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On Sunday morning, we had a good attendance at church with members and visitors. Some of each had been out with sickness and some still have doctor appointments. We pray all of them will get good reports from doctors and be back soon in church.

Our song service was "Glorify Thy Name," "Bless His Holy Name," "It is Well With My Soul," "There's Something About That Name," "Jesus Hold My Hand." A special in song was "Holy Ground" by Connie Cottrell. The invitation hymn was "I Surrender All."

Pastor Cottrell's message was "Ready for harvest:"

The greatest hope for a preacher is that the truth of the message they preach reaches each and every person and changes their life. There was a great message preached one day by a world renowned preacher. His message was full of truth, grace, and mercy and it was so impactful that the whole congregation was converted. Their was only one person to hear the message that day, but she heard it and she responded.

John 4th Chapter: Jesus met the woman at the well and shared His message with her that day. The disciples made their way to Jesus just as He was finishing sharing with the Samaritan woman. They were all puzzled as to why Jesus was talking to her, but they did not ask Him why. Why were the disciples puzzled that Jesus was talking to the Samaritan woman? We understand that the Jews and Samaritans did not associate with each other. Though not enemy's, they were not friends either. It was against the traditions and customs of the Jews for Jesus to speak with her, but Jesus knew what was at stake. He knew of the power of a lost soul being redeemed. There are no cultural boundaries, or demographic walls that should keep us from sharing the truth of salvation in Jesus Christ and we see that modeled here.

The woman left her waterpot and went quickly into the city to tell others about Christ and to get them to come and see for themselves. Sometime must have passed since Jesus last ate as His disciples were urging Him to eat. Jesus responded to them saying "I have food to eat of which you do not know." "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work." There are few things if anything that would rival our need to eat in order to live. The body needs to be filled with food in order that the life might be sustained. Jesus made the statement that day; what sustains Him is to do the will of the Father. Eternal matters far outweigh our mortal needs. This is the truth that Jesus was teaching the disciples and us that day. We do not need to pause what God is doing in order to maintain our mortal life.

As Jesus was saying this, there was a group of Samaritans that were making their way from the city toward the well where Jesus and His disciples were. As the people were a distance away, Jesus looked at His disciples and said "Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!" Consider the farmer that has planted his crop. He watches it grow and tends to it through the season. He watches to see when it is best to harvest the crop, to early and the crop will not be filled out, to late and it will dry on the vine.

The timing must be right, the farmer must be watching. Jesus knew it was time to harvest even though the disciples had no clue what was taking place before them. He had planted the seed of faith in the woman and she went and sowed the seed in the city.

Jesus spoke to the disciples saying, "And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together." Though food sustains our life for a time, the harvest of the eternal crop brings eternal wages and eternal fruit. We must always be looking for the time to harvest. "For in this the saying is true: one sows and another reaps.” We might not have sown the seed and we are not always aware of the seed that has been sown, but if we are not looking we will not see the time for harvest. The word of God and the truth of Jesus Christ is making its way out into this world, the seed is being planted. It is time to harvest.

What do we need in order to harvest? Charles Spurgeon has this to say about what we need. "1. We need laborers, there is no machine that can do this work of soul-reaping. 2. We need

sharp sickles; such cutting truths as justification by faith, the total ruin of mankind, the Cross, the energy of the Holy Spirit. 3. Close binders. Those who cannot use the sickle can gather up the wheat. Invite people to the house of God. 4. Some to take the sheaves home, and assist to bring people into the church. 5. Others to bring refreshment to the reapers. Encourage them.

"Lift up your eyes people, look at the fields. We can't get so near sighted that we fail to see the multitudes that are coming and needing to see Christ. The fields are white for harvest, there is no reason to wait to serve, there is no reason not to preach the word. Our service has an eternal impact for the sower, the harvester, and the harvested.

We are the generations here and now, looking out over the fields that are white and ready for harvest. The question is will you take part in it? Will you live out this life just seeking to have another meal to sustain your body or will you take part in the eternal harvest to gain eternal wages and eternal fruits?

Charles Spurgeon said "The husbandman sometimes fears that 1. Through lack of laborers his harvest may be damaged. After a certain time the wheat spears out, and birds will feast upon it. Every hour that men are not saved there are capacities of usefulness that are falling out, and Satan is running away with them. 2. Some wheat may remain un-reaped, and so be destroyed. If the Christian does not work, there will be others who will. 3. Whether we gather in the harvest or not, there is a reaper who is silently gathering it every hour-Death"

It's time to raise your eyes, look at the field, and go harvest.

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