Sowers scatter seed

Why are so many evangelical churches in America stagnant? Why are more people not coming to know Jesus Christ? If the fruits of our labors in soul-winning are so lean, it is time to ask, “what is wrong with the harvest?”

I’m from a rural background—and I can tell you that when something goes wrong with the harvest, a farmer will do three things. First, he’ll take a look at the soil. In the case of soul-harvesting, the soil is the hearts of men. Are Americans no longer interested in God? It would seem so, considering the harvest, but this is simply not true. There is more interest in God, in spiritual things, in this day and age than ever before. People are searching for depth and meaning, asking religious questions and exploring a variety of religions. So the soil looks good to me. The second thing a farmer with a poor crop will do is look at his seed. Was the seed bad? Our seed in evangelism is God’s Word. The seed is good—in fact, it is perfect. So perhaps we are sowing sparingly. The Bible says that if you sow sparingly, you will reap sparingly, and if you sow abundantly, you will reap abundantly. Are we sowing mingled seed? The Bible mixed with social ethics or psychology or anything else is rendered less effective by the mingling. If the soil is good and the seed is good, a farmer will look to himself—the sower. You and I are sowers. Not workers. Sowers. And sowers scatter seed. Until you and I want our friends and neighbors and family members to know Christ more than anything—until that becomes our passion and our focus—we cannot expect a rich and bountiful harvest. How are you doing at scattering seed?