In John 4:35, Jesus urged His apostles to open their eyes and notice the harvest of lost souls. He told them to recognize the urgency of evangelism and start attempting to rescue the lost while they had an opportunity.

This same commandment is given to disciples today (Matthew 28:19). As we transition to the final field of our “Hand to Plow” series, we want to consider the field of the lost. We want to talk about working and rescuing those who are in great spiritual danger.

This field must also have proper seeds planted in it. Consider four seeds that we must plant in the field of the lost.

The Seed of Light

  • Disciples are commanded to shine (Matthew 5:16; Philippians 2:14-15). They must stand out and be noticeably different from the world.
  • They must be different in how they talk, treat others, and handle problems. Whenever problems arise, they must trust and lean on God.
  • Shining as lights is critical to influencing the lost! How can we expect to effectively invite and teach the lost if they see us behaving as hypocrites?

The Seed of Grace

  • People won’t usually listen to what we say until they know that we care about them.
  • After showing a jailer some grace during a crisis, Paul was blessed with an opportunity to teach him and his household the gospel (Acts 16:25-34). Grace helped the jailer turn from suicide to Jesus!
  • We must be on the lookout for the “jailers” in our lives today. We must be ready to show grace to the broken, hurting, divorced, sick, grieving, and hopeless. Doing this will allow us to help them find hope in Jesus.

The Seed of Praise

  • Disciples must be willing to confess the name of Jesus daily (Matthew 10:32-33).
  • Paul and Silas did this while locked in a Philippian jail cell (Acts 16:25). This contributed to the jailer turning to them for help in his dark moment (Acts 16:30).
  • Praising God involves giving God the glory for our blessings. It involves comforting others with the word of God, verbalizing trust in God, and letting the lost know that we are praying for them when we learn about their difficulties.
  • Not being ashamed to express our commitment to God could help motivate the lost to think about their own need for God.

The Seed of an Invitation

  • A simple invitation to “come and see” Jesus is powerful. It changed Nathaniel’s life (John 1:43-51). It was the beginning of his journey to the Lord!
  • It can also be a tool we use to help others begin the same journey. When we offer a simple invitation to a worship assembly, Bible study, devotional, or to check out our website, we can help the lost begin their journey down the only path to salvation (Acts 4:12).

Conclusion:

Are you currently lost and outside of Christ? Do you need to be rescued from the bondage of sin?