Sermon Tone Analysis

Spiritual Farmers

Forgive me if I seem a little stiff.

Outside yesterday, Changed the oil in the lawn mower.

Working in the garden.

Planting, running a roto tiller.

Love this time of year.

Love getting outside.

I really love putting in a garden.

There is a farmer in me somewhere, I just absolutely love it.

I have a compost pile that I am bordering a little crazy about.

If I see orange peels or egg shells in the trash I get a little upset.

But I am in my own little world a farmer.

And this got me thinking because as Christians, we need to understand that in a very real sense we are farmers.

That makes me happy because of my love for growing things, I like planting trees, honestly I even like planting flowers.

We in a very real sense we are farmers.

That makes me happy because of my love for growing things, I like planting trees, honestly I even like planting flowers.

I love the fact that when we see things grow, it is actually God who causes things to grow on a very deep level.

Don’t roll your eyes, even in your head.

I know that sunlight and minerals and co2 and water have a part to play, but underneath all of that is the miracle that God has His hand in nature to grow something that sustains us.

Yeah, maybe it seems like that is a little bit over the top but we need to remember the part that God plays in this whole world.

He didn’t wind it up and let it go, He has a continual involvement in the world today.

God is involved.

And God has set up some laws of nature that we can count on.

Meaning that when I placed those onion bulbs in the ground that in a few months I am going to get onions.

When I put a pepper plant in the ground I am going to get peppers.

God set up this world to have an order about it which lets me know that I will get out of what I put in the ground.

We know what we are going to get out of a plant by what we plant.

The bible uses the word sow.

And this takes us where we are going today.

Look at your bibles at

the sowing that we are doing now is going to have a terrific consequence which may be profitable for us, or devastating for us.

Your job is to sow

Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.

7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

8 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.

9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith

Now to be honest, this can potentially be a little awkward for any pastor to teach because what is going on here is Paul is talking about the fact that those who are in a position of teaching the church should be paid for what they are doing.

Paul was not their regular pastor, he wasn’t always there.

There were teachers that would be there who were dedicated to preaching and teaching and Paul is letting the congregation know that the one who teaches also has to eat, also has to be able to pay their bills.

But the focus that Paul has is not on the one who receives, the focus is on the one’s who give.

Even though the context of what Paul is saying here has to do with the sharing of resources to the one who teaches, it has a much wider principle and application attached to it.

You will reap what you sow.

We hear that most of the time in such negative terms that we automatically cringe, but reaping what we sow can be a great thing too.

But we will sow something, whether it is something good or something bad.

Paul is talking about the teachers of the church.

He isn’t referring to himself, but he is saying that if someone is learning the scriptures, seeking God’s face and that they are doing this full-time that they are missing out on earning a wage and should be compensated for what they do.

You see we are all spiritual farmers.

Some of you didn’t know this but you are farmer.

You are a spiritual farmer, the only question is what is it that you plant?

The bible word again is sow, we have a modern term that goes along with this.

Investing...

Where do you invest?

We are all spiritual farmers or spiritual investors.

Are we investing in those who are teaching us?

Are we investing in things that are eternal?

Or are we investing in us?

Both of those investments have returns, or results that are attached to them.

v 7 says God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, they will also reap”

This means, Don’t kid yourself, you will not be able to get one over on God.

This is no joke.

Make no mistake about this: you cannot turn up your nose at God.

A person will harvest exactly what he sows.

Spiritual Farming

We are ALL Spiritual farmers.

And you, we are all sowing, or investing in something.

So what does that mean?

1. Spiritual Farmers Sow Something.

(It’s intentional)

When you make a garden you prepare the soil, you are laying everything out, you till the ground, you add compost or whatever, but you start a process you start a process that can be difficult.

It can be hard.

You come against obstacles, rocks, roots.

But you must plow through it even though it is difficult.

You are sowers but the question is what is it that you are planting?

What are you sowing?

But the question is what is it that you are planting?

What are you sowing?

The spiritual sowing can be difficult too.

One of the reasons it can be so difficult is that to see a result usually takes time, it takes time.

We aren’t patient people.

We don’t like waiting.

But almost anything that is worth doing takes time.

We all sow something.

But like we said earlier, what you put down is what you get back.

The harvest you get is the one you plant.

Makes sense doesn’t it?

If I plant asparagus I will get asparagus.

Potatoes.

Spinach.

Simple enough.

So lets get back to the spiritual aspect of this.

Paul says, There are basically two crops we plant says Paul.

One is to his own flesh and one to the Spirit.

The harvest you get is the one you plant.

Makes sense doesn’t it?

If I plant asparagus I will get asparagus.

Potatoes.

Spinach.

What is sowing to the flesh?

It means that we cater to our own selves, or own desires.