Sowing and Reaping
Acts • Sermon • Submitted
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What do I want them to know? The principle of sowing and reaping
Why? It brings fruit (good or bad)
What do I want them to do? Sow good fruit and be patient
Why? Good fruit leads to life and it will come
What do I want them to feel? Encouraged
ME/WE
We are living in uncertain times.
We see this happening with the pandemic.
- The Pandemic has been like a teeter tooder where one day it seems to go away and the next minute it is back in full force.
We see this with our political and cultural landscape that is moving further and further away from much of nations founding principles where many of them are grounded in the BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES
TENSION
What are we to do during these times like these?
Wave the white flag in submission? We give up?
Or are we to bunker down until the storm passes?
NO,
What do we do?
We do three things, that are really the same thing,
1. We PUT OUR TRUST in the God the solid rock, all other ground is sinking sand....we are not going to put our faith in the uncertainity of man or the situation we are facing no matter how bleck it might look. …unchaningin, immovalbe, not worried,
2. We put our TRUST in the PROMISES of God. “What God says will happen, will happen” Rejoice in the promise of Romans 8:28
No matter how uncertain the season is or bad the season is God works all things for good.
Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
3. Trust, put our faith in the PRINCIPLES OF GOD (God’s laws)
We put our confidence in trust (not just confessionally but also one that is actional…putting faith in God principles does not happen by words alone) what God has us to do because His ways our best and are not inhibited by Pandemics or Politics.
Today what we are going to do is dive into one of the principles of God that is said 66 times in the Bible that will bring great encouragement to those who have put their faith in God, greater courage to those who are struggling, and hopefully great discouragment to those who are not following God (I say this so people would turn back to follow God)
Here’s the good news about God’s principles (there is no fine print that says it will only work if you ____ or be careful of these bad side effects. )
This principle of SOWING and REAPING
Paul lays out the churches of Galatia (Galatia was an area that constisted of several churches) who were facing political persecution and false preaching of the Gospel (preachings works righteousness)
Last principle, last thing
Read and see 5 things this passage shows us
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
What is this passage showing us? What is it saying
things
What we reap is connected to what we sow
We see this in the natural world.
If I sow a strawberry seed should I expect to reap a watermelon
- Or I sow a flower seed should i expect to reap a tree?
No, what God says if we sow to the flesh
What are some of the seeds of the flesh?
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,
idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,
envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
What should we expect from these seeds?
Sunshine, goodness, and life?
No what does scripture say?
YOU WILL REAP CORUPTION
The Greek word phthora φθορά destruction or abortion
When we sow seeds of the flesh we cannot expect GOODNESS, JOY and LIFE.....those seeds do not produce those crops.
GOD sends those of us who think we can pull a fast one one on God. God reminds us God is not mocked or deceived.
You can deceive your friends, family members, and foes but God cannot be deceived. (We can live a double life for some amount of time on this earth)
But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out.
Ananis and Sapphira did
But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,
and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?
While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”
God is not mocked a man reaps what He sows
Sow to the flesh reap destruction
But it is also the flip side.
Good News
If we sow seeds of Spirit, things of Godliness, goodness, follow the Spirit
what are we going to reap?
Corruption?
No
What we will reap?
2 Things
One internally that flows out externally, a change in us, brings goodness to others.
One is externally we see others changed by the Sprit seeds we sow to others.
What are the things that we reap?
First, lets talk about the Spirit seeds that are sown internally and what they do let’s talk about the things we reap internally when we SOW SEEDS of THE SPIRIT
What do we reap internally?
- Paul stated the fruit we will reap about 10 verses early. We will reap the fruit of the Spirit....that when follow the Spirit we reap the FRUIT of THE SPIRIT
And what is the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT?
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
When we sow seeds of the Spirit we reap the FRUIT of the Spirit…we become more and more like God.
That when you sow seeds of the Spirit the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT is the natural CROP you produce.
This is a great encouragement to us that want FRUITS of the SPIRIT in our life, to be more like God
It happens when we sow seeds of the Spirit
I saw this PRINCIPLE come to play exponentinally as teenager who had an anger, lust and self-control
I remember trying to get self-control over sexual addictions I had as a teenager and I tried and tried, and then someone said sow seeds of the Spirit to Get the Fruit of the Spirit. and do you know what happened self-control little by little.
This is what we get internally that overflows externally (other people are impacted by it too)
Sowing seeds of the Spirits reaps the FRUIT of the SPIRIT.
This is what happens internally
What happens when we sow seeds of the Spirit externally sow them to people?
What do we reap and they reap?
Eternal life
Spiritual seed leads to eternal life
Preach the Gospel we see people come to life in Christ or revived life in Christ
Here the
THIS IS OUR STORY SOMEONE SOWED THE SEED OF THE GOSPEL INTO OUR LIVES AND NOW WE HAVE LIFE....our mom, dad, pastor, friend, shared Jesus with us and now we have life.
And God says to those who are Believers , “I want us to catch this”
I want you SOW SEEDS of THE SPIRIT INTO OTHERS SO THAT THEY MANY HAVE LIFE, THIS IS GOD’S PLAN FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW CHRIST TO COME TO KNOW CHRIST.....WE ARE GOD’S A, B, C, Z TO REACH THE WORLD.
HERE’S THE DEAL WE DO NOT NEED TO PROLIFICT SEED THROWERS FOR THE SEED TO WORK, BECAUSE THE LIFE GIVING POWER IS IN THE SEED NOT THE THROWER.
AND GOD SAYS HE WILL GIVE YOU THE WORLDS TO SAY.....we might mumble and jumble the words but it is the power of the seed that brings new life. (this doesn’t mean we should try to be good seed throwers, it just shows us that power is in the seed not the thrower)
Matt 10:19
When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.
When we get to heaven we are going to be astonished how little it was about us and how much it was about him.
Charles Spurgeon story
Do you know Charles Spurgeon conversion story?
On Jan 6, 1856 Charles Spurgeon got up to go to church, felt comepelled to go to church on that day, on a day it was a snow storm and the storm was so bad he ended up going to the closest church called Primitive Methodist Chapel....he goes in there and there are only 10-15 people..
Snow storm was so bad the preacher could not make it so a lay person gets up and try to preach and cannot prounnouce the words correctly he was mumbling
The text was, “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth” [Isaiah 45:22]
Then the good man followed up his text in this way:—”Look unto Me; I am sweatin’ great drops of blood. Look unto Me; I am hangin’ on the cross. Look unto Me; I am dead and buried. Look unto Me; I rise again. Look unto Me; I ascend to Heaven. Look unto Me; I am sittin’ at the Father’s right hand. O poor sinner, look unto Me! Look unto Me!”
-“Young man, you look very miserable.” Charles was a new person/visitor. Charles said ironicallyi it was a good blow, struck right home. He continued, “and you always will be miserable—miserable in life, and miserable in death,—if you don’t obey God; but if you obey now, this moment, you will be saved.” Then, lifting up his hands, he shouted, , “Young man, look to Jesus Christ. Look! Look! Look! You have nothin’ to do but to look and live.” I saw at once the way of salvation. And Charles gave his life to Jesus
When you sow seeds to according to the Spirit you will reap eternal life.
What God wants to say to us in this room and online is what you reap is directly connected to what you sow?
What seeds are you sowing?
Spirit
Flesh
What seeds are you letting get sow into by friends, family, media?
Spirit
Flesh
2. What we sow is far smaller than what we reap
We see this in with a mustard seed that is 2mm big....Super small. but when it is grown is 8ft tall.
Those sowing seeds to the Spirit this will bring great encouragment to us....because we are reminded that what we are sowing, though small and seems insignificant will eventually turn into something far greater than we have sown.
What to give up
Enemy is trying to get us down
We can say “oh no” what I am going to reap is far greater than what I sow
This also I hope brings a great WARNING and DISCOURAGEMENT to those who are sowing seeds to the flesh who think it is no big deal.
Scripture wants us to know those small things you sow turn into big problems.
I like what Billy Grahman says too is that we cannot sow to the seeds to flesh MOnday- Saturday and pray for a crop failure on Sunday (sometimes God does this)
3. What we sow in one season we do not reap in the same season
If Chet was here he would know this better than I do growing up on the farm.
When you plant a corn seed you do not reap that corn for months…there is a delay in the sowing. (in about 80 days)
In the Spiritual the delay can be short, medium, long, or really long or really long (maybe not your life time)
1. This can do one of two things for us bring deception
This how the enemy works
Sow this seed of the flesh here, it’s no big deal, nothing is going to happen, just you watch, see if anything happens tomorrow....and what happens tomorrow? No big thing yet....and what happens is you keep sowing seed after seed of the flesh and before you have it their is a harvest of destruction
We cry out God help us!
Good News if you are here if you truly mean it and want it God can bring a CROP FAILURE TO YOUR CROPS....It might not happen right away so that you can learn from what bad seed does....
our story for those who are believers is God produced a CROP FAILURE to our great sin and now we have redemption.
YOU ARE NOT TO FAR GONE
2. Which for us can bring us discouragement
Why?
This is what gets us sometimes, right? Because we all love to wait.
We love when Amazon Prime shipping is supposed to be two days and now it is 5 days...
We love waiting in traffic
NO!
We are the culture of instant gratification.
Sowing seeds of godliness and GODLY WORK and we are not seeing the reaping what we are sowing
I have been faithful God!
I have been praying
4. God says keep waitng, Keep sowing, Keep believing, KEEP DOING THE LORDS WORK
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Don’t be discouraged!
Be encouraged
God’s principle is TRUE
Harvest is coming
This is the message God is giving to the church today!
The enemy does not want you to inherit what God has for you.
The enemy wants you to give up
The enemy wants you to tap out, wave the flag and GOD SAYS DO NOT GIVE UP!
You have no idea what God is going to do through your life
YOUR LABOR IS NOT IN VAIN
A COUPLE WEEKS AGO I WAS ABLE AND TO WITNESSthe principle of sowing and reaping and a harvest coming AT THE FUNURAL FOR ROBYN’S GRANDMA DOLORES SCHEDINER
She was a woman who sowed and reaped day after day after
What did she reap?
The FRUIT of THE SPIRIT
Define this woman who loved the Lord people said she was
KIND…didn’t hold grudges “didn’t gossip”
Joyful…love to celebrate
Lover of others
SHE HAD THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.
BUT DO YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE I WITNESSED BECAUSE OF THIS FAITHFUL WOMAN
I had the privledge to preach What I witnessed as I gave the funural sermon for the 93 year old woman is a room that seated I think 200 packed with people standing (this does not happen for a 93 year old woman, usually it is a handful of people because many of there close friends have sinced passed away)
Who has rarely left the house for the last 3 years
Not only was it packed the room was full of faithful followers of Jesus, that many people in the room did not have so so faith but a faith that is solid
And who was someone who sowed seeds into these people’s lives?
-As I preaching seeing this great fruitful harvest of what this one woman that we see a
- She reaped a harvest of sons and daughters, grandkids, and great grand kids, and friends walking with the Lord.
She did not give up. She kept going and kept going.
We are reaping what she sowed it has lasted for generations
US
And the Lord says to us in the season Keep sowing the Seed of the Spirit.
Keep doing what God has called you to do
A harvest is coming if we do not give up