Thank you to your minister and session for the invitation to come and take part in your harvest weekend this evening. It's always good to come back to the West. And of course, you look down in this congregation, they're not all as old as me, Some were at school with me many years ago in Kilskere. I always say it doesn't make them as old as me, but they were at school with me either way. But it is good to be with you. And I was just thinking this evening, our brother Neville here, it's quite a few years ago, gave me opportunities in the youth fellowship, probably when I went to college. So that's quite a few years ago as well. time marches on. But we thank God the message of the gospel is still the same, and the Savior is unchanging. I'd like you to turn tonight, please, to John chapter 12. John chapter 12. As we read some verses in this chapter and consider something that the Lord Jesus said, which certainly carries the theme of the harvest, because sowing and reaping in the natural realm, there's a great parallel when it comes to the spiritual. And we're going to read tonight in John chapter 12 from the verse 20. John chapter 12 and the verse 20. John chapter 12 verse 20, and there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast. The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew, and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come. that the Son of Man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it. and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me, and where I am, there shall also my servant be. If any man serve me, him will my Father honour. Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. But for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. The people, therefore, that stood by and heard it said that it thundered. Others said an angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." This, he said, signifying what death he should die. Amen. And we know God will bless the reading of His Word to our hearts this evening for His name's sake. Let's just take a moment to seek the Lord in prayer as we come to consider His Word tonight. Heavenly Father, we thank Thee tonight for the harvest season. We thank Thee for the great truths, even within Thy Word, connected with it. And we do realize that it is a solemn thought that whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Lord, we think of the warning of Your Word. Be not deceived. God is not mocked. We know that those who sow to the flesh shall reap corruption, but we thank Thee that those that sow to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. We pray as we come now to consider Thy Word, that Thou wilt speak to all our hearts. We realize tonight that we look at one another upon the outward appearance, but we thank Thee that Thou dost see to the heart. Lord, tonight as Thou dost see the heart of every individual, we pray that Thou wilt meet the need of each heart. whether it be a need for salvation, a need for restoration, that need for growth and grace. Lord, we thank Thee tonight. You're able to meet the spiritual needs of every heart. And Lord, we pray that Thou will come and speak tonight, that beyond the voice of the preacher, that we will be conscious of that word speaking to us. So, I pray that thou wilt fill me afresh with thy Spirit. Speak through me tonight, I pray in Jesus' name. Amen. During the ministry of the Lord Jesus here upon earth, He often used illustrations from nature in His preaching and in His teaching. And of course, that included many things in connection with sowing and reaping in the harvest. And there is that clear parallel to be drawn between sowing and reaping in the natural realm and in the spiritual realm. We're no doubt all familiar with the parable of the sower. When the Lord Jesus spoke of that sower who went out to sow his seed, and the seed fell upon four different types of ground. And the Lord Jesus in that parable, He spoke of that sower sowing the seed, as an illustration of the sowing of the Word of God. And of course, when the preacher stands to read and to preach the Word of God, he is sowing the seed of the Word of God. But it's also true for the Sunday school teacher, the children's worker, the parent teaching their children from the Word of God, the child of God witnessing to others, there is a sowing of the gospel seed as the Word of God is declared. And as the seed of God's Word is sown, we expect a harvest. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Through the foolishness of preaching, God has chosen to save them that believe. The Lord Jesus on another occasion, speaking concerning the parable of the wheat and the tares, He likened that sowing of the seed to Himself as the Son of Man sowing the children of the kingdom, and the enemy who came and sowed the tares to the devil. sowing the children of the wicked one. And so, we discover that the seed can represent the Word of God. The seed can represent the children of God and the seed of the tares, the children of the evil one. But tonight, in this passage that we have read in John chapter 12, we discover the Lord Jesus using the seed to represent Himself. and using what happens when the seed is sown in the ground and dies to bring forth fruit as an illustration of what He accomplished when on the cross He laid down His life, and when He was buried and arose again, and when He did all that was needed to save sinners from their sin. John chapter 12 and the verse 23, the Lord Jesus said, verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. And of course, here in John chapter 12, the time was drawing very near when the Lord Jesus would go to the cross. It was the time of the Passover feast, and many gathered to Jerusalem and were told there in the verse 20 where we began our reading tonight that among the great multitude who had gathered, there were certain Greeks who had come to worship at the feast. And they came to Philip in verse 21, and they had this simple request, "'Sir, we would see Jesus.'" And I wonder tonight in this meeting, have you a desire to know something about the Lord Jesus, the only one who can save you from your sin? And for each one of us who are saved, do we desire to become more like the Savior? Philip In verse 22, he came to Andrew to tell him of this request that these Greeks had. And then Andrew and Philip came to the Lord Jesus. And the Lord Jesus responded by speaking not only the words of verse 24, but of course he continued. And tonight I want us to focus in upon what the Lord Jesus said in verse 24, verse 25, and verse 26. Because what the Lord Jesus said here has to do with sowing and reaping in the spiritual harvest. What He did that His people might be saved from sin. And how we live in life in response to the message of the gospel will determine whether or not our souls are saved for eternity or lost for all eternity. So we're going to think tonight about the sowing and reaping of the Lord Jesus, and the sowing and reaping of our lives as sinners tonight. Let's think first of all about the fact that the death of Christ would bring life. Again, I draw your attention to the verse 24 of John chapter 12. The Lord Jesus says here, "'Verily, verily, I say unto you, accept a corn of wheat.'" fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." In the previous verse, the verse 23, the Lord Jesus had said, the hour is come that the Son of Man should be glorified. In other words, the time had drawn so near, the time had come when the Lord Jesus would go to the cross at Calvary, And he would lay down his life as the only sufficient sacrifice for sins forever. He would suffer in his very soul the wrath of God for all of the sins of all of his people. He would suffer unto death. He would shed his blood. He would die and he would be buried. but He would rise again. He would ascend back into heaven, having finished the work that His Father sent Him to do. Therefore, He would be glorified in what He would accomplish on the cross at Calvary. And the Lord Jesus in verse 24, He used this illustration, this harvest illustration, to emphasize the necessity of His death. if there would be salvation, spiritual life, eternal life for sinners who would turn from sin and trust in Him. Look at what he said there, verily, verily. In the gospel of John, there are a number of sayings of the Lord Jesus recorded where He used these words, verily, verily, truly, truly. And while everything the Lord Jesus said was important, These sayings were particularly important. And the Lord Jesus says, verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. In other words, except that seed is planted in the ground and dies, there will be no fruit. There will be no harvest. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." And the Lord Jesus was using this illustration to speak of Himself. He was the corn of wheat that was going to fall into the ground and die to bring forth fruit in the sense of sinners being saved. having spiritual and eternal life, and then, of course, living those fruitful lives for Him. Consider the fact tonight that each one of us are born into this world as sinners. We are spiritually dead in trespasses and in sins. Someday we're going to face the appointment of physical death in that our souls are going to depart from our bodies. And if on that day we are still spiritually dead, our souls are going to face a second death. Our souls will go to that terrible place called hell. And at the resurrection, that body and soul will come together again to be cast into the lake of fire for all eternity. Whatever we sow, we will reap. Of course, on the other hand, If we turn from sin and trust in Christ for salvation, we will receive spiritual and eternal life now in this life. And when death comes, a soul will go to be with Christ in heaven. On the resurrection day, body and soul will come together, and that glorified body and soul will be with Christ for all eternity. But for that salvation to be available, for that spiritual and eternal life to be available for sinners, the Lord Jesus had to come. And yes, He had to live a perfect life. He had to keep the law of God perfectly for all who would trust in Him, because we can't keep God's law perfectly as sinners, and God demands that His law be kept perfectly. And then the Lord Jesus had to go to the cross at Calvary. He had to suffer unto death as the great substitute, the great sacrifice for sin. God demands the death of the sinner. The Lord Jesus had to die. He had to suffer on that cross the wrath of God for all of the sins of all of his people. He had to shed his blood. He had to die and rise again. Otherwise, sinners could not be saved. Sinners could not be in heaven. As he said, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. There could never have been sinners in heaven if the Lord Jesus had not died. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. There are many places we could turn to tonight in the Word of God, where again this great truth is emphasized. The Lord Jesus had to die if there was going to be spiritual and eternal life for sinners. In Isaiah chapter 53, that well-known chapter that prophesied the sufferings and death of the Lord Jesus, there is this emphasis. that he had to die if there were to be the fruit of sinners being saved, spiritual and eternal life. Listen to these words in Isaiah 53 and the verses 10 and 11. And there we read, yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief. when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin." That's what happened on the cross. The Lord Jesus was made an offering for sin. He shall see his seed. Here's the harvest. He shall see his seed. He shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. The next verse says, he shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied by his knowledge, shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities." And on the cross at Calvary, the Lord Jesus bore the iniquities of his people unto death. And therefore, He shall be satisfied. He will justify many. All who turn from sin, trust in Him for salvation, are justified, declared righteous before God. Spiritual and eternal life is imparted to every sinner who turns from sin and trusts in Christ for salvation. When the Apostle Paul was writing to the church at Corinth, In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, he also emphasized how necessary it was for Jesus Christ to die and rise again if there was to be eternal life for sinners. Listen to these words in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and the verse 36. And Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15, and the verse 36, Thou'st full. That which thou sowest is not quickened, that is, it's not brought to life except it die. There had to be the death of the Savior if there was going to be life for sinners, just as there has to be the death of the seed. if there's going to be a harvest even in the temporal realm. In that same chapter of 1 Corinthians 15, down in the verse 45, Paul wrote, and so it is written, the first man, Adam, was made a living soul. When Adam was made from the dust of the ground, God breathed life into him, and he became a living soul. And then we're told that the last Adam, that's the Lord Jesus, was made a quickening spirit by His life and death and resurrection. He is able. He has provided life, spiritual and eternal life for sinners who will turn from sin and trust in Him. If you're here tonight and you're not seeing, you're still spiritually dead. Death will come, take you from this scene of time. Unless you have trusted in Christ for salvation, unless you trust in what He accomplished by His life and death and resurrection, you have no hope of being in heaven. You have no hope of escaping hell. You have no hope of having eternal life. And yet, if you will turn from your sin and trust in Jesus Christ, You can have spiritual and eternal life at this very moment. The Lord Jesus said, this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent. I wonder tonight, do you know the Lord? You may know about Him, but do you know Him personally? Are you trusting in Him for salvation? Are you depending on the fact that His death and resurrection provides eternal life for all who will trust in Him? The Lord Jesus, the Bible says, is bringing many sons onto glory. Are you one of those tonight who is on the road to glory? Because the Lord Jesus had to say to some during His earthly ministry, and ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. He provides life, He offers life, but you must come to Him to receive that life. As we come back here to John chapter 12 and what the Lord Jesus said, not only do we see that the death of Christ provides life, but I want you to see in the second place that the Lord Jesus spoke about the danger of loving your life. Look at verse 25 of John chapter 12, and here the Lord Jesus says, he that loveth his life shall lose it. A solemn warning. What did the Lord Jesus mean? Are we not to love our lives? Are our lives not precious? Well, the Lord Jesus was talking here about sowing to the flesh. If we love this life and the temporal things of this life so much that we neglect our souls and we never turn from sin and trust in Him for salvation, well, we will, to use His words, lose our lives. We will lose our souls. We will be lost forever in hell. I want you to think for a few moments of a few other places in the Gospels. where the Lord Jesus said something very similar, and what He said surrounding these similar words, to he that loveth his life shall lose it, gives us the picture of what He meant when He spoke of the danger of loving our lives. Loving this life and the things of this life more than considering the need of our souls. If you want to turn back for a moment to Matthew's Gospel, And first of all, the chapter 10. Matthew chapter 10, and the verse 37. The Lord Jesus speaks some words, and as He does so, He comes back to speak words that are very similar to that statement, He that loveth his life shall lose it. Matthew chapter 10, and the verse 37. And here the Lord Jesus says, he that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me." And then these next words are really saying the same thing as he said there in John chapter 12. He that findeth his life. It's the same as he that loveth his life shall lose it. What did the Lord Jesus mean? He spoke there of those who love father or mother more than him. He's not saying we shouldn't love father or mother. But he's talking about loving father or mother more than him. He speaks about loving son or daughter more than him. And again, he's not saying we're not to love sons and daughters, but he talks about loving them more than him. Take the example. Maybe you're not saved. You're considering your need of salvation. You know you need to be saved. Maybe your father and mother aren't saved, or your son or daughter. And maybe you say to yourself, or the devil whispers in your ear, if you turn from sin and trust in Christ, your father and mother will reject you. Your son or daughter will reject you. And so you don't turn from sin and trust in Christ. What are you doing? You're loving father and mother, or son or daughter more than the Savior. You're not turning from sin. You're not trusting in Him. he that findeth our love with his life shall lose it." Come forward a few pages in Matthew's Gospel to chapter 16, where again the Lord Jesus speaks words, and in these words in Matthew 16, In the verse 25 and 26, again he uses these words, whosoever will, in this case, save his life shall lose it. It's the same as he that loves his life or finds it shall lose it. He has said in verse 24 to his disciples in Matthew 16, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Verse 25. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." Listen to these next words. For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for a soul? There's nothing wrong with working hard to have material things and possessions in this life, but if you so love life and so put all your effort into gaining possessions and finances in this life to the neglect of your soul and your need of salvation, you will lose your life. You will lose your soul. What is a man profited if you were to gain the whole world and lose your own soul? You know, the Lord Jesus gave an example of such an individual. In fact, it's just a chapter or two later in Matthew, Matthew 19, the man that's known as the rich young ruler. He came to the Lord Jesus in Matthew 19 and the verse 16, and he came asking, good master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? And as the Lord Jesus conversed with that young man, there came a point where the Lord Jesus said to him, knowing his heart and knowing that he thought more of his possessions than of turning from sin and trusting in Christ. And the Lord Jesus said to him in Matthew 19 in verse 21, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come and follow me. Now, of course, the Lord Jesus didn't mean that we've got to give up every temporal possession in life to have salvation. But if we had to, it would be worth it. But the Lord knew this man's heart. He thought more of his possessions than he did of turning from sin and trusting in Christ. Because verse 22 says, but when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Sometimes at the harvest time. We think of that other man in Luke 12, he's known as the rich farmer. He had had a bountiful harvest in the temporal sense and there was nothing wrong with that. He was going to pull down his barns and build greater. There was nothing wrong with that. His problem was he had forgot all about his soul. In fact, he said, soul thou wast many years, take thy knees. eat, drink, and be merry, as if the temporal things of life could meet the need of his soul. And God said to him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee. Then whose shall these things be?" He wasn't rich toward God. He'd forgot about his soul and his need of salvation. That's what it is. To love your life so much as to lose it. I'd like you to listen to what the Apostle John wrote in 1 John 2. In the verses 15, 16, and 17, concerning loving this world so much that you neglect your soul. Listen to these words in 1 John 2 and verse 15. Love not the world. neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." Listen to these next words, for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is off the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof. But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever." Everything that we could see in this world is passing away. But our souls are going to live on forever. in either heaven or hell. What do you think of Christ tonight? Galatians 6 tells us, Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. And that's why the Lord Jesus spoke of the danger of loving this life so much, that you neglect your soul. But as we finish, I want you to consider the directions for those desiring this spiritual and eternal life. Because when you come back to John chapter 12 and that verse 25, while yes, the Lord Jesus sounded out the warning, he that loveth his life shall lose it, he went on to say, and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal." What did he mean by hating his life? Oh yes, we've got to hate sin, and we've got to love even the legitimate temporal blessings of life less than we consider the value of our souls. That will lead us to turn from sin, to trust in Christ for salvation, and then we will have spiritual and eternal life, and we can still enjoy the legitimate blessings of this life. The Lord Jesus went on in verse 26 to say this, if any man serve me, let him follow me. Because if you turn from sin and trust in Christ, you will follow Christ. You will serve Him. And where I am, there shall also my servant be. Wherever you are in life as a saved sinner, the Lord will be with you. And as a saved sinner, when death comes, you will go to be where Christ is, in glory. If any man serve me, him will my Father honor." Far better to have the honor of God than to have the honor of multitudes in this world. Read something of what the Apostle Paul said. In the book of Acts, and even in his epistles, he didn't count his life dear unto himself that he might finish his course with joy. He said, set your affection on things above and not on the things of this world. It all comes back to reaping what we sow. And as I finish tonight, we've spoken about Christ. He sowed his life. He laid down his life in death. He arose again. He offers eternal life to you if you will turn from sin and trust in him. But if you will sow a life of rejecting Christ, you will reap a lost eternity. But if you will sow to the Spirit by turning from sin and trusting in Christ, you will reap eternal life. Be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of his flesh reap corruption. But he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." If you're not saved tonight, forget about everything else and think about your soul. Come tonight, turn from your sin, trust in Christ. And for each one of us who are saved, let us realize that as we continue to follow Christ and serve Him, setting our affection on things above, that we are living a life that is worth living. May the Lord write His Word upon our hearts tonight for His name's sake. Thank you, Mr. Woods, very much for bringing us the Word of God this evening. Let us conclude with the singing of the hymn 230. Life at best is very brief, like the falling of a leaf, like the binding of a sheaf. Be in time. Fleeting days are telling fast that the die will soon be cast, the fatal line be passed, be in time. What a story we have heard, a saviour who laid down his life for us that we might have life. But yet it is incumbent upon us to come to Christ and to call upon him, he might be our saviour. And how can we escape if we neglect so great salvation? Oh dear friend tonight, you know not Christ is your saviour, you haven't trusted him, Be in time. Now is the day of salvation. If you are concerned, you can speak to myself or Mr. Woods or some other person that you know that is a Christian. You get this matter settled tonight. Don't you turn away from Christ. Think of these words. Be in time. Let's stand together. I am the best of everything. I'm controlling all of it. I am the light in your machine. In time, in ages, and in months, I will die or soon be gone. I will reign the light with my hands. you. Oh Oh still morning it's Father in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you, Father, for your presence tonight over this weekend of meetings. We pray you would print your word firmly into all of our hearts, that it may bring forth fruit in every life. Father, we thank you for the food that has been prepared, for the hands that have prepared it. We thank you for thy goodness in putting food on the table. We pray that you would bless our fellowship together, and after that is done, take us to our homes in safety. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, our Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, our Comforter. Rest and abide and be with each one, now and evermore. Amen. Amen. Please make your way through, get something to eat, and have some fellowship, and then safe home tonight. Thank you very much for coming. Thank you.