This is the year of the harvest at my church. Meditating on the theme, I punched “harvest” into my concordance. I began clicking through each scripture. I stopped at Proverbs 10:5, “He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.” The Spirit began to stir, and I entered into a session of compounding revelation.

We are in the dispensation of the great harvest, a monumental period in God’s redemptive plan. Monumental because the law has been fulfilled through Christ (Matthew 5:17), the Spirit has been poured out on all flesh (Acts 2:17), and the gospel has been extended to the Gentiles (Romans 1:16). The seed of God’s Word has been scattered, and the fields are ripe for harvest (John 4:35). This dispensation of grace is summer, and we are commanded to gather for the Lord.

Despite the unprecedented opportunities for those of us alive during this time, this dispensation is also characterized by spiritual lethargy and a misalignment of priorities. Many sleep, lulled by the cares of this world, and even by the church, to focus more on material wealth and non-kingdom enterprises than the harvest of souls. I see this as a failure to embrace true discipleship, a life of surrender and sacrifice, and to align with Christ’s desire that all men should be saved.

If the harvest is plentiful (Luke 10:2), but the laborers are few, then the real problem is not a shortage of people but a shortage of disciples. True discipleship begins with taking up our cross. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). This call is not a metaphorical suggestion but a literal invitation to die to oneself, as He did, surrendering our will to the Father, as He did, to relinquish personal desires, ambitions, and comforts, as He did, so that one may labor in the vineyard, as He labored in the earth for 33 years. Many who claim to follow Christ have not truly picked up their cross, and as a result, they are not living as disciples, so they are not laboring.

The failure to take up the cross has critical implications for the church and its mission. Jesus’ warning in Luke 14:27 that “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” is clear. Without the cross, there is no true discipleship, and without true discipleship, there is no laboring in the vineyard. When He sent out the twelve apostles and later the seventy disciples (Luke 10:1-20), He tasked them with preaching the kingdom of God, healing the sick, and casting out demons. These were not merely acts of compassion but demonstrations of the kingdom’s arrival, designed to convince people of the truth of the gospel. The disciples were not just recipients of Jesus’ teaching; they were active participants in His mission. Through their work, they made new disciples who, in turn, were expected to grow into laborers. This cyclical process of discipleship and laboring is central to the Great Commission.

The breakdown in this process is seen in the lukewarmness of this generation. Many believers, conditioned by the values of the world, have become more concerned with their harvest of material wealth and possessions than with the spiritual harvest of souls. This is not only a personal failing but also a systemic issue within many churches, where success is often measured by attendance and clicks rather than by the depth of discipleship and the impact on the community. This inward focus blinds them to the ripeness of the harvest and their calling to be laborers in the field. Jesus’ warning in Luke 10:2, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few,” remains as relevant today as it was two thousand years ago. The fields are still ripe, but the laborers are distracted, divided, and, in some cases, deceived about their true purpose.

The Parable of the Wheat and Tares teaches us the eschatological implications of this harvest dispensation. It is the moment where the righteous are gathered into God’s Kingdom, while the wicked are thrown into the fire of judgment. This connects to Revelation 14:14-20, which depicts two harvests: The first harvest (14-16) is a gathering of the righteous. The second harvest (17-20) is a harvest of wrath, where the wicked are cast into God’s judgment. This means the harvest dispensation is not just about laboring; it’s the last phase before divine separation. The Church must awaken to the reality that time is short, and the harvest will soon be reaped, whether by salvation or judgment. Also, we see the harvesters are a harvest within themselves, and laboring in the vineyard makes us ripe. We are the wise, and the second sickle is for those who slept in this season.

Is it a coincidence that during the dispensation of the great harvest there is also a great falling away (2 Thessalonians 2:3)? The enemy is globally sowing tares of deception and distraction, causing many to sleep through the most urgent moment in history. Today’s modern and digital temples are almost impossible to separate from. This is another cause for the shortage of laborers. Many who should be working in the harvest are instead caught in lust, materialism, and false movements masquerading as truth. The spirit of deception is lulling believers into passivity, ensuring they are too distracted or busy to enter the vineyard. At the same time, as Babylon’s spiritual infrastructure is laid, the harvest is growing even more ripe. Increases in suicide, mental illness, addiction, homelessness, fear, and insecurity point to the fact that the enemy has intensified his attack, leading many to seek dangerous coping mechanisms for what they may not even realize is a spiritual assault. This suffering is producing a desperate world that is primed for the gospel, but the Church must be awake and ready to labor in this moment.

I am thankful to be a part of a church that prioritizes discipleship, biblical literacy, and developing spiritual gifts. To reclaim the mission of the harvest, the church must return to the essence of true discipleship. It requires a love for Christ that compels us to love what He loves and prioritize what He prioritizes. And it calls for a commitment to labor in the harvest, not out of obligation or guilt, but a hunger to see souls brought into the kingdom. This kind of discipleship is not popular, but it is rewarding, for it aligns us with the heart of Christ and the eternal purposes of God.

If we are in the harvest dispensation, then there is an urgent call for the remnant to rise. The lukewarm and distracted may miss this moment, but those who hear the voice of the Spirit must answer the call. This dispensation is not about personal gain, it is about preparing the world for the return of Christ. The faithful remnant will not be found sleeping through the summer but will be gathering wisely for the Kingdom (Proverbs 10:5).