Do Not Say Revival Is Coming: How to Harvest Now

Do Not Say Revival Is Coming: How to Harvest Now. Jesus taught that revival is not a distant event to wait for, but a present opportunity—“the fields are white already to harvest.” The problem is not with revival’s arrival, but with our willingness to act as harvesters. We are called to go out, invite others, and participate in God’s work today, knowing that both sowing and reaping bring eternal reward and joy for all who labor together.

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Do Not Say Revival Is Coming: How to Harvest Now

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Do Not Say Revival Is Coming: How to Harvest Now

If you would, please look in the book of St. John, chapter 4. My point today is to show us, through St. John chapter 4, that we need to see revival, but there’s something we need before revival will come. Every Thursday morning at 6:00 a.m., several people around the city come to pray at City Hall. We pray for several things, but one thing we always pray for is revival in our area.

That prayer is not erroneous, but there’s more to it than praying. What I want us to see today is what the Lord really says: “Say ye not that harvest is in four months.” Stop saying that revival is going to happen in four months. Even right now, the fields are white unto harvest. The problem is not with revival; the problem is with us harvesting revival.

Samaria

Let’s grasp that today. In the book of St. John, chapter 4, we read that particular verse. If you look at verse 4, you’ll see that Jesus went to Samaria.

John 4:4-5

4 And he must needs go through Samaria.
5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

Do Not Say Revival Is Coming: How to Harvest Now

The King James Version says, “He must go through Samaria,” and the NASV says, “He had to go through Samaria.” Until you understand what that means, it doesn’t say much to you. Let me give you a moment of biblical history. After the reign of King Solomon, his son, Rehoboam, received very bad counsel and began to tax the people heavily. There was a rebellion, and another young man, Jeroboam, led a rebellion against Rehoboam, resulting in the division of the nation. Ten tribes went north and became Israel; two, actually three—Judah, Benjamin, and Levi—stayed in the southern part, called Judah.

In the northern nation of Israel, Nebuchadnezzar came when God was ready to judge it for its rebellion and idolatry. Nebuchadnezzar captured Israel, took some people into captivity, and brought others from all over the world into Israel, resulting in a mix of marriages, people, and religions. They worshipped all sorts of gods, including Baal and Astarte. That area became known as Samaria.

Do Not Say Revival Is Coming: How to Harvest Now

This is where Jesus is going, Samaria, through a place that is confused and mixed up with all sorts of religions and philosophies. You, too, are going out into the world, into all sorts of religions and philosophies, and things people call Christianity, but it’s really just a mixture. Many don’t know what they truly believe; they just believe what someone told them. You’re going out into this mixture—your workplaces, schools, friends, wherever you go—and you must go through Samaria. Jesus must go through Samaria, and you are His body. You’re the anointed ones, made in His image, and you must go through Samaria.

John 4:6

Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

Look at verse 6 and you’ll see that Jesus was weary. How many of you feel weary in your journey at times? You go through life and sometimes don’t want to talk to people about Jesus because you think they’ll get mad or not receive it. You want to invite them to revival, but you’re tired. So, you prop up beside the well and send the disciples to get food because you’re hungry and weary. This is the setting.

Do Not Say Revival Is Coming: How to Harvest Now

The Woman at the Well

John 4:7-9

7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

Jesus meets the woman at the well—she’s been married multiple times—and He ministers to her, offering living water. In verse 27, the disciples return and marvel that He talks with the woman (John 4:10-27).

John 4:28-29

28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

She leaves her water pot, goes into the city, and says to the men, “Come see a man who told me all things I ever did. Is not this the Christ?” A better rendering is, “This is not the Christ, is it?” She knew it was the Christ, with no doubt in her heart. They listened to her and went to see.

Do Not Say Revival Is Coming: How to Harvest Now

John 4:30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

The Scriptures do not tell us what happened after that. The point is they did come to see. That is all I’m asking you to do. Ask people to come and see. Some won’t, but some will.

Next, Jesus said to his disciples and is saying to us.

John 4:35-38

35 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.
36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

An interesting point in this passage is Jesus said, “And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal.” When we bring people to Christ, there are “wages” we receive. The wages are not monetary; they are eternal. We are laying treasures up in heaven.

Do Not Say Revival Is Coming: How to Harvest Now

When you go out this week to invite people to come, go with expectancy. Leave your water pot—don’t let anything impede you. Go with expectancy and ask, “Could this be revival?” We have two men of God coming—Pastor Buren Goss, who has been in ministry for 20 years and will minister to church folks, and Duane Swilley, whose emphasis is evangelical. Bring the lost, and bring church people who aren’t tied to a particular body. The target is the harvest fields—those not being churched or functioning in a body.

We have two types of ministry coming: one pastoral, one evangelistic. Everyone should be ministered to. We need ministering because we need revival, an experience, excitement, and a closer walk with Jesus. Bring the lost so they, too, can be ministered to. Invite people to come, especially those not currently part of a church body. The most important person you can bring to revival is yourself. You won’t get revived if you don’t come to the revival. There won’t be a harvest if we don’t plant and harvest it.

Understand that what you’ve sown, you’ll harvest. What someone else has sown, you can harvest. What you’ve planted, someone else may reap. One sows, another reaps. We don’t want to be a proselytizing place but a place that seeks after God’s will. Let God plant people here as He chooses. Tell people we’re having a revival; if they want to come, let the Lord minister.

Do Not Say Revival Is Coming: How to Harvest Now

There are three things I want us to close with:

Invite people to come.

Invite the lost.

Do not get anxious in this revival.

If God wants to do something, give Him time. Don’t limit Him by the watch. The meetings may go long—let God move. We sometimes bind Him by our time factors. Let the Lord minister as He wants.

Tomorrow night, we’ll be praying here at 7 o’clock for revival. I’d love to see 100 people here praying, but I’ll settle for 50. We have planted into this revival—eight years of planting. It’s time for something to happen in our area. We reach out to Ringo, Trion, and Somerville, but nothing is really shaking our area. I want something to help make it happen. If it’s not us, let us be part of what will.

There’s not much talk about a specific work going on here; the enemy always tries to stifle it. But we have fasted, prayed, and planted—our food, time, finances, and prayers. We believe it will happen. We have planted into it; now it’s time to harvest.

Do Not Say Revival Is Coming: How to Harvest Now

Let’s also plant into our home churches and our community. One of the most significant developments currently underway is the growth of home churches. Let’s plant into them so they will bring forth more fruit—one way is to get more home churches. We want to harvest from our area, but we need to plant first. If I pray for tomatoes but don’t plant any, I won’t get any. We want harvest, but it takes more than praying; it takes planting.

Let’s pray together as we finish today. Come up, gather around, and let’s pray for revival. Tomorrow night, we’ll pray that the Lord will move upon us, that we will be revived, souls will be won, and God will move in our midst. The Lord wants to move here even more than we want Him to. Let’s join hands in unity, pray, and surrender to whatever He wants to do in us during this revival. We have fasted, sown, and financed, and truly want a move of God. Why have a revival if we’re not going to allow it to minister to us? Let’s exercise our faith in unity, believing God will do it.