Such is the case with the scientific LAW OF GRAVITY.
For the law of gravity says, “What goes up must come down.”
It does not matter who throws something up in the air, the law of gravity says the results will be the same every time for everyone. If this was not true, then the law of gravity would not be a law.
Then there are God’s laws of sowing and reaping.
• If a farmer sows' corn seeds, he will reap corn every time regardless of who sows it.
• If a farmer sows squash seeds, he will reap squash every time regardless of who sows it.
God’s spiritual laws of “Sowing and Reaping” work the same way for everyone.
THAT IS AN ABSOLUTE FACT!!!
The LAWS OF ALMIGHTY GOD IS THAT WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.
Today we want to consider another LAW OF ALMIGHTY GOD…THE LAW OF SOWING AND REAPING.
This law of SOWING AND REAPING that I want to preach about it seems some do not believe that it works by the way they live their life.
The reasons that some think the LAW OF SOWING AND REAPING does not work is because they fail to recognize…
II. WE REAP IN A DIFFERENT SEASON THAN WE SOW.
That is they sowed some sinful seeds ten years ago and it seems like they have gotten away with it. THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY REAPING FROM THEIR SOWING!!!
But they fail to realize a farmer can sow seeds today, but they do not reap those seeds until much later.
Illus: A wealthy man became very sickly and deeded all his property to his only son and his wife on the condition he would be allowed to live with them for the rest of his life.
However, after a few years, when the inheritance had been spent foolishly, the daughter-in-law got tired of having the elderly gentleman around and told her husband he would have to leave.
The son was reluctant, but finally agreed and broke the news to his father.
A short time later the son and the feeble old man were walking down a driveway that led to a state supported nursing home.
The old man saw a stump on the side of the driveway of the nursing home and he told his son he had to rest. As he sat there, he put his head in his hands and began to sob.
The son, already feeling bad about putting his father in a nursing home, put his hands on his father’s shoulders to comfort him.
Finally, his dad regained his composure and said, “I’m not crying so much because I’m going to this lonely home for the elderly. I’m weeping because of my own sins.
He continued to talk, he said, forty years ago I walked down this driveway with my father and brought him to the very same place. I am now REAPING the results of the evil deed I did to my father!”
The Words of ALMIGHTY GOD states His laws clearly teaches that…
1) WE REAP WHAT WE SOW
2) But we REAP IN A DIFFERENT SEASON THAN THE SEEDS WE SOW.
Every farmer can tell you that the harvest comes sometime later after the seeds have been sown.
That is, many folks have sown evil seeds years ago and since they have not reaped anything from those evil seeds in their estimation they have gotten away with it.
In fact, it happened so long ago they have forgotten about it, BUT God has not forgotten the evil seeds they sowed.
Illus: Perhaps you remembered when you were away from home and did something wrong and your dad said, “When I get you home, I am going to punish you for what you did!”
But sometime past before you arrived home, and you wished your dad had FORGOTTEN the promised he made!
God the FATER FORGIVES but God never FORGET!!!
God is omniscient. He knows everything, and He never forgets anything.
Illus: Have you ever forgotten something, and someone REMINDED you of something you did years ago, and it came back to your remembrance.
Every rotten sin that evil man has sowed in his/her life one day will remember…
• Every lied he/she has ever told
• Every excuse because he/she did not have time for God in his/her life.
• Every evil deed he/she did in his/her life.
For years they gave some excuse for their evil deeds to mankind and gotten away with mankind it seems!!!
But now as they stand before the OMNICIENT God of heaven who knows everything they ever did they can no longer get away with their evil with their flimsy excuses any longer.
God warned them in Galatians not to live their life in DECEPTION, but they chose to live such a life.
NOW REALITY HAS HIT THEM IN THE FACE, and they can no longer live a life of FOOLING THEMSELVES MOCKING THE AUTHORITY OF GOD THE FATHER THAT THEY MOCKED HIM DURING THEIR LIFE ON EARTH!!!
One of the laws of ALMIGHTY GOD is that God has so designed life in such a way that it is divided into seasons.
Look at Ecc. 3:1-8. We read, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”
We sow in one SEASON, and we reap in another SEASON.
This works in our lives in two ways.
A. It works in the POSITIVE.
Look at Galatians 6:9. We read, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, (if) we faint not.”
That is, if we continually sowing good seeds, we shall reap the good things of God later.
Illus: If we could so a good seed TODAY and REAP it shortly thereafter more people would sow good seeds.
BUT THAT IS NOT THE WAY THE LAW OF SOWING AND REAPING WORKS!!!
As we live the Christian life most of the GOOD WILL COME LATER!
Illus: It is like when I was growing up my mom would make me eat those terrible tasting nasty vegetables.
But to motivate me to eat those TERRIBLE NASTY TASTING VEGETABLES she would say, “I baked a chocolate cake so when you get through eating your vegetable save some room for the cake I made for you.”
After eating those TERRIBLE NASTY TASTING VEGETABLE my REAPING CAME LATER!!!
The Law of Sowing and Reaping works that way!!!
As a child of God, we reap TWO kinds of blessings.
(1) The COMMON BLESSINGS where the rain falls on the just and the unjust.
But also, as a child of God we reap…
(2) The SPECIAL BLESSINGS of God that fall on the child of God who sows good seeds every day.
HOW ARE WE TO SOW GOOD SEEDS?
Look at verse 10 of Gal. 6. We read, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto ALL MEN, ESPECIALLY UNTO THEM WHO ARE OF THE HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH.”
Notice the word “OPPORTUNITY”.
In the life of the BELIEVERS OPPORTUNITY comes and OPPORTUNITY goes.
When OPPORTUNITY comes and the child of God has the OPPORTUNITY to sow some good seeds God has promised they shall reap from those good seeds some of God’s SPECIAL BLESSINGS.
Paul shows us TWO ways we can sow good seeds.
Look again at the words in verse 10, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good...”
To two kinds of people…
1. “Unto all men.”
God says if I want good things to spring up in my life I have to sow GOOD SEEDS TO ALL MEN.
1) Not just to the RACE we belong
2) Not just to the FRATERNITY we belong
3) Not just to the FAMILY we belong
4) Not just to the LODGE we belong
BUT TO ALL MEN!!!
HOW CAN WE SOW GOOD SEEDS TO ALL “MEN” …
• Give a good smile rather than ignoring them.
Illus: Don’t treat people like they are no more than a DIRT PILE that you are walking by…GIVE THEM A BIG SMILE to let them know you recognize them as SOMEBODY!!!
• Help the elderly
• Open the doors for the weak
• Share money to those who are truly in need.
• Buy medicine for the sick
• Do repairs in the home of the poor.
• Help the poor at the cash register who are forced to put groceries back on the shelf due to a lack of money. If you can afford it pay the balance of their grocery bill.
• If you are able give a good tip to a hard-working waitress or waiter…give it!!!
We are to do good to ALL MEN every time we have an opportunity.
Illus: The Bible states that Jesus WENT ABOUT DOING GOOD! That is, He spent every day of His life seeking ways to help others.
One of the best ways to OVERCOME depression is to do GOOD TO ALL MEN.
Illus: A man came to his pastor and said, “I am about ready to take my life. I am so miserable I can’t stand life anymore!”
The pastor surprised the man by saying, “Listen, if you are going to take your life, before you do this horrible thing, I want you to do something good before you leave this life. The pastor had a list of people in need, he said, visit these people and talk to them about their needs before you take your life?”
The man reluctantly agreed that he would…
• Visit a widow who had been lonely for years and forgotten by family and friends.
• Then he visited a young man who was hooked on dope and wanted desperately to get off, but did not know
how.
• He went to see a young girl who had a baby out of wedlock and did not know how she was going to provide for that baby.
Several weeks went by and the pastor saw the man in the hallway at church and asked how things were going in his life.
The man said, “Pastor, to be honest with you, I haven’t had time to even think about the problems I talked to you about. I have been so busy trying to help those people you sent me to see, I haven’t had time to think about myself.”
One of the best ways to have good things sprout up in your life is to SOW GOOD SEEDS TO ALL MEN WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY ARISES.
LATER THOSE SEEDS WILL SPROUT GOOD THINGS IN YOUR LIFE.
“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto ALL MEN...”
Also, there is another group that we should be willing to sow good seeds among.
God’s Word says we are to sow good seeds…
2. “Especially unto them who are OF THE HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH.
That is, If you are going to be kind, be especially kind to a brother or sister.
• Did you know it seems some people only admire people who have died? They do not have anything nice to say about the living.
• Did you know that some people only like people who have less than they have?
Illus: These remind me of some Christians you can find in some churches who would not give a dollar to help a child in the church they attend every Sunday but are willing to spend money on children in a foreign country they have never seen.
Listen, it is commendable that they are willing to help children in a foreign country, but they should have the same love for those in the house of God where they worship with every Sunday.
In fact, they should have love ESPECIALLY FOR THESE!
“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto ALL MEN, ESPECIALLY UNTO THEM WHO ARE OF THE HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH.”
The word, “especially,” is translated from the Greek word, “malista,” which means, “particularly, chiefly, most of all”.
God said that if you want good things to sprout up in your life, the LAWS OF ALMIGHTY GOD require that you sow good seeds TO ALL MEN and ESPECIALLY THOSE OF THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD.
Illus: If you are financially able can you imagine sowing a financial seed to help some young man feel the call of God to preach his Word to Bible college to be property trained to preach God’s Word. After you are dead and gone that young man will be preaching the Word of God and you will be reaping the rewards in heaven.
This could revolutionize the life of some people if they would look for OPPORTUNITES TO BE NICE to EVERYONE but especially to a brother or sister in the Lord.
This LAW OF ALMIGHTY GOD WORKS IN THE POSITIVE.
Also...
B. It works in the NEGATIVE.
Job said, Job 4:8, “Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.”
As you know, we live in an age when people want, and mostly have, INSTANT EVERYTHING!
Illus: We can get in a car and in an hour drive farther than our ancestors could walk in a week.
We are used to seeing everything take place in a few minutes.
Illus: We can watch old Matt Dillon, on Gunsmoke, chase a crook across Kansas on horseback, catch him, take him back to Dodge City, lock him up in jail and see four commercials inserted in the program, all in one-half hour.
We expect real life to be like a television program. We want everything quick!!!
Illus: We have young people who want to have everything in the first year that their parents have worked their entire lives for.
But what so many folks do not seem to understand is that reaping the harvest of sin does not always come immediately. (In the Positive or the Negative)
The LAWS OF ALMIGHTY GOD HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED; YOU SOW NOW AND PAY LATER!
Illus: The “War Cry” carried a story about a tenant farmer who had worked hard for many years to improve the production of the land.
Then something happened that caused him to become very bitter. When it was time to renew his lease, the owner told him he was going to sell the farm to his son who was getting married.
The tenant made several generous offers to buy it himself, hoping the man’s decision would be reversed, but it was all in vain.
As the day drew near for the farmer to vacate his home, his weeks of angry brooding finally got the best of him.
He gathered seeds from some of the most pesky and noxious weeds he could find.
• Then he spent many hours scattering those seeds on the clean, fertile soil of the farm,
• Also, he spent time distributing trash and stones he had collected on the clean land he had cleared.
To his dismay, the very next morning the owner informed him that the plans for his son’s wedding had fallen through and therefore he would be happy to renew the lease.
The farmer exclaimed in agonizing tones, “Oh, Lord, what a fool I’ve been!”
The lesson is clear: Whatever we sow, we will eventually reap. (Bible Illustrator)
Conclusion:
Illus: John Smith was a loyal carpenter, working for a very successful building contractor who called him into his office one day and said, "John, I'm putting you in charge of the next house we build.
1) I want you to order all the materials
2) Oversee the whole job from the ground up."
John accepted the assignment with great enthusiasm and excitement. For ten days before ground was broken at the building site, John studied the blueprints. He checked every measurement, every specification.
Suddenly he had a very evil thought. "If I am really in charge," he said to himself…
2) "Why couldn't I cut a few corners, use less expensive materials,
3) “Put the extra money in my pocket?
4) Who would know the difference? Once the house is painted, it will look just great."
So, John set out to sow these evil seeds.
He ordered second-grade lumber, but his reports indicated that it was top-grade,
1) He ordered inexpensive concrete for the foundation,
2) Put in cheap wiring,
3) He cut every corner he could, yet he reported the purchase of much better materials.
When the home was completed and fully painted, he asked the contractor to come and see it.
"John," said the contractor, "What a magnificent job you have done! You have been such a good and faithful carpenter all these years that I have decided to show my gratitude by giving you this house you have built, as a gift!"
John almost fell to his knees realizing HE HAD SOWED BAD SEEDS AND NOW HE WAS REAPING.
If we take the OPPORTUNITY to plant the seeds God has given us one day we will REAP THE BENEFITS OF THOSE GOOD SEEDS.
In this world as children of God we reap…
• The Common Blessings
• The Special Blessings
But our real REWARDS are yet to come.
3:34
This World Is Not My Home [Live]
YouTube
GaitherVEVO
701.1K views
Dec 21, 2012
I. WE REAP ONLY WHAT HAS BEEN SOWN. (#1)
II. WE REAP IN A DIFFERENT SEASON THAN WE
SOW (#2)
