The Harvest Is Plentiful
- Matthew 9:37, 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 -
This Series is Transcribed From a Spoken Message
“Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men””
May Yahveh (the LORD) bless you as He exhorts you to take up your cross, to put your flesh to death and follow Yahshua (Jesus). (Matthew 16:24) To everyone who has ears to hear He says, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” This means He will teach us how to be fishers of all people. (Matthew 4:19) He will show us in the Spirit the bait to use and the creativity required to be instant in season and out of season. The fishers of men will draw many people into the truth and salvation of Yahshua (Jesus). “Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial and constructive,” says Apostle Paul, and “No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.” (see 1 Corinthians 10:23-24) Paul says, “ So then, death is at work in [me], but life is at work in you.” (2 Corinthians 4:12)
“[We] have been crucified with Messiah (Christ); and it is no longer [we] who live, but Messiah lives in [us]; and the life which [we] now live in the flesh [we] live by faith in the Son of God, who loved [us] and gave Himself up for [us]””
Everyone who professes to know the Savior must take the importance of this message to heart. It is not enough to just have some facts and present them to people. We are a noisy gong and a clanging bell if we don’t have the Savior’s love and compassion. (1 Corinthians 13:1) Many people are into works, the work of the flesh, mistaking it for obedience to the Savior to gather with Him. But there is ego, self-righteousness, and the pride of religious life that you are doing religious works. If you are handing out tracts witnessing as much as you can, is it the love of Yahshua (Jesus) that is compelling you, or are there ulterior motives that are mixed in with your heart? This effort is something between you and Yahveh (the LORD), but we must keep our heart free of the ulterior motives that cause a work of the Spirit to turn into a work of the flesh. We have to render ourselves that "[we] have been crucified with Messiah (Christ); and it is no longer [we] who live, but Messiah lives in [us]; and the life which [we] now live in the flesh [we] live by faith in the Son of God, who loved [us] and gave Himself up for [us].” (Galatians 2:20) Then we will have the love of His Spirit within us and we will give our lives as He did to extend His cords of lovingkindness that will draw others to the Father and His righteous Kingdom.
What people are lacking and wanting to see is the reality of the life of Yahshua (Jesus) Himself living and loving through surrendered vessels who walk according to His word. We need to be tempered with so much love that others cannot resist the wooing and the cords of lovingkindness that are drawing them to the resurrected living Savior living in and through our hearts that extends His love to them.
“Yahshua’s interests were to “seek and to save the lost.” He came as the Good Shepherd saying, “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?””
This truth is one reason why Messiah said, “the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” (Matthew 9:37) As Apostle Paul said, “For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Messiah Yahshua (Christ Jesus).” (Philippians 2:21) Our Savior’s interests were to “seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10) He came as the Good Shepherd saying, "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?” (Luke 15:4) “When He [Yahshua/Jesus] saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36)
Yahshua (Jesus) was moved with compassion to gather the lost sheep into the safe pasture of His kingdom. So the real issue is: the workers are few because very few have the heart and the love of our God and Savior pulsating and compelling them to snatch souls from the fire. (Jude 1:23) The true abundant life is to seek and to save as many souls as possible as we live out our lives here on earth. When we appear before the King, our Savior, we will not come empty-handed but as “those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.” (Psalm 126:5-6) Our Great God longs for a harvest of righteousness to be brought into His storehouse. A harvest of righteous souls who learn as His disciples to “rightfully divide the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) and are able to present the Word in love to others. The Word of Yahveh God will not return void and the love of Yahshua (Jesus) will never fail in touching their hearts. (Isaiah 55:11, 1 Corinthians 13:8)
You must be so impassioned and hot with the love of our Savior, having the holiness of walking according to His ways, with a desire to let that light and love of Him flow out to others. May you truly know what it means to be a vessel of love that lays down your life for another. (John 15:13) This is the love that Yahshua (Jesus) desires to pour through you, our precious brother or sister.
