(This sermon is prepared by Sister Josephine Glinofria, my student in Central Bible College, as part of her course requirement in Bible Exposition)
MAIN IDEA: God is not mocked, everyone cannot escape the consequences of whatever we do.
Introduction
God is not like man that does change from time to time when it comes to the law or principles. God is stern and fix in His principles. In the principles of sowing and reaping and living and doing, we cannot mock God. Man is always accountable in everything he does.
A farmer, for instance, before he plants seeds, he sees to it that the seeds are selected properly, so that these would germinate well, develop and bear good fruits, fruits that have the same kind of seeds as good as the good seeds selected before. If the farmer is not wise enough on how to choose the good seed and doesn’t know how to prepare these, for sure, these seeds might not germinate, and these will be decade. These ungrown seeds will just be fertilizer to the soil.
CONTENT:
We can understand more if we study the PRINCIPLES of God provided through our TEXT today.
The first principle of God is laid upon with-
I. THE LAW OF SOWING AND REAPING (vs.7- 8)
There are two kinds of fields of life that we can apply this principle.
The first field in which we can sow is FLESH.
A. Sowing in FLESH Will Reap Temporal Life (v.8a)
Sowing in flesh will reap temporal life (v.8a). Flesh in one form of organic matter. Any substance of this organic matter will be decayed. All flesh are bound for destruction, therefore; they are temporary and have limits of time of preservation. No matter how good is the preservation, there will come a point of time that this matter will be decayed.
People are investing so much in material things. All of their time, effort and attention are invested too much in acquiring wealth, not only acquiring, but amassing wealth. They are not satisfied with the present wealth they have, such as cash, real estate, jewelries and other properties. They still aspire for more. They are not contented for their richness. This is greediness. Sad to say, still, many Christians embedded themselves to greediness. They are afraid to loose their money, as if they have no God that provides everything to them.
Many rich people depend so much on their wealth, as if this is their God. They are really afraid to lessen their money even a little bit. Everything in their mind and in their lips is money, money and money, the whole daytime, the whole night and again in their morning wake, it’s still money in their minds.
I have a friend, a townmate, who is said to be the youngest business magnate in Quezon province. He has acquired a lot of properties at the age of 28. Everyday, there is a collection of 5 sacks of money just in the vicinity of Lucena City, not mentioning the business in other parts of the Philippines and other countries. I’ve known from other townmate that he is greedy. He takes advantage of the rights of his workers. He practices unfair labor to his company workers. He even abuses and maltreats many of his employees. As I look to this man, he really is seemingly very lucky, he has everything. To all people, many will think he is okay, but of course, he is not. This man has no peace. In spite of his richness, he is always upset, emotionally disturbed, and fearful that anytime somebody will attack him and even the safety of his family. He trusts nobody. In fact, every time they go to some places, he and his wife ride separately in a car. They don’t go together for the fear that somebody might holdup them.
Another factor that tends people to greed is power.
In the government, plenty of these are found. The public officials make abuses of their power and authority. They corrupt public funds. This is common knowledge and practice in our government. Corruption is rampant! They are no longer moved and embarrassed, no matter how they are exposed in televisions and newspapers. The leaders are very corrupt due to abusive in power. In fact, the Philippines is 7th in corruption in the whole world, and 3rd in Asia because man invests himself in greediness.
Another is fame or popularity.
Man is over-drunk when he is too famous. He feels he is flying high in spirit, as if high in the influence of drug. His feet do not touch or step on the ground. He forgets God, the God that makes him popular. He is now the one being idolized and being lifted on high. He enjoys the glitter of the limelights. He enjoys and receives the hallelujahs of man, instead of for God’s. He thinks his fame is endless, until such time he wakes up one morning nobody knows him! It’s a faded glory!
Another is greediness in food and drinks, gluttony in other words. Many people do compromise in exchange for the call of their stomach. The rich are hoarding foods. They see to it that their stock rooms are full, while many poor people do not have their lunch yet. How many Christians are doing fasting at least once a month? Few do it. That is why consequences of too much eating and drinking are diabetes, liver cirrhosis, kidney, lung cancer, ulcer and other deadly diseases, due to the toxins present in food intake.
Those people who indulge themselves into different vices such as too much drinking, chain smoking, gambling and addiction to prohibited drugs, slowly destroy their bodies. It is difficult for them to get away from these bondages, once hooked in these vices, they are slowly killing themselves.
Another sowing in flesh is selfishness.
While the rich are becoming richer and richer, they don’t even have the heart of at least to share. There are many street children who are hungry, thirsty, unschooled and unclothed. There are many orphans and destitutes who need help, and yet these rich people seem to be immune and careless for other. They have no compassion for the less fortunate, because they are selfish, thinking that they can live alone without needing other people’s fellowship. No one is an island, but only a part of the main. Nobody lives by our own, but we have responsibility and concern to others.
Living immorally destroys everything we have, our soul, body and spirit. Besides destroying our physical bodies, immorality ruins our prestige, honor and the whole well-being. Immorality splits into different form of wickedness, such as fornication, idolatry, adultery, effeminate, abuse, iniquity, etc. All of these are abominable in the sight of God. All of these destroy ourselves. In Job 4:8, it says, Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.
Laziness : if a person sow laziness, he will harvest nothing. God doesn’t want us to be idle. We should value works. Thes. 3:6-10, God doesn’t want to feed the idle. In Ephe. 4:28, it says we have to work in order to give to the needy. In Col. 3:23, whatsoever we do, we should do it for the Lord and not for man. So laziness has no room for work. If we plant laziness for the whole day, we will accomplish nothing.
Lies: In the old adage of our folks, it says, one who is making a rope of sand, harvest nothing. If we sow wind, we will reap whirlwind. Just like immorality, lies destroy our being a person. Lies dishonor us. Lies destroy the trust in us by other people. In Hosea 8:7, it says, For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.
In all of these wickedness and unrighteousness, shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. 1 Cor. 6:9a says, “ All people that sow in the works of flesh will harvest destruction!”
The next field in which we can sow is SPIRIT.
B. Sowing in SPIRIT Will Reap Everlasting Life (v.8a)
Sowing in Spirit has two stages that we will inherit.
1. Life Here on Earth.
Many Christians have that belief that eternal life is focused only to heaven, but it’s not. We can already start that eternal life here on earth. At the moment we accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Lord, God and Saviour, we automatically become children of God, and His Kingdom starts here on earth. Living in righteousness and holiness is heaven. Heaven is already in our heart. We were set apart by God from the darkness to his marvelous light. We were placed in his right hand, his righteousness. We bear good fruits, because Jesus lives in us. We experience peace, joy, love, prosperity and content. This is the commencement of our eternal life.
2. Life there in Heaven.
Our life there in heaven is the transition of our everlasting life. After our physical death on earth, we go to heaven, and that is the continuity of our eternal life. There is no pain and hardship anymore. We are all glorified bodies. Everything is heavenly, Praise God!
To have these 2 stages of everlasting life, we should plant things in spirit. Just as all the opposite of sowing things in flesh, people should plant good and godly things, virtues that will not be decayed. All the fruits of the Holy Spirit are the things that we should sow, so that we can reap good fruits, so that we can reap eternal life. One good seed or good fruit to sow is righteousness. If we do what is righteous, we will be sure of our path, and if our ways are correct, we have peace in our hearts. James 3:18 says, And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. Another fruits are goodness, kindness, and godliness. All of these things are pleasing to God’s sight as well to man’s heart.
Faithfulness is one main characteristic of God, because He is forever faithful, that’s why he wants us to be faithful, too. How many Christians practice faithfulness and honesty in their works, even at the absence of their employers? How many people in our days would honestly and unhesitantly return things lost if they found them? How many are really faithful in giving tithes and offering? Even in praising and worshiping God, are we faithful? In every answer and response we do, we are accountable for our faithfulness. In marriage vows, spouses should always stand for what they had in covenant with themselves and to God.
Love or Charity: this is the widest topic to discuss because love covers all things. It conquers all things. Love makes all things move. If you love, you can beget love. Jesus Christ gave his love for us, even if we are incapable to be loved, because he wants us to be saved. He sacrifices his life for us, because he loves us so much.
If a person sow his love, he will also reap love. The greatest love is sacrificial love where you don’t expect something in return. It means risking your life for others.
Prayers and Intercessions: From the word intercede, translates the Greek Term entygchano-has the sense of making specific request or petition before someone. Acts 25:24 Festus uses this word to King Agripa, “You see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petition me.”
Paul uses it of Elijah when he pleads with God against Israel. Romans 11:2.God looks for a clean vessel and a contrite heart to firmly stand on the gap between man and God. Christians should sow prayers and intercessions. Sowing tears in interceding moves the heart of God. The concern of our prayers should not be self-centered, but also for others. We should always pray for our country, the leaders, and the Body of Christ holistically.
Compassion and Concern: Having passions and concerns for souls are good things to sow. Millions of people in the world die everyday and yet they are unsaved. We Christians seem to be passive and lax about these things. Times pass by without even any burden for souls that perish everyday, even the very souls that we intermingle in the community we live in. Remember, that we were all saved because somebody prayed for us and shared with us their tasted salvation in their life. We should likewise do the same. We should network ourselves to the people propagating this love.
Giving and Support: In 2 Cor 9:6 “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”
I have many personal experiences and testimonies about giving. Giving tithes and offering and helping others especially the needy are always being preached to churches, even in school. It’s an ordinary thing already, almost a redundancy, but people do not care that there is power and miracle in giving, provided we do it by faith and dedication to God. Some shallow Christians do giving mystically and superstitiously. The motive is not right. Some give not by obedience to God, not by compassion, but by personal motive that in return, they can get something back for it. Yes, God is true to his promise, that if we give he will bless us, but remember God sees the motives of our heart. So we should give not in a mystical way, but wholeheartedly, with joy and compassion. We should give bountifully, with open heart, so that God is blessed. Blessing others is blessing God, and when God is blessed, He, too, will bless us!
In our church, we do practice the apostolic giving. Of course, we cannot equal the times of the apostle but the essence and the principle of it are applied. Many who do this zealously have miraculous testimonies about giving.
I was in big debt, two years ago. I couldn’t pay our house rental. It reached to P 56,000, more than a year rental plus other debts to the hospitalization and death of my husband. Simultaneously, I had two sons in college. In the ministry of giving, God challenged me to plant a seed faith money. This was sacrificial, because it was the only money left in me. I prayed to God to guide my heart and mind in my manner of giving. I trusted Him that He is a God of provisions. He is a God of multiplication. It was December 2002, before the year ended I have paid my debts. God honored my prayer. He saw my faith and trust to Him. He delivered me from this bondage of debt. God doesn’t like us to be in debt. He wants us to lift His name in our testimonies, that we have a God who is victorious, that we are his children who are overcomers. He wants us to prosper and experience his Kingship here on earth, during our life. So, if we sow in giving, we will reap!
Supporting and giving to missions are also the good seeds that we should plant. There are many kinds of missions. Missionaries needs support from us. If we are not the frontliners in missions we can contribute something for them. Much money are wasted in the secular while missions need support to accomplish the mission of God. Perhaps, we are not yet sent for missions, but we can be missionaries too, if we support the missionaries in a little way we can. We can raise funds for the missions and pray for them.
The other principle of God is laid upon through-
II. THE RULES FOR LIVING AND DOING (vs. 9-10)
Verses 9-10 says, “Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith."
A. TAKING ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITY
While still young: Many of us have invested our younger years for many things. We have given our youth perhaps on education, jobs, sharpness of mind, talents, profession, and nightlife, all from secular world. The call of the flesh might had been sustained during our younger days. Now that we still have chance to serve God, let us take this opportunity. Gone are the days that we had been easy go lucky this time let us be serious in doing good.
While still strong and healthy: Let us thank God for the healthy physique that we enjoy. Let us not wait for the time that our deteriorates, wherein we suffer from different from different sicknesses, and then, this is the time that we will be interested to do good to our fellow men. It is too late so while there is still a strong body to do something good, let us do it now for the glory of the Lord. The Lord is our strength!
B. TAKING ADVANTAGE OF TIME (John 9:4)
“I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, while no man can work.”
When Jesus Christ was on earth to do his assignment. He took advantage of time. He did not waste it. The same thing with us, Christians, while there is time left, let us take this opportunity. Time is gold, let us not waste it. Be sure that every hour, every minute and every second is not wasted. Let us devote our time to prayer, to do good things for our people. Let us not be weary and discourage to do good and noble things to our fellowmen. 2 Peter 3:10a "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night." While still there is enough time for us to do good let us now do it before it’s too late. Let us grab this remaining time.
C. TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SERVING. (V.10)
“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”
Notice the underlined word, all men. God is not respector of person, in his eyes, we are all equal, because God is fair and just. In serving good, we are admonished to serve all kinds of people, no favoritism.
A. Serving the family: Before we serve others, we start first at our very own in our home, our family. Before eradicating problems of people outside our home, let us serve first all the members of our family, especially our parents. Let us help our brothers and sisters. While their presence is still around, let us take advantage of showing our love and affection to them. Sad to say, many people show their love when their loved ones are already in the coffin. Flowers, candles expensive ornaments and class burial ceremonies, are useless. The dead will not feel and experience it. It’s all for hypocrisy. Everything is for aesthetic eye attraction. The good all days were supposed to be the very chance to show to them our love but most people did not do it. What’s the use? So while still they are around, let’s make the most of it give them the best service.
B. Serving the community: If there is still a chance to help and support the projects of our community, or our barangay, let us involve ourselves into it. Christians should be civic minded is one way of serving God. Beautification and Cleanliness Campaign, Drug Addiction Prevention, Medical and Dental Mission, Street Children Feeding and Home Bible Study for Children and Youth are some civic activities that could be possible for us Christians to serve our own community.
C. Serving the school: The youth has something to do with their school. If the school offer for certain projects that will inculcate their potentialities, grab that opportunity to be one the participants. Being active in school activities develops our personality and innate talents as well.
D. Serving the company: employees, especially the Christians should do their best while working in company. We should be honest of our works. Be efficient, honest and do your craft professionally, even at the absence of your superiors. God is the one looking on us, and if we are faithful, industrious and efficient, God our true Employer will reward us. He will give us the promotion due us. Let us not complaint, instead, let us be thankful, that in spite of the many company closures, we are lucky having jobs. We should not implant rebellion, but be submissive to our authority and superior. Leadership comes from God, and will shut and open the doors of opportunity and promotion for us.
E. Serving the country: Filipinos are born for the Philippines, and the Philippines born every Filipino. We don’t have the right to choose what country or race should we be. We should love our country, as there is still chance to serve our countrymen. Let us always pray and be involved to unite the divided citizenry as we foresee difficult days ahead. God’s eyes are focused on his church, not to the outsiders nor to the officials of our government. It is from us that we have our responsibility in building our nation. We should be responsible citizens living in godly faith passing on the legacy to our children and the future generation for the transformation of the Philippines. We as Filipinos, especially people of faith, should not be passive and lax, but be involved about the issues of rebuilding the nation through dependence of God and unity in righteousness in all levels of government, and the implementation of peace and justice in the land. How can we serve our country if we don’t have that fire of nationalism, integrity and values? Let us pray and aspire that these things will return to every Filipino to see the Philippines as the promise land of God. Let us stop pinpointing our fingers to the corrupt officials of the land, but we as the church of Christ, should do something for our country for the Glory of God.
F. Serving the church (v.10b) says whenever we have opportunity let us do good to everyone especially to those who belong to the family of believers. In other translation, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters.
In the eternal heaven, we, the sons and daughters of God will be also the same faces to meet there and worship God forever. While we are still on earth and still have the chance to serve each other, let us do it. Sad to say, we Christians are the ones rumbling and hurting each other. Who is being hurt? It’s God, because he is the head of his body. While there is a chance, let us help and support each other. Let us show com[passion and concern. If somebody is in dire need, let us extend our hands to them, initiatively. Let us always pray for our brethren, especially those who are still spiritually weak. Let us carry each others burden. How good it is to see people of God loving and embracing each other without hypocrisy. With the love of God let us unite his Body as One, by serving them, as serving our brethren is also serving God.
CONCLUSION:
We must always bear in mind, whatever we do, whether it is good or bad, there is something we can get from it, commensurate to what we do. If we plant good things, for sure, we will harvest good fruits abundantly. If we plant evil things, we will also harvest evil things. We will receive retribution for everything we do. That is the law of God. We cannot change it, because God is fix and true to what He is.
God bless!
