Luke's Harvest principle

THE PURPOSE OF THIS LESSON IS TO UNDERSTAND THE HARVEST PRINCIPLE AS SEEN IN THIS TEXT SO THAT WE SOW IN EVEY DEMINSION OF OUR LIVES FOR MAXIMUM RETURN.

Our focus this month has been on stewardship.  Stewardship is not limited or eclusively focused on finances or our monitary giving. In fact, even when God teaches us about how to give our money he does not start in percentages he begins with the person.

God’s order of instruction is to win the will not the wallet.

God wants to take ownership of the man and not the money.

Some one says how can you say that? Well If God has control over your will your wallet will also be in His control. And if God is guiding and directing a man then His money will follow.

But Stewardship is bigger than just finances. It is not just focused on finances. Stewardship is focused on teaching God’s people how to be Christians.  When God builds Christians He wants to win their mind, body and soul.

I often reflect on how god established the teaching behind the sacrificial systems of the Israelites and His Guinness of designing a system that was pivotal in molding the total man to be given and giving to Him. In the first three chapters of the book of Leviticus we see the plan of God in the sacrificial system that was teaching those Israelites in chapter one;

Everything I am I give to God in total consecration;

In chapter two, “Everything I own I give to God in faith and in Consecration,”

And in chapter three, “All of my praise I give only to God in Sacrifice and Consecration.”

That was the beauty of a covenant past that we can still learn from and appreciate as see the impact of what Jesus is teaching in this very text.

Luke 6:38

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

This passage is with the context of some of the same teaching that we can find in what is commonly referred to as the Sermon on the Mount.  It immediately deals with forgiveness, but because the command is not modifying anything in particular, this verse stands as an additional text that supports Gods principle of sowing and reaping.  It is a harvest principle passage. 

That being the case the principle transcends or goes beyond money.  It works positively and negatively in every dimension of our lives. We can see it throughout bible history and we can work this principle for our good or to our on demise.

Today we want to focus on three things and the lesson is yours. We want to first see:          I. THE PEOPLE OF THE PRINCIPLE; II. THE PROMISE OF THE PRINCIPLE; III. THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE PRINCIPLE

I. THE PEOPLE OF THE PRINCIPLE

The harvest principle is not a new concept brought by Jesus here in the midst of these hearers, but it is one that is as old as the world.  It has been and can be used both positively and negatively.  But until we realize how God desires to bless our lives we cannot and will not benefit from the way he can multiply our blessings.

Even from long ago through the history of God’s people we can see the principle at work for good and bad, positive and negative, blessing and cursing.

Remember the principle is sowing and reaping.  You reap that which you sow. Even hear in the text Give and it shall be given to you!  Give what Lord?  God would say that what ever you give is what you sow, what will be given to you is what you reap!

Remember:

Adam and Eve     SOWED      SIN             REAPED    SEPERATION

Cain                     SOWED      ENVY        REAPED    MURDER

Noah                    SOWED      FAITH        REAPED    SALVATION

TOWER               SOWED      ONENESS  REAPED    LIMITEDLESSNESS

SOWED      IRREVERANCE           DESTRUCTION

JOSEPH     sowed                   faith, wisdom, humility  Resilience, Exaltation

DAVID       Sowed         faith            reaped         conqueror  

                   Sowed         flesh  reaped      Adultery, lies, manipulation, murder

                   Sowed         Forgiveness          Reaped        Forgiveness

                   Sowed         Pride           Reaped                 Curses

Application: If we can see this principle working in the lives of these men of faith then we can see its importance in our own lives as we invest in or sow in Godly things in order to reap God’s blessings.

II. THE PROMISE OF THE PRINCIPLE

Because this principle is of God and given to man, we benefit from it but we will never e able to out give God in any area that we sow in.

          A. Gods Return is Matchless.

1. Good measure- it is beautiful, of good quality, distinguishedà connected to the standard or measure, portion, definite limit.

2. Pressed down- made compact, pressed, squeezed down, stomped.

3. Shaken together- stirred, tottered agitated it down to fit it in.

4. Running over- to pour out above measure or in excess, run over overflow, to exceed the holding capacity.

          B. Gods Return is Measured.

1. Even though the matchless quality of the return exceeds our investment every time it is still measured on out initial investment.

2. What we receive in every case is based on what we give toward the return.

          C. Gods Return is Motivating.

                   1. God encourages our trust in Him through His return plan.

                   2. What you give up in family I’ll Return it ten fold.

                   3. Lay my word in your heart and you won’t sin.

                   4. Give and I’ll give back to you.

Because of the promise that God will match me, measure me and motivate me I don’t want then to give Him the leftovers of my life:

Leftovers are such humble things,

We would not serve to a guest

And yet we serve them to our Lord

Who deserves the very best

We give to Him leftover time

Stray minutes here and there

Leftover cash we give to Him

Such few coins as we can spare.

We give our youth unto the world,

To hatred, lust and strife;

Then in declining years we give

To him the remnant or our life

III. THE PRINCIPLE IN PERSPECTIVE

 The measure that we use to sow in any dimension of our life is based on our perspective of who God is and what he is capable of doing.

With the same measure that you mete it shall be measured to you again.

Anti- in retribution, in correspondence to, answering to and in consideration of

Metro- to measure, standard of measure

Thesetai- collect, heap, deposit

Based on how you have seen you God to give to Him, he will respond and heap on you, deposit to you, in answer and consideration of your perspective.

How you see God is what you sow to God.

What you sow to god is what you reap of god.

What you reap of god is what you get from Him.

What you get is what you deserve.