Matthew 9:37
“The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”
Get off the porch, it’s Harvest Time.
The porch is a symbol of your comfort zone.
The porch represents comfort.
It’s safe.
It’s cool.
Rocking chairs on the porch.
Porch swings on the porch.
Cold lemonade on the porch.
The porch pleases the flesh.
But the field pleases the spirit.
Your blessing will always contradict your comfort.
You cannot reach your purpose on the porch.
When I was young, after school I would go to my grandparents’ house.
My brothers had practice, my parents were working, so from about ages 5 to 12, the bus would drop me off down the street at Big Daddy’s house. Big daddy had a long driveway and the main house was on a hill.
I’d walk across the cattle gap—cows, bulls-and horses would stare at me while I walked. My goal as a 5 year old was to make it to the porch safely. When I got to the main yard it was fenced in with big shade trees nice landscaping and screened in porch it was cool on the porch.
Big mamma would be waiting for me She would fix me a peanut butter and pear preserves sandwich, big glass of milk and life felt good on that porch.
But it wouldn’t be long before Big Daddy came out and said,
“Get off the porch son -it’s harvest time.” Basically it’s time to go to work.
That meant we were going to pick pears, gather pecans, pull weeds, fertilize the crop..Big Daddy made sure I understood something early: in life …No labor means No harvest…
There was a rule on the Dawson farm men had to work. Teamwork was key. We worked as a team to Gather the harvest. That’s why church is so important this is the training center this is bootcamp for gathering the harvest. This is where we get our mission and learn game plan.
Matthew 9:35–38 NIV
35 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. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
In this passage, Jesus shows His heart for people and His need for workers. As He travels, He teaches, preaches, and heals, showing that the gospel is not just something we say—it’s something we live out through service and compassion.
When Jesus sees the crowds, He is moved with compassion because they are lost, tired, and without direction. They weren’t just in need of a message; they needed care, guidance, and hope. That’s when Jesus says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” The problem wasn’t a lack of people ready to receive
The problem was a lack of people willing to serve and share.
Jesus then tells His disciples to pray for workers, not watchers. He is calling believers to leave the comfort of the porch and step into the field, help people, and share the good news.
The message is clear: the harvest is ready, and Jesus needs laborers who will serve and share, not spectators who just stand by and watch.
“Listen to me believers we must share the good news.”
Have you ever notice on social media they ask you to follow and share. It’s good to follow Jesus but it’s better to follow and share Before social media said it Jesus said it
Luke 9:23 NLT Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.
So how does social media spread there message?….through followers and sharers and thats what the kingdom needs today followers and sharers. We have a rule in the Dawson household when we travel always stop at Bucees. It’s a truck stop for 4 wheel vehicles there is always large crowds at
Bucee’s. When I did my research on the company. There number 1 marketing tool is word of mouth. I can’t tell you how many times I have testified of the goodness of Bucees. As a matter of fact if you travel with me I will ask have you tried Bucees, if you say no. I will make it top priority to purposely take you to Bucees, this is simply because I believe in Bucees. I trust Bucees. I’m not ashamed of Bucees as a matter I can’t wait to share the good news about Bucees. Will you use word of mouth to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Do you believe in him. Do you trust his word. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I will use my gift to share the good news wherever I may go. This is not just a suggestion we are commanded to spread the gospel.
The Great Commission makes it clear.
Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you-always, to the very end of the earth.”
Now I’m not going to send you to the worldly fields without teaching you the biblical principles of gathering the harvest there are steps you must take to gather the harvest. Once you anwser the call and have the faith to leave the porch. There are 3-Things Harvest time demands..
1. Plant the Seed
“A farmer went out to sow his seed.”
Luke 8:5-7 NIV
5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.
7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown
Planting the seed is our responsibility. Every prayer, every conversation, every act of love is a seed placed into the soil of someone’s life. We may not control how fast it grows, but we are called to be faithful sowers. When we share the Word, show compassion, and walk in obedience, we are planting seeds that God will cause to grow in His time..keep planting that seed don’t give up. You may have a friend that you have shared Gods love for so long. God can change them in a moment. So many times I didn’t think I got through to a kid but when I see them now they tell me , coach I never forgot the words you said I’m in church today because you shared Christ with me. The words you say is a seed. The time you spend is a seed. The life you live is a seed.. Keep planting the seed.
Romans 10:17 KJV
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. When you share the word you plant a seed.
2. Serve the Field
Matthew 9:37 “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”
After the seed is planted, the field must be served. Service in the verb is defined as helping people…Fields don’t grow by neglect; they grow by labor. Jesus reminds us that the harvest is ready, but it requires workers willing to serve. We must help our brothers and sisters, Service keeps us busy working for the kingdom.
Service in the noun means to repair and maintain. When you serve the field you do maintenance on your spirit you become a better person when you serve it reminds you just how blessed you are. You become better when you serve because it gives you a perspective on life. When you serve the crop you respect process. You protect the crop. You want take for granted the harvest in your life.
3. Gather the Harvest
Psalm 126:5 “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.”
This is why we gather in church service. We come together not just to worship, but to celebrate what God has done and to reach those who are still lost. Gathering is about bringing people in—into God’s presence, into community, and into salvation. The harvest is ready, and God desires a house prepared to receive it.
In my Closing: Get Off the Porch Church, it’s harvest time.
It’s time to plant the seed.
It’s time to serve the field.
It’s time to gather the harvest.
God has too much purpose on your life for you to stay comfortable.
The field is ready.
The harvest is waiting., When I think back to that time of my life 5 years old getting off that bus crossing that cattle gap my goals was to make it home. The older I get it the bolder I get. I know today that I must be about my father’s business the father is calling today he’s saying Get out of your comfort zone step out on faith.
When I was young, there was something I didn’t understand. We worked hard to plant the seed, serve the field, and gather the harvest. We suffered through Long days, Dirty hands. Tired bodies. And then, when the harvest season was over, the neighbors would pull up, pop their trunks, and we would give the harvest away—for free.
I didn’t get it.
But one day Big Daddy looked at me and said,
“Son, we’re blessed to bless others.”
And when I saw the smiles on their faces…
When I saw kids light up over those sweet pears we had picked…
Something changed in me.
I learned this truth: harvest isn’t just about what you receive—it’s about who you reach.
The real reward wasn’t the fruit in our hands, it was the joy in their hearts.
Church, hear me—nothing happens until you move.
No movement, no harvest.
No obedience, no overflow.
That day, my grandfather wasn’t just teaching me how to farm—he was calling me to purpose. He was calling me to plant the seed, serve the field, and gather the harvest.
And today, your Heavenly Father is calling you.
He’s calling you to leave your comfort zone.
To be bold.
To be courageous.
To step out of the porch and into your purpose.
The Great Commission is still speaking.
And it’s asking you—right now—to get off the porch…
Plant the seed.
Serve the field.
And gather the harvest.
Finally Satan loves to keep you on the porch. He knows that you can’t carry out your purpose on the porch. you cant make a difference on the porch. you can’t change the world on the porch. You can’t reclaim your calling on the porch. See you can’t get the fruit holding on to the root. Satan wants to keep you on that porch you can recruit for the kingdom on the porch.
You can’t change lives on the porch.
You can’t help your family on the porch
You can’t change the world sitting on the porch..
Satan comes to still kill and destroy but I have come to give you life
Doubt and fear will neutralize what God wants to do in your life
Why does God love for his children to work outside of their comfort zone because it forces you to do two things.. if forces you to trust and believe.. my brothers and sister that is the recipe for Faith.
Don’t Miss the Harvest
Now We Gather- Jesus said in
John 4:35 “Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest.”
Jesus was teaching His disciples that the harvest is now, not later. While they were focused on food and rest, Jesus saw people who were ready to receive salvation. Just as wheat turns white when it is fully ripe,
What looked like a future season was actually a present opportunity. He urged them to lift their eyes and see the spiritual fields. The hearts prepared, ripe, and ready to be gathered into God’s kingdom. The harvest was already waiting.
I declare today that we will get it fixed in 26. We are leaving the porch and taking the fields in Jesus Name.. Amen- Amen.