The Harvest Is Now by Pastor Jerry Eze: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

The Harvest Is Now

We read from 2 Kings 4:18-21 and 2 Kings 4:31-36, the story of the Shunammite woman's son.

When the child was grown, he went out to his father to the reapers and cried, "My head, my head." They carried him to his mother, and he sat on her knees till noon, then died. She laid him on the bed of the man of God and shut the door. Gehazi went ahead and laid the prophet's staff on the child's face, but there was neither voice nor hearing. When Elisha came into the house, he shut the door upon the two of them, prayed to the Lord, then went up and lay upon the child, put his mouth upon his mouth, his eyes upon his eyes, his hands upon his hands, and stretched himself upon the child, and the flesh of the child waxed warm. The child sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.

Not One Kind of Harvest

The Israelites observed three major harvests each year: the harvest of Pentecost, the harvest of Tabernacles, and the harvest of Passover, besides smaller harvests along the way. It was never one type, one kind, one set, or one mold of harvest. Every time the word harvest is mentioned in Scripture, it falls into one of three categories:

• Responsibility — the harvest of souls. When Jesus taught the parable and told His disciples to pray the Lord of the harvest would send laborers into His vineyard, the harvest was not material. It was a responsibility placed on every believer. When we say the harvest is now, we are not only speaking of a wedding, a car, or a house. There is a massive harvest of souls waiting to hear you say to them, "Come to Jesus." The harvest is plenteous, but the laborers are few. That plenteousness means anyone can get it — some hearts are so ripe that if they do not hear the gospel now, something else will fill that space instead.
• Becoming — Galatians 6:8 says he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting. Harvest here speaks of what you are becoming.
• Manifestation — the material harvest. It is not wrong for God to bless you materially. If it was not important, God would not have said to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and every other thing would be added.

Let nobody make you feel bad for a blessing God gave you. It is only witches and wizards that try to make you feel guilty for the blessing of God upon your life.

Where Are Your Knees?

The woman carried her dying son on her own knees, but those knees were not made to carry that. They were made to bow before God. When a season of harvest becomes critical, the devil tries to put your needs on your knees instead of letting your knees carry you to God in prayer. Once your knees are weighed down by the need itself, they can no longer bow in worship, and your prayer life suffers. The devil begins to discourage you, pointing out what God has not yet done, until your knees can no longer go down.

A Lad Carrying a Lad

As soon as the boy cried out, the father told a servant, "Carry him to his mother" — a sick lad carried by another lad. A lad cannot do for a lad what only a mother's knees, submitted to God, can do. When the devil wants to obstruct your harvest, he sends a lad who is weak exactly where you are weak, who does not know more than you know, who has no more of a prayer life than you have. Do not let a lad carry you in your season of harvest — someone who is discouraged the same way you are, who has not read the Word any more than you have, who is only running the same circle you are running. Lots carrying lots arrive nowhere. Do not let people who are just as unequipped as you are be the ones holding your prayer requests, your relationships, or your decisions in this second half of the year.

Your Eyes and Hands Are Not Normal

When Elisha stretched himself over the child — mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands — the flesh of the child waxed warm before anything else happened. He simply performed the prophetic action and life returned. As a believer, your eyes, mouth, and hands carry a power the devil wants to neutralize. Be careful what you see, what you say, and what you put your hands to, because this second half of the year, whether you believe it or not, can be your best season since you were born.