But the Laborers Are Few
The sermon emphasizes the importance of sharing the gospel and seeking the lost, highlighting the problem of complacent Christians and the need for laborers to be sent to reap the harvest.
Eli Brayley passionately preaches about the urgency and responsibility of Christians to open their eyes to the lost souls around them, emphasizing the need to align our will with God's will and actively participate in soul-winning. Drawing from John 4:34-36, he challenges believers to prioritize the eternal work of the Father, highlighting the abundance of the harvest and the scarcity of laborers. Brayley underscores the critical role each Christian plays in sharing the Good News and the consequences of neglecting this divine mandate, urging a heartfelt response to the call to be laborers in God's harvest field.
Text
"My food is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together." - John 4:34-36
The late Keith Green wrote a beautiful song called "Open Your Eyes" where he pleads with Christians saying:
Open your eyes to the world all around you
Open your eyes, Open your eyes
There's more to this world than the things that surround you
You must arise, and open your eyes
Oh comfortable, comfortable Christian... what shall I say? Things are fine for you, you're on your way to heaven. But what about those people who are on their way to hell? Open your eyes! Open your eyes! Oh Christian... this is not the way Jesus Christ intended it to be for you.
Take seriously the above Scripture from John chapter 4: Jesus says that His food is to do the will of Him who sent Him. Can we say this too? Are we eating what Jesus eats? Are we living on what the Son of God lived on? Well, what is this food? Soul-winning. Seeking and saving that which is lost. Saving the world. Finding the lost sheep. This is the work of the Father... and this is our neglected work!
Notice the problem is not the fields. Jesus shows us that the fields are white for the harvest. We cannot sit back idly and say it is the world's fault that they won't come to Jesus. No! It is not the world's fault at all. Isn't this an astoundingly scary and terrific thought? Who's responsibility is it then? Who will be held accountable on the Day of Judgment?
Jesus elsewhere says, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few..." (Luke 10:2a) Therefore we see the problem lies not with the fields but with the laborers.
Yet let's examine this verse a little bit closer. When we read this verse our mind registers it like this: "The harvest is truly great, AND the laborers are few..." as if Jesus was stating two separate facts: one being the great harvest and two being few laborers. But this is not what the verse says nor intends to say. Think closely:
"The harvest is truly great, BUT the laborers are few..." Now we see that this is not simply a statement of two distinct facts, but something much more serious. Literally, it would appear like this:
"The harvest is truly great, but because the laborers are few the harvest will not reap the crop that God fully intended it to reap." This ought to shake us to our core, oh complacent Christians! Have we no tears for the lost? When the Lord returns to see what we have been doing with our lives, will we dig up our coin of salvation and present it to Him, without profit or interest? Even more fearful, will Jesus take away your coin and give it to another?
If you do not desire to preach the gospel then you do not possess the gospel. The nature of good news is to pass it along, is it not? When you have good news to tell, do you not naturally desire to share it? How much more the Good News of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Do you truly possess this new life? "Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay." (Jeremiah 20:9)
I have barely slept lately... I have barely eaten... how can I be at ease in Zion while souls are going to hell (Amos 6:1)? My spirit is burdened. Burdened! Heavenly Father, I pray for the harvest, that you would send forth laborers into the fields to yield a great and mighty harvest of souls for the glory of Jesus Christ and for the honor that is due to His Name!
"...pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest." (Luke 10:2b)
Who will answer Jesus' call to GO?
Sermon Outline
- I. The Problem of the Harvest
- A. The fields are white for the harvest
- B. The problem lies not with the fields, but with the laborers
- II. The Responsibility of the Laborers
- A. We are accountable for the souls of those around us
- B. We must seek and save the lost
- III. The Consequences of Inaction
- A. The harvest will not reap the crop God intended
- B. We will be held accountable on the Day of Judgment
- IV. The Call to Action
- A. We must desire to preach the gospel
- B. We must pray for the harvest and for laborers to be sent
Key Quotes
“My food is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” — Eli Brayley
“The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few...” — Eli Brayley
“Who will answer Jesus' call to GO?” — Eli Brayley
Application Points
- We must desire to preach the gospel and seek the lost.
- We must pray for the harvest and for laborers to be sent.
- We will be held accountable on the Day of Judgment for the souls of those around us.