In what ways can we "enter into their labor" in our local church? The Verse and Its Context John 4:38 – “I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have entered into their labor.” • Jesus speaks to the disciples right after His conversation with the Samaritan woman. • The “others” include prophets, faithful Israelites, John the Baptist, and even the woman who had just testified to her town (John 4:39). • The harvest is literal souls ready to believe; the reapers are those who step into an already-prepared field. Seeing Ourselves as Reapers in an Ongoing Harvest • God’s Word assures us that seed sown in faith never returns void (Isaiah 55:10-11). • Every congregation stands on work done by earlier pastors, teachers, prayer warriors, and generous givers (Hebrews 13:7). • We are invited to pick up the sickle, not start a new field. “We are God’s fellow workers” (1 Colossians 3:9). Practical Ways to Enter into Their Labor in Your Local Church • Encourage veteran servants – Write notes of gratitude (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13). – Publicly acknowledge their labor so the body sees God’s faithfulness from generation to generation. • Reinforce established ministries instead of reinventing them – Volunteer in children’s classes, visitation teams, worship, maintenance. – Adopt an attitude: “How can I help this ministry bear more fruit?” rather than “How can I replace it?” • Join the ongoing discipleship chain – Meet one-on-one with a younger believer (2 Titus 2:2). – Use existing study materials developed by previous teachers. • Share the gospel where groundwork is already laid – Invite neighbors to church events the body has cultivated credibility for over years. – Hand out materials prepared by earlier evangelism teams; trust that seed was sown long before your conversation. • Pray into established prayer lists – Churches keep running intercession lists; adopt names, neighborhoods, and missionaries already being lifted up (Colossians 4:12). • Give financially to bolster current outreach – Regular, cheerful giving (2 Corinthians 9:6-7) equips long-standing missionaries and local projects instead of starting parallel efforts. • Maintain facilities they built – Join workdays, cleaning crews, tech teams—simple service that preserves what others sacrificed to provide. • Carry forward the church’s biblical convictions – Read and teach the statement of faith; keep doctrine pure (1 Timothy 6:20). – Correct error lovingly so the hard-won heritage of truth remains intact (Jud 3). Guarding the Fruit of Previous Laborers • Wolves prey on established flocks (Acts 20:29-30). Protect with watchful shepherding. • Keep records, memories, testimonies alive; share stories of past revivals, answered prayers, building projects (Psalm 78:4). • Discern trends that threaten earlier gains—mission drift, cultural compromise, apathy—and address them promptly (Revelation 2:4-5). The Promise of Shared Reward • “Each will receive his own reward according to his own labor” (1 Colossians 3:8). God credits both sowers and reapers. • “We are workers for the truth” (3 John 8). When we sustain a ministry, we partake in every conversion and act of mercy that flows from it. • “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Colossians 15:58). Stepping into fields others have plowed is both a privilege and a responsibility. By honoring, strengthening, and guarding the work God has already accomplished in our local church, we joyfully “enter into their labor” and see an even greater harvest for His glory. |
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