The Principle of sowing and reaping.

Opening Comments:

Please meet me in your copy of God’s Word in Galatians 6:6-10. As we make our way to the end of our walk through the book of Galatians. This is the next to the last sermon in the book. It is my prayer that you have grown through our study and perhaps found new found freedom in Christ that perhaps you didn’t truly grasp before our study.

Today we are going to touch on a subject that makes me really uncomfortable. So much so, that you will only hear me speak on it when it comes up in the text. The only subject that makes me more uncomfortable than talking about money is when it relates to taking care of the pastor. (That’s me if you didn’t know.) So, lets all be uncomfortable together this morning as we dive into the text before us.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Galatians 6:6–10 NKJV

6 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Introduction:

In the life of a healthy church there is an exchange that should take place between pastor and church members.

Pastors are to share the spiritual resources from the Word of God in order to nourish and equip the hearts, souls and minds of the believers he ministers to in order to help them live for Christ.

The congregation in return are to share their financial resources with the pastor in order that he is free of the stress and burden of having to financially provide for his family and they are free to devote their time and energy to feeding the flock that God has given them.

This is a mutual burden bearing between pastor and church. Both are to share with each other the good things that God has given to them.

When you share your financial resources with the local church the local church can then be more active in sharing the Word of God.

This is the relationship upon which the apostle Paul builds for us the principle of sowing and reaping.

Let’s examine the text together this morning.

1.) The principle of sowing and reaping. (v.7-8)

The Apostle is using a metaphor here that the Galatians would have understood very well. The law of sowing and reaping.

It is a law of nature that says if you plant a seed you will then reap the fruit of the seed that you planted. If you plant an apple seed, then you will reap apples and not peaches.

The principle applied to humans is that our actions have long term consequences. God has designed for life to be this way.

It is very easy to think that our actions do not matter all that much. As it relates to our giving, it is very easy to think that you are just one person and what you give or don’t give is of no real consequence.

But, vs.7 reminds us that the world in which God has created for us to live operates on the reality that we reap what we sow. To think that our action or inaction is of no consequence is to mock God according to the apostle.

The dynamic of sowing and reaping is an ever present reality. We can’t be deceived, our actions have long-term consequence.

Paul reinforces this truth in v.8 by telling us that if we sow to the desires of our flesh constantly then we will reap corruption. But if we walk in the Spirt we will reap eternal life.

(Paul is not saying here that salvation is earned by deeds, but he is returning to the point he made in ch5 that a true believers life is marked by what they do.)

Here is the point. Sowing to the Spirit is simply another way to describe walking by faith; it is a life lived by faith and a total reliance on the Holy Spirit. In the context here, the Spirit is our motivation and means of giving to the local church specifically to uphold the ministry of the teaching of God’s Word.

2.) Persevere in sowing. (v9)

Sowing (or walking in the Spirit) isn't always easy. Remember, Paul has described it as a war.

It is hard, because it involves the denying of self.

Galatians 5:17 NKJV

17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

Combine that with the fact we live in a sin cursed world that is full of temptation and it makes it that much harder to sow to the Spirit.

It is very weary to grow weary of trying to sow to the Spirit.

Weariness in well-doing is one of the glowing reasons for Christinas to fail to give to the Lord as they should.

v.9 is an encouragement for us to persevere in giving to the Lords work.

The key to not growing weary in this task is to keep our eyes focused on the Lord’s future harvest.

The day is coming for the Lord’s return where we will be rewarded for our labors and it will be a glorious day. We will discover that we will reap in proportion to what we have sown.

It may seem insignificant what is given down here. But one day we will see with our eyes all that the Lord has been able to do with what we have given.

3.) Prioritize sowing generously. (v.10)

We have learned two things so far regarding the principle of sowing and reaping.

*It is a reality

*We can be confident that one day we will reap if we persevere in sowing.

v.10 is a broad and general encouragement to the galatian believers to do good to others every chance they get.

This establishes an ethic for all of christianity. As believers in Christ, we ought to do good. (It’s a fruit of the Spirit.) Our lives ought to bless those we come in contact with every day.

This is a call for believers to live with open ended generosity to everyone yes, but they are prioritize the local church.

Notice the qualifier “Especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

The local church must top our priority list when it comes to generosity. The local church is our spiritual home and those we gather with each week our our “brothers and sisters” in Christ.

We can only prioritize the local church when it comes to our generosity when we realize that it is a one-of-a-kind institution created by God.

Colossians 1:18 NKJV

18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

What does it look like practically to priorituze the local church in our generosity? Does that mean that we forsake any and all other outlets for generosity and give only to the local church? No

It simply means, that as we give generously we must begin with the local church and then branch out from there to other ministries and worthy causes. We should never find ourselves in a position where there is nothing left to give to the local church because we’ve over extended ourselves in other areas.

The church ought to hold the prominent place when it comes to generosity.

Conclusion:

It is a bit surprising that the body of Paul’s letter to the Galatian believers regarding their freedom in Christ ends with an exhortation on giving.

That we are to:Provide for the church, persevere in doing so and to prioritize the church when it comes to our generosity. All because it is in our best interest to do so.

That being said, giving is ultimately between us and the Lord and no one else. Our giving is not about who the preacher or teacher is or the programs of the church. It’s about the Lord to whom we ultimately answer.

Generous giving flows from a life lived walking in the Spirit. Its not a mechanism to control God but the outflow of a life lived in the Spirit.