Seed time and Harvest
Seed time and Harvest • Sermon • Submitted
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Noah and God’s promise of seed time and harvest
Noah and God’s promise of seed time and harvest
Noah and his family have been in the Ark and now the waters have receded. His family has left the ark with the animals following.
Noah goes on to build an altar to the Lord and presents his offering to God.
God is pleased and offers Noah and us this promise in Genesis 8:22, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”
God in this verse tells us that the principles of seedtime and harvest are as certain as summer and winter, day and night, the ground you are standing on.
This concept of seedtime and harvest is as certain as summer and winter, day and night, the ground you are standing on.
The Bible uses the analogy of agriculture to help us understand the principles of seedtime and harvest.
Getting the garden ready and planting seeds
Getting the garden ready and planting seeds
Any of you ever planted a garden or perhaps still do?
I remember when me and Debra planted our first Garden.
Debra grew up gardening, I snapped beans and helped shuck corn that my mother would buy at the farmers market but gardening not so much. So when we decide that planting a garden was something we wanted to do, I came inexperienced but excited to grow my first garden, our’s as a couple.
Our backyard was fairly flat so picking a spot was not difficult. Our spot fell between the shed and the opposite property line. An area about 50 foot wide and 100 feet long. We placed stakes at the four corners of the plot and were ready to get started.
The area is all grass and would need work to make it into a garden. So off we go to Sears to get us a tiller. We pick out the best tiller we could afford at the time but one that was way to small to get the job done. Kind of like the little engine that could concept in tillers.
I start tilling with this tiller on ground that has not been worked and find out real quick that this plan was not going to work.
A fiend of mine I worked with had a tractor and a tiller attachment. Hearing my plight he offered to come over and help get the ground worked and ready to plant.
The ground looked great. The dirt was like flour. Just as soft and ran through your fingers like sand.
With the ground tilled we were ready to pick out what we wanted to grow. We picked the usual garden varieties. Corn, green beans, squash, cucumbers, lettuce and other things.
We wanted corn, we planted corn. We wanted green beans, we planted green beans.
The first principle of seedtime and harvest is this. You get what you plant or sow.
The first principle of seedtime and harvest is this. You get what you plant or sow.
The first principle of seedtime and harvest is this. You get what you plant or sow.
The first principle of seedtime and harvest is this. You get what you plant or sow.
The Bible states it, you reap what you sow.
This is true both from a negative and a positive perspectives.
If you plant discourse and trouble, you will reap discourse and trouble.
If you plant peace and harmony, you will see peace and harmony.
Notice this though, you reap what you sow. Let me state the obvious. If you do not sow you will not reap.
If we tilled the ground and planted nothing, we would look like fools expecting corn, beans and tomatoes!
If you want to see someone come to faith in Christ, you have to plant the seeds that lead to faith in Christ.
Missing someone at church, then you plant the seeds to reap the harvest of seeing them at church.
Our garden took work
Our garden took work
Want a change in your situation, sow it.
With the our garden planted, we would go out in the evenings and check on it. We noticed animal tracks in the dirt. Dogs, deer and others. To keep the animals out we stretched string between the corner stakes and found it only sort of worked.
We picked out a spot in our backyard to section off as the garden area. Went to
We also started to notice small green sprouts starting to make their way through the soil. Was it what we planted or that other green stuff you don’t want in your garden? To be on the safe side if it looked like it was in the row we planted we left it alone. The others we picked and removed from the garden. Each day we inspected, removed the weeds and watered.
The second principle of seedtime and harvest is this. We reap the good harvest if we stay at it, if we persevere.
The second principle of seedtime and harvest is this. We reap the good harvest if we stay at it, if we persevere.
If we had planted the seeds and then done nothing, the weeds and animals would have quickly took over the garden and we would have reaped nothing or very little.
But by being diligent and keeping the weeds out, the animals out, watering the plants, fertilizing and so on we worked towards the good harvest.
If we had planted the seeds and then done nothing, the weeds and animals would have quickly took over the garden and we would have reaped nothing.
If you want to see your harvest, you have to stay at it. Keep working it.
In this modern age where everything is now. We don’t have time to wait.
We want what we want and we want it now.
If you have grown a garden then then next principle you already know.
The third principle is this. You reap in a different season as you sow.
The third principle is this. You reap in a different season as you sow.
Plant in the spring, harvest in the summer. There is time between planting and harvesting. It takes time for what you plant in your garden to become something you can eat. This same principle is true with spiritual planting what you are reaping today was planted sometime ago. What you are planting today you will reap sometime in the future.
What a crop, more than we expected
What a crop, more than we expected
In our garden we soon began to see what once was indistinguishable as a weed or a plant became obvious. The seeds grew into plants, the plants grew into vegetables, the vegetables made it to the table and they kept coming. 2 adults and a small child. A 50 by 100 foot garden we soon learned the fourth principle of seedtime and harvest.
The fourth principle of seedtime and harvest is this. We reap more than we sow.
The fourth principle of seedtime and harvest is this. We reap more than we sow.
Again this principle like reaping what you sow has a negative and positive application. In the negative sense, we plant wrong motives, fleshly desires, SIN. It will always grow into more than we thought it would ever be. As frightening as that is, what a strong encouragement when seen from the positive side. What you sow for good, will also grow into more than you planted. More than you expect.
When you sow into your spiritual life, become diligent at maintaining it, God gives the increase and causes it to grow beyond your expectations!
Keep going, stay at it it!
In Proportion
In Proportion
Let me state another obvious, if me and Debra wanted lots of corn we plant lots of corn.
And last, the fifth principle is this. We reap in proportion to what we have sown.
And last, the fifth principle is this. We reap in proportion to what we have sown.
Same is true of our harvests. If you want to see a large harvest in your life both physically and spiritually then you sow accordingly.
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
2 corinthians 9:6
Locate/get the cards
Locate/get the cards
While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”
Genesis 8:22
In the back of the chairs in front of each one of you is a small brown card. On that card is a Bible verse that is from the book of Galatians. It sums up what we have looked at today. Let’s look at it together. Go ahead and grab the card in front of you. Does
everyone have a card? If not raise your hand we will get one to you. You don’t want to miss this. Now look at the verse on the card. Together read it with me.
You get what you plant or sow
We reap the good harvest if we stay at it
You reap in a different season as you sow
We reap more than we sow
We reap in proportion to what we have sown.
In the back of the chairs in front of each one of you is a small brown card. On that card is a Bible verse that is from the book of Galatians. It sums up what we have looked at today. Let’s look at it together. Go ahead and grab the card in front of you. Does
everyone have a card? If not raise your hand we will get one to you. You don’t want to miss this. Now look at the verse on the card. Together read it with me.
My garden
In the back of the chairs in front of each one of you is a small brown card. On that card is a Bible verse that is from the book of Galatians. It sums up what we have looked at today. Let’s look at it together. Go ahead and grab the card in front of you. Does
everyone have a card? If not raise your hand we will get one to you. You don’t want to miss this. Now look at the verse on the card. Together read it with me.
In the back of the chairs in front of each one of you is a small brown card. On that card is a Bible verse that is from the book of Galatians. It sums up what we have looked at today. Let’s look at it together.
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Layed out a plot
Harvest vs prayer
Harvest vs prayer
I want to invite you to plant today. To sow a seed towards a harvest. With your own pen or a pen from the back of the chair. On the card that is in your hand. I want to invite you to write down what you desire as a harvest.
You get what you plant or sow
You reap the good harvest if you stay at it
We attempted to till it but gave up and had a friend come and till it with the tractor
You reap in a different season as you sow
You will reap more than you sow but it is in proportion to what you have sown.
We bought the seeds for the vegetables we wanted to eat
We reap in proportion to what we have sown.
Quick note. Harvest is different than a prayer request. While both our scriptural and are important. Today we are focusing on seedtime and harvest. So what’s the difference.
Law #2: We reap the same kind as we sow We planted the seeds
I want to invite you to plant today. To sow a seed towards a harvest. With your own pen or a pen from the back of the chair. On the card that is in your hand. I want to invite you to write down what you desire as a harvest.
We watered and maintained the garden, lots of weeding
Months later we started seeing the vegetables form
Law #3: We reap in a different season than we sow
We planted too much. We had vegetables for days
Law #4: We reap more than we sow
Law #5: We reap in proportion to what we have sown
As time went on we started to slack on our removal of weeds and gardening tasks
Law #6: We reap the good harvest if we persevere. The bad harvest comes on its own
Garden becomes overgrown
Law #7: We can't do anything about last years harvest
What causes plants to not grow?
Not given enough time
Soil too cold
Soil too dry
Soil too wet
Insects ate the seed
Seed too old
Not enough light
Temperature
Nutrients
Insects
Disease
I want to invite you to your own harvest. To work at sowing seeds that will see your harvest. With your own pen or a pen from the back of the chair. On the card that is in your hand. I want to invite you to write down what you desire as a harvest.
Prayer is where we make a petition known to God,
desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies” (Westminster Shorter Catechism). Christian prayer is the end product of a long process of change and development in God’s relation to men, as a survey of the biblical data shows.
an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies” (Westminster Shorter Catechism
A classic definition of Christian prayer is “an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies” (Westminster Shorter Catechism).
In contrast a harvest involves prayer but also it involves our labors.
In harvesting we plant according to the harvest. We labor alongside God and by faith trust in a harvest.
Now lets get specific with our harvest.
Quick note. I want us to be specific here. and say that a harvest is not a prayer request.
Is it a health situation? A financial situation? A concern for family members? Want to see someone come to saving faith Christ? Want to see new families at CCC? Want to see our baptistry filled with water? Whatever it is, it can be a public harvest or a very private harvest between you and God.
Let me invite you to write your harvest down on the card you have in your hand.
Have you had a chance to write your harvest down? Do you have your harvest in mind? I want you to keep that harvest in focus and let’s work the principles we looked at together this morning in reverse.
In Reverse
In Reverse
So here it is:
Now lets work the principles in reverse order.
You can expect to harvest more than you sow but in proportion to what you have sown (How are you going to sow towards the harvest that is in your hand. Little sowing, little harvest. Lots of sowing big harvest.)
Your harvest is likely to come in a different season as when you sow (by faith, trust God for the harvest but understand it likely comes at different seasons)
You reap the good harvest if you stay at it
Which leads us to the next point. Persevere. (By faith your harvest will come but you have to stay at it. KEEP SOWING)
You reap in a different season as you sow
You reap the good harvest if you stay at it
You will only harvest what you plant or sow (with the harvest you wrote down, what do you need to plant in order to yield that harvest)
The promise
The promise
You will reap more than you sow but it is in proportion to what you have sown
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
This verse is a promise. God is not mocked. When you sow, you will reap!
Your harvest is coming, let’s plant according to the harvest!
Let’s get to planting according to the harvest!
The apostle Paul tells us in
Paul tells us in the book of 1 Corinthians 3:6 in speaking of his harvest that he planted, Apollos watered but God gave the increase.
Paul tells us in the book of 1 Corinthians 3:6 in speaking of his harvest that he planted, Apollos watered but God gave the increase.
There is a powerful concept here. One of help. Paul planted and Apollos watered.
As we leave here today we are going to allow our body of believers to help. There is a basket at the back of the sanctuary
I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.
He planted, Apollos watered but God gave the increase.
There is a powerful concept here. One of help. One person planted a second person watered and God caused the harvest/growth.
As we leave here today we are going to allow our body of believers to help. There is a basket at the back of the sanctuary
I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.
Across the room we should all have a harvest written down on the cards. Some open to others some private. Both important.
Let’s do this. If the harvest you wrote down is private in nature I want to ask you to tear your card under the bible verse like so. Now take the portion you wrote on and put it away. Keep the other portion, the one with the Bible verse on it out.
Go ahead and do this. Now we should be left with public harvests and private ones.
I am going to close us in a collective prayer over our harvests that we have written down.
Following the prayer as we dismiss there will be a basket in the back. I want to ask you to drop your card in the basket on your way out to eat with us today.
While we are eating, I am going to move the basket to our podium at the front door. As you leave here today will you take a card and commit to praying for that harvest.
Put the card somewhere you will see it throughout the day. When you see it, offer a prayer to God for the person and for the harvest they desire.
Which fertilizer makes plants grow faster?
Providing your plants with a constant supply of nutrients helps them grow quickly. Fertilizers that supply nitrogen and potassium can provide these nutrients for your plants relatively quickly and are best applied as your plants need them.
Through prayer we are going to commit these harvests over to God.
Gather the cards
Scatter the cards
Pray over the cards
By faith we are going to wait on our harvest
Has everyone had a chance to write down their desired harvest? Now we are going to do something that is key to seeing the seeds you plant come to a full harvest. We are going to give these harvests to God.
Here is how we are going to do it. If the servers would come back up front. We are going to have the servers come around and collect your cards. They will come to your row and hand the collection basket to you. After we have collected all of the cards we are going to pray over them as a church but then go a step further. For the ones that are not privet
, these seeds to God.
Up front there is a basket. Here is what I want you to do. Would you bring the
Noah and the promise of seedtime and harvest (
Galatians 6:7-8
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
2 Corinthians 9:6
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
1 Corinthians 3:6-7 - God gives the increase
We reap only what has been sown We reap what others have sown (good and bad) Others will reap what you sow We reap the same kind as we sow - God is not mocked Whatever is all inclusive We reap in a different season than we sowWe reap more than we sowWe reap in proportion to what we have sown - sow and reap sparingly We reap the good harvest if we persevere, the bad harvest comes on its ownWe can't do anything about last years harvest