to be needy ... HOARD

 Read Proverbs 11:24-26 and expound on it in order to provide further clarity.

2. The Work of Christ in This Principle

This principle remains true when we operate out of the will of God. But in God, because of

His divine essence, character, Christ’s work on the Cross and the dispensation of Grace,

the 4^th principle dominates in our lives as harvesters.

 We need to remember who God is, what He is like, and what He has promised. It is

God’s nature to bless and give.

 The gift of His Son is the supreme illustration of this.

Ephesians 3:20 says,

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or think,

according to the power that works within.”

This is one of benefits of being a Harvester.

 I can boast in the Lord…. For when I sow, He multiplies and give me more…not

exactly what I have sown. Therefore, go out and sow with the expectation of a

reaping a vast harvest!

3. Our work as Harvesters in this Principle

Bountiful sowing should always be the result or the outworking of biblical insight, values,

commitment, and the Spirit-filled life. Read 2 Cor. 8:3-8: “For I testify that they gave as

much as they were able, and even beyond their ability….” Don’t just talk the talk, walk

the walk; do it!

1. Purpose what you will give or sow for this harvest (cf. II Cor. 9:7)

2. Be cheerful in your giving (of yourself and of your resources for the harvest).

3. Be generous and consistent in the giving of yourself and your resources (Mal 3:6-11; Phil.

4:17).

Page | 72

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

D. "We will reap the Full Harvest if we Persevere"

Let us use a gardening illustration. A lot goes into the work before the harvest. For

example, cultivating the soil, spreading of the fertilizer (manure), Tilling the soil----going in

a straight line, planting the seed and watering the soil, culling the crops for proper growth,

hoeing around the plants, etc. Hence, a gardener knows that he/she must persevere.

The same is true for us as Harvesters. We must:

1. Persevere in Working

You cannot plant a garden and forget about it. A garden requires a lot of labor.

2. Persevere in Weeding

A Gardner has to plant seeds for the harvest, but he doesn’t have to plant weeds.

 They come about on their own. Weeds: “A plant considered undesirable, worthless

unattractive, or troublesome, useless and detrimental especially one growing where it

is not wanted.” (Cf. Mark 4:7).

 When we share the Gospel, the enemy comes to plant doubt, unbelief, etc. to hinder

the harvest. We need to pray and keep sharing (nurturing and disciplining).

3. Persevere in our Waiting

Reference the 3^rd Law of the Harvest. We must also learn to wait on and in the Lord.

James 5:7-8 says,

⁷Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits

for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.

⁸You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.”

PERSEVERANCE LOOKS BEYOND THE NOW TO SEE AND KNOW THAT THE

HARVEST IS COMING!

E. Law 7: "We can’t do anything about last year’s harvest, but we can do something

about this year’s harvest reap the Full Harvest if we persevere"

Page | 73

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Because we can’t do anything about last year’s harvest, we must:

1. Move On

Have you ever thought about "time travel?" Wouldn’t it be great if movies like "Time

Machine" and "Back to the Future" could be a reality? Think of all we could go back and

change or do differently.

 Yes, those are great thoughts and not reality...not yet. Whatever we did

yesterday, last week, month or last year is over and it is called the "past."

 We cannot do anything about last year’s harvest so let’s move on.

 This is a new day; “Morning by morning, new mercies we see.”

2. Believe that God has forgiven our past!

He forgives our past because of Jesus and because of His own name sake (Isaiah 43:25). He

says that He remembers them no more…What a blessing!

3. Let go of the past!

Philippians 3:13 says,

¹³Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do:

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

Exodus 14:5-15 says,

⁵When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials

changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the

Israelites go and have lost their services!” ⁶So he had his chariot made ready and took

his army with him. ⁷He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other

chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. ⁸The LORD hardened the heart of

Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.

⁹The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen[a] and troops—pursued the

Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal

Zephon.

¹⁰As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians,

marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. ¹¹They said to

Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert

to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? ¹²Didn’t we say to you in

Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to

serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

Page | 74

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

¹³Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the

deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never

see again. ¹⁴The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

¹⁵Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to

move on.

4. Focus on what God will do in the future!

Jesus cares more about your future than he does about your past.

(Ex. Zacchaeus—Luke 19:1-10).

Jesus harvested Zacchaeus the Tax Collector himself despite his past and

¹⁹Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. ²A man was there by the name of

Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. ³He wanted to see who Jesus

was, but because he was short, he could not see over the crowd. ⁴So he ran ahead and

climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

⁵When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down

immediately. I must stay at your house today.” ⁶So he came down at once and welcomed

him gladly.

⁷All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

⁸But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of

my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back

four times the amount.”

⁹Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a

son of Abraham. ¹⁰For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Read Isaiah 43:19 and emphasize it!

Isaiah 43:19 says,

See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness

and streams in the wasteland.

Page | 75

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

F. Conclusion: When we apply the seven laws of harvesting that we

discussed, there is a great blessing we cannot contain, both for us and

for those who come to the saving knowledge of Christ!

In order to move on, we must apply Philippians 3:13 by:

1. Being discontented

We must never become content with where we are. Become discontented not with where

you are in life, but with where you are in Christ.



Attitude we need to have: Always want more from Christ and determine that my last

year’s Bible reading wasn’t enough…I didn’t pray, gave, serve, worship, evangelize…it

wasn’t enough!

Being Devoted



To the rich young ruler, Jesus said, “One thing you lack”.



To Martha…who was busy working in the kitchen; Jesus said, “But one thing is needed.”



In Ps. 27:4, David said: “One thing I have desired of the Lord.”



And here, Paul says: “but one thing I do”. This was a statement of devotion to be a

Harvester

Be determined



Be determined to live in this city (call the name of the city or town) where no one lives or

dies without Christ.



Be determined to change your generation



Be determined to make a difference



Be determined to depopulated the kingdom of darkness



Be determined to have the Lord say to you when you get to heaven, “Welcome my

child…enter into your rest”.



Be determined….

Page | 76

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

Sermon 13: Christmas, the Reason for the Harvest

Matthew 1:18-25

Main idea: Christmas is a time to remember that Jesus came into this world as a baby to bridge

the gap between us and God. It is the very reason that we are called to the task of harvesting.

A. Introduction

God sent his son, Jesus, into the world, not to condemn the world but to save the world

through Him. (John 3:17)

Share the following true story:

 Samuel Colgate, the founder of the Colgate business empire, was a devout Christian, and

he told of an incident that took place in the church he attended. During an evangelistic

service, an invitation was given at the close of the sermon for all those who wished to

turn their lives over to Christ and be forgiven. One of the first persons to walk down the

aisle and kneel at the altar was a well-known prostitute. She knelt, she wept, she asked

God to forgive her, and meanwhile, the rest of the congregation looked on approvingly at

what she was doing. Then she stood and testified that she believed God had forgiven her

for her past life, and she now wanted to become a member of the church. For a few

moments, the silence was deafening. Finally, Samuel Colgate arose and said, "I guess we

blundered when we prayed that the Lord would save sinners. We forgot to specify what

kind of sinners. We'd better ask him to forgive us for this oversight. The Holy Spirit has

touched this woman and made her truly repentant, but the Lord apparently doesn't

understand that she's not the type we want him to rescue. We'd better spell it out for him

just which sinners we had in mind." Immediately, a motion was made and unanimously

approved that the woman be accepted into membership in the congregation.

B. Christmas is the reason for Harvesting

This morning I want to speak to you on the title “Christmas, the Reason for the Harvest.”

 As we celebrate Christmas as the church, we want to explore the reason for the event as it

relates to the Harvest (the winning of souls through propagating the gospel message). The

event of Christmas in theological terminology is referred to as the "incarnation," which

means "in the flesh."

God was enfleshed in humanity in the person of Jesus Christ, born as a baby in

Bethlehem. God's purpose in the conjoining of His Son with man in the enfleshed person of

Jesus Christ was to reveal Himself to mankind to redeem men and restore them to His

created intent.

Page | 77

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

 The goal this morning is to both reveal the significance of the Christmas event and to

challenge us to get involved with the harvest, which is the true intent of Christmas.

I will like us now to go to the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 1 beginning at verse 18 and

ending at verse 25. As we celebrate the season of Christmas, I will like us to pay keen

attention to the happenings within the text that will give us a deeper understanding and

appreciation of the season we are in, and what it means for us as Christians. Let’s consider

the text.

Matthew 1:18-25:

¹⁸This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[a]: His mother Mary was pledged

to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant

through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[b]

did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

²⁰But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and

said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because

what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will give birth to a son, and you

are to give him the name Jesus,[c] because he will save his people from their sins.”

²²All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³“The virgin

will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[d] (which means

“God with us”).

²⁴When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took

Mary home as his wife. ²⁵But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth

to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

I am drawn to verses 20-22. The text reveals the following for our consideration:

The Message from the Angel v. 20

A. It was a message of Hope (Don’t be Afraid) 20c

B. It was a message of Miracle (… what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit)

20d

II.

The Child of the Message v. 21

a. His Nature

2. He is Jesus. V.21

Parents often choose names for their children that have some meaning. But God,

His Father, gave this name. It means, “Jehovah is salvation” Gk. equivalent of

Heb. Joshua.

Page | 78

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

3. He is God with us. V.23

The Apostle Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write in 1 Timothy 3:16,

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in

the flesh. This mystery of godliness has baffled some of the greatest minds in

the history of the church. The fourth-century bishop of Hippo Augustine

declared this mystery in a Christmas sermon:

«He, through whom time was made, was made in time; and He, older by eternity

that the world itself, was younger in age than many of His servants in the world;

He, who made man, was made man; He was given existence by a mother whom

He brought into existence; He was carried in hands which He formed; He nursed

at breasts which He filled; He cried like a babe in the manger in speechless

infancy — this Word without which human eloquence is speechless! »

b. His Mission. V. 21

He came on purpose, for a purpose. He came to live and die to redeem the people

who are to be His subjects in His everlasting Kingdom! “He shall save his people

from their sin.”

Bible commentator Adam Clarke stated:

This shall be his great business in the world: the great errand on which he is come,

viz. to make an atonement for, and to destroy, sin: …The perfection of the Gospel

system is not that it makes allowances for sin, but that it makes an atonement for it:

not that it tolerates sin, but that it destroys it.

II.

What does it mean for us as the church?

For Christians, the true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of the Savior, Jesus Christ. We

know that through belief in Christ we are sons of God. And as sons of God, we are called to

propagate the gospel message to win souls thus populating the kingdom of God.

This in essence is the true meaning of Christmas! Christmas has made us harvesters. We are

called to this task, there is no nobler calling than this!

C. Conclusion

The birth of Jesus is the reason for the harvest! Jesus is the hope and miracle of salvation!

 Matthew presented us with the message of the Angel, a message of both hope and

miracle. He also presented unto us the child of the message, his nature, and his

mission. The very message which is the message of Christmas thus a message of

good news for us - Christ came to save us from our sins!

Page | 79

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

THE IMPORTANCE OF SHARING YOUR FAITH

Mark 16:15-16, Ezekiel 3:17 - 21; Daniel 12:3, Matthew 9:36-38, John 4:35-38

Many Christians struggle in sharing their faith with others. For some, it’s because they don’t

know the importance of sharing their faith. For others, it’s because they don’t have the tools or

have not been taught how to share their faith with those who are dying and going to hell. Let us

take the time to first address the importance of sharing one’s faith with a dying world.

There are several reasons why sharing your faith as a Harvesters is extremely important. A few

of the reasons are:

1. We have been commanded to do so.

We have been commanded to preach or share the gospel (the good news that Jesus died for our

sins, rose on the third day and is coming back) to all creation. Jesus said, “Go into all the world

and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). We have been commanded to “Go”.

Also read: Mark 16:15, 2 Timothy 4:5, Jude 1: 21-23

2. Hell exists.

Jesus said, “But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has

power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!” (Luke 12:5). If Hell didn’t exist, we would

have a legitimate excuse for passivity. But we have God’s Word (and reason) to tell us what

awaits guilty sinners. How coldhearted would we be to not warn of its reality!

3. We strive to love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves.

A firefighter rescuing people from a burning building may be fearful and prefer to be home with

his family, but he ignores his fears and denies himself. Like him, our thoughts are not on

ourselves but on the fate of the perishing. “And on some have compassion, making a distinction;

but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the

flesh” (Jude 22,23).

4. Obedience is evidence of salvation.

The Bible says that Jesus is the author of eternal salvation to those who obey Him (see Hebrews

Page | 82

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

5:9). We are not saved by our obedience; we are obedient because we are saved. Jesus said, “But

why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). Hence, we

should share our faith because we want to be obedient to Christ’s command.

5. To remain in silence is a sin.

As soon as the Holy Spirit was given, the apostles began to preach the gospel. God had granted

everlasting life to dying humanity! They could not stay in the Upper Room because God’s love

provoked them to reach out to the lost. “To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him

it is sin” (James 4:17).

6. Evangelism deepens our walk with God.

Nothing teaches a fisherman how to catch fish like actually fishing itself. Sharing your faith is

the same. It allows for interacting with the lost which results in greater confidence and faith in

God. “…hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the

saints, that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good

thing which is in you in Christ Jesus” (Philemon 5-6).

7. It causes us to search and learn the Scriptures.

Wanting to know how to answer questions that trouble the heart of mankind will encourage us to

find answers in God’s Word. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who

does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15)!

8. It deepens our gratitude for the cross.

As we continually preach the cross, it will deepen our understanding of what God did for us in

Christ. We will find ourselves practicing what we preach, so we will be frequently thinking

about the cross. “I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him

crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).

9. It deepens our prayer life.

“Our fears and sense of inadequacy rightfully divide the word of truth will also drive us to our

knees—the safest place for a Christian.”

Page | 83

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

We reveal our love for the lost by pondering their fate, and as a result we cannot help but cry out

to God for them. “My heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved”

(Romans 10:1). Paul writes, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in

persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2

Corinthians 12:10).

10. We have been commanded to imitate Paul and the other Disciples of Christ.

Paul showed his love for God and for sinners by his obedience to the Great Commission. “I also

pleased all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be

saved. Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:33—11:1).

11. The harvest of souls is ready and plenteous, but the laborers are few.

Jesus was very clear to his disciples that the problem with evangelism was not necessarily that

the field was ripe. On the contrary, he said, “the harvest is plenteous”. Some translations say,

“The field is ripe for the harvest.” Meaning, people are ready to listen and accept the message of

the gospel. The problem is that the laborers; those who are ready to work, are but few. Will you

be one of them? Matthew 9:36 and John 4: 35-38

12. It is the spiritual duty of every believer.

Sharing the good news is a spiritual responsibility of every believer. We are believers because

someone took the time to share with us. Paul notes in 1 Cor. 9 that he feels compels to share the

good news and when he does, he is simply discharging his duty as a Christian. Are you

discharging yours? Read 1 Corinth 9:16-23, James 5: 19-20 and Ezekiel 3:16-21.

Page | 84

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

HOW TO SHARE YOUR FAITH, Part I

The Gospel is simple but powerful. Here are some tips to share it effectively.

Maybe you’re afraid to share your faith because you don’t know what to say. Or maybe you’re

sharing the Gospel, but nothing is happening; people aren’t committing their lives to Christ. Are

you doing something wrong?

You can’t open someone’s heart to the truth of the Gospel—but God can, by His Spirit. The

Apostle Paul wasn’t eloquent, but God used him because he depended on the Holy Spirit to

guide him (see 1 Corinthians 2:1-5). God guided many others in the Bible as well—like Moses,

who at first asked God to get someone else to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land, or Jonah,

who didn’t think the wicked Ninevites deserved God’s mercy and tried to run the other way.

Remember that God does not call the equipped; He equips the called—and as Christians, we are

all called to share what Christ has done. Some of Christ’s last words on earth were, “Go and

make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Sharing our faith isn’t just a suggestion, it’s a

command. And God is with us when we obey Him.

There are different methods of evangelism or sharing one’s faith. Let examine three of the

popular or easy to remember methods:

A. The Four steps method:

1. Tell them about God’s plan—peace and life. God loves you and wants you to experience the

peace and life He offers. The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only

begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John

3:16). He has a plan for you.

2. Share our problem—separation from God. Being at peace with God is not automatic. By

nature, we are all separated from Him. The Bible says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the

glory of God” (Romans 3:23). God is holy, but we are human and don’t measure up to His

perfect standard. We are sinful, and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

Page | 85

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

3. Talk about God’s remedy—the cross. God’s love bridges the gap of separation between you

and Him. When Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the grave, He paid the penalty for

your sins. The Bible says, “‘He Himself bore our sins’ in His body on the cross, so that we might

die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by His wounds you have been healed’” (1 Peter 2:24).

4. Explain how we should respond—Receive Christ. You cross the bridge into God’s family

when you accept Christ’s free gift of salvation. The Bible says, “But as many as received Him, to

them He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

To receive Christ, a person needs to do 4 things:

•Admit you’re a sinner.

•Ask forgiveness and be willing to turn away from your sins.

•Believe that Christ died for you on the cross.

•Receive Christ into your heart and life.

Romans 10:13 says, “Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Here’s a sample of the “Sinner’ prayer” you can pray to receive Christ:

“Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe you died for my

sins and rose from the dead. I trust and follow you as my Lord and Savior. Guide my life and

help me to do your will. In your name I pray with thanksgiving, amen.”

Page | 86

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

HOW TO SHARE YOUR FAITH, Part II

For your quick reference, below is the “Romans Road to Salvation”. It’s basically a selection of

Bible verses from the book of Romans that presents the plan of salvation through faith in Jesus

Christ.

A. The Romans Road:

1. The Problem----Romans 3:23 “All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.” Or, Romans

3:10, "There is no one righteous, not even one.”

2. The Consequences----Romans 5:12 “Sin entered the world because one man sinned. And

death came because of sin. Everyone sinned, so death came to all people.” Also Romans 6:23

says, “When people sin, they earn what sin pays—death. But God gives his people a free gift—

eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

3. The Scope----Romans 1:20 “There are things about God that people cannot see—his eternal

power and all the things that make him God. But since the beginning of the world those things

have been easy to understand. They are made clear by what God has made. So, people have no

excuse for the bad things they do.”

4. The Solution----Romans 5:8 “God has shown us how much he loves us—it was while we

were still sinners that Christ died for us!”

5. The Response----Romans 10:9-10 “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and

believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your

heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and

are saved.”

6. The Assurance----Romans 10:13 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

7. The Result---Romans 5:1 “Since we have been acquitted and made right through faith, we are

able to experience true and lasting peace with God through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One,

the Liberating King.” Romans 8:1, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus are no longer under

God’s judgment.”

Page | 87

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

B. The One Verse Method

It is a simple, interactive way to share Christ’s love conversationally and visually. It is based on

asking questions and sharing truth simply. It’s easy to learn because it uses just one verse. One-

Verse Evangelism can be shared in just 10 or 15 minutes but can have impact for a lifetime.

Here’s a brief look at how it works. Write out Romans 6:23 on a piece of paper or a napkin: “For

the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (NIV). All

you need is contained in this single passage. Let’s see how:

1. Wages: Circle the word “wages” and ask, “How would you feel if your boss refused to pay

you the wages that were due to you?” The answer, of course, is that he would want justice—in

this case, the wages he had worked for. Deep down, we all know that it is only right that we get

what we deserve. Similarly, we earn “wages” from God for how we have lived our lives.

2. Sin: Draw a circle around “sin,” asking the person what he/she thinks when he hears this

word. You might explain that sin is more an attitude than an action. It can be either actively

fighting God or as simple as excluding Him from our lives. You can ask, “Has God ever seemed

far away?” If he says “Yes,” you can explain that that’s one of the things sins does—it makes

God seem far away. Now draw two opposing cliffs with a gap in between.

3. Death: Circle this word and ask what thoughts come to mind. Explain that death in the Bible

always means some kind of separation—in its most basic sense, separation from life. Because

God is the author of life, a spiritual death simply means separation from Him.

4. BUT: While circling this word, mention that it is important because it means that a sharp

contrast in ideas is coming. What we have just looked at is the bad news; what comes next is the

good news.

5. Gift: Draw a circle around this word. Ask, “If wages are what a person earns, then what is a

gift?” Remind Jeff that though every gift is free for the person receiving it, someone still has to

purchase it.

6. Of God: Circle this and explain that the gift you are talking about is free. It is from God

Himself. It’s so special that no one else can give it. Ask, “How do you feel when someone gives

you a special gift?”

7) Eternal Life: Circle these two words next, and then ask, “How would you define these

words?” Contrast one side of the cliff, death, with the other side, eternal life. Ask, “What is the

opposite of separation from God?”

Page | 88

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

8. Christ Jesus: Write these words so they create a bridge between the two cliffs. Help your

friend to consider that just as every gift has a unique giver, only Jesus Christ can give the gift of

eternal life.

9. Trust: Write this word over the bridge you just drew. Explain that a true friend is a friend you

can trust, and tell the person that Jesus is offering to be a true friend to him/her. All he/she has to

do is admit that they are responsible for their sin—either of fighting against God or excluding

Him from their life. Trusting in Jesus means believing that He has power to forgive us for

rejecting God and that He will wash us clean from all that we have done wrong in life. At this

point, you can ask if the person wants to start a relationship with God that will last forever. If the

answer is “Yes,” invite them to pray a short prayer in their own words, asking Jesus to forgive

them and make them new.

Close by reminding the person that this simple illustration shows what God is like: Someone

who really cares about people—especially them. Invite them to read all about it in the Bible-the

Gospel of John is a great place to start.

Page | 89

HIM: Pre-Launch Sermon Series

HOW TO PREPARE FOR SHARING YOUR FAITH

Sharing your faith with the goal of winning soul should be a lifestyle of every believer.

However, if we want to be honest, not many Christian are engaged in sharing their faith. In fact,

we live at a time when many believers think it is the job of the pastor or evangelist to win souls

for Christ and bring them into the church to be nurtured. This is far from the truth. Soul winning

is the responsibility of every believer.

It must be acknowledged as well that for some believers, it has to be time set aside and

consecrated unto the Lord. For them, sharing their faith is not something they do naturally on

the bus, at work or even at home while sharing a meal with a friend or family. If you think you

need a special time set aside, then here are a few things to consider:

Prepared inner man: Reflect on the reason why you are going out. Examine yourself.

Thank God for saving you and making you an instrument.

Spend time to pray: (II Corinth 4:3-4): Pray that as you go out and share your faith, lost

souls will be converted; there will be a change of heart and mind and they will receive the

gospel of salvation. Pray against any satanic operations in their lives and set them free

spiritually first. Pray for God’s leading and wisdom to minister to the soul. Additionally, ask

the lord for confidence and utterance.

Study the Word (The Bible) and have or know the proper scriptures related to the

salvation message (Hebrews 4:12, Isaiah 49:2). If necessary, rehearse the scriptures;

envision possible questions and appropriate answers. Know where or how to get answers to

unknown questions. Be ready to admit what you don’t know while being quick to say what

you do know…. Share your personal testimony about your walk with God. No one can

dispute that!

Take along with you another person (if possible). Jesus always sent his disciples out in

pair (two-by-two). While one is speaking, the other can be silently praying for the spirit of

God to move in the life of the person hearing the Word of God. Additionally, having a

second person is also a good safety reason.

Page | 90