Reaping Maximum Results
We’re going to continue our teaching from last week. The title of this message is called, “Reaping Maximum Results.”
I) Last time we said that many of us in the body of Christ have been praying about things, believing God for the answer, some have been fasting, and some have even been sowing seed to reap a harvest.
A) But many in the body of Christ are sowing much and reaping little.
1) This is actually contrary to God’s plan for your life.
a) God wants us to have His very best.
2) We all know the law of sowing and reaping.
a) (Luke 6:38) says, “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.”
(i) This is God’s plan for the body of Christ concerning their finances.
(ii) But there are some things that can actually stop the harvest from coming in.
3) Turn over to Mark 4:3-7.
a) In these verses, we can see that much was being sown and very little if anything at all was being harvested.
b) In the verses that we just read, we see at least three different reasons why somebody may not receive their harvest.
(i) One of the reasons was that the seed was sown on stony ground.
(ii) Another reason was that some of the seeds were sown on the wayside or along the path, and the birds came along and devoured that seed.
(a) Birds sometimes in the Word of God are referred to as demons.
(b) If you’re not guarding and protecting your seed through prayer and faith, it’s an open door for the enemy to come in and steal that seed.
(iii) And the 3rd reason that there was no harvest was that the thorns or the weeds sprung up and choked it.
4) Now when people start sowing into the kingdom of God and they are not reaping a harvest usually they began to blame God and His Word.
a) And they begin to wonder if the Word of God is really true.
b) Too often, we want to point to blame at everyone else.
(i) “This is the reason I’m not successful it’s their fault or something else is to blame.”
(ii) We have a hard time excepting the blame but before we can receive the blessings of God in our lives, we need to look at ourselves.
(iii) We can go to the Lord in prayer and say, “Lord where have I messed up? Show me so I can correct it.”
B) Look at Mark 4:8.
1) So, we can see from these verses that different people will receive a different harvest even on the same seed sown.
a) Some receive no harvest, some receive very little harvest, some receive thirtyfold, others 60 fold, and others a hundredfold.
b) We should all want to receive maximum results on the seed we sow.
C) Turn with me to Haggai 1:5-7. (Verse 6) from the NIV translation says, “You have planted much, but have harvested little.”
1) The parts I want to do see in this verse, 1st of all, is that they sow much and reap little.
2) He gives us a hint to the reason why a harvest was so small. In (verse 5 and verse 7) he says, “CONSIDER YOUR WAYS.”
a) The Amplified translation says, “Consider your ways, your previous and present conduct.”
b) If you’re sowing much and reaping little, you need to stop and CONSIDER YOUR WAYS.
II) If you haven’t seen the windows of heaven opened up and the blessings of God being poured out upon you, then you need to ask the question WHAT AM I DOING WRONG.
A) God honors his Word, so it’s not his fault. There’s nothing wrong with the Word of God. There’s nothing wrong with Jesus. There’s nothing wrong with the Holy Ghost.
1) We need to look at ourselves to see if we are the ones that are hindering the harvest.
a) Wrong behavior can hinder, delay, postponed and even negate your harvest.
(i) It’s bad enough, the devil wants to stop your harvest, but don’t help him.
B) Turn over to (Mark 11:23-24). Most of us know these two verses but in this chapter, we can also show you how wrong behavior can stop you from experiencing maximum results. READ.
1) It would be nice if we can stop reading right their, but we can’t. The next verse begins with an “AND”.
a) If you know anything about the English language, then you know the word “AND” connects the two thoughts together.
2) Let’s read Mark 11:25-26.
a) Sin and unforgiveness is a weed that can choke out your harvest.
3) Turn to Hebrews 12:14-15.
a) Bitterness against someone is unforgiveness and that root of bitterness WILL TROUBLE YOU or cause you problems.
b) Bitterness is a weed just like any sin, and we need to get the roots out, and we need to begin to walk in true holiness and unforgiveness.
c) Let me give you another scripture that you can jot down and read later which has to do with getting the weeds out and that is Ephesians 4:22-32 from the Amplified translation.
(i) If you want maximum results don’t yield to the flesh.
III) Now go back to the book Haggai 1:8-9.
A) When God told them TO BUILD THE HOUSE they knew that he was talking about the house of God but in turn they went and built their OWN HOUSES. He wanted them to rebuild the temple.
1) God was saying seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.
2) But instead they were seeking 1st their own kingdom.
a) And look at the result of it Haggai 1:10-11.
b) They were brought into poverty.
B) Now a lot of things that are mentioned here in this chapter have a lot to do with you as an individual, but also has a lot to do with this church as a whole and what the Lord has in store for this church.
1) Haggai 1:12-14.
a) Notice he spoke to the remnant of people. The word “REMNANT” means, “WHAT’S LEFT.”
b) And the Lord says in (verse 13), “I am with you.”
(i) The Lord is still here; he’s not going anywhere.
c) In, (verse 14) it says, “The Lord stirred up the spirit of the people.”
(i) As I was in prayer Saturday morning I felt the spirit of the Lord BEGINNING TO STIR UP THE REMNANT OF PEOPLE and there was an excitement in what the Lord was going to do in this church.
(a) I'm not saying we don’t have to pray. We need to pray and intercede like never before and if we do this church is going to breakthrough like never before.
d) At the end of (verse 14) it says the remnant of people came and built or rebuild the house of the Lord.
C) Now in chapter 2, the people began to be discouraged in their thinking.
1) They thought the house of the Lord did not look as good as it did in the days of Solomon.
a) Be careful you don’t become caught up in comparison. If you do you’ll begin to run here and there, always seeking what God is doing over there and never become established in the things of God.
2) Look at Haggai 2:3.
a) In other words, God was saying to the people, “THE WORK THAT I AM DOING DOES IT SEEM TO YOU LIKE NOTHING?”
D) All right, let’s go on reading Haggai 2:4-9. (Explain as we read).
1) Let’s go back in read VERSE 5.
a) Besides His covenant of “his spirit remaining with us”, what else has God covenanted with Word of life?
2) Isaiah 35
W. O. L. C. C. Sunday, February 28, 1999