A New Beginning

A New Beginning

2nd Corinthians 9: 6-11

We are going to be a little different today. Instead of reading the scripture verses and then praying we are going to pray first and then read the scriptures when we get to them in our message today

Please join me in Prayer!!

As I was working on today’s message I had an ideal of what I wanted to talk about and as I searched for something to begin with I looked at many things to find something along the lines of what I felt GOD was placing on my heart. I searched for a passage of scripture, then I looked at some sermon ideals from other pastors, then I looked at complete sermons by other pastors and as I looked several things crossed my mind but none of it seemed right. Finally I paused and thought to myself that nothing was going right. I couldn’t even find a passage of scripture that reflected what I wanted to say. Actually I thought that there just wasn’t anything to go along with what I wanted to say and I wondered was I not listening to GOD, was I trying to impose my ideals instead of GOD’S, why couldn’t I find one verse or one short passage of scripture to say what I was feeling.

Then it hit me all at once, the whole Bible said what I was wanting to say. It says it in Genesis, It says it in Isaiah, It says it in Psalms, It says it in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, It says it in Acts, Romans, Hebrews, and Revelation. But nowhere does it say it any better than in 2nd Corinthians 9:6. “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”

This passage was already being printed on the back of the bulletins and at first I didn’t really think about it fitting the theme of a new beginning. However after allowing GOD to show it to me in a new light by reading the whole chapter in several different versions I saw it in a whole new context and I saw it especially in the New International Version in verses 6-11. If you will follow along as I read these verses perhaps they can make the same impression on you.

6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9As it is written:

"He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor;

his righteousness endures forever.” 10Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Do you see what I saw here? Paul was saying as you sow so shall you reap!

If you are sowing iniquity then you shall reap iniquity, if you sow eternal salvation through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ then you shall reap eternal salvation through our Lord and Savior just as he promised.

But, and this is a big but, if you are not right now sowing generously then right now you are slated not to reap generously. But, and here again this is a big but, you can change all that right now, right this minute, you can begin to sow generously in everything that you do and eventually you will reap generously in everything that you do. This is truly a new beginning, a chance to start all over.

Have you been giving generously of yourself in serving GOD? If not you can begin to do so right now. Have you witnessed generously as GOD would want you to do? Now right away several of you are going to say “But I can’t go out knocking on doors and telling people about Jesus and his salvation.” Why can’t you? I know all the answers , “I’m just not an outgoing person, I’m afraid to meet strangers, I freeze up and don’t know what to say, GOD hasn’t called me to that kind of ministry,” But, there’s that word again, there are more ways to witness to people then knocking on doors.

Let’s look at a few simple ones and how easy they are to do.

First how many of you eat lunch with others at work, when you do, do you bow your head and say grace before them even if you don’t know how they feel about this. Or do you just sit down and go to eating. Or how about offering Thanks in a crowded restaurants. This is a witness to others about what is important in your life.