Evangelism
Lesson One
Evangelism and Farming
“Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest
truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of
the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest” (Matthew
9:37-38).
FOCUS: God is interested in farming. Explain how it
parallels to evangelism.
what i have learned
In the Old Testament God established His interest in
farming, the oldest recorded profession.
The first man and woman, Adam and Eve, were placed in the Garden of Eden
(a farm) and were told, “work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15 NIV). Because Adam listened to his wife
and ate the forbidden fruit, the ground was cursed. He continued to farm
through agonizing toil and sweat. Even though they had sinned, their
responsibility for farming continued.
God has always been involved in a harvest. He is the
“Lord of the harvest” (Matthew 9:38). The Lord alone is in charge of His
harvest (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). His
people are merely seed sowers (farm hands).
We look forward to hearing Him say on judgment day,
“You were a good farmer!” Well, not exactly, but we do want to hear, “Well
done!”
“The greatest Farmer the world has ever known is
pursuing the greatest harvest the world has ever seen.”
(Dutch Sheets in The River of God)
The Israelites were people of the land. Canaan was
their inheritance. The children of God
were repeatedly told to “possess the land” (Deuteronomy 3:20). Each family
received their portion. It was their property, never to be sold, always
preserved. As evangelists we have been given the land—our village, community,
or city. The land is ours! We must possess it.
Jesus ministered to an agriculturally oriented society.
Most citizens were rural people. Even those who lived in cities kept farms
outside of the city walls. They knew what it meant to work the land.
Life depended on what could be grown. The essentials of
life came from the land including food, clothing, and shelter. Daily life
revolved around the needs of the land. The daily life of the church revolves
around our first priority, reaching the unreached. We have everything it takes
to reach them. We have the Bible, and it has the answer for every question. Old
methods of farming will always work. The old-time religion found in God’s Word
still works in reaping a harvest.
Farming is important to survival. Farmers make up
forty-eight percent of the world’s labor force. Sixty percent of Africans farm,
and sixty-one percent of Asians.
“Despite the expansion of commerce and industry and the importance of
these activities to the economy, most Africans remain farmers and herders.” (Encarta Encyclopedia 2000 CDROM)
Through farming, food is provided for the population so
that life goes on. With a harvest of
souls the church will not only survive, but its future will be secured.
In the early days farming was a cooperative effort.
Oxen and a plow were passed from one field to another.
Farming was so important to the children of God that
religious life revolved around four major feasts or celebrations. According to
Dale Rumble in Behold the Harvest
several of these celebrations were shadows of future spiritual harvests to be
enjoyed by the church.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread reminded God’s people
that they had been set apart from Egypt and were not to be a part of a sinful
nation. Jesus is our Bread of Life.
The Feast of the Passover reminded God’s people of
their deliverance from bondage. It was fulfilled in the death, burial, and
resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The Feast of Pentecost was celebrated when the wheat
was ripe for cutting. It was fulfilled by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
(Acts 2:1-4). This feast pointed to the day that God would reap the harvest.
The Feast of Tabernacles will conclude the time of
spiritual harvest with a final gathering of souls bringing His return.
God promised to pour out His Spirit on all flesh (Joel
2:28-29). This is likened to the early and latter rains, which brought the
crops to harvest. Farmers count on God to send rain. Without the rains coming at the right time,
crops dwindle and die. There has to be a right climate for crops to grow.
what have you learned?
1. What
is the oldest recorded profession?________________________
2. Why
were Adam and Eve placed in the Garden of Eden?
__________________________________________________________________
3. Who
is in charge of the harvest?
_________________________________
4. Comment
on God’s people being a people of the land.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. What
percentage of Africa farm?____________________________
6. What
percentage of the world’s labor force are farmers?__________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. Old
Testament religious life revolved around four major feasts? What were they?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. What
were these celebrations a shadow of?
__________________________________________________________________
10.What
did the Feast of Pentecost represent?
__________________________________________________________________
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