“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” -Mark 16:15
Crop rotation is the process of rotating different crops in the same field, this in an effort to improve overall soil health. By rotating your crop year in and year out you are not farming the same seed in the same soil, because doing so will rob the land of beneficial nutrients you need to grow a healthy crop. A lack of good crop rotation could produce sterile ground and substandard yields.
The development of crop rotation was igneous when it comes to trying to improve yields, in the limiting capacity that is found in farming. No one person owes all the fertile land. It is segmented, privatized, so where you plant doesn’t change. Down here in Georgia we have good land down in Seminole County, and even if farmers in Dougherty County wanted to pick up and move down to Seminole County they couldn’t. They have to work the land they own. Therefore, in an effort to produce better yields and keep their land fertile they practice crop rotation. As sanctified people, we don’t have to contend with limiting factors or capacity. Jesus said “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” The seed is the Word, salvation from sin through Jesus Christ our Lord. The field we are spreading it in is the whole world. Everyone, everywhere. When we go out to spread the gospel, we are all going out into a vast field of labor. Unlike farmers in South Georgia, we are not bound by land rights, the field is the world and the Father owns it all. To quote John Wesley (as I am fond of doing) “I look upon all the world as my parish.” The local Walmart, and the foreign nations are all fields of labor to the Christian. With so much acreage to cover, it is a wonder why we insist on planting the same seed, in the same field; year, after year, after year. Preaching to the people we are comfortable preaching too. Our children, our family, our cousins, our young people. Church people sowing in the field of church people. Rich people, sowing in the field of rich people. White people in the field of white, black in the field of black; the list goes on. Trouble us not with a wider gaze or broader horizon, lest we find a field that would require immense sacrifice. Would it not be for the commandment of Christ, we could go into all our folks and preach; but Jesus said, “go to the world.” If we plant the same seed, in the same field, year in and year out; eventually the beneficial nutrients will be robbed and there will be less and less fruit. Which will happen because we have no seed to rotate. Christ knew this and this is why he left this commission for the church to “Go”. If we just focus on getting our kids sanctified, by and by we might lose them; why? Because the demonstration of the gospel that they will see is one robbed of one of its great beneficial nutrients, namely the lost/unchurched coming to Christ. When you see a wretched sinner come to know Jesus it marks you. Furthermore, when you take part in the spreading of a gospel that saves the sinner, it affirms your faith. Finally, when you are active in ministry that brings people to salvation from all walks of life; that will bring forth fruit in you, because you are taking part in a salvation that works everywhere. However, we can’t find that precious to our soul if we are not spreading salvation everywhere!
The early church maintained a militant focus to spread the Gospel. I believe it was because they loved the lost, but also because they love God. In loving God, they knew that God loved them and wanted what was best for them. There is nothing quite so wonderful as the blessing of seeing a soul converted, sanctified, and living for Jesus Christ. It is a glorious field of labor; Lord send forth laborers.
