Galatians 6:7-10 • Harvest Time
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HOOK:
HOOK:
Imagine a farmer planting weeds and thorn bushes and expecting a harvest of sweet apples—doesn’t that sound ridiculous?
Yet, so many of us do the same thing spiritually, we sow seeds of compromise, sin, and neglect while expecting God’s blessings in return.
Review & Overview
Review & Overview
1. Previous Study’s Review
1. Previous Study’s Review
Last Sunday, we examined the law of sowing and reaping—what we plant in our lives will determine what we harvest. Paul warned that God is not mocked; sowing to the flesh leads to destruction, but sowing to the Spirit leads to life.
We focused on four key truths:
You can’t fool God—what you sow, you will reap.
The flesh reaps corruption, the Spirit reaps life.
Faithfulness requires patience—don’t give up.
Do good, especially to fellow believers.
Let’s begin our reading in Vs. 11 and read down to Vs. 16. READ…
3. Current Study’s Overview
3. Current Study’s Overview
The Title of today’s message Is: Harvest Time: The Law of Sowing & Reaping
Because in this poriton of scripture, we come face to face with one of the most powerful universal law in both the natural and spiritual world—you reap what you sow.
This isn't just a biblical idea; it's a law woven into the very fabric of creation.
Just as gravity is fixed and unchanging, so are God’s moral and spiritual laws.
And the Bible affirms this reality long before science caught up, showing that the same God who established physical order also set these spiritual truths in place.
7 He stretches out the north over empty space; He hangs the earth on nothing.
That was written long before people realized the earth wasn't resting on something physical.
22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
Here, the bible calls the earth a circle (or sphere), even when people still thought the world was flat.
14 It takes on form like clay under a seal, And stands out like a garment.
hints at the earth's rotation on an axis.
In today’s portion of scripture, Paul uses this universal law to issue a serious warning, particularly to those who still believe they can earn God’s favor through legalism and self-effort.
Those who have believed the false teachers.
Whether they are unbelievers trusting in religious rituals or Christians stuck in a performance-based mindset, the outcome is the same—sowing to the flesh leads to destruction, while sowing to the Spirit leads to life.
If your taking notes, we want to look at 4 points involving Sowing and Reaping.
1. Deception Detected Vs. 7 - Paul warns that no one can fool God—what you sow, you will reap.
2. Harvest Collected Vs. 8 – Sowing to the flesh leads to inevitable destruction.
3. Endurance Expected Vs. 9 – Faithfulness requires patience and perseverance.
4. Compassion Connected Vs. 10 - Paul calls believers to love and serve others, especially fellow Christians.
The question before us is simple: What are you sowing in your life today?
1. Deception Detected Vs. 7
1. Deception Detected Vs. 7
So Paul starts with, “Do not be deceived.” This is an interesting choice of words, because they were already deceived!
What Paul is really saying is, “Stop being deceived!” Back in Galatians 3:1, Paul had already called them out:
1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?
False teachers had convinced them that salvation required circumcision and keeping the law of Moses.
They bought into the lie. And Paul is telling them—stop falling for this!
That word deceived in Greek (planao) actually means “led astray.”
They weren’t just tricked; they were actively being pulled in the wrong direction.
False teachers had led them into a performance-based faith where they were trying to earn God’s favor through self-effort.
Paul says, “Don’t let them keep leading you off course!”
Now, some might wonder, “Can a Christian really be deceived?” 100%.
This universal law applies to everyone, believer or unbeliever.
Paul is giving a general truth: What you sow, you reap. It’s true across the board.
Your choices have consequences, and those consequences always match the choices.
People try to get around this all the time. “Well, I know I’m doing wrong, but God understands.”
Yea, He understands. But that doesn’t change the law.
ILLUSTRATION: If you punch a brick wall, God understands, but your hand is still going to hurt.
This principle isn’t something you can bend or break—it’s built into the fabric of reality.
And here’s the thing—one of the biggest sources of deception isn’t just false teachers or Satan. It’s ourselves.
9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
You know we are really good at rationalizing sin, telling ourselves, “It’s not that bad,” or “I’ll deal with it later.”
James warns us about this in James 1:22…
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
How do we deceive ourselves? By thinking that just knowing the truth is enough.
We hear a great sermon, get inspired, but never actually change.
We trick ourselves into thinking we’re growing just because we’ve gained information.
And of course, false teachers play a big role too.
There’s a reason the Bible constantly warns against them.
They prey on people who don’t know Scripture well, leading them down the wrong path.
That’s why solid Bible teaching is so important—without it, people are left vulnerable.
But behind it all, Satan is the master deceiver. Look…
9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world…
Deception is one of his favorite weapons. And here’s the scary part—Paul tells us that as we get closer to the end times, deception is only going to get worse.
13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
That’s why Paul says, “Do not be deceived.” Why? Because God is not mocked.
Now, what does that mean? The Greek word here means “to sneer at” or “to turn up your nose at.”
It’s the idea of thumbing your nose at God, thinking you can ignore His laws and get away with it.
Some people take grace too far, thinking, “Well, I’m forgiven, so I can do whatever I want.”
But Paul is saying, “Yes, you can do whatever you want, but you’re going to face the consequences.”
God’s laws can’t be ignored without repercussions. It’s like jumping off a building—you can deny gravity all you want, but the law still applies.
ILLUSTRATION: Or think of King Belshazzar in Daniel 5. He took sacred vessels from the Lord’s temple and used them for a drunken party, openly mocking God.
In the middle of the party, a hand appeared and wrote on the wall: “Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin.” The interpretation?
“You have been weighed in the balances and found wanting.” That very night, he was killed.
God will not be mocked. People might sneer at Him, but the law of sowing and reaping always stands.
This principle runs through all of Scripture.
31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
7 “They sow the wind, And reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no bud; It shall never produce meal. If it should produce, Aliens would swallow it up.
8 Even as I have seen, Those who plow iniquity And sow trouble reap the same.
And this isn’t just about sin—it applies to everything. The seeds you plant in your life today will determine your future.
6 Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.
What you sow into your children’s lives matters. What you sow into your marriage, your friendships, your work—all of it will grow into something, whether good or bad.
The world recognizes this principle in a vague way—psychologists talk about how childhood habits shape adulthood, and even secular thinkers talk about karma.
But the Bible makes it clear that this is God’s law at work.
Now, some might ask, “But what about God’s grace? Doesn’t grace override this?”
In one sense, yes. The ultimate consequence of our sin—eternal separation from God—has been dealt with through Jesus Christ.
When we put our faith in Him, we don’t reap the eternal punishment we deserve.
Instead, we reap what He has sown. That’s the beauty of the Gospel.
But in our day-to-day lives, this principle still applies.
A believer who sins will face discipline.
6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”
If a Christian gets drunk, they can still get a DUI. If they lie, they can still lose a friendship.
If they make foolish choices, they will still deal with the fallout.
The law of sowing and reaping remains in effect—it just no longer determines our eternal fate.
Instead, God’s grace gives us the power to start planting new seeds, to sow righteousness and reap the blessings that come with it.
So here’s the bottom line: Don’t fool yourself into thinking you can ignore God’s laws without consequence.
Whether in your actions, your thoughts, or your habits, the seeds you plant today will determine what you harvest tomorrow.
What are you sowing?
2. Harvest Collected Vs. 8
2. Harvest Collected Vs. 8
Let’s break this down in simple terms. Paul is laying out a basic spiritual law in verse 8: what you plant, you will harvest.
If you invest in your sinful desires, you’ll end up with corruption.
But if you invest in the Spirit, you’ll reap eternal life.
There are only two places to sow—the flesh or the Spirit.
Sowing to the flesh means indulging in sinful cravings, feeding our selfish desires instead of following God’s way.
The flesh is like a magnet for sin, pulling us toward things that might feel good in the moment but ultimately lead to decay.
For the Galatians, their big mistake was trying to live the Christian life in their own strength—relying on religious rules instead of the Holy Spirit.
Paul makes it clear: living that way only leads to frustration, failure, and spiritual decay.
Now, let’s talk about what you actually reap when you sow to the flesh. Go to…
Galatians 5:19–21 “19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
These things don’t just appear out of nowhere; they grow from what we plant in our hearts and minds.
John Stott put it well: "Every time we allow our mind to harbor a grudge, nurse a grievance, entertain an impure fancy, or wallow in self-pity, we are sowing to the flesh. Every time we linger in bad company whose insidious influence we know we cannot resist, every time we lie in bed when we ought to be up and praying, every time we read pornographic literature, every time we take a risk that strains our self-control, we are sowing, sowing, sowing to the flesh."
John Stott Quote: "Some Christians sow to the flesh every day and wonder why they do not reap holiness. Holiness is a harvest; whether we reap it or not depends almost entirely on what and where we sow."
And then people wonder why they don’t see holiness in their lives! You can’t plant weeds and expect a harvest of fruit and flowers.
On the flip side, sowing to the Spirit means living a life that is controlled, led, and filled by the Holy Spirit.
It’s walking with Him, being conscious of His presence, praying, being in the Word, and letting Him shape our thoughts and actions.
Some people want a technical definition of "walking in the Spirit," but let’s be real—you know the difference between living for God and living for yourself.
The Spirit will convict and guide you.
The result of sowing to the Spirit? Life everlasting.
This isn’t just about life that never ends—it’s about a quality of life that starts now.
Eternal life isn’t just about duration; it’s about transformation.
When we live by the Spirit, we experience joy, peace, love, patience, kindness—the very things that make life meaningful.
But when sin takes over, we lose that joy. That’s why some of the most miserable people you’ll meet are actually Christians who have wandered away from God.
They still have eternal life, but they’ve lost the experience of its blessings.
So here’s the reality: What you plant, you will harvest.
Sow to the flesh, and you’ll reap destruction. Sow to the Spirit, and you’ll reap life. The choice is yours.
Let’s be real—sticking with something for the long haul can be exhausting.
You’ve been faithful, you’ve been sowing good things into your life and into the lives of others, but maybe you’re wondering, “When will I actually see the results?”
That’s exactly why Paul write verse 9…
3. Endurance Expected Vs. 9
3. Endurance Expected Vs. 9
It’s like John Brown, the old Puritan, once said—Christians are like kids who want to plant a seed in the morning and see a tree by nightfall.
We want instant results. But farming doesn’t work like that, and neither does spiritual growth.
The harvest will come, but it’s on God’s timetable, not ours.
The word Paul uses here for “weary” paints the picture of a farmer who starts slacking off because he’s just plain tired.
And let’s be honest—some of you have been serving, teaching, leading, discipling, giving, and you’re feeling worn down.
Maybe you’ve been pouring into people for years and don’t feel like you’ve seen much fruit.
Maybe you’ve been fighting the same battles over and over, wondering if it even makes a difference.
Paul knew this struggle, and so did Jesus. That’s why the Bible reminds us in
13 But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
The reality is, every Christian faces the temptation of spiritual fatigue.
It’s easy to think, “I’ve done enough,” or, “I’ll get back to it later.”
But doing good—real, tangible acts of love and service—shouldn’t just be an idea we admire; it has to be something we actually do.
And if you need an example of someone who never quit, just look at Paul.
This guy went through everything—beatings, shipwrecks, prison, rejection—but he refused to stop.
24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
The only thing that finally took Paul out of ministry was his execution. Otherwise, he would’ve kept going.
In 2 Corinthians 4, he reminds us:
8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—
He was so committed that even death didn’t scare him. He wrote in Philippians 1:21, “For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
Even when he knew his time was up, he didn’t look back with regret—he said, “I’ve finished my race. I’ve kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).
That’s the mindset we need. Jesus didn’t quit. Paul didn’t quit. And we’re called to that same perseverance.
So when will the harvest come? When God says it’s time.
In due season. And that’s not about salvation—Paul’s talking about reward.
He shifts the focus specifically to believers, saying “Let us not grow weary.”
This is about finishing strong, not losing heart, and making sure we don’t forfeit what we’ve worked so hard for.
2 John 8 even warns us:
8 Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.
That’s serious. You can spend years serving the Lord but then give up too soon and miss out on what He has in store.
So don’t quit. Keep sowing, keep serving, keep trusting.
Because the harvest will come. You don’t have to worry about when—that’s God’s job. Your job is to keep going.
4. Compassion Connected Vs. 10
4. Compassion Connected Vs. 10
Paul wraps up his thoughts here in verse 10 by taking everything he's just said and making it practical.
The “therefore” in this verse is there to remind us to look back at what he’s already taught.
That God’s laws are unshakable, we’re called to sow to the Spirit, and we shouldn’t give up doing good.
So, with that in mind, Paul says, "As we have opportunity, let’s do good to all…”
That phrase—"as we have opportunity"—is interesting.
In the original Greek, the word kairos means more than just a random chance to do good; it’s about intentionally creating opportunities to do good.
In other words, don’t just wait around for a perfect moment—make a perfect moment. Be proactive in showing kindness.
Now, when Paul says “do good,” he’s not talking about just any good deed.
The Greek includes a definite article, meaning it’s the good—the kind of good he’s been talking about throughout this letter.
Things like helping a brother or sister caught in sin (Gal. 6:1), showing the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), and living in a way that pleases God.
It’s not just vague kindness; it’s the kind of goodness that reflects God’s heart.
And notice who this goodness is directed toward— it says ‘all people’.
That means even those who don’t believe in Christ. Why?
Because how we treat others is often how they see Jesus in us.
People form their opinions about Christianity based on how we interact with them. That’s why Peter wrote…
15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—
Sometimes, the best way to silence criticism of the faith isn’t by arguing—it’s by living in a way that makes them rethink their assumptions.
Think about it this way: Instead of stressing over how well you can explain the gospel, start by living it out.
Be kind to your coworkers. Be a good neighbor. Show love to those around you. That’s the foundation of your witness. Paul says the same thing to Titus…
7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,
Why? Because when our actions match our words, people take notice.
Paul even tells Titus to remind believers to be careful to maintain good works because they’re profitable for others (Titus 3:8).
And here’s the truth: If you struggle to share your faith, just focus on doing good.
When you consistently go out of your way to love others, God will open doors for conversations about Jesus.
And if you’re all talk but don’t back it up with action, people won’t take your words seriously.
So Paul says, “Do good to everyone, especially to fellow believers.” Why emphasize that?
Because if we can’t love our own spiritual family, what kind of witness are we to the world?
ILLUSTRATION: About Emma & Jonah about serving our house first.
God calls us to take care of one another, to encourage, support, and build each other up.
At the end of the day, the principle is simple: What you sow, you’ll reap.
God won’t be mocked. If you live for yourself, you’ll reap the consequences.
If you sow to the Spirit, you’ll reap a life full of the things that truly matter.
God gives us a choice, just like He did with Israel in Deuteronomy 30:15-19.
19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
He laid it out clearly: life or death, blessing or curse. The call is the same for us today—choose life.
Choose to follow God. Choose to do good. Not just when it’s convenient, but as a way of life.
ENDING….
