Embracing the Spiritual Harvest: Our Call to Action

1. "I think that's the best definition of work that I've ever come across. That your work is to create a, to care for a good environment so that good things can grow. And whether that's good children in the school that you teach at, whether that's great repairs in the workshop that you're part of, whether that's a good business that you're part of, whether you're growing as you work hard and care for your customers and your products and everything else, whether that's a good office environment as you manage your team and create a great environment where people can flourish and grow, whatever you're doing work-wise, you're creating a good environment for good things to grow." [51:06] (51 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "You can expect a harvest. You can expect a harvest. However tough it is, you can expect a harvest. The Bible writers knew what famine was. The Bible writers knew that sometimes it doesn't work this year. The Bible writers understood what hunger is. They know more than most of us what poverty, what poverty looked like. And yet their confidence was that over the long term, it should work out that God has built into this world a system whereby we can, on average, over the long term, under normal circumstances, expect God to bring a harvest. God has promised harvest." [54:04] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "And I believe there are some huge lessons for us in this harvest. If we're looking for a harvest, if we're expecting a harvest, if we're celebrating, if we're celebrating harvest, then these three things I think are really important for us. And we need to be reminded of them because we're separated, aren't we, from the natural harvest, most of us. But we benefit so much from the goodness of God in the rhythm. Not of sowing and harvest, but the rhythm of the paycheck. The rhythm of the shift pattern. The rhythm of the commission sale or the contract. The rhythm of life that brings in financial, financial harvest." [59:19] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "Now, one of the things that's really helped me with this is recognizing that my brain, my abilities, my opportunities, my training, my privileges, my education were nothing to do with me. Actually, I can say with the farmers in the Old Testament that all things come from you and of your own, of your own, I've given you. That actually, I might feel sometimes I've earned this. I might feel sometimes that I've done this. I might feel sometimes that it's mine. But actually, the truth is that my strength, any wisdom, any strategy, any... comes from God." [01:01:44] (65 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "A harvest, a harvest of righteousness is a good life. A life well lived. And as I say, 2 Corinthians 9 is a bridge verse because it talks about how we give physically and reap spiritually. Because the rest of the New Testament talks in terms of a spiritual harvest. Which brings us back to Matthew 9 or Luke chapter 10, where it's repeated or where it's recorded. By the different gospel writers where Jesus says, pray for more workers because the harvest field is white. The harvest is plentiful." [01:05:21] (48 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


6. "The harvest he was talking about wasn't a harvest of carrots. It wasn't a harvest of righteousness. It was a harvest of people wanting to love and serve Jesus. It was a harvest of people wanting to do something. They wanted to join this kingdom of God movement that Jesus started. It was a harvest of people wanting to join in and throw themselves in there and give themselves to the purposes of Jesus in their generation. It was a harvest of people wanting to join this fledgling group of followers of Jesus and bring the kingdom of God of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." [01:06:23] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


7. "I do want to say now in this culture, in this city, in the areas where you and I live and work that the fields are white, that people are ready, that, at the moment, as our systems have been shaken politically and economically and socially as well as health-wise, people are looking for answers. There's more interest in the supernatural. There are far fewer public atheists. People are recognising church for its contribution to society as well as its spiritual value. Churches have recovered from COVID better than, any other voluntary institution. There's a spiritual hunger. I don't know how long it'll last but at the moment, the fields are obviously white." [01:11:17] (62 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


8. "Jesus says in Matthew 10 verse 9 keep it simple. You don't need to take loads of luggage. You don't need things and money. You don't. Just keep it simple. Simple living. Simple good news. What a challenge in a complicated world. Verse 13 he says go in peace. Go in peace because we're people of peace. You don't want to stir up strife or cause offence. We don't go ranting or raving or shouting or condemning. We go in peace because we're people of peace following the prince of peace. We're bringers of peace." [01:16:07] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


9. "I just want to speak over some of your businesses. It's harvest time. It's harvest time. Some of you have been well overdue a good parent. It's harvest time. It's harvest time. And as you come to the harvest remember the heave offering. The first fruits. Remember the poor. Remember the celebration. It's harvest time. It's harvest of righteousness. A harvest of righteousness. A lifestyle of generosity that produces a righteous peaceful good life of mercy and faith. Grace and love. It's harvest of righteousness time." [01:17:17] (51 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


10. "Freely you've received. Freely give. Tell someone. Share the good news. The kingdom of God is here. Tell them. Jesus says in Matthew 10 verse 9 keep it simple. You don't need to take loads of luggage. You don't need things and money. You don't. Just keep it simple. Simple living. Simple good news. What a challenge in a complicated world. Verse 13 he says go in peace. Go in peace because we're people of peace. You don't want to stir up strife or cause offence. We don't go ranting or raving or shouting or condemning. We go in peace because we're people of peace following the prince of peace. We're bringers of peace." [01:16:07] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)