Go! And Sow With Generous Hearts Series

Go! And Sow with Generous Hearts

Introduction: The Overflow of a Generous Heart

Let me begin with a question: when you think of harvest, what comes to mind? For some, it’s golden fields ready to be gathered. For others, it’s full baskets of fruit and vegetables. Harvest is a time of joy, of abundance, of thanksgiving.

But in Scripture, harvest is not just about crops—it is about souls. It is about lives transformed by the grace of God. And here’s the truth: God calls His people to live with generous hearts so that His harvest may be plentiful.

Our key passage today is 2 Corinthians 9:6–8 (NLT): “Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. ‘For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.’ And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”

This is not just about money—it’s about our whole lives. Generosity is a reflection of the heart of God. Harvest is the outworking of His grace. And both meet at the cross of Jesus Christ.

Point 1: Generosity Reflects the Heart of God

The apostle Paul begins with an agricultural metaphor—sowing and reaping. The Greek word for generously is eulogía, which carries the sense of blessing, abundance, overflow. When we sow with generous hearts, we are reflecting God’s nature.

John 3:16 (NLT) says: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

God gave. The very essence of His love is expressed in generosity. He gave His best—His Son—for us.

Max Lucado once said, “God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.” And what is Jesus like? He is generous, self-giving, sacrificial.

Imagine a glass placed under a fountain. The water keeps pouring until it overflows. That is what God’s grace does in our lives. He pours His love into us until it spills out onto others. Generosity is not forced—it’s the overflow of knowing God’s goodness.

In our time, talents, and treasures, we are called to mirror the generosity of our God. A generous church becomes a powerful witness in a selfish world.

Point 2: The Principle of Sowing and Reaping

Paul reminds us that a farmer who sows sparingly will reap sparingly. This principle appears throughout Scripture.

Galatians 6:7–9 (NLT) says: “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

The Greek word for harvest is therismos, meaning reaping, gathering in, completion. Paul is saying—what we sow in this life echoes into eternity.

Charles Stanley said, “Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.” When we sow in obedience, even when it costs, God brings a harvest greater than we can imagine.

In China, the bamboo tree takes five years to break through the ground. For five years, the farmer waters and waits, seeing nothing. Then suddenly, in one season, it shoots up nearly 80 feet. That is how God’s harvest often works. Years of sowing, praying, and serving may seem hidden—but at the right time, the harvest comes.

Keep sowing in your family, in your workplace, in your prayers for loved ones. Don’t give up—the harvest is coming.

Point 3: The Harvest Is Souls

Jesus redefined harvest for His disciples.

John 4:35 (NLT): “You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.”

The Greek word therismos here points not to crops, but to people. Jesus was speaking about the Samaritan woman and the town ready to receive Him. The true harvest is souls entering the kingdom of God.

R.T. Kendall said, “The greatest honour in the world is to be used by God to bring another soul to Christ.” Church, the harvest we seek is not measured in bushels but in baptisms, not in grain but in grace.

Every act of generosity, every seed of kindness, every gospel word sown is part of God’s harvest of souls.

The Gospel: The Generosity of the Cross