Sermon Tone Analysis
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\\ Think about seeds.
A single seed can grow a plant that produces hundreds or even thousands of seeds.
A single bag of seeds can sow a whole field and produce hundreds of bags of new seed.
We reap more than we sow.
This is true in the positive sense, but it is also true in the negative.
!
Introduction
| It is as certain as the sun coming up.
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| It is as reliable as the orbit of the moon.
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| It affects the wealthiest playboy on earth as surely as it impacts the poorest peasant.
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| Wise men approach it with caution.
Foolish men plunge on, and are ruined.
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| It is not theory.
It is law.
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| It is an ultimate justice - a court that never experiences a mistrial.
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| Nobody outwits it.
Nobody escapes it.
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| The careless fall headlong over it.
Mockers are broken by it.
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| It is as solid a principle as the reputation of God.
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\\ I refer to the Biblical law of sowing and reaping and this morning I would like to review it together with you in Galatians 6:7-10.
Please join me there in your Bibles.
*(Read Galatians 6:7-10)*
This Biblical passage has become a familiar proverb in our day, even among those who do not know God.
"You reap what you sow," is often heard.
"What goes around comes around."
"Garbage in, garbage out."
Yet I don't think most folks really understand what this means for them.
Let's look at this passage more closely this morning and see what we can learn.
I have several points to make about the Law of Sowing and Reaping.
The first one is the obvious, bedrock meaning from this passage.
The other points come from more careful consideration of this whole metaphor of sowing and reaping.
!
*1.
We Reap /What/ We Sow.*
It's a straight cause-and-effect principle.
If we sow to the flesh (that is, do the things that appeal only to our fleshly natures) we will reap corruption, a word whose Greek equivalent comes from a root meaning, "to shrivel, to wither, to spoil, to rot."
The idea is that while sowing to the flesh might look great at first, the things we gain by it will eventually rot or spoil on us.
On the other hand, if we sow to the Spirit (that is, do things that build up our spiritual lives) we will reap something that doesn't shrivel, wither, spoil, or rot.
The implications are eternal.
The positive teaching here is encouragement not to give up on doing good in our lives for the Lord.
The negative teaching is a warning that spells out the results of doing evil.
A Christian man was presented with a proposal from his non-Christian father-in-law who was willing to put up money so the younger man could go into business for himself.
It sounded like a great opportunity, so with little hesitation he plunged right in.
It wasn't long before the money coming in was substantially more than this man had ever made in the past, not to mention the heady experience of such quick "success".
He /was/ spending a lot less time at home with his wife and kids, and frequently missed church (though his family continued to attend) but he assured all concerned that he had everything under control.
His absence from these important things was only temporary.
Once he had the business on its feet, things would get better.
Soon though, he was working seven days a week.
He had purchased several new vehicles to replace the old ones he had been using, and had made the down payment on an office space in a good location.
He also hired a contractor to remodel portion of his home.
It seemed that things were going better than they ever had, at least from a financial standpoint.
His frequent absences from the church meetings though, had now become constant.
Several Christians who loved this man cautioned him of his neglect of his family and his spiritual life.
"I'm doing fine" was always his answer.
"As soon as I can get beyond this current raft of obligations, I'll return to the church."
It didn't work out that way.
In fact, in order to save money, he had his wife go to work in the business with him as a secretary and bookkeeper.
They hired someone to watch the kids during the long hours they were away from home.
Now no one was attending church and no one related was tending the home front.
The church leaders requested a meeting with the man and his wife but were politely told that there just wasn't enough time right now.
So, months went buy.
Several Christians were so bold as to go visit this man at his office since that was the only place to catch him.
"We're fine" was the response.
"No need to worry about us.
We'll get back to church someday."
Soon though, there was no contact at all between this family and their Christian friends.
The months turned into years.
No one heard from them.
Naturally, people moved on with their lives.
Then late one evening the wife called the minister of the church and told him that her husband was in jail.
Could someone from the church please go down to the police station and help him?
When the minister arrived he was surprised to find that the wife wasn't there.
Apparently she had called from another location.
There I the County Jail, through the two-way glass, the story came out.
The man had started drinking when he found out that his wife was having an affair.
After an angry confrontation he had stormed out, climbed into his vehicle, and sped off into the night.
At some point he ran down and killed a pedestrian along the road.
Sitting there in the visitation room, the man poured out the rest of the story.
The affair had been going on for over a year.
He lost his head when he found out.
Now he was charged with manslaughter.
Could the minister help him, he asked?
Could God help him?
He remembered something he had heard in a sermon one time about God's word having answers and the truth setting one free.
Surely he needed some of that now!
Could God get him out of this jam and give him his wife and family back?
Folks, there is a terrible truth looming here with awful implications.
But it needs to be said.
Do you know what it is?
/"Whatever a man sows, this he will also reap."/
What had this man sown?
Neglect of his wife and family.
Neglect of his spiritual life.
Love of money that was out of balance with his love for God.
He had gone from "seek first God's kingdom" to "don't seek His kingdom at all."
What was he reaping?
He got an extended jail sentence.
His wife divorced him to go with her lover.
His teenage children rebelled.
He filed bankruptcy and lost his business.
Eventually, because he couldn’t make the payments, he lost his half of the house they had lived in.
Folks, the Bible /does/ have answers to all of our problems.
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