What the Harvest Looks Like – John 4:31-54

Evangelism is one of the tasks Jesus has given the Church. Evangelism isn't our purpose, by the way, but it is an assigned task nonetheless. So, what does it look like? What does it involve? Does evangelism always involve verbally explaining the gospel and inviting people to get saved? No.

In John 4, Jesus likens evangelism to agriculture. Think about running a farm. Being a successful farmer involves more than just harvesting the crops. A lot goes into it before the harvest ever arrives. All of it combined is the sum total of farming. Likewise, the sum total of evangelism is all the work done up to, and including, a soul being saved.

As Christians, we are all asked to be part of the evangelistic pursuit. But we all have our own roles to play. As we will see in today's text, not all of us are reapers. Furthermore, not all of our efforts will result in success. As participants in the effort to save souls, all we can do is follow through on the tasks God assigns us. The results are up to him.