What goes around, comes around. Every action has a reaction. What goes up must come down. These are all universal laws, laws that effect your life. “You reap what you sow” There are universal laws of sowing and reaping: They are seven in number, with each stemming from God’s eternal Word.
• Law 1 We reap much we did not sow
• Law 2 We reap the same in kind as we sow
• Law 3 We reap in a different season than when we sow
• Law 4 We reap more than we sow
• Law 5 We reap in proportion as we sow
• Law 6 We reap the full harvest of the good only if we persevere; the evil comes to harvest on its own
• Law 7 We cannot do anything about last year’s harvest, but we can about this year’s
We have several people here today that have set aside a piece of acreage that sits next to their house for a special purpose. It’s better known as "The Garden." In the summer it supports row after row of vegetation: Let’s take a poll of what is planted….Not everyone is involved in the gardening process but the harvest always comes. A lot goes into the work before the vegetables are on your dinner table:
1. Cultivating the soil
2. Spreading of the fertilizer, better known as manure
3. Tilling the soil. going in a straight line!
4. Planting the seed.
5. Watering the soil
6. Culling the crops for proper growth. pick out from others; remove rejected members or parts
7. Hoeing around the plants
8. 5-7 continue
The job of the garden never stops. There was always something to do. When harvest time comes around the work grows greater. A seasoned farmer will say, "It’s time to get it up, work it up and store it up." Then comes the day of enjoying the produce from the land on your table. Fresh cut tomatoes, fried okra, fresh corn on the cob. Are you getting hungry?
Those of you who have helped with the process now have a greater appreciation for the perseverance of my father to produce a good crop from "The Garden".
That brings us to the sixth law of the harvest is . . . "We reap the full harvest of the good only if we persevere; the evil comes to harvest on its own" Today we look into the realm of perseverance, that "keep on keeping on" aspect in life.
A. Persevering In Working
Albert Bean has said, "To know and not do is not yet to know." Probably all of us this morning could readily say concerning the hard persevering work prior to the harvest, "I know that!"
Those who have gardens know that you cannot plant and forget. Very little will come from such gardening techniques. A garden requires a lot of labor if you are going to reap an abundant harvest.
Someone has said: "The problem of the average believer today is not a lack of knowledge, but the application of truths he already knows." The knowledge God speaks of is not simply to "know how" of which we say, "Oh, I know that." But true knowledge is the "applying" of what we know and doing it in all aspects of our lives. Thus we can say, "I do that because I know."
See James 2:14-26 and 2 Peter 1:2-11 and Proverbs 1:22,29
So the question is have we become the fool who hates knowledge and who casually rejects the knowledge of God? Without true knowledge leading us to do, how can we persevere in hard times? To know God is to love God, and to love God is to obey God and to obey God is to do and keep doing what God has said.
Galatians 6:9 “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
B. Persevering In Weeds
A Gardner has to plant seeds for the harvest, but he doesn’t have to plant weeds. They come about on their own. " ... the evil comes to harvest on its own"
Weeds are defined as “a plant considered undesirable, worthless unattractive, or troublesome, useless and detrimental especially one growing where it is not wanted.” In the parable of the sower, Jesus speaks of thorns as being those detrimental weeds to the crops. Mark 4:7 "And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.
The disciples come to Jesus not fully understanding the seed and soil analogy. Jesus identifies the thorns as the cares of the world. The weeds in our lives that are detrimental to the harvest. Read Mark 4:1-20
One of the most difficult parts of gardening is having to keep up with the weeds. Why? It is a never ending job. No sooner than you finish weeding a row of crops the weeds spring up at the beginning of the row! In the midst of weeds we must..
1. Persevere in the weeding. We must eradicate from our lives the things that hinders the harvest. What sin(s) is choking out what great thing God wants to produce in your life? Read Hebrews 12:1-13
Someone has said, "Somehow we have the feeling that if we do things right, there should be no problems." In other words, we think if we have properly done all the cultivation, planting, and watering there should be no weeds. Ah, but the weeds come on their own. So why persevere? God is seeking to work good into our lives, even in the midst of the weeds.
2. Persevere in the goal. Philippians 3:14 “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
-Before Moses was ready to lead the Children of Israel, he needed the education of being raised in Egypt and leading sheep for his father-n-law.
-Before David was ready to be king over Israel he needed to trust and wait on God’s timing. While on the run from Saul, David learned to know the people he would be king over.
Wellington Boone a Promise Keepers speaker has put it like this, "God doesn’t call the qualified. God qualifies the called." It is the qualifying of God in our lives that keep us going on toward the goal. King David faced many difficult situations. In one particular time the people became upset with David to the point they wanted to stone him: 1 Samuel 30:6 “Then David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.” Notice: He didn’t run or hide and cry the blues.
Now if you are not an experienced farmer and you help in the garden you will probably find yourself crying the blues: This is too hard, when are we going to be done, why are the weeds coming back????? But you’ll never hear the farmer complain. See 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 Don’t give up and let the weeds have the garden. Persevere and let the weeds cause you to enjoy the harvest that much more!
C. Persevering In Waiting
Have you discovered that there are times we can do nothing but wait? It’s the third law of the harvest, "We reap in a different season than we sow." Yes we are encouraged to work and to weed. But we must also learn to wait: James 5:7-8 “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”
Our inability to wait we could easily pass the buck off onto our "fast & instant" society. However it comes down to the fact we lack maturity in a true knowledge of God, thus we become impatient with Him. Listen to the voice of Isaiah.
Isaiah 40:29-31 “He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, 31 But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
It speaks of times of stress and crisis. But God has before hand prepared us by giving us strength and equipped us for these times. God wants to be involved in the ordinary activities of our lives. We need to realize everything is related to God and therefore He is involved in everything.
Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission once said, "I used to ask God if He would come and help me; then I asked God if I might come and help Him; then I ended by asking God to do His work through me."
D. Persevering In Hope
Perseverance is not just adjusting to the things that are around us or come upon us. Perseverance looks beyond the now to see and know the harvest is coming! A key to perseverance is "hope."
I want to talk seriously about hope as we close the lessons but I came across a very funny “hope” story: While hunting, Larry and Elmer got lost in the woods. Trying to reassure his friend, Larry said, "Don’t worry. All we have to do is shoot into the air 3 times, stay where we are, and someone will find us." They shot in the air 3 times, but no one came. After a while, they tried again. Still no response. When they decided to try once more, Elmer said, "I hope it works this time. We’re down to our last 3 arrows."
Larry and Elmer were putting their hope in the advice of others, even though they didn’t understand that that advice didn’t apply to shooting arrows. People in difficult circumstances often rely on advice of • friends • neighbors • and experts. Just like Larry & Elmer, they will listen to others, placing their hope in the wisdom and experience of those they trust. But our hope should be in the Lord. That’s what we just read in Isaiah: Isaiah 40:31 “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.”
Hope is vital - in fact it’s critical - for our every day survival in life. David understood that. Notice what he wrote in Psalm 119 reinforces this truth, especially as it relates to the word of God:
(vs. 43) "Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws."
(vs. 74) "May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word."
(vs. 81) "My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word."
114 "You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word."
147 "I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word."
And that’s why Paul wrote, in Romans 15:4: "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have HOPE."
Notice four things:
1. Everything written in the past: SCRIPTURES
2. Through endurance: PERSEVERANCE
3. Encouragement of the Scriptures: KNOWLEDGE
4. We might have: HOPE
One of the greatest hopes we have if life eternal made possible by Jesus Christ. ILLUS: In the town of Port Hope, Canada there is a monument erected, not for the leading citizen who just died, but for a poor, unselfish working man who gave most of his life and energy to help those who could not repay him. Joseph Scriven was born in Dublin 1820. In his youth, he had the prospect of a great citizen with high ideals and great aspirations. He was engaged to a beautiful young woman who had promised to share his dream, but on the eve of their wedding her body was pulled from a pond into which she had accidentally fallen and drowned. Young Scriven never overcame the shock. He began to wander to try to forget his sorrow. His wanderings took him to Canada where he spent the last forty-one of his sixty-years. He became a very devout Christian. His beliefs led him to do serve poor widows and sick people, often for no wages. It was not known that Mr. Scriven had any poetic gifts until a short time before his death. A friend, who was sitting with him in an illness, discovered a poem he had written to his mother in a time of sorrow; not intending that anyone else should see it. His poem was later set to music and has become a much loved Gospel song. It is said to be the first song that many missionaries teach their converts. In polls taken to determine the popularity of hymns and Gospel songs, his poem set to music is always near the top. What was his poem?
What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear.
What a privilege to carry, Everything to God in prayer.
Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh what needless pain we bear;
All because we do not carry, Everything to God in prayer.
”May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13
(From a series by Bob Aubuchon modified for my audience)
