Preparing for The Harvest!
Gal. 6:7-10 Msg.
7-8 Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest.
*The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds.
*All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds!
*But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.
9-10 So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good.
*At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit.
*Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.
When we think of harvest what do we imagine? Maybe for most of us here in this rural area - it is fields of corn and beans.
But what does a harvest look like for you?
I wonder what our world would be like if each of us would find somebody to be good to every day.
What would our city be like? What would our work place be like?
What would our schools be like if we made it a point to brighten somebody else’s day?
You know, We all have the opportunity to plant and harvest, its up to each of us to decide what its going to be.
TBS.(the bible says) "Every opportunity we have, we should do good to people" starting with the ones closest to us.
That means we need to be on the lookout. We need to be ready to respond.
We need to have the mindset of, what kind of seed can I plant today.
"Who can I bless today?" "who can I do a favor for?" You can’t just sit back and wait for the need to come to you. You should always be on the look out.
What about the church, do we have that same attitude with God‘s house, what does harvest mean and look like for us as the church?
This morning, lets look at 3 areas of understanding about the harvest you need know, to reap your harvest.
The first area of harvest you need to understand is….
1. You will always reap what you sow
The harvest is the result of what you sow.
When you sow beans, you reap beans. Sow corn, reap corn. Sow tomatoes, you reap tomatoes, Lord willing if the weather permits.
In our text, it says:
*The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds.
*All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds!
*But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.
In 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 Msg. Paul writes -
6-7. Remember: “A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. ( you get to decide what kind of crop you want to reap)
Everyone needs to make up your own mind what you will give.
God loves it when the giver delights in the giving. (God loves to bless us, and He also loves it when we bless others)
8-11. God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything,
more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it,
*He throws caution to the winds,
giving to the needy in reckless abandon.
*His right-living, right-giving ways
never run out, never wear out.
This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you.”
Extravagant; Webster defines it this way:
1. spending too much: characterized by excessive spending
2. beyond what is reasonable: exaggerated
3. flamboyant: profusely or exaggeratedly decorated, decorative, or showy
4. abundant: existing or produced in quantity
That’s how God is with you when bless others!
(“giving to the needy in reckless abandon)
That’s not what the hoard mentality of the world teaches!
*His right-living, right-giving ways never run out, never wear out.”
Try as you may, You can not out give God!! It will never happen.
“God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything,
more than just ready to do what needs to be done.”
Sow, What kind of harvest do you want?
The question gives new meaning to “you reap what you sow” when God’s involved in it, doesn’t it?
2. The Harvest is a Process
TBS.(the bible says) “Do not grow weary in well doing”
Don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up….
Your harvest will not happen over night. It will take time. Blessings come through understanding your harvest.
Mark 4:26-32 MSG.
26-29. Then Jesus said, "God’s kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a man who then goes to bed and forgets about it.
The seed sprouts and grows—he has no idea how it happens.
The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain. When the grain is fully formed, he reaps—harvest time!
30-32"How can we picture God’s kingdom? What kind of story can we use?
It’s like a pine nut. When it lands on the ground it is quite small as seeds go, yet once it is planted it grows into a huge pine tree with thick branches. Eagles nest in it.”
Harvest is not just an event, it is a process.
Its like that with our spiritual lives too!
spiritual growth happens through a process, not one single event.
*First we crawl (we come to church and get saved)
*then baby steps (we read the bible and start to learn about Jesus)
*then walking occurs (we realize how good the good news, really is)
*then running ( we tell others about what we have learned)
** it’s a growing process.
Your life is defined opportunities, choices, problems, and victories.
“All things work together, for them that love the Lord …..”
What we so often see as the event, is usually one of two things -
* the end of the process or
* the beginning of the process
It’s the in between that counts, “it’s the journey” (the growing period)
Understanding that your harvest is a result of what you plant, means you need to determine your seed.
Understanding that your harvest is a process, means you need to make preparation for it.
Notice in Mark 4 it says:
"God’s kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a man who then goes to bed and forgets about it.”
While the seed is going through a transformation process, so must we.
“The seed you sow is not the same grain you reap.”
A lot of people, don’t reap the full potential of their harvest because they don’t understand, that a harvest is a process.
The barn you store your seed, is smaller than the barn you are going to store the harvest.
Because your harvest is a process you must do all you can, to increase the capacity of your life to reap your harvest.
Spiritually, you need to prepare your mindset and the thoughts of your hearts, they determine the dimensions of your barn.
Start expanding your expectation!
Proverbs 4:20-23 NKJ.
20. My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
21. Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
22. For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.
23. Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues ( or the dimensions) of life.
The harvest is a process, when it comes time to reap you must be ready!
Isaiah 54:2 HCSB.
2. "Enlarge the site of your tent,
and let your tent curtains be stretched out; do not hold back;
lengthen your ropes,
and drive your pegs deep.
New Living Translation, says it better;
2.“Enlarge your house; build an addition; spread out your home!
3. For you will soon be bursting at the seams.
When it comes time to reap it is too late to do the building and extensions. You have to be ready to receive the harvest!
3. Harvest Time is a season - a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time or due season.
In the Greek, there are two words used to define time.
Chronos is the word from which we get the word chronological – normal, general time.
Kairos however means - a fixed and definite time, opportune or seasonable time, the right time, a limited period of time
Understanding your harvest is a season, means we know how to discern the ‘appropriate time’.
Jesus cried over Jerusalem as he entered because their lack of understanding of the season caused them to miss their ‘day of visitation’.
Luke 19:41 NKJ
41. Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it,
42. saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
Church, We need to be wise and ready and know the season of harvest.
Friends, I ask you, what are you planting? what will be your harvest?
Sometimes it’s easy for us to get so caught up in our own little world that we’re focused only on ourselves.
"I’ve got my plans. Don’t get me off my routine." "I’d love to help you out, but I’m sorry, I just don’t have the time."
Remember, we were created in the image of God, we weren’t created to live selfishly.
All around us are hurting people who need our love and encouragement.
Don’t miss the miracle of the
“now moment” God sends your way, don‘t miss the opportunity to sow into someone else’s life.
Listen to what they’re saying. We shouldn’t miss opportunities to do good, whenever situations come our way to bless people
And in doing so, ultimately we will receive ourselves the blessing
I heard a story about a young boy that lived in the inner city. He was about eight years old and was very poor.
One cold day, he was looking in the window of a local store admiring a pair of tennis shoes.
As he stood there, cold and barefooted, a lady came along and asked,
"Young man, what are you doing staring so intently in this window?"
Shyly he said, "Well, I was just sort of praying and asking God if He’d give me a new pair of tennis shoes."
Without hesitation, the lady took him into the store and very gently and lovingly washed off his cold dirty feet.
She put a brand new pair of socks on his feet. Then she told him to pick out three new pairs of tennis shoes.
The boy couldn’t believe it. He was so excited! He had never owned a new pair of shoes. He’d always just worn old hand–me–downs.
After she had paid for the purchase, the woman handed the shoes to the child
"Enjoy your shoes, son," she said.
The little boy looked at her in amazement. Nobody had ever taken that kind of interest in him.
As serious as could be, with tears running down his cheeks, he said,
"Lady can I ask you a question? Are you God’s wife?"
We should do everything as unto God!
Matt. 25:34-40 NKJ
34. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35. for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;
36. I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
37. “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?
38. When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?
39. Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’
40. And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
People are watching us, (the lady across the street, co-workers, friends and family)
and one of the best witnesses tools we will ever have is, simply by being good to people and helping them.
God will meet your own needs as you help to meet others’ needs. God will meet all your needs in abundance!
In due season we will reap a harvest, if we faint not!
Remember what the psalmist said;
*He throws caution to the winds,
giving to the needy in reckless abandon.
*His right-living, right-giving ways
never run out, never wear out.
This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you.
