The Law of the Harvest
Gal. 6:7-9
Intro: The Power of One Decision
Quote: A lifetime of good decision can be destroyed by one poor decision.
Idea: We all know this to be true…
Idea: Law of Gravity – if you try to defy it, it will hurt you – the Law of the Harvest (Sowing & Reaping) is just as certain.
I Analysis Four Precepts of the Harvest
A The Principle
Verse: Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows this he will also reap.
Word: Deceived (planeo) stop being led astray – the Galatians were being led astray by the false teachings of Judaizers who were trying to convince the Galatians to revert to the Mosaic Law and to circumcision.
Word: Mocked (mukterizo) to turn one’s nose at God and treat with contempt.
Idea: Because one thinks that he knows better than God, he seeks to make God ridiculous by trying to outsmart and outwit God. He considers the wisdom and the Word of God as useless and derives a way that seems right to himself. Thus, he sneers at God with disregard and disrespect considering God idiotic and obsolete.
Point: When a person (believers included) buys into the false teachings of the world, no matter how religious they may appear to be, he arrogantly turns a deaf ear to God and lives by a standard that is self-gratifying.
Word: Sows (speira) to intentional plant a seed with knowledge of its fruit.
Idea: If a sow an apple seed I know that I will harvest an apple in due season. I cannot reap an orange if I plant an apple seed. It is not possible!
Word: Reap (therisei) to harvest.
Idea: The concept is that one will work the field and claim the harvest of what he has planted. One cannot, not reap a harvest. If a person plants, and every one of us plant, then they will also all reap a harvest.
B The Payment
Verse: For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Word: Flesh – the uncleansed humanness of every believer – literally the residence of the natural man who has but a single desire but to sin.
Idea: The person who sows to the flesh panders to its evil desire and inclinations rather than submitting to the leading of God’s Spirit through His Word.
Idea: See Galatians 5:19-21 for the inclinations of the flesh
Word: Corruption (phthora) that which is dead and decaying. It is a degenerative state going from better to worse leading to the wages of sin – death!
Idea: One bad apple can cause the whole basket to rot.
Idea: Roman Punishment – for there most hated enemies, the Romans would tie a dead man to their back and make them carry it around so that the person would become infected, would begin to decay, and would eventual die a slow agonizing death.
Word: Spirit – The Holy Spirit invested in you through salvation
Word: Eternal Life – this is a reference to quality and not quantity. Eternal life begins at salvation and includes both abundance and eternity.
Reality: There are but two fields in which we all plant. We either sow to the flesh or we sow to the Spirit. To sow to the flesh is to bring destruction upon ourselves, whereas to sow to the Spirit is to reap blessing and life.
C The Promise
Verse: And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.
Word: Doing Good (poieo - kalos) a person who consistently does good b/c his nature is good (he is by nature intrinsically good b/c he has been transformed by a person experience w/ God).
Word: Lose Heart (ekkakeo) – to grow faint, become a coward and give into evil thus, to turn to the flesh.
Idea: To turn to the flesh by going back to a “do-it-myself” mentality. When a person manufactures an action or result instead of waiting upon God.
Example: Abraham and Sarah moving ahead of God.
Trans: But what causes a person to lose heart and turn to the flesh?
Word: Due Time (kairo) in its own season. Indicating an appointed time for reaping the harvest.
Idea: It takes time for a seed to germinate, grow, bud, and produce a fruit ready for harvest. In God’s economy there is no immediate gratification, yet the flesh always wants to be gratified today.
Idea: People trying all ways to get rich – lottery, gambling, trickery, theft – but very few are content by obtaining through diligence.
Truth: The reason many Christians lose heart and turn to the flesh is because they become to the patterns of this world and begin to desire immediate gratification instead of waiting on God and being content with His blessings. Thus, they turn to the flesh and strap death to their own backs securing their own demise telling God by their actions that He is neither sufficient nor sovereign and that they can live this life fine without Him. They refuse God’s economy for the immediate desires of their own flesh.
Trans: But if we don’t lose heart and turn to the flesh then we get the promise…
Word: grow weary (ekluomenoi) to become exhausted and become physically and morally weak.
Idea: If I don’t give in; if I don’t lose heart; if I run the race set before me with endurance; if I keep the faith remaining steadfast and immoveable… then I will reap the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. I will win the prize for which God has called me heavenward.
D The Privilege
Verse: So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.
Word: opportunity (kairos) every time we have a distinct opportunity to do good. The idea is while we have the opportunity (in this life for such a time is this)
Word: Let us do (ergazomai) to be active and to work efficiently and effectively – to intentionally do the work of the Lord.
Word: Good (agathos) Paul is speaking of a particular good (preceded by an article). He is speaking of the moral and spiritual goodness that is the fruit of the Spirit. This is internal goodness produced by the Holy Spirit in the obedient believers life. It is unqualified and unrestricted given to all men but especially to fellow believers.
Idea: This is Christianity actively living the life of Christ. Caring for all men equally and benevolently so that everyone can experience the person and the nature of God. It is salvation for everyone.
Summary: Stop allowing yourselves to be led astray by false teachings and misleading doctrines espoused in God’s name but not of God, because God will not allow you to turn your nose up towards Him and treat Him with contempt just because you think with your new philosophy that you know better than God. This is a tried and true law, whatever you plant intentionally or unintentionally, you will harvest whether you want to or not.
There are but two fields in which we all plant. We either sow to the flesh or we sow to the Spirit. For the person who plants a seed in the soil of his natural, human, self-gratifying, sinful desires pandering to its evil inclinations rather than submitting to the leading of God’s Spirit through His Word, he will strap a degenerative disease to himself that will bring a rotting decay that will ultimately bring forth death upon himself. But to the one who invests his seed in the things of God led and tested by His Holy Spirit, he will reap an abundant harvest measured by both quality and quantity that begins at the inception of spiritual life and continue into eternity with God.
Since you have been rescued from sin and it’s penalty and have been given a new heart with heavenly and spiritual desires, don’t exchange God’s eternal economy for the immediate gratification of your human desires. If you do, then you will lose heart, become a coward, give into your evil desires, and turn back to the flesh strapping death to yourself. But if you do not become exhausted and if you refuse to give in physically and morally, then you will fight the good fight, finish the race and receive the upward call of God that is found in Christ Jesus. You will win the prize for which God has called you heavenward.
Thus, because of Christ in you and your commitment to press on toward the upward call of God, every time you have the distinct opportunity to actively live the life of Christ by sharing of the internal goodness produced by the Holy Spirit in your obedient response to God’s will and His Word, be prepared to be used of God in an unqualified and unrestricted way as He manifest himself in you and through you to accomplish His perfect will in the world, and especially in the church.
II Assessment The Seven Laws of the Harvest
1 We will all reap a harvest.
2 We will reap in accordance to the seed that has been sown.
3 We will reap in a different season than we sow.
4 We will reap in proportion to what we sow.
5 We will reap more than we sow.
6 We will reap the full harvest of the good if we persevere.
7 We can’t change last year’s harvest, but we can do something about this year’s harvest.
III Application Four Keys to Sowing & Reaping the Harvest
1 Pray Prepare the Soil
Idea: Ask God for direction, insight, and wisdom
2 Pursue Seek the Truth of God’s Word
3 Pore Over Consider Your Seed
Idea: You can choose to act or react.
Consider Jesus
Consider the Impact
Consider the Consequences
4 Protect Nurture the Process
Idea: Take responsibility as far as it depends on you.
5 Prepare Plan for the Harvest
Idea: Get ready
