By Dr. Afolabi Olajuwon
On a serene Sunday morning, the sanctuary of the Foursquare Gospel Church, Wuse District Headquarters, Abuja, glowed with anticipation. It was the first Sunday of the month, a Communion Service suffused with reverence, reflection, and renewal. The theme, “Securing and Preserving the Harvest,” resonated deeply in the hearts of worshippers who gathered with expectancy, like farmers waiting for the first drop of the early rain.
The atmosphere was charged with sacred melody as the choir led in spirit-filled worship, songs that softened the heart and cleared the ground for divine seed to be planted. Then, stepping calmly to the pulpit, Rev. Babatunde Idowu lifted his voice with a prophetic urgency:
“When it comes to the issue of harvest, Jesus says ‘Say ye not’, meaning, do not procrastinate.”
Thus began a message that wove together scripture, philosophy, and practical discipleship, anchored on John 4:35–38.
Rev. Idowu declared that procrastination is not merely a delay; it is a spiritual deception. Quoting from Revelation 3:15–16, he warned that indifference and complacency are the devil’s subtle tactics to dull divine urgency.
“We must not be lukewarm in the things of God. Jesus said, ‘I must do the works of Him who sent Me while it is day.’ (John 9:4). The harvest is ripe, delay is disobedience.”
Philosophically, his message echoed the ancient maxim: “Time and tide wait for no man.” In the economy of heaven, time is sacred currency; wasting it is spiritual poverty. Every missed opportunity to speak or serve in God’s vineyard is a seed left to rot in the soil of inaction.
African proverbial wisdom says: “The hunter who waits for the wind to stop before shooting will return home empty-handed.” The harvest of souls, talents, and opportunities must be seized in the present, for the future is never guaranteed.
In a brilliant fusion of communication science and spiritual pedagogy, Rev. Idowu outlined what he called “The 7 Cs of Communication in Discipleship”, a framework for effective ministry and mentorship:
Correctness: Uphold accuracy, in word, life, and doctrine.
Completeness: Give the full counsel of God, leaving nothing undone.
Conciseness: Speak truth without embellishment, clarity is more powerful than verbosity.
Consideration: Understand the hearer’s heart; discipleship is dialogue, not dictatorship.
Clarity: Use simple, living words, light, not lightning, transforms.
Concreteness: Teach with examples and truth rooted in experience.
Courtesy: Let love and respect be the fragrance of every interaction.
These principles, he noted, form the backbone of effective evangelism. Just as the sower must prepare both the soil and the seed, so must the disciple prepare both message and manner.
Philosophers have long said that “existence precedes essence”, that action gives meaning to being. Rev. Idowu’s sermon echoed this in spiritual terms: faith without immediacy becomes faith without effect.
To secure the harvest is to act; to preserve it is to remain steadfast. The first requires zeal, the second discipline. Both require perception and discernment. As he admonished, “We must perceive and discern the opportunities around us. God can use even the insignificant to justify His purpose.”
Indeed, in God’s vineyard, no seed is too small, and no moment too trivial.
As the message melted into the Communion Service, the congregation was led into solemn reflection. The bread and the cup became symbols of renewed commitment, not just to believe, but to act.
Prayers rose like incense: “Teach me to say yes, Lord, each time, each day, let come what may.”
And as the service drew to a close, the words of Jesus lingered in the air
“Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” (John 4:35)
In an age distracted by delay and seduced by comfort, the call to “secure and preserve the harvest” is more than a church theme, it is a moral imperative. For just as the wise farmer knows that unharvested crops attract decay, the wise believer knows that unspoken truth loses its transforming power.
Proverbial wisdom reminds us: “The ant gathers in summer because it sees beyond the sunshine.”
So must we, with discerning hearts and diligent hands, gather the harvest now, that we may present it, preserved and multiplied, before the Lord of the Harvest when He returns.
“Delay is not caution, it is disobedience when the field is white for harvest.”, Rev. Babatunde Idowu
*Dr. Afolabi Olajuwon is a freelance writer and Christian educator based in Abuja, Nigeria, with a passion for documenting faith-based initiatives and their impact on communities.
