A harvest scene

Sermon notes from Sunday 13 October 2019 pm Rev Eric Stewart

Matthew 3 verses 1 - 12

We are not far into the gospel of Matthew when we encounter this amazing preacher.  He had a strong voice and a new voice in the countryside.  When Malachi passed on it was the end of a period of prophetic ministry in history.  400 years had now passed, people had lived and died and the people had heard nothing from God.  What a remarkable figure John was.  He was preaching a powerful message.  It was like a voice of one crying in the wilderness.  His raiment was strange as was his diet.  People were arrested by this unique man in his ways and in his message.  People began to travel out from the town and city to hear him not just the religious leaders and soldiers.  Such a scene on the banks of the river Jordan.  He spoke with conviction and from the heart.  He laid it out simply, calling them to repentance.  It is the first gospel message in the New Testament.  Jesus who came 6 months after John`s ministry preached a similar message - "repent for the kingdom of God is at hand."  The word "repent" means a radical turn around, a transformation from within.  "As a man thinketh in his heart so is he." (Proverbs 23 verse 7) When the heart is changed through true repentance there is a transformation in the life of any person.  As John preached people were so stricken, concerned that they sought the Lord.  They came to John and were baptised in the River Jordan.  They confessed their sins.  When the Saviour came later he said "the spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised." (Luke 4 verse 18)   The message has never changed.  The Lord can change those who are broken hearted and set the captive free. 

In this chapter we have a harvest scene.  It speaks about Jesus who will follow John.  This man is greater than me, he will baptise with the Holy Ghost and we read "whose fan is in his hand ... and gather his wheat into the garner."  He will gather his wheat into the garner.  My life is hidden with Christ in God.  He has no favourites.  "for whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."  He gathers the wheat into the garner by the ministry of his word.  It is through the incorruptible seed of the living word that liveth and abideth forever that we are brought into the experience of life.  "He that goeth forth weeping bearing precious seed  shall doubtless come again with rejoicing bringing his sheaves with him." (Psalm 126 verse 6)  Gathering people into the family of God.  We do it with the ministry of the word of God.  His message has living power.  He takes the spiritual dead and births them into the family of God through the preaching of his word.  He brings life, light and liberty.  God`s spirit takes the word.  "My word shall not return unto me empty."  As God`s word takes root in your heart you are born of his spirit, washed in his blood through the message of the word of God.  He gathers people in through the proclamation of his word.  Jesus said "I will send the Holy Spiirt to come and take the word of God to arrest us in our spiritual deadness, to bring conviction and will convert the heart."  The reality of the blood of Jesus, his Holy Spirit brings us his concern.  He creates that faith to reach out and touch the Lord.  He gathers people by his Spirit.  If you are concerned about your soul the spirit is here to bring you to the Saviour.  You might not be on the wild side but you are on the broad way.  Jesus has come to bring you to the narrow way.  Someday soon Jesus is coming again, the signs are all around us - are you ready for his return?  Only God knows the day and hour when he will come again.  All those who belong to Christ will be drawn out when he comes again.  Are you ready for that day or will you be left behind?  Do you need to get ready?  You can be harvested in with the garner.

"But he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire"  John was particularly clear about what the issues were.  The wheat and the chaff, the gathering into the garner, consumption in the flame.  There is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun.  Death focuses our thinking and you will know how close it is.  "Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burning?" (Isaiah 33 verse 14)  God has made it possible for every person who will come to escape that day and have a glorious end.  I believe in God`s eternal heaven rather than in a eternal hell.  The harvest season brings wheat into the garner which consumes the chaff to the fire.  You and I are like wheat or chaff.  God knows you, knows whether you are in the kingdom or outside.  Thinking about or not thinking about it.  Concerned or unconcerned.  He knows you are not here by accident.  Once to every man and every nation he comes with the decision to be made.  What will your decision be as he speaks into your heart, as he moves toward you?  Will he move toward you?