August 21, 2016
Morning Worship
Text: Genesis 8:22
Subject: Sowing and Reaping
Title: Setting Your Heart on the Things of God; The Seed Principle Part 2
We began last week on a new series on the biblical principle of sowing and reaping – the seed principle. It is a principle that God established from the very beginning and will continue till there is a new heaven and a new earth.
We saw last week that in the natural a farmer plants a seed and it is watered and cultivated and it comes up and produces a harvest. One kernel of corn, when planted, produces a stalk that will typically have two and sometimes three ears on it. And on each ear there will be from 400 to 600 kernels. That could be an increase of up to 1800%. Now when a farmer plants that corn by faith he expects that it is going to come up and produce a crop. By faith he watches it grow and by faith he sees the increase. In the process he does what he needs to do in order to see to it that the crop matures. He keeps the weeds out that will choke the plants. He keeps the insects away that will devour the plants…
Now if this applies to the natural realm, doesn’t the same thing apply to the spiritual realm? Jesus said that it does apply. In Mark chapter 4 in explaining the parable of the sower to His disciples he said this,
13 "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?
The principle of sowing and reaping is the foundation of faith. Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Oh can you see this? By faith you seek Him and He rewards you!
And this principle will continue until the old world has passed away and the new comes.
Genesis 8:22 (NKJV)
22 "While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease."
I believe this is God’s word…
I believe it is for me…
I accept it as mine…
I will appropriate it to my life today…
Can you see that the patterns or cycles that God has established on the earth will continue until the time when He creates all things new?
Genesis 8:22 (ETRV)
22 As long as the earth continues, there will always be a time for planting and a time for harvest. There will always be cold and hot, summer and winter, day and night on earth."
Genesis 8:22 (GW)
22 As long as the earth exists, planting and harvesting, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never stop.”
This seed principle is the very foundation of the creation. Everything produces from a seed it own kind. Every tree, every plant, every animal… even you and me… are here because there was a seed planted.
And spiritually the same truth is seen. Jesus was called the seed and it was written that if that seed does not die it remains alone, but if it dies it will produce a great harvest. And Jesus did die and was placed into the ground and went down into the depths of the earth but He was raised alive. He was God’s best seed planted with the sole purpose of producing a great harvest of more sons and daughters. Is that spiritual or not? And did it happen or not? Right now, as we speak there are millions upon millions of believers in the world worshiping the Lord and millions in heaven and when we all get together someday you will never have seen the like. All of those that one Seed being planted in the ground now harvested and gathered together by the Lord! So now, if that is true for our salvation must it not also be true for our healing and provision and deliverance?
The unsaved man, one who has not been regenerated by the Spirit of God, plants a different kind of seed than those who are born again. Their seed is born of the sinful nature – those who are saved from the spirit man! And yet, it seems the sinful man will pursue the harvest of what has been sown until he gets it. People lust for others, for wealth, greed, power… and it seems they will not stop at anything until they get.
Now again, we have to stop and ask ourselves the question, “Are we, the church supposed to be able to harvest with the same success as the world”?
Galatians 6:7-9 (NKJV)
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
Stop there… for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
The seed principle in effect right? Right here it says that if you don’t believe that two things are happening… #1 – You are deceived… #2 You are mocking the God who set the principle into motion.
8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
I am going to make up my mind that I will receive not only eternal life but every promise that is associated with our redemption. Since sin and death and sickness came because of the sin of one man, so also life and health and release from the curse of sin came by one man Jesus.
I am going to receive my healing…
I am going to receive my blessing…
I am going to receive my deliverance…
I am going to receive my provision…
You see everything I just said is good. Right? I mean I am saying what is in agreement with God’s word. I planted a seed of faith and now I am confessing God’s promise. And word believing, tongue talking, Spirit-filled believers everywhere are doing that and yet they are seeing the benefits of the promise and of their confessions. Why is that? Partly because of teachings that don’t complete the cycle that God ordained.
Mark 11:24 (NKJV)
24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
Is that true? Do you believe that this is the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God? Then Mark 11:24 must be true.
You know that corn harvest I began the sermon with? The one with an 1800% increase! That ear of corn does not jump off the stalk and run to the barn. The kernels do not fall off the cob and get into the bin by themselves. Someone goes out and harvests them.
Back to 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.
So many Christians believe that if you are going to receive a harvest that God is going to bring it to you. If you don’t receive it then God must not want you to have it. NO, that’s not true. If God has promised it to you then it is His will that you have it. God’s part has already been realized. Now He waits for you to harvest.
Faith and confession are not the same thing as harvesting. Let me give you and example… You have a hard time sleeping so you go to the Lord and ask Him to heal that in your life and you confess that healing and you keep confessing it and keep confessing and nothing happens. In the meanwhile the Lord has shown you that those 3 cups of coffee that you had after supper was the reason you weren’t sleeping. Right? Are you with me? But instead of doing what the Lord has shown you (which would be harvesting) you just keep confessing and believing that the Lord is going to heal you. Well the Lord said by His stripes I am healed…” And you go and get another cup of coffee… And He also said the field was white for harvest – go and get it. And let us not grow weary while doing good
Proverbs 10:4 (NKJV)
4 He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
Do you believe that? Is the Holy Spirit that said this the same Spirit that gave us Mark 11:24?
That particular verse in Proverbs 10 is pretty easy for this group of believers to agree with because all of us come from a blue - collar background and we know the importance of hard work.
But what is true in the natural is also true in the spirit realm and yet we will not pursue the promise the same way we pursue a paycheck.
Proverbs 10:5 (NKJV)
5 He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.
He who does what? He who gathers! Oh come on now. Can you sleep through the harvest? Yes you can. And many have missed out on the promise because they were not diligent enough to pursue it until they saw the promise completed in them. People will do it in the natural but don’t you understand that everything that is natural had its origin in the spiritual? Before God created the heavens and the earth He already saw it completed in the spiritual realm. Before He made Adam and Eve in His own image He saw them. Before He sent His only Son to die for your sin He saw it as finished in the Spirit realm… He saw a lamb slain from the foundation of the earth…
The confusion comes when people believe that if I plant a seed and I make confessions in agreement with God’s word that’s all there is to it… that the reaping or harvesting is God’s part. But it’s not true in the natural and it’s not true in the spirit.
Reaping in the spiritual is not any different than in the natural. We don’t expect God to go out and pick your tomatoes or your beans… I planted and watered and so God is now going to give the increase… that’s right. God gives it but He doesn’t gather it in.
Ecclesiastes 11:4 (NKJV)
4 He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap.
Now up to this point I have specifically not talked about our responsibilities with our finances in the seed principle because it is the hardest area for people to really get hold of. But that spiritual principle established in 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 (NKJV)
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
9 As it is written: "He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever."
10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,
11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.
Is the Holy Spirit talking about money here? Of course He is. Many don’t want to admit it. They try to spiritualize it but what could be more spiritual than giving your financial gift to a church or sowing seed in the life of a person or a ministry? And look, this is talking about offerings above and beyond the tithe.
Go back to Ecclesiastes 11:4 (NKJV)
4 He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap.
If you are waiting for just the right time to give or to harvest it will never come.
Well if I get through this hard time I’ll give, or once I get my bills all paid off I’ll give… no you won’t. because the devil knows that this spiritual principle is true and he will never let you get out of the hole. He will do everything he can do to make sure you cannot receive blessings from God. You will perpetually be under his thumb. You have to get to the point that you make up your mind that you are just going to obey God. NO matter what it looks like, what you see, what you know you make up your mind that you are going to sow. If you are looking for the right time it will never come He who observes the wind will not sow – and you miss out on what the Lord has for you. And in the same way you can look at the wrong things and not reap.
So let’s take it a step further. You have been faithful with your giving and now you are looking for the right investment so that you can see an increase in your investment. It is happening right now all over the country because of the shape the economy is in. They way things are we couldn’t reap right now… but your reaping isn’t coming from the economy… it’s coming from God. And He is same I am the same. None of this stuff affects my economy.
You see, it’s the same attitude we have with our giving that we must have in all of the other promises given us by God.
4 He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap.
If we listen to Him as we sow in faith – financially or in our physical health or in our spiritual condition or our relationships or sowing the seed of the gospel into someone’s life - – He will always be faithful to show us when the right time is to harvest and what we need to do to harvest.
Don’t wait for what looks like the right time. If you do that it will never be the right time. But listen to His word – both the written and spoken – in your heart and do what He says.
Let’s close with this.
Genesis 26:1-4 (NKJV)
1 There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar.
2 Then the LORD appeared to him and said: "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you.
3 Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.
4 And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed…
Isaac was a farmer. He planted crops. And at this time there was a famine because of drought. And what looked right would have been to go down to Egypt where everything was watered and green. But the Lord said don’t go to Egypt – Egypt is symbolically sin. The natural. live in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you…
You cannot receive the blessing you are looking for unless you are in the right place with God. Isaac resisted what looked right and stayed where God wanted him. The land was dry and parched and there wasn’t any rain and there was no way in the natural that Isaac should be able to succeed.
Genesis 26:12-13 (NKJV)
12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him.
13 The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous;
Are you in God’s will? He wants you to sow so He can give you an increase to harvest.
He wants you to sow seeds of faith for every promise He has given you.
Are you willing to step out in faith today and sow? Or perhaps it’s time to harvest. Will you step out in faith today to receive what God has provided for you?
