SOWING AND REAPING – PART II
Our pastor, Reggie Scarborough, has been teaching on Sowing and Reaping along with Expecting from Genesis 8:22, "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease." (New International Version) Most of the time we hear this scripture in regard to finances - and there is nothing wrong with that - but this scripture has to do with every part of life. Many people also take this scripture out of context. Remember, you never take the Old Testament literally, but you need to find scripture from the New Testament that has the same thought to bring clarity. The New Testament is the Old Testament revealed. Look at Galatians 6:7 from the NIV in the New Testament. 7 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 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. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
Mark 4:13-20, “Then Jesus said to them, ‘Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word.” “Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop-thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown." (NIV)
Luke 8:11 "This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.” Any time we speak the Word of God we are sowing spiritual seed. Jesus said in John 6:63, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” (NIV) Religious people criticize us faith people for believing so much about confession. Confession is simply agreement with Father God. Remember one of our opening texts - “but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” The New Unger's Bible Dictionary says, “CONFESSION The Gk. word rendered "confession" is homologeo, lit., to "say the same thing," i.e., not to deny and so to admit or declare one's self guilty of what he is accused. It is also used in the sense of a profession, implying the yielding or change of one's conviction (John 12:42; Rom 10:9-10; 1 Tim 6:13; etc.). (Originally published by Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. Copyright (c) 1988.)
Jesus said in Mark 4:16 “Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away (they are offended – the number one problem in the church). I can’t count the number of people who came to our church and really liked it, but would say to me, “Pastor, I have never had so many problems as I have had since coming to this church.” I simply reply HALLELUJAH!
That tells me that the Word of God I’m preaching is working in their lives. James 1:22 says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” NKJV The main way to be a doer of the Word is to confess what Father God has said and done in His Word for us.
Several months ago, Steve and Carol Marre, our former associate pastors for 10 years, visited us in Florida. As we were having lunch, I mentioned that Mary Riley had offered to donate a kidney. Carol shouted out, “I know you have sowed into many lives over 25 years. Somebody that you have sowed the Word of God into is going to come fourth and donate one of their kidneys.” Although Mary Riley and three others have been turned down, I know Father God is going to do it! I am staying out of how He’s going to do it! Yes, I have been disappointed, mainly because my healing has not manifested in one way or another yet. I really thought it would be over by now as it has been 18 months. But, my confidence remains in the Lord and not man!
