The souls of people who have yet to come to the saving knowledge and salvation through Jesus Christ in the world today are fully ripe for harvest into God’s Kingdom. Every day, people are dying and the majority of them have not accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. They are stepping into eternity without Christ.
When the fruit on a tree becomes ripe, the owner of that tree must harvest it promptly so that the birds of the air do not eat it. In the same way, when people who should have come to the saving knowledge of Christ are not reached with the Gospel, they die in their sins and end up in a Christless eternity. This is the heart of the Great Commission and evangelism: to urgently go out and reach the lost before it is too late (Matt. 28:19-20).
Jesus’ Compassion for the Crowds
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
In this Scripture, we see Jesus traveling from city to city and village to village, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom. He healed those who were sick and attracted a great crowd of weary people, lost like sheep without a shepherd. This is the example and mission of winning souls for Christ.
The same situation is true today. Billions of unreached people are still trapped in sin. Their souls are ripe for harvest into God’s Kingdom, but they remain unreached with the Gospel. This is an emergency. Jesus told us to be involved in soul winning. He told us to pray for more workers for the great commission and evangelism, and for the task of winning souls for Christ. Yet, instead of obeying His command, many Christians today waste energy criticizing one another on the internet.
The Time of Harvest is Now
Christianity is declining in many nations around the world and sadly, the behavior and lifestyle of many believers do not reflect Christ. The unbelievers are watching and this contributes to why many people reject the very Christ we are trying to bring to them.
Every believer in Christ is called to live a godly life that attracts unbelievers into God’s Kingdom. Fulfilling the Great Commission and evangelism requires prayer, going, and giving so that unreached people can experience salvation through Jesus Christ. It is time for action. You can:
- Pray for this great mission of soul winning and for the salvation of unreached people.
- Go into the mission field yourself, taking the message of salvation through Jesus Christ wherever you can.
- Give toward mission work so others can go.
Do not stay idle. Let us rise up and reach the unreached people with the everlasting Gospel of Christ. The harvest is plentiful and the time is now.