Ministry Is...[4]

...Never Finished

When the harvest is ready in autumn there is no time to rest--not only for the farmers, but everyone involved.  A man from our church works on barges on the Mississippi River and he will tell you, he works 7 days a week during harvest season.  Why?  Because once the farming is done, something must be done with the harvest.  The produce, the grain, it will all spoil and ruin if it isn't put to use.  Some will be used to plant more for the coming year and some will be used to feed others.  Either way, the harvest can't be wasted.  

We mustn't forget this truth. Jesus used farming as an analogy for ministry for a reason. He knew that centuries after his death we would still need this counsel. The harvest must be used or it will waste. So when we have someone in our "field" ready to "harvest", do we stick them in the "storehouse" (church/record book) and go about our farming elsewhere? What do we do with these new believers?

What do farmers do with their produce? Well, they live off some of it for sure. The rest they sell. It can be used to plant future crops, or to feed others, or to make other products for purchase. The point is, none of it goes to waste. That portion that feeds the farmer's family and others can represent the new Christians joining the community of believers, be it a church or other organization of believers. The portion that goes on to plant a future crop can represent those that become leaders or workers, ministering to others with seeds here and there. The final portion that goes to produce other commodities for purchase can represents the many many spiritual gifts that new Christians have to offer a church or personal ministry.

The important thing to remember about these portions of crop is that it cannot do these things alone. The farmer must cook the food to feed the family. The companies must prepare the food for sales. The agriculturists must prepare the produce and seeds for future planting. And the manufacturers must break down certain produce items to create chemicals for household items, etc to sell. The harvest does not do these things on its own. If it was left to do anything on its own once harvested, the whole lot would be wasted. And when we as ministers leave new Christians to their own devices once they're "harvested" and they fall away from church just as quickly as they come in.  

Isn't it the same sort of waste the farmer would experience if he left the bail of cotton in the field, or the wheat in the bushels in the barn? Jesus did not entrust to us the task of The Great Commission to do it halfway. Jesus gave us a clear picture of how to so this enormous job. Farming has worked the same way for centuries, and I'm certain that even as Jesus spoke those words to His disciples there was a farmer in his mind doing all parts of this work in a field for his livelihood.  We should be working just as hard, because it's the livelihood of Jesus we're talking about.