Shall We Reap Glory? (John 4:34-36)
A few years ago, Tammy and I set out 4 or 5 tomato plants. There’s nothing like a fresh, ripe tomato on a sandwich; and there’s absolutely nothing like fried green tomatoes. I took good care of those tomato plants—I watered them, I fertilized them, and I checked on them several times a day.
And, oh, how they were growing! I checked one evening and there were several big, plump green tomatoes; I planned to pick them the next day for some fried green tomatoes. I went out to check on the plants early the next morning, and they were gone! Deer had eaten my tomato plants—only little stubs remained. I never wanted venison so badly in all my life!
You’ve probably had some bad harvests, too. Have you ever gone out to the garden to pick green beans and found them invested with bugs? Has there ever been a summer where your garden withered in the Texas sun due to a lack of rain? On the other hand, have you ever had a summer where there was too much rain, and your garden just could not grow? How many of you have been to the store and picked out a perfect-looking watermelon only to get home and find it to be horrible?
Will we have a horribly disappointing harvest as a church? “Shall we reap glory?” Jesus wants that for us, and this morning’s text teaches that truth so clearly. Understand: “Jesus wants this church to reap glory.”
Scripture (John 4:34-36)
verse 34:
While Jesus’s disciples had gone to buy food, the Lord sat down at Jacob’s well and conversed with a Samaritan woman. When the disciples came back and urged Jesus to eat, he told them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about” (Jn 4:32). The disciples, as dense as always, thought someone had brought Jesus something to eat (Jn 4:33).
Jesus then said to the disciples, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” Food sustains you and gives life. Jesus told the disciples that doing the will of God was his food—in other words, sharing his truth sustained him.
Furthermore, accomplishing God’s work—dying on the cross and being raised from the dead—sustained Jesus. Jesus’s purpose on this earth was twofold: Teaching others about himself and dying and being resurrected for man.
verse 35:
“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’?” Between the very end of planting season and the very beginning of the harvest was about four months.
“Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.” In context, the disciples were about to see the harvest. The Samaritan woman, after she learned that Jesus is the Christ, went back into the city. She began to tell everyone what Jesus had told her, and “[m]any Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony” (Jn 4:39). The town streamed out to Jesus and asked him to stay with them a couple days, and “many more believed because of his word” (Jn 4:41). The disciples just had to look up and see the Samaritan harvest.
verse 36:
“Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life.” Jesus, along with the disciples, were reaping and receiving wages for eternal life.
“So that the sower and reaper may rejoice together.” In context, Jesus has sown seed in the heart of the Samaritan woman. That seed has blossomed, and the Samaritan woman, in turn, became a sower when she went into the city and told all that had been said to her. The disciples would shortly rejoice with Jesus and the Samaritan woman.
Application
“Jesus wants this church to reap glory.” Jesus reaped glory in this morning’s text. The Samaritan woman reaped glory in this morning’s text. And Jesus would love to see this church reap glory.
Do you want to see the Church of Christ at Deer Park reap glory? Do you want to see this church busting at the seams? Do you want to see a church that is growing and reaching this community with Jesus? If you want to see this church reap glory, together we need to do two things:
One: Sow
Jesus sowed the word in the heart of the Samaritan woman. She sowed the word when she went to her neighbors and brought them to Jesus.
You must be sowing the word of God. When a crowd gathered around the Lord Jesus, he told them, “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow” (Mk 4:3); the Lord then told about how seed fell on four different soils. The disciples didn’t understand the parable, and they asked the Lord about it. Jesus said, “The sower sows the word” (Mk 4:14). He didn’t sow his opinion; he didn’t sow stories; he didn’t sow what people wanted to hear. He sowed the word.
You know why he sowed the word? Because only the word saves: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16). Faith only comes from hearing the word: “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17).
You must be sowing the word. Tell people about Jesus. Tell people about how to come to Jesus in truth. Give a tract. Invite to worship. Offer to call the preacher to come over for a Bible study. Whom will you tell about Jesus?
Two: See
Jesus told the disciples to lift up their eyes and see that the fields were white for harvest as the Samaritans streamed to see Jesus.
The fields of Deer Park are white for harvest. How many people in this community know about Jesus, but don’t know Jesus? How many people in this community believe they are right with God but have never obeyed the gospel? How many people would absolutely love to know the truth about Jesus and respond to his truth?
Proclaiming Jesus brings results. At Pentecost, “those who received [Peter’s] word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:41). “And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women” (Acts 5:14). “The disciples were increasing in number” (Acts 6:1). “When they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women” (Acts 8:12). And on and on and on the Book of Acts goes.
And don’t you dare tell me that can’t happen in Deer Park. The last I checked, we have the same message and the same God. If their preaching the word produced large numbers, so can ours!
Conclusion
“Shall we reap glory?” “Jesus wants this church to reap glory.” Let us work with all the strength God provides to reap bountifully and to reap glory.
Shall you personally reap glory? Are you sharing your faith? Are you living your faith?
This sermon was originally preached by Dr. Justin Imel, Sr., at Church of Christ Deer Park in Deer Park, Texas.