1 00:00:00,720 –> 00:00:03,300 Well we come today to the second part 2 00:00:03,300 –> 00:00:05,900 of this marvelous story in John and chapter four 3 00:00:05,900 –> 00:00:09,900 of a woman whose life was changed forever by Jesus Christ 4 00:00:09,900 –> 00:00:13,340 and then became the means of a whole community 5 00:00:13,340 –> 00:00:17,700 being touched and changed through faith in Jesus Christ. 6 00:00:17,700 –> 00:00:22,700 And I cannot think of greater verses of encouragement 7 00:00:23,139 –> 00:00:25,660 for all who are giving themselves 8 00:00:25,660 –> 00:00:28,700 to the work of Jesus Christ today 9 00:00:28,700 –> 00:00:30,500 than the words that are before us. 10 00:00:30,500 –> 00:00:33,540 If you’re tired or jaded today, 11 00:00:33,540 –> 00:00:37,980 these verses are going to be a tonic for your soul. 12 00:00:37,980 –> 00:00:40,639 If you have been wounded in serving the Lord 13 00:00:40,639 –> 00:00:44,139 and have therefore held back from giving yourself 14 00:00:44,139 –> 00:00:47,860 more fully to him, these are going to be healing 15 00:00:47,860 –> 00:00:48,880 for your soul. 16 00:00:48,880 –> 00:00:52,700 If you are afraid, concerned, anxious 17 00:00:52,700 –> 00:00:56,099 about the implications of giving yourself 18 00:00:56,820 –> 00:00:58,560 more fully to Jesus Christ, handing your life 19 00:00:58,560 –> 00:01:00,639 over to him, these verses are going to be 20 00:01:00,639 –> 00:01:03,700 a great encouragement and inspiration to you. 21 00:01:03,700 –> 00:01:05,360 And if you have in your heart today 22 00:01:05,360 –> 00:01:09,739 a desire to extend yourself and be of greater usefulness 23 00:01:09,739 –> 00:01:13,440 to Jesus Christ, then these verses before us today 24 00:01:13,440 –> 00:01:15,739 are indeed for you. 25 00:01:15,739 –> 00:01:17,459 So I do hope you’ll have your Bible open 26 00:01:17,459 –> 00:01:19,779 at John 4. 27 00:01:19,779 –> 00:01:23,239 Jesus was traveling, if you recall from last time, 28 00:01:23,260 –> 00:01:26,639 from Judea in the south to Galilee in the north. 29 00:01:26,639 –> 00:01:29,839 He goes through this area of Samaria, 30 00:01:29,839 –> 00:01:32,400 which was not a place where you would expect 31 00:01:32,400 –> 00:01:36,980 to find people who were interested in following Jesus. 32 00:01:36,980 –> 00:01:40,419 Remember that our Lord was born a Jew 33 00:01:40,419 –> 00:01:43,620 and there was a long history of hatred 34 00:01:43,620 –> 00:01:47,260 between the Jews and the Samaritans. 35 00:01:47,260 –> 00:01:50,459 Then the Samaritans had their own religion. 36 00:01:50,459 –> 00:01:53,459 There were some elements of truth in that. 37 00:01:53,459 –> 00:01:56,959 This woman knew verse 25 that the Messiah was to come, 38 00:01:56,959 –> 00:01:58,160 so there was some truth. 39 00:01:58,160 –> 00:02:01,199 But it was really buried under a heap 40 00:02:01,199 –> 00:02:05,139 of superstition and of idolatry. 41 00:02:05,139 –> 00:02:09,160 And then this particular woman who spoke with Jesus 42 00:02:09,160 –> 00:02:12,199 had lived a life that was really far from God 43 00:02:12,199 –> 00:02:15,160 and far from His commandments. 44 00:02:15,160 –> 00:02:18,240 If you were looking for prospects 45 00:02:18,320 –> 00:02:20,759 in terms of people who would be likely 46 00:02:20,759 –> 00:02:23,199 to become disciples of Jesus, 47 00:02:23,199 –> 00:02:27,919 this woman would be the least likely person 48 00:02:27,919 –> 00:02:31,880 in the least likely place. 49 00:02:31,880 –> 00:02:33,559 But we followed the marvelous story 50 00:02:33,559 –> 00:02:37,839 of how Jesus won her to faith in himself. 51 00:02:37,839 –> 00:02:42,279 And today we look at the sequel to that story. 52 00:02:42,279 –> 00:02:44,880 Now at this point the disciples 53 00:02:44,880 –> 00:02:47,759 who had gone into the town of Sychar 54 00:02:47,759 –> 00:02:51,039 to buy food that verse eight tells us that, 55 00:02:51,039 –> 00:02:52,679 they came back to the well 56 00:02:52,679 –> 00:02:54,839 and found Jesus speaking with this woman. 57 00:02:54,839 –> 00:02:56,940 They were surprised at that, 58 00:02:56,940 –> 00:03:00,880 although nobody said anything to Jesus about it. 59 00:03:00,880 –> 00:03:04,520 At this point, the woman then leaves the well, 60 00:03:04,520 –> 00:03:06,360 goes back into the city, 61 00:03:06,360 –> 00:03:08,839 and she begins to speak to other people 62 00:03:08,839 –> 00:03:11,839 who knew her about Jesus Christ 63 00:03:11,839 –> 00:03:14,039 and what he had said to her. 64 00:03:14,059 –> 00:03:18,059 At verse 29, she went away into the town 65 00:03:18,059 –> 00:03:19,919 and she said to the people, 66 00:03:19,919 –> 00:03:24,080 come and see a man who told me all that I ever did. 67 00:03:26,020 –> 00:03:28,559 So, while she is telling other people about Jesus 68 00:03:28,559 –> 00:03:30,639 who she has just met in the town, 69 00:03:30,639 –> 00:03:33,600 the disciples are with Jesus beside the well, 70 00:03:33,600 –> 00:03:36,039 they’ve brought back the food for lunch, 71 00:03:36,039 –> 00:03:37,500 and what we have in these verses 72 00:03:37,500 –> 00:03:40,559 is the remarkable conversation 73 00:03:40,559 –> 00:03:43,960 that took place between Jesus and his own disciples 74 00:03:43,960 –> 00:03:47,100 at the well and my hope and prayer 75 00:03:47,100 –> 00:03:49,960 is that these words that are before us 76 00:03:49,960 –> 00:03:51,639 are going to be a means of blessing 77 00:03:51,639 –> 00:03:54,919 and encouragement for all of us today. 78 00:03:54,919 –> 00:03:59,520 I want simply to make three observations from these verses, 79 00:03:59,520 –> 00:04:00,919 and the first is this. 80 00:04:01,839 –> 00:04:04,960 If you will give yourself to God’s work, 81 00:04:04,960 –> 00:04:08,940 then you will have great joy. 82 00:04:08,940 –> 00:04:10,600 Many of you are doing this now, 83 00:04:10,600 –> 00:04:12,320 many of you have been doing it for years 84 00:04:12,320 –> 00:04:14,440 and you know this to be true. 85 00:04:14,440 –> 00:04:17,160 But I want you to see this great principle 86 00:04:17,160 –> 00:04:19,880 that in as much as you give yourself to the work of God 87 00:04:19,880 –> 00:04:22,940 you are going to have great joy in your life. 88 00:04:22,940 –> 00:04:26,000 Give yourself to God’s work 89 00:04:26,000 –> 00:04:29,359 and you will have great joy. 90 00:04:29,359 –> 00:04:32,040 I want you to see this in the story. 91 00:04:32,040 –> 00:04:35,619 The disciples had left Jesus, verse six, 92 00:04:35,619 –> 00:04:37,640 he was weary from the journey. 93 00:04:37,640 –> 00:04:40,339 Our Lord’s incarnation was real and true. 94 00:04:40,339 –> 00:04:42,160 It wasn’t just that he appeared as a man, 95 00:04:42,339 –> 00:04:45,040 he really experienced human life, 96 00:04:45,040 –> 00:04:47,040 which means that after he had walked many miles 97 00:04:47,040 –> 00:04:50,619 on a hot day he was tired, he was jaded, 98 00:04:51,640 –> 00:04:54,899 his energy was running low. 99 00:04:54,899 –> 00:04:57,579 And so the disciples had gone into the town 100 00:04:57,579 –> 00:04:59,720 to buy food and to bring back lunch 101 00:04:59,720 –> 00:05:02,760 because all of them were hungry. 102 00:05:02,760 –> 00:05:04,760 But to their surprise when they come back 103 00:05:04,760 –> 00:05:08,600 with the lunch Jesus shows absolutely no interest 104 00:05:08,600 –> 00:05:10,339 in eating the lunch. 105 00:05:11,220 –> 00:05:12,380 So now picture the disciples 106 00:05:12,380 –> 00:05:15,140 and they’re sitting beside the well 107 00:05:15,140 –> 00:05:17,619 and there now tucking into their sandwiches, 108 00:05:17,619 –> 00:05:19,459 well, I don’t suppose that that’s what it was, 109 00:05:19,459 –> 00:05:20,619 but you get what I mean, 110 00:05:20,619 –> 00:05:23,380 whatever they brought back from the city. 111 00:05:23,380 –> 00:05:26,920 But Jesus is energized. 112 00:05:26,920 –> 00:05:31,899 Jesus is walking around, he is not sitting with them. 113 00:05:31,899 –> 00:05:34,579 His mind is clearly somewhere else. 114 00:05:34,579 –> 00:05:37,019 He shows no interest whatsoever 115 00:05:37,019 –> 00:05:39,160 in sitting down and eating lunch. 116 00:05:40,420 –> 00:05:42,459 And so you have in verse 31, 117 00:05:42,459 –> 00:05:44,839 the disciples were urging him, 118 00:05:45,880 –> 00:05:48,980 saying rabbi, eat. 119 00:05:48,980 –> 00:05:51,760 And you sense the almost frustration 120 00:05:51,760 –> 00:05:53,339 that they’re having with Jesus there. 121 00:05:53,339 –> 00:05:55,019 We got into the town, we bought lunch, 122 00:05:55,019 –> 00:05:58,660 Jesus, will you just sit down and eat your lunch? 123 00:05:58,660 –> 00:06:00,019 That’s what they’re saying. 124 00:06:01,239 –> 00:06:03,179 And our Lord says, verse 32, 125 00:06:03,179 –> 00:06:04,179 Jesus said to them, 126 00:06:04,179 –> 00:06:07,700 I have food to eat that you do not know about. 127 00:06:07,859 –> 00:06:08,660 They eat. 128 00:06:09,720 –> 00:06:12,339 Now the disciples don’t know what to make of this. 129 00:06:12,339 –> 00:06:14,779 I mean, what is this? 130 00:06:14,779 –> 00:06:17,899 We leave him, an hour ago, 131 00:06:17,899 –> 00:06:20,980 and he’s tired and he’s drained and his energy is low. 132 00:06:22,399 –> 00:06:25,420 Now we come back, less than an hour later, 133 00:06:25,420 –> 00:06:28,299 and he’s up and he’s walking about and he’s energized 134 00:06:28,299 –> 00:06:31,100 and he’s animated, fired up, refreshed, reinvigorated, 135 00:06:31,100 –> 00:06:34,119 full of joy, and he doesn’t seem even to need any lunch. 136 00:06:35,579 –> 00:06:37,040 So what has happened? 137 00:06:37,119 –> 00:06:39,679 And they say to one another in verse 33, 138 00:06:39,679 –> 00:06:42,179 maybe someone else has brought him something to eat. 139 00:06:43,200 –> 00:06:44,920 Maybe someone showed up while we were away 140 00:06:44,920 –> 00:06:46,260 and brought him a really good lunch, 141 00:06:46,260 –> 00:06:48,480 and that’s why he’s now all energized 142 00:06:48,480 –> 00:06:51,480 and doesn’t want to eat what we brought back from the town. 143 00:06:53,000 –> 00:06:55,440 But Jesus, verse 34, said to them, 144 00:06:56,359 –> 00:06:59,359 “‘My food,’ the food that you do not know about, 145 00:07:00,380 –> 00:07:04,859 “‘is to do the will of him who sent me 146 00:07:04,859 –> 00:07:09,660 “‘and to accomplish his work.’” 147 00:07:09,660 –> 00:07:13,260 Now notice what Jesus is saying here, it’s very important. 148 00:07:13,260 –> 00:07:17,160 To do God’s will and to accomplish God’s work. 149 00:07:18,059 –> 00:07:21,859 Doing what God wants you to do 150 00:07:21,859 –> 00:07:26,239 and serving where God wants you to serve 151 00:07:26,239 –> 00:07:30,040 will be like food for your soul. 152 00:07:31,100 –> 00:07:32,440 There’s a marginalist principle 153 00:07:32,820 –> 00:07:35,320 that extending yourself in ministry 154 00:07:35,320 –> 00:07:40,320 is actually nourishing to your inner life. 155 00:07:41,200 –> 00:07:43,839 Give yourself to the work of God 156 00:07:43,839 –> 00:07:46,920 and your own soul will be fed. 157 00:07:48,760 –> 00:07:50,040 Now, I know, as you know, 158 00:07:50,040 –> 00:07:53,839 that this is not the only truth about ministry, 159 00:07:53,839 –> 00:07:56,200 give yourself to the work of ministry, 160 00:07:56,200 –> 00:07:57,980 the work of God, and you will find 161 00:07:57,980 –> 00:07:59,920 that there is also a cross to carry, 162 00:07:59,920 –> 00:08:02,559 there is also a cost to bear, 163 00:08:03,559 –> 00:08:07,640 but these truths naturally belong together. 164 00:08:07,640 –> 00:08:10,140 I mean, think about the birth of a child. 165 00:08:11,040 –> 00:08:14,480 Great pain is involved in the birth of a child. 166 00:08:14,480 –> 00:08:16,279 There is a cost, but what comes 167 00:08:16,279 –> 00:08:20,119 with the birth of the child is this overwhelming joy, 168 00:08:21,519 –> 00:08:26,519 so doing the will and doing the work of God is like this. 169 00:08:26,839 –> 00:08:28,679 It may bring you great pain, 170 00:08:28,679 –> 00:08:30,799 but it will bring you the greatest joy 171 00:08:30,799 –> 00:08:31,760 that you could ever know. 172 00:08:31,760 –> 00:08:35,039 That’s what we’re discovering right here, 173 00:08:35,039 –> 00:08:39,119 and this is particularly true where you extend yourself 174 00:08:39,119 –> 00:08:41,039 and you go the extra mile 175 00:08:41,039 –> 00:08:43,760 and you go outside of your comfort zone 176 00:08:43,760 –> 00:08:46,479 in regards to doing the will of God 177 00:08:46,479 –> 00:08:48,960 and doing the work of God. 178 00:08:48,960 –> 00:08:52,960 Remember, Jesus was tired when he arrived at the well, 179 00:08:52,960 –> 00:08:54,119 and here’s this woman. 180 00:08:54,119 –> 00:08:57,039 I mean, he could easily have just thought 181 00:08:57,059 –> 00:08:59,239 that this isn’t the moment for a conversation. 182 00:08:59,239 –> 00:09:00,219 Now, I’m tired right now. 183 00:09:00,219 –> 00:09:02,080 It’s not the right time. 184 00:09:02,080 –> 00:09:03,440 Or he could have just passed it off 185 00:09:03,440 –> 00:09:04,960 with some comment about the weather 186 00:09:04,960 –> 00:09:07,559 and what a hot day it was, 187 00:09:07,559 –> 00:09:08,559 but he didn’t do that. 188 00:09:08,559 –> 00:09:12,799 He’s tired, but he wrestles for this woman’s soul. 189 00:09:14,200 –> 00:09:17,080 And in winning this woman’s soul, 190 00:09:17,080 –> 00:09:21,280 there’s a wonderful renewal that comes to Jesus in himself 191 00:09:21,280 –> 00:09:24,500 so that lunch is no longer the thing that’s on his mind. 192 00:09:24,500 –> 00:09:28,580 He’s so filled with this overwhelming joy. 193 00:09:30,179 –> 00:09:33,059 Some years ago, when I was at a place 194 00:09:33,059 –> 00:09:35,960 of being jaded and discouraged in my own life, 195 00:09:35,960 –> 00:09:39,140 someone sent me a card with a verse of scripture 196 00:09:39,140 –> 00:09:40,599 and then a few other comments 197 00:09:40,599 –> 00:09:42,460 that was a blessing to me then, 198 00:09:42,460 –> 00:09:45,580 and the verse of scripture has stayed with me 199 00:09:45,580 –> 00:09:47,619 and has been a blessing to me ever since. 200 00:09:47,619 –> 00:09:49,500 And it’s from Proverbs, and it says this. 201 00:09:49,500 –> 00:09:50,940 I’ll give it to you in the words 202 00:09:50,940 –> 00:09:53,599 that it was written to me those years ago, 203 00:09:53,659 –> 00:09:58,659 whoever refreshes others will himself be refreshed. 204 00:10:01,059 –> 00:10:03,440 That’s what the Book of Proverbs says. 205 00:10:03,440 –> 00:10:07,679 And do you see how that is exactly modeled for us 206 00:10:07,679 –> 00:10:10,080 in the experience of the Lord Jesus here? 207 00:10:10,080 –> 00:10:12,440 He extends himself to refresh others, 208 00:10:12,440 –> 00:10:14,080 to minister to this woman, 209 00:10:14,080 –> 00:10:15,820 and what happens in doing that 210 00:10:15,820 –> 00:10:20,200 is that the Lord Jesus Himself is refreshed. 211 00:10:20,200 –> 00:10:21,440 So here’s the principle. 212 00:10:22,200 –> 00:10:27,200 If you hold yourself back from ministry, 213 00:10:27,880 –> 00:10:32,000 your own soul will run dry. 214 00:10:34,039 –> 00:10:36,880 But inasmuch as you give yourself 215 00:10:36,880 –> 00:10:39,739 to doing the will and the work of God, 216 00:10:39,739 –> 00:10:44,739 you will be blessed and your own soul will be refreshed 217 00:10:45,320 –> 00:10:49,619 and you will discover joy in this 218 00:10:49,619 –> 00:10:53,099 that you will find in nothing else. 219 00:10:53,099 –> 00:10:55,239 Give yourself to God’s work 220 00:10:56,140 –> 00:10:58,619 and you will have the greatest joy. 221 00:10:59,619 –> 00:11:02,580 Second, give yourself to God’s work 222 00:11:02,580 –> 00:11:04,200 and you will see him move 223 00:11:05,179 –> 00:11:07,099 in ways that you did not expect. 224 00:11:07,099 –> 00:11:08,760 Look at verse 35 with me. 225 00:11:09,739 –> 00:11:11,679 Do you not say 226 00:11:12,679 –> 00:11:16,159 there are yet four months and then comes the harvest? 227 00:11:17,099 –> 00:11:20,539 Look, Jesus says, I tell you, 228 00:11:20,539 –> 00:11:23,020 lift up your eyes 229 00:11:23,020 –> 00:11:26,700 and see that the fields are white 230 00:11:26,700 –> 00:11:28,340 for harvest. 231 00:11:29,559 –> 00:11:32,080 Now, there’s a great deal of discussion 232 00:11:32,080 –> 00:11:34,059 in the commentaries about this phrase 233 00:11:34,059 –> 00:11:36,159 four months until the harvest. 234 00:11:36,159 –> 00:11:38,000 What does that mean? 235 00:11:38,000 –> 00:11:41,320 Is it a reference to the time of the year? 236 00:11:41,320 –> 00:11:43,500 Well, the problem there is if it was, 237 00:11:43,799 –> 00:11:45,239 say if it was four months until harvest 238 00:11:45,239 –> 00:11:46,919 till when this happened, 239 00:11:46,919 –> 00:11:49,979 it would not have been as hot as is described here 240 00:11:49,979 –> 00:11:51,700 and it would have been in the rainy season 241 00:11:51,700 –> 00:11:53,619 four months before harvest 242 00:11:53,619 –> 00:11:55,020 and the fields would have been wet. 243 00:11:55,020 –> 00:11:56,979 So, that doesn’t seem to fit. 244 00:11:56,979 –> 00:11:59,280 Was it then just a popular saying? 245 00:11:59,280 –> 00:12:02,039 Well, but there’s no evidence that this was 246 00:12:02,039 –> 00:12:05,119 a popular saying in any other literature from the time. 247 00:12:06,520 –> 00:12:09,280 So, I am persuaded by those who think 248 00:12:09,280 –> 00:12:12,539 that this was actually a line 249 00:12:12,979 –> 00:12:16,700 that was repeated by the disciples themselves 250 00:12:16,700 –> 00:12:20,140 and it become a bit of a phrase with them. 251 00:12:20,140 –> 00:12:21,900 And notice the significance of the words, 252 00:12:21,900 –> 00:12:24,840 Jesus says, do you not see, 253 00:12:24,840 –> 00:12:26,960 this is something that you keep repeating. 254 00:12:27,900 –> 00:12:31,500 And perhaps this is something that we’re all familiar with, 255 00:12:31,500 –> 00:12:35,580 you know, you go away with a group of friends for a vacation 256 00:12:35,580 –> 00:12:36,940 there’s a dozen of you there 257 00:12:36,940 –> 00:12:40,099 and at some point in the week someone says some phrase 258 00:12:40,099 –> 00:12:42,479 that resonates with everyone else 259 00:12:42,479 –> 00:12:45,159 or causes people to laugh or smile. 260 00:12:45,159 –> 00:12:46,479 And so for the rest of the week, 261 00:12:46,479 –> 00:12:48,880 everyone else in the group keeps finding another place 262 00:12:48,880 –> 00:12:52,119 and another way to throw in the same phrase. 263 00:12:52,119 –> 00:12:54,119 And the result of that is that everybody 264 00:12:54,119 –> 00:12:57,059 in the group knows what’s being said, 265 00:12:57,059 –> 00:13:00,239 remembers it forever and always smiles with that phrase 266 00:13:00,239 –> 00:13:03,500 and anyone who wasn’t part of that particular vacation 267 00:13:03,500 –> 00:13:05,179 has no idea really what is being said. 268 00:13:06,400 –> 00:13:08,799 Now, if that was indeed a phrase 269 00:13:08,799 –> 00:13:11,440 that had sort of caught on with the disciples, 270 00:13:11,440 –> 00:13:13,460 there’s yet four months and then the harvest, 271 00:13:13,460 –> 00:13:18,460 does it not reflect a mindset that says, 272 00:13:19,880 –> 00:13:21,940 we need to take things slowly here. 273 00:13:23,000 –> 00:13:25,640 It’s a cautious mindset. 274 00:13:25,640 –> 00:13:27,119 It’s the kind of mindset that says, 275 00:13:27,119 –> 00:13:29,479 don’t expect too much too quickly 276 00:13:29,479 –> 00:13:31,520 and then you won’t be too disappointed. 277 00:13:33,239 –> 00:13:36,320 And surely what Jesus is saying here is something like this. 278 00:13:36,320 –> 00:13:40,099 Now look, you are always saying four months more 279 00:13:40,419 –> 00:13:42,520 until the harvest. 280 00:13:42,520 –> 00:13:45,940 In your mind, the harvest is always another day, 281 00:13:45,940 –> 00:13:48,419 another place, another time, 282 00:13:48,419 –> 00:13:51,260 it’s always someone else who’s gonna do it, 283 00:13:51,260 –> 00:13:56,219 but I’m saying to you, verse 35, lift up your eyes 284 00:13:56,219 –> 00:14:00,659 and see that the fields are white for harvest 285 00:14:00,659 –> 00:14:03,500 and the commentators often, many of them, 286 00:14:03,500 –> 00:14:06,539 speak about how on a hot day, 287 00:14:06,820 –> 00:14:10,419 people would have been wearing white robes, 288 00:14:10,419 –> 00:14:13,859 white clothing, and since we’re already told 289 00:14:13,859 –> 00:14:16,340 in verse 30 that there was a large number of people 290 00:14:16,340 –> 00:14:20,539 who were coming out of the town of Sychar towards Jesus, 291 00:14:20,539 –> 00:14:22,580 almost certainly what has been referred to here 292 00:14:22,580 –> 00:14:25,280 is Jesus is looking over the fields 293 00:14:25,280 –> 00:14:29,900 and he’s seeing this mass of humanity, 294 00:14:29,900 –> 00:14:33,659 people from this town in white robes 295 00:14:33,760 –> 00:14:36,859 and the sea of humanity that’s dressed in white 296 00:14:36,859 –> 00:14:37,840 is coming towards him. 297 00:14:37,840 –> 00:14:41,780 He said, look, look over these fields 298 00:14:41,780 –> 00:14:44,359 and see who’s coming towards us. 299 00:14:44,359 –> 00:14:45,979 There’s a harvest coming towards us. 300 00:14:45,979 –> 00:14:49,539 People are coming towards us right now on this very day. 301 00:14:51,140 –> 00:14:56,140 Now, remember that this spiritual movement, 302 00:14:57,979 –> 00:14:59,979 one woman being brought to Christ 303 00:15:00,140 –> 00:15:03,260 and now a whole sea of humanity coming out 304 00:15:03,260 –> 00:15:05,900 of this town towards Jesus 305 00:15:05,900 –> 00:15:07,940 and Jesus staying there then two days 306 00:15:07,940 –> 00:15:10,979 and many, many people coming to faith in him. 307 00:15:10,979 –> 00:15:14,760 Remember the significance that this happened in Samaria, 308 00:15:16,440 –> 00:15:20,140 the most unlikely place for a harvest. 309 00:15:22,380 –> 00:15:25,179 So let this be faith-stretching for us today. 310 00:15:26,940 –> 00:15:28,320 Think with me right now. 311 00:15:28,400 –> 00:15:32,739 Think in your mind about an area 312 00:15:32,739 –> 00:15:34,919 or a part of the greater Chicago area 313 00:15:34,919 –> 00:15:38,960 where you think it would be really tough to plant a church. 314 00:15:40,479 –> 00:15:41,840 Whatever area that comes to your mind 315 00:15:41,840 –> 00:15:43,359 you’re thinking about Samaria? 316 00:15:45,099 –> 00:15:47,539 Think about a region of this country 317 00:15:48,520 –> 00:15:51,359 that you think is going to be more resistant 318 00:15:51,359 –> 00:15:54,700 to the gospel than other parts of this country. 319 00:15:56,000 –> 00:15:57,440 What area comes to your mind? 320 00:15:57,440 –> 00:15:58,719 What region comes to your mind 321 00:15:58,719 –> 00:16:00,320 you’re thinking about Samaria? 322 00:16:02,559 –> 00:16:05,400 Think about a country somewhere across the globe 323 00:16:05,400 –> 00:16:09,460 where you think that people are least likely 324 00:16:09,460 –> 00:16:10,940 to come to the Lord? 325 00:16:12,359 –> 00:16:14,159 What countries come to your mind 326 00:16:14,159 –> 00:16:17,080 you are thinking right now about Samaria? 327 00:16:18,760 –> 00:16:20,320 Think about a person you know, 328 00:16:21,080 –> 00:16:23,219 someone you have been praying for 329 00:16:24,280 –> 00:16:27,380 and they seem far from God right now 330 00:16:27,380 –> 00:16:29,739 and far from any interest in the gospel. 331 00:16:29,739 –> 00:16:32,659 As you think about that woman, that man, that young person 332 00:16:32,659 –> 00:16:35,900 you are thinking about Samaria. 333 00:16:37,619 –> 00:16:38,979 What happens in this story, 334 00:16:38,979 –> 00:16:40,559 why it’s such a wonderful story 335 00:16:40,559 –> 00:16:43,059 is that the least likely person 336 00:16:44,239 –> 00:16:46,679 in the least likely place 337 00:16:47,340 –> 00:16:49,260 comes to faith in Jesus Christ 338 00:16:49,260 –> 00:16:50,919 and as a result of her witness 339 00:16:50,919 –> 00:16:52,960 going back to her own community 340 00:16:52,960 –> 00:16:54,520 there is a whole community 341 00:16:54,520 –> 00:16:56,780 that is now coming to Jesus Christ 342 00:16:56,940 –> 00:16:59,960 and many of them came to faith in him. 343 00:17:01,679 –> 00:17:04,920 Now, again, it is not always like this. 344 00:17:06,420 –> 00:17:09,119 The scriptures themselves tell us about other times 345 00:17:09,119 –> 00:17:11,020 where Jesus went to a Samaritan village 346 00:17:11,020 –> 00:17:13,520 and the people simply would not receive him. 347 00:17:13,520 –> 00:17:16,280 You have that in Luke in chapter 9 in verse 54 348 00:17:16,280 –> 00:17:17,540 for an example. 349 00:17:18,599 –> 00:17:21,160 So, for sure, give yourself to ministry 350 00:17:21,160 –> 00:17:24,760 and you will face discouragements and disappointments 351 00:17:24,760 –> 00:17:26,619 but this also is true. 352 00:17:26,640 –> 00:17:28,719 Give yourself to ministry 353 00:17:30,640 –> 00:17:32,660 and you will see God move 354 00:17:34,719 –> 00:17:37,400 in ways that you did not expect. 355 00:17:38,939 –> 00:17:42,939 So, I want us to receive this as an encouragement today, 356 00:17:42,939 –> 00:17:46,060 an encouragement to go on giving ourselves 357 00:17:46,060 –> 00:17:47,459 to the work of ministry, 358 00:17:47,459 –> 00:17:50,380 an encouragement to extend ourselves 359 00:17:50,380 –> 00:17:53,300 in the work of reaching out with the gospel 360 00:17:53,300 –> 00:17:56,439 in the Greater Chicago area and around the world. 361 00:17:56,599 –> 00:17:59,839 Give yourself to the work of God 362 00:17:59,839 –> 00:18:04,099 and you will see Him move in ways that you did not expect. 363 00:18:05,300 –> 00:18:07,579 And we are in the process, indeed, of doing that, 364 00:18:07,579 –> 00:18:08,420 are we not? 365 00:18:08,420 –> 00:18:12,239 Of extending ourselves in the work of God. 366 00:18:12,239 –> 00:18:14,680 In church planting in Albania 367 00:18:14,680 –> 00:18:16,560 and the depth of our commitment there 368 00:18:16,560 –> 00:18:19,760 and in other places around the world. 369 00:18:19,760 –> 00:18:24,520 And many of you already have been pushing yourselves 370 00:18:24,560 –> 00:18:26,979 beyond your own comfort zone. 371 00:18:28,000 –> 00:18:30,780 You’ve been pushing yourself to a different place 372 00:18:30,780 –> 00:18:35,380 in terms of your giving and in terms of your serving. 373 00:18:35,380 –> 00:18:38,219 And you’re doing it because you have a strong desire 374 00:18:38,219 –> 00:18:42,380 to do the will of God and to accomplish the work of God. 375 00:18:42,380 –> 00:18:44,040 And here’s the encouragement today. 376 00:18:44,040 –> 00:18:46,959 As you give yourself to God’s work, 377 00:18:48,819 –> 00:18:53,359 you will see Him move in ways that are beyond 378 00:18:53,359 –> 00:18:56,239 what you ever expected. 379 00:18:57,400 –> 00:19:00,920 First, give yourself to God’s work and you’ll have great joy. 380 00:19:00,920 –> 00:19:02,839 Second, give yourself to God’s work 381 00:19:02,839 –> 00:19:06,140 and you will see Him move in ways that you did not expect. 382 00:19:06,140 –> 00:19:09,959 Third, give yourself to any part of God’s work 383 00:19:12,239 –> 00:19:15,900 and you will share in the reward of the whole. 384 00:19:15,900 –> 00:19:18,000 This is wonderful. 385 00:19:18,000 –> 00:19:21,640 If you give yourself to any part of God’s work, 386 00:19:21,800 –> 00:19:24,540 we all have different parts. 387 00:19:24,540 –> 00:19:28,199 Give yourself to any part of God’s work 388 00:19:28,199 –> 00:19:32,040 and you will share in the reward of the whole. 389 00:19:33,959 –> 00:19:36,979 I want you to see this in verse 36. 390 00:19:36,979 –> 00:19:40,739 Already, the one who reaps is receiving wages 391 00:19:42,920 –> 00:19:46,660 and gathering fruit for eternal life. 392 00:19:46,660 –> 00:19:48,979 So that, here it is. 393 00:19:48,979 –> 00:19:50,459 Sower and reaper 394 00:19:52,300 –> 00:19:54,239 may rejoice together. 395 00:19:54,239 –> 00:19:55,619 Now these are very striking words. 396 00:19:55,619 –> 00:19:58,800 Sower and reaper may rejoice together 397 00:20:00,199 –> 00:20:01,500 because, of course, that is something 398 00:20:01,500 –> 00:20:04,640 that would never normally happen. 399 00:20:04,640 –> 00:20:08,739 Sowing and reaping are separated by many months. 400 00:20:09,520 –> 00:20:10,979 Those who sow and those who reap 401 00:20:10,979 –> 00:20:13,319 wouldn’t normally even meet, 402 00:20:14,319 –> 00:20:16,560 let alone rejoice together. 403 00:20:18,280 –> 00:20:21,060 And sowing, of course, is hard work 404 00:20:21,319 –> 00:20:23,400 with no immediate reward. 405 00:20:24,959 –> 00:20:28,500 It’s the reapers who get all the fun, right? 406 00:20:28,500 –> 00:20:29,939 The reward comes with the reaping. 407 00:20:29,939 –> 00:20:31,260 They’re the ones that get to take the sheaves 408 00:20:31,260 –> 00:20:32,339 into the market. 409 00:20:32,339 –> 00:20:36,160 That’s where the great reward comes. 410 00:20:36,160 –> 00:20:38,400 But here, Jesus is telling us 411 00:20:38,400 –> 00:20:41,000 that the sowers and the reapers 412 00:20:41,000 –> 00:20:43,500 are together in the rejoicing, 413 00:20:46,000 –> 00:20:48,920 and, of course, this happened in an extraordinary way 414 00:20:48,959 –> 00:20:51,119 on that day in Samaria, 415 00:20:51,119 –> 00:20:53,780 where the long interval that you normally have 416 00:20:53,780 –> 00:20:56,040 between sowing and reaping 417 00:20:56,040 –> 00:20:59,339 was really collapsed into a single day. 418 00:20:59,339 –> 00:21:02,699 Jesus sowed in the life of this one woman of Samaria. 419 00:21:02,699 –> 00:21:04,339 She went back into the town. 420 00:21:04,339 –> 00:21:06,880 There’s a sea of humanity comes out of the town. 421 00:21:06,880 –> 00:21:10,199 And within a day, there is a great, great harvest. 422 00:21:10,199 –> 00:21:13,760 And two days later, many, many more people coming to Christ. 423 00:21:13,760 –> 00:21:16,599 And so the sowing and the reaping is kind of contracted 424 00:21:16,599 –> 00:21:18,939 so that it’s all in a single day. 425 00:21:18,939 –> 00:21:19,959 I mean, that’s so unusual. 426 00:21:19,959 –> 00:21:23,680 It’s normally separated by such a long interval. 427 00:21:23,680 –> 00:21:25,739 But here’s the point that is being made. 428 00:21:26,719 –> 00:21:28,400 Jesus is saying surely 429 00:21:28,400 –> 00:21:31,680 this is what it is going to be like on the last day. 430 00:21:32,680 –> 00:21:37,680 When the great harvest of God’s work is finally gathered in, 431 00:21:38,560 –> 00:21:40,619 the sowers and the reapers 432 00:21:40,619 –> 00:21:43,920 are going to be rejoicing together. 433 00:21:43,920 –> 00:21:47,099 Not just the reapers that get the reward, 434 00:21:47,099 –> 00:21:50,439 not just the person who was at the point 435 00:21:50,439 –> 00:21:52,680 of bringing a person to Christ, 436 00:21:52,680 –> 00:21:56,400 but everyone who had any part in all of the process 437 00:21:56,400 –> 00:21:57,800 that led up to that as well. 438 00:21:57,800 –> 00:21:59,359 That’s what’s being said here. 439 00:21:59,359 –> 00:22:01,800 They will share in the joy and in the rewards. 440 00:22:01,800 –> 00:22:04,479 So there is here 441 00:22:04,479 –> 00:22:09,040 the most wonderful encouragement for sowers. 442 00:22:10,040 –> 00:22:15,040 You do not know what God will do with a seed 443 00:22:15,300 –> 00:22:20,300 that you planted after you have planted it. 444 00:22:21,640 –> 00:22:25,319 But whatever comes of a seed that you have sown 445 00:22:25,319 –> 00:22:27,760 in any person’s life, 446 00:22:28,719 –> 00:22:31,839 whatever comes of that you will share in the joy 447 00:22:31,839 –> 00:22:35,560 and in the reward of it in the last day. 448 00:22:35,839 –> 00:22:39,280 The reward is not for reapers only, 449 00:22:39,280 –> 00:22:44,280 it is also for those who did the sowing as well. 450 00:22:44,319 –> 00:22:46,719 And what this reminds us of course is this, 451 00:22:46,719 –> 00:22:51,719 that you only see a very small part 452 00:22:52,239 –> 00:22:54,819 of what God will bring from what you have sown 453 00:22:54,819 –> 00:22:56,479 during your life in this world. 454 00:22:57,760 –> 00:22:59,619 I mean, think about it, your life, 455 00:23:00,560 –> 00:23:01,800 your testimony, 456 00:23:02,719 –> 00:23:04,520 your faithfulness in serving, 457 00:23:04,520 –> 00:23:07,900 some of you over many, many, many years, 458 00:23:08,880 –> 00:23:12,520 you’re giving, you’re going, 459 00:23:12,520 –> 00:23:15,680 you’re speaking, you’re praying, 460 00:23:17,099 –> 00:23:20,119 there will come a day when all of the sowers 461 00:23:20,119 –> 00:23:22,760 and all of the reapers will be together 462 00:23:22,760 –> 00:23:25,680 in the presence of Jesus and will rejoice together 463 00:23:25,680 –> 00:23:29,599 over all that He has done through all of His people. 464 00:23:30,479 –> 00:23:34,280 Friends, this has been an overwhelmingly wonderful thought 465 00:23:34,280 –> 00:23:35,800 to me this week and I hope it will be 466 00:23:35,800 –> 00:23:38,380 an overwhelmingly wonderful thought to you. 467 00:23:38,380 –> 00:23:40,920 How great will be your joy 468 00:23:42,599 –> 00:23:46,260 when you see the full outcome 469 00:23:46,260 –> 00:23:50,739 of every prayer you have ever prayed in your life, 470 00:23:51,959 –> 00:23:56,079 of every dollar that you ever gave, 471 00:23:56,119 –> 00:23:59,800 of every student that you ever taught, 472 00:23:59,800 –> 00:24:02,959 of every word of testimony that you ever shared, 473 00:24:02,959 –> 00:24:06,060 of every hour that you ever served, 474 00:24:06,060 –> 00:24:09,219 of every loss that you ever suffered, 475 00:24:09,219 –> 00:24:12,239 of every kindness that you ever showed, 476 00:24:12,239 –> 00:24:15,160 of every seed you have ever sown? 477 00:24:15,160 –> 00:24:17,920 What will it be when on the last day God shows 478 00:24:17,920 –> 00:24:21,439 to you the full outcome 479 00:24:22,439 –> 00:24:25,640 of every seed sown through your life 480 00:24:25,640 –> 00:24:26,699 and through your ministry. 481 00:24:26,699 –> 00:24:31,699 Friends, none of us knows even the smallest fraction 482 00:24:33,319 –> 00:24:37,680 of what God has accomplished through any of our lives. 483 00:24:38,520 –> 00:24:40,739 But when you see that full picture 484 00:24:40,739 –> 00:24:42,040 and when it’s revealed to you, 485 00:24:42,040 –> 00:24:47,040 you are going to be overwhelmed with an inexpressible joy. 486 00:24:47,199 –> 00:24:48,040 Joy. 487 00:24:49,520 –> 00:24:51,819 So there’s great encouragement for sowers here. 488 00:24:52,760 –> 00:24:56,099 All the stories of what came of a seed that you sowed 489 00:24:56,099 –> 00:24:58,520 and you don’t have the first clue about it right now, 490 00:24:58,520 –> 00:25:01,079 but one day you will and you will share in the joy. 491 00:25:02,199 –> 00:25:03,040 And then, of course, 492 00:25:03,040 –> 00:25:05,719 there’s great encouragement for reapers here. 493 00:25:05,719 –> 00:25:08,640 Notice that Jesus says, verse 37, 494 00:25:08,640 –> 00:25:12,239 for here the saying holds true, 495 00:25:12,239 –> 00:25:14,880 For others have sowed and another reaps, 496 00:25:14,880 –> 00:25:19,880 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour, 497 00:25:21,280 –> 00:25:26,280 others have laboured and you have entered into their labour. 498 00:25:26,459 –> 00:25:29,020 I mean, extraordinary that Jesus would say this 499 00:25:29,020 –> 00:25:34,020 in Samaria of all places, I have sent you to reap. 500 00:25:35,040 –> 00:25:38,739 So you see the force of this. 501 00:25:38,739 –> 00:25:40,219 Jesus is saying to the disciples, 502 00:25:40,219 –> 00:25:41,640 now I’ve sent you to reap 503 00:25:41,640 –> 00:25:45,479 so stop saying four more months until the harvest. 504 00:25:45,479 –> 00:25:46,959 Let that phrase be done and gone 505 00:25:46,959 –> 00:25:48,560 from our group now and forever. 506 00:25:50,079 –> 00:25:55,079 Quit thinking that in this increasingly secular culture 507 00:25:55,359 –> 00:25:58,939 people are no longer interested in faith in Jesus Christ 508 00:25:58,939 –> 00:26:00,199 and no one will respond 509 00:26:00,199 –> 00:26:01,640 so it’s really not worth the effort. 510 00:26:01,640 –> 00:26:04,500 That simply is not true. 511 00:26:06,199 –> 00:26:09,680 There are always people who are ready to hear the gospel 512 00:26:09,680 –> 00:26:11,280 and respond to Jesus Christ. 513 00:26:11,280 –> 00:26:13,040 We just don’t know who they are 514 00:26:13,040 –> 00:26:14,280 and the only way to find out 515 00:26:14,280 –> 00:26:16,599 is to tell everyone that we possibly can. 516 00:26:18,280 –> 00:26:20,920 There are people in your sphere of influence 517 00:26:20,920 –> 00:26:24,800 who may be more open to faith in Jesus Christ 518 00:26:24,800 –> 00:26:26,280 than you would ever imagine 519 00:26:26,280 –> 00:26:28,199 for this reason, 520 00:26:28,199 –> 00:26:30,880 that God has been planting seeds in their life 521 00:26:30,880 –> 00:26:32,380 before they ever met you. 522 00:26:33,800 –> 00:26:35,760 None of us knows what God may have done 523 00:26:35,760 –> 00:26:38,479 in a person’s life already. 524 00:26:38,479 –> 00:26:40,699 Someone else may have labored, 525 00:26:40,719 –> 00:26:42,959 someone else may have done the hard work 526 00:26:42,959 –> 00:26:45,260 of praying for years, 527 00:26:45,260 –> 00:26:47,420 someone else may have been sowing the seed, 528 00:26:47,420 –> 00:26:49,020 they sowed the seed, 529 00:26:49,020 –> 00:26:50,920 they did not see the harvest 530 00:26:50,920 –> 00:26:52,900 but now here you have been brought 531 00:26:52,900 –> 00:26:54,300 into this person’s life 532 00:26:54,300 –> 00:26:56,739 in which a seed has already been planted 533 00:26:57,739 –> 00:26:59,839 and you may have the joy of reaping 534 00:27:00,739 –> 00:27:02,579 that which you did not labor to sow. 535 00:27:04,140 –> 00:27:06,300 How could you ever possibly know 536 00:27:07,339 –> 00:27:10,060 if that woman in the office 537 00:27:10,079 –> 00:27:11,739 has a mother or a grandmother 538 00:27:11,739 –> 00:27:13,819 who has been praying for her every day 539 00:27:13,819 –> 00:27:15,780 for the last 10 years? 540 00:27:16,819 –> 00:27:17,800 How could you ever know 541 00:27:17,800 –> 00:27:19,359 if that new neighbor on your street 542 00:27:19,359 –> 00:27:23,420 once had a friendship with a genuine Christian 543 00:27:23,420 –> 00:27:25,540 who made a deep impression on her 544 00:27:25,540 –> 00:27:27,920 and therefore she is more open 545 00:27:27,920 –> 00:2728,760 to the gospel 546 00:27:28,760 –> 00:27:31,219 than you would ever imagine her to be. 547 00:27:32,180 –> 00:27:36,040 You do not know what God has done before, 548 00:27:36,040 –> 00:27:38,939 that’s the joy of sharing the gospel, 549 00:27:38,939 –> 00:27:41,000 you don’t know what God has done before 550 00:27:41,000 –> 00:27:44,760 and you do not know what God will do after, either. 551 00:27:46,140 –> 00:27:47,739 So let this be an encouragement. 552 00:27:48,780 –> 00:27:51,619 And then let me end simply with this word very briefly 553 00:27:51,619 –> 00:27:53,699 and this will bridge us to the Lord’s table. 554 00:27:53,699 –> 00:27:55,199 Look at verse 37, 555 00:27:55,199 –> 00:27:57,180 these wonderful words. 556 00:27:57,180 –> 00:27:58,020 Jesus says, 557 00:27:58,020 –> 00:28:00,859 hear the saying holds true. 558 00:28:01,839 –> 00:28:04,060 One sows 559 00:28:05,280 –> 00:28:06,540 and another 560 00:28:07,699 –> 00:28:08,699 reaps. 561 00:28:09,900 –> 00:28:11,900 One sows and another 562 00:28:12,900 –> 00:28:13,800 reaps. 563 00:28:15,060 –> 00:28:16,780 Now there is of course as you know, 564 00:28:16,780 –> 00:28:20,739 a principle of law in the Bible 565 00:28:20,739 –> 00:28:21,939 that goes like this. 566 00:28:21,939 –> 00:28:23,599 You reap what you sow. 567 00:28:25,160 –> 00:28:26,699 God cannot be mocked, 568 00:28:26,699 –> 00:28:27,900 do not be deceived, 569 00:28:27,900 –> 00:28:30,060 a man will reap what he sows. 570 00:28:30,060 –> 00:28:33,439 If you sow to the flesh from the flesh, 571 00:28:33,439 –> 00:28:36,180 you will reap destruction, period. 572 00:28:37,140 –> 00:28:40,380 Friends, if that was all that we found in the Bible, 573 00:28:40,380 –> 00:28:41,640 there isn’t one of us today 574 00:28:41,640 –> 00:28:44,859 who would have any hope before God at all, right? 575 00:28:45,780 –> 00:28:47,900 If the only principle found in the Bible 576 00:28:47,900 –> 00:28:50,680 is the principle of law, 577 00:28:51,699 –> 00:28:53,400 that we reap what we sow, 578 00:28:54,619 –> 00:28:57,020 then where does that leave us 579 00:28:57,020 –> 00:28:58,680 as we stand before God today? 580 00:28:59,900 –> 00:29:02,479 So thank God that alongside the principle of law, 581 00:29:02,579 –> 00:29:06,319 there is the greater principle of grace in the scriptures. 582 00:29:06,319 –> 00:29:09,800 And here’s the principle of grace in a nutshell for you. 583 00:29:09,800 –> 00:29:11,180 One 584 00:29:11,180 –> 00:29:12,119 sows 585 00:29:12,119 –> 00:29:13,839 and another 586 00:29:13,839 –> 00:29:14,680 reaps. 587 00:29:15,680 –> 00:29:17,959 Grace means that you can reap 588 00:29:17,959 –> 00:29:20,719 what someone else has sown. 589 00:29:20,719 –> 00:29:23,800 Grace means we get to reap 590 00:29:23,800 –> 00:29:25,719 what Jesus 591 00:29:25,719 –> 00:29:26,520 has sown. 592 00:29:27,400 –> 00:29:29,400 And thank God that the principle of grace 593 00:29:29,400 –> 00:29:31,239 that we celebrate around the table today 594 00:29:31,400 –> 00:29:34,660 is bigger greater and stronger than the principle of law. 595 00:29:34,660 –> 00:29:37,339 Here is good news for every person in the congregation 596 00:29:37,339 –> 00:29:40,319 today. You do not need to reap what you have sown. 597 00:29:41,359 –> 00:29:43,640 You can reap what Jesus 598 00:29:43,640 –> 00:29:46,239 has sown because he is the 599 00:29:46,239 –> 00:29:48,920 one who did the great work of living that perfect 600 00:29:48,920 –> 00:29:50,079 life. 601 00:29:50,079 –> 00:29:52,300 Of laying it down for you he is the one who 602 00:29:52,300 –> 00:29:54,800 did that hard labor sweating 603 00:29:54,800 –> 00:29:57,219 in the garden suffering and dying 604 00:29:57,219 –> 00:29:59,699 on the cross. He was the living seed 605 00:29:59,699 –> 00:30:01,780 that was cast into the ground and died. 606 00:30:03,380 –> 00:30:05,400 And we get the joyof reaping 607 00:30:05,400 –> 00:30:07,859 eternal life through 608 00:30:07,859 –> 00:30:08,859 him. 609 00:30:10,060 –> 00:30:12,160 The pain was his and the blessing is 610 00:30:12,160 –> 00:30:13,160 ours. 611 00:30:13,900 –> 00:30:16,380 We reap in Jesus Christ 612 00:30:16,380 –> 00:30:18,160 that for which we did not labor. 613 00:30:20,479 –> 00:30:22,619 And our joyful ministry is to bring in the 614 00:30:22,619 –> 00:30:24,939 harvest of what Jesus Christ has sown. 615 00:30:26,339 –> 00:30:28,739 And we get the great reward of gathering fruit 616 00:30:28,780 –> 00:30:31,380 for eternal life so that Jesus 617 00:30:31,380 –> 00:30:32,500 Christ the sower. 618 00:30:33,959 –> 00:30:35,339 And we the reapers 619 00:30:36,319 –> 00:30:37,420 would rejoice together 620 00:30:38,459 –> 00:30:40,680 with an inexpressible and glorious joy in 621 00:30:40,699 –> 00:30:43,239 his presence forevermore. 622 00:30:44,660 –> 00:30:46,939 Therefore let us not grow weary in doing good 623 00:30:47,060 –> 00:30:49,640 for in due season we will reap 624 00:30:50,459 –> 00:30:52,920 if we do not give 625 00:30:53,459 –> 00:30:54,300 up. 626 00:30:54,300 –> 00:30:56,359 Father renew 627 00:30:56,380 –> 00:30:57,699 us in energy and strength to 628 00:30:58,619 –> 00:31:01,420 give ourselves to your work 629 00:31:02,060 –> 00:31:04,359 out of the joy of knowing that we read 630 00:31:04,380 –> 00:31:05,939 not what we have sown 631 00:31:06,699 –> 00:31:08,880 but by your infinite grace 632 00:31:08,900 –> 00:31:11,339 we reap from what Christ has sown 633 00:31:12,099 –> 00:31:14,079 and therefore receive not eternal 634 00:31:14,079 –> 00:31:16,319 destruction for our sins 635 00:31:16,939 –> 00:31:19,099 but eternal life from 636 00:31:19,099 –> 00:31:21,180 our saviour in whose name 637 00:31:21,180 –> 00:31:22,780 we pray amen.