A Vision of God's Harvest Field

Imagine yourself a guest at a lavish banquet in a home beautifully decorated with golden statues, royal red carpet, crystal chandeliers, and priceless art. A vintage mahogany table that spans the dining room is covered with a luxurious ivory cloth. It is set with fine china and embroidered linen napkins. You’re one of ten privileged guests invited to an official private dinner to discuss your ideas on achieving world peace. When you sit down in the Queen Anne–style chair, a white-gloved waiter gently places a white linen napkin in your lap.

Looking just beyond the dining table you notice stunning calla lily arrangements and a stone fireplace. Down the corridor, past chestnut double doors, you spot a passageway to lush, manicured gardens.

When the statuesque host gracefully enters the room, his mellifluous voice instructs you and the other guests to socialize until the main course is brought out in thirty minutes. A string quartet begins to play a classical interlude. You don’t know anyone who’s gathered around the table, but as you listen to the conversations, you learn something about your fellow invitees.

You and two other guests are Christians, two are Muslims, one is Hindu. Of the remaining four guests, one person practices Buddhism, another practices Judaism¹, and one lives in a country within what’s known as the 10/40 window, an area that stretches from “10 degrees latitude north of the equator to 40 degrees latitude north of the equator across Africa and Asia”² that’s not yet been evangelized because of governmental restrictions in the area.

The last person in the room claims allegiance to no religion. But you learn that she’s going through a tough time right now, and you know she could use some of the gospel message you love so well.

You glance at your watch and note that the thirty minutes is almost up. The aromas of Filet Mignon, Watercress and Mushroom Salad, and Pineapple Mousse waft from the kitchen, signaling that the food will shortly be placed on the decorated table, but you’ve not yet spoken to anyone.

Which of these guests would you talk to? Would you pair off with the other Christians? Would you chat with the followers of Islam, Buddhism, or Hinduism? According to Todd Johnson, director of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, the lack of interaction between Christians and other religious groups has caused fear to grow between the groups.³

Can you overcome your fear in order to spread the gospel? Would you be interested in sharing Jesus with the woman who’s never heard of Him? She’s just one of “66,000 people who are dying without any knowledge of Christ every day”² around the world. Would you be willing to share Jesus with the depressed woman going through a hard time?

Which of these guests tugs at your heart? This, my friend, is a picture of God’s harvest, and these are the souls He’s called us to witness to. To witness means to relay testimony of an occurrence or experience. The time for us Christians to share the gospel is winding down. Our time is as a shrinking sunset—short and fleeting. Night is upon us. “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work” (John 9:4).

  
NOTES
1. The breakdown of world religions used in this example is based on research conducted by the Pew Research Center. As of 2010, Christians make up 31.4 % of the world’s population, Muslims make up 23.2 %, Hindus make up 15 %, Buddhists make up 7.1 %, Jews make up 0.2 %, and 16.4 % of the world’s population is Unaffiliated. “Size and Projected Growth of Major Religious Groups”, http://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/religious-projections-2010-2050/.

2. “10/40 Window: Do you need to be Stirred to Action?”, http://home.snu.edu/~hculbert/1040.htm.

3. “Study: 2.6 Billion of World Population Expected to Be Christian by 2020,” The Christian Post, http://www.christianpost.com/news/study-2-6-billion-of-world-population-expected-to-be-christian-by-2020-100402/.

The above excerpt is from "The Supernatural Power of Seeking God: Losing and Finding Your Life in Christ" Copyright @ 2017 by Kaila Frierson - (Chapter One "Love Awakening")

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