The Power of a Seed
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There are Universal, God Ordained Laws of Harvesting
There are Universal, God Ordained Laws of Harvesting
Extremely important principles -encourage to take notes
Scripture
Parable of the sower , ,
The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version.). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
Our heart is where the seed is sown
Other things can also be planted in our heart which
Cares
Riches
Pleasures
The devil can take the word out of our heart
How is this possible?
How does seed enter our heart to start with?
Every thought, word, and action is a seed
Don’t occupy yourself with eating and drinking, (sowing seeds of “cares” and “riches”)
If you sow to yourself seeds of the kingdom, you will not only reap the spiritual benefits of the kingdom, but also your natural needs will be met as well
There are laws to sowing and reaping in the natural world
Fruit is the result of seed
Every seed produces a plant that has seed to produce after its own kind
And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
We reap exactly what we have sown
When we sow an apple seed we expect an apple tree and fruit which will also be the same kind that we planted
Same with watermelon, beans or most any other fruit or vegetable
Including Corn
The seed needs nutrients
The seed needs moisture and light
There is multiplication -one seed results in 10’s or 100’s more
Time -there is always a period of waiting between planting and harvest
Often it is several weeks or months and sometimes it is several years
When a fruit tree or vegetable plant quits reproducing it dies or is destroyed
The laws of sowing and reaping in this natural world reflect how things work in the spiritual world
The laws of sowing and reaping in this natural world reflect how things work in the spiritual world
There are laws to sowing and reaping in the spiritual world
Every thought, word, and action is a seed
Be careful what you hear -it is a seed
And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.
Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.
Do we need to be paranoid that every bad thought will produce fruit?
No! If it is a passing thought and we don’t place any value on it, it will not take root
Paul talked about ...
The seed is the word of God
The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., ). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
and this is done through falling out of agreement with those thoughts and planting or nourishing the good seed that is in our heart
Luke records what Jesus said a little differently than Mark
Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.
How we hear is as important as what we hear
Thoughts that we entertain or believe take root and grow fruit
The good seed in Jesus parable is the word of God
Our heart is where the seed is sown
Other things can also be planted in our heart which
Cares
Riches
Pleasures
The devil can take the word out of our heart
How is this possible?
How does seed enter our heart to start with?
Don’t occupy yourself with eating and drinking, (sowing seeds of “cares” and “riches”)
If you sow to yourself seeds of the kingdom, you will not only reap the spiritual benefits of the kingdom, but also your natural needs will be met as well
What we sow in this life is going to determine what we will reap in eternity
We can sow to our self
Sow to yourselves in righteousness,
Reap in mercy;
Break up your fallow ground:
For it is time to seek the Lord,
Till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity;
Ye have eaten the fruit of lies:
Because thou didst trust in thy way,
In the multitude of thy mighty men.
Hosea 10:12-13
We sow to our
The spiritual law of multiplication
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.
Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.
Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.
For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.
Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.
But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
(As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.
Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)
When spiritual seed takes root grows and matures, it produces a harvest that we reap in this life and in the next
They aren’t by chance or based on the attack of the Devil or the mercy of God
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
You may be thinking, but do we still reap bad fruit if we are now a Christian?
We will reap what we have sown, just like verse 6 says -until God’s word (the good seed) takes root and chokes out the plant that is producing bad fruit
Remember: There is time between planting the seed and the harvest. The same is true in the spiritual world
God, in his mercy, may shorten the time between the planting and harvest
The
The wicked worketh a deceitful work: But to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.
Pro 11:
The liberal soul shall be made fat: And he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
The wicked worketh a deceitful work: But to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.
As righteousness tendeth to life: So he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.
They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the Lord: But such as are upright in their way are his delight.
Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: But the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.
As a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, So is a fair woman which is without discretion.
The desire of the righteous is only good: But the expectation of the wicked is wrath.
There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; And there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.
The liberal soul shall be made fat: And he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
25
He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; And that which he hath given will he pay him again.
These laws apply to fruit or vegetable seeds, relationships, finances, our soul and more
Gal. 6:7–9. So Prov. 11:18, 24, 25. See Prov. 19:17.
The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version.). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
Today will primarily be comparing how a plant seed relates to a seed planted in our heart
The natural sowing and reaping represents how things work in our heart
The natural sowing and reaping represents how things work in our heart
The parable of the sower is recorded , , which tells us that it is a very important teaching
In this parable Jesus is specifically speaking to the seed of the gospel
Today, I am also showing how a seed can also represents a truth, a lie, or something that is given
And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?
The sower soweth the word.
And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.
And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
7 Laws of Planting and Harvesting
7 Laws of Planting and Harvesting
1. A seed must be planted in order to reproduce
1. A seed must be planted in order to reproduce
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
A seed that is in a cool dry place may be good to eat, but it will never multiply
How a seed enters our heart
How a seed enters our heart
Through thoughts, words & actions
What are you listening to? Entertained by?
Through our 5 senses
Be careful what you hear -it is a seed
And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.
A seed can lie dormant for a long time
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
A seed can lie dormant for a long time
In 2005 a date palm tree was planted
The seed came from the ruins of Masada in southern Isreal and it was confirmed to be roughly 2000 years old
2. The environment affects the seed
2. The environment affects the seed
3 Things that cause good ground
a. Soil that is soft and ready to receive
i. Hard ground allows the seed to be “stolen”
ii. Our heart is the soil
b. Water with the Word of God
c. Light -allow the presence of the Light of the world to shine in your heart and warm it
i. Our relationship with Jesus -the light of the world
3 Things that harm good seed
Weeds
They must be pulled out or killed
Examples (from v19)
Cares
Riches
How may people make less than $2 a day? 3 billion people in the world -according to the World Bank
6 billion people make less than the average income of those in Mexico
-three times Jesus declares how hard it is for the rich
And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Pleasures (lusts of other things)
Pests
Thieves (the devil)
3. There is always time between the planting and the harvesting
3. There is always time between the planting and the harvesting
In the natural it varies from several months to several years until the time that the seed grows and produces its own seed or “fruit”
Are we sowing seed to get an eternal reward?
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
At times we may think that there will be no harvest
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
At times we may think that there will be no harvest
At times the wait may seem too long to wait
Other times
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
4. A seed always produces after its kind
4. A seed always produces after its kind
And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
What fruit are we seeing in our life and in our heart? It all is a result of seeds that have been planted
4. There is always more of a harvest then what was sown
Friends -are we being friendly?
Peace, Joy, Love -are we sowing to (or giving) to the Spirit -See again
For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
We are not only rewarded here on earth, we all will also receive an eternal reward
For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
Eternal rewards are really all that matter. Seeds that bear fruit in eternity
5. There is a harvest and its greater than the seed
5. There is a harvest and its greater than the seed
a. Ear of corn -1 kernel of corn = this one ear of corn has approx. 520 seeds
b. One milk thistle plant can produce over 6,300 seeds per year!
One stronghold in your life can create a “domino affect”(actually more like a smoke bomb) where everything else in your soul is affected!
b. One seed has unimaginable potential
c. Jesus in this parable talked about 30, 60 & 100 fold return
d. The harvest then gives you opportunity to plant even more seed
The wicked worketh a deceitful work: But to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.
The liberal soul shall be made fat: And he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; And that which he hath given will he pay him again.
e. There is a universal law that Jesus taught related to giving
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Luke 6:38
And Paul also expounded on this law in relation to giving of our money or resources (and quotes )
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
(As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.
Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)
2 cor 9:6-10
This is related to finances!
6. We have a choice & responsibility in what is planted and harvested
6. We have a choice & responsibility in what is planted and harvested
And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
What fruit are we seeing in our life and in our heart? It all is a result of seeds that have been planted
Friends -are we being friendly?
Peace, Joy, Love -are we sowing to (or giving) to the Spirit
6. We have a choice & responsibility in what is planted and harvested
6. We have a choice & responsibility in what is planted and harvested
The farmer or gardener determines what good seed is planted
What type of protection is in place
We are not the only ones who plant
Animals and birds can carry seeds around, our even just the wind
Our hearts can be affected by the environment and the people around is as well
When we are young or immature we don’t don’t know the difference between good and bad seed
Our parents, teachers & mature brothers and sisters in Christ can help us
Are you learning things the hard way? It is a sign that you think you are mature, but aren’t -a sign that you should have valued others discernment, you haven’t humbled yourself and listened
Be careful what you hear -it is a seed
And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.
And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.
Do we need to be paranoid that every bad thought will produce fruit?
Do we need to be paranoid that every bad thought will produce fruit?
No! If it is a passing thought and we don’t place any value on it, it will not take root
Paul talked about ...
And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.
Do we need to be paranoid that every bad thought will produce fruit?
Do we need to be paranoid that every bad thought will produce fruit?
Do we need to be paranoid that every bad thought will produce fruit?
No! If it is a passing thought and we don’t place any value on it, it will not take root
Paul talked about ...
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
and this is done through falling out of agreement with those thoughts and planting or nourishing the good seed that is in our heart
and this is done through falling out of agreement with those thoughts and planting or nourishing the good seed that is in our heart
Thoughts that we entertain or believe take root and grow fruit
Luke records what Jesus said a little differently than Mark
Luke records what Jesus said a little differently than Mark
KJV 1900
Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.
How we hear is as important as what we hear
How we hear is as important as what we hear
If we hear truth but don’t meditate on in -we are like the rocky soil -excited at first, but when testing comes we fall away
7. We need to plant in faith, not by feelings
7. We need to plant in faith, not by feelings
He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
Ecc 3:
a. A farmer knows when the right time is to plant and does it regardless of how he is feeling
b. We know this to be true when it comes to our finances
c. In the same way we must be intentional about planting good seed in our heart -regardless of how we may feel at the moment -Bible reading, worship, prayer, ministry, serving
d. If we want things to be perfect before planting, we will never reap the harvest we desire
e.
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
i. Well known pastor’s son died several years ago, around the time of Easter, on the second anniversary he didn’t feel like preaching a message, in spite of the tear and the pain he preached that weekend and over 2,600 people made a decision for Christ!
f. Jesus -he wept and suffered as he died to his own way and as a result he has made salvation available to every person!
Conclusion
Conclusion
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
John 12:24-26
The most important decision any of us can make is to realize our life is like a seed and that we must give it away in order to gain eternal life
Have you died to your own way? Is every area surrendered? Are you living for yourself? Are you willing to be obedient?
Do you believe that God’s eternal blessings are greater than anything he may ask you to give up?
and has he created new life within you?
What are your reaping?
He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
