Sow to the Spirit

[0:00] Music Galatians chapter 6.

[0:18] I want to urge you this morning to get ready for harvest.! Get ready for harvest. Every one of you will have a harvest. It depends on what you are planting.

[0:33] Galatians 6 verses 7 to 10 says, Be not deceived, God is not mocked.

[0:44] For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption.

[0:57] But he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well-doing.

[1:11] We shall reap if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

[1:27] You are going to have a harvest. You are going to have a harvest, but it depends on what you are planting. It starts there, be not deceived. Don't be misled.

[1:38] Don't be seduced. You cannot mock God. You cannot mock God. You cannot mock Him. You cannot fool God.

[1:49] God is not mocked. Amen. Number one. Number one. Number one. Number one. Verse eight. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption.

[2:03] But he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. Amen. So to the Spirit. What will we reap?

[2:15] Will it be corruption or destruction or will it be life everlasting? Life everlasting. Amen. Life everlasting. What are you sowing to? Are you sowing to the Spirit?

[2:27] Or is the flesh driving you? Are we truly sensitive to the Holy Spirit? Does the Spirit lead us or is it the flesh that leads us?

[2:42] The Spirit is opposed to the flesh. They're contrary. They're opposite. The Spirit will emphasize the honor of God. The obeying of God.

[2:53] Let us sow to the Spirit. Let that be our privilege. It is our duty to the glory of God to sow to the Spirit. Do not hold back on this.

[3:04] This wonderful truth that you as a believer, as a Christian man or woman, you have the privilege of being able to sow to the Spirit. Step out of the comfort zone of the everyday and learn to find opportunities to sow to the Spirit.

[3:23] What does all of this mean? To sow to the Spirit. The preacher put it this way. Our greatest passion should be the glory of God and the advancement of his kingdom.

[3:35] That should be the driving force, the glory of God. What you will plant will dictate what you will harvest.

[3:46] Sow to the Spirit. In Hosea 10 verse 12 it says, Sow to yourselves in righteousness. Reap in mercy. Break up your fallow ground. For it is time to seek the Lord till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

[4:03] Sow to yourselves in righteousness. That's what we need to do. It means to put your life energy into that which is godly. Put your life energy into that which is righteous.

[4:16] Sow to the Spirit. It means, if you like, a number of things you could consider are things that we could understand to be sowing to the Spirit. For example, a feeding on God's Word.

[4:28] That's sowing to the Spirit, isn't it? As we feed our spiritual man, we're sowing to the Spirit. As we're letting the Holy Spirit speak to us through his divine Word.

[4:40] As we're feeding on it, we're finding out God's will and hopefully living according to it. We can sow to the Spirit by reading the Word. We can sow to the Spirit by working out our salvation with fear and trembling.

[4:55] Like it says in Philippians 2 verse 12. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. That's sowing to the Spirit. As we understand what salvation means, it's life eternal.

[5:09] It's life in Christ. It's like another preacher said, All radical Christianity is, is just true Christianity. We ought to have a radical Christianity.

[5:20] That ought to be the normal. And there is a principle of spiritual harvest. You are going to harvest something from the life that you're living. There will be something to sow for it.

[5:31] There will be something left from these earthly days. There will be a harvest time and the reaping time is coming. It's coming every day. It's one day sooner.

[5:43] The reaping time, the harvest time is coming. Walk in the Spirit. Grow your faith and trust in the Lord. Serve him. What does our ultimate example, our Lord Jesus, show to us?

[5:55] In Acts 10 verse 38. In part it says that our Lord Jesus, he went about doing good. He went about doing that which was good and wholesome and true.

[6:07] And we have the great privilege to follow the one who says, Come and follow me. Follow that one who does the ultimate good. Our Lord Jesus, we've got the great privilege to be like him.

[6:20] To be like him. Make that your great endeavour. To be like him. That your heart could be burning for him. Because of him. As you sow to the Spirit, it will happen.

[6:31] As you sow to the Spirit. As you make that spiritual focus of your life. That which is your driving force. Sow to the Spirit. As you sow to the Spirit, it will mean for example, that your prayer time will be something precious.

[6:49] You will sow to the Spirit. As a preacher Ravenhill said, If weak in prayer, we are weak everywhere. Let's not be weak in prayer.

[7:01] Let us pray in the Spirit. Let us pray because of the Spirit. Let us pray as the Spirit enables us and helps us to pray. What are you praying? What are you planting?

[7:13] Are you sowing to the Spirit? Sowing to the Spirit. God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth that, shall he also reap.

[7:26] Can we make this our slogan? Someone said, My main ambition in life is to be on the devil's most wanted list.

[7:37] Wouldn't that be good? If there was a wanted poster, dead or alive, in hell, because you are doing something for the kingdom of God. Wouldn't that be good?

[7:49] Sow to the Spirit. Sow to the Spirit. As Christians, let's spend our lives doing good. Doing good. Let Christ be your endeavour. Let Christ be your aspiration. Sow to the Spirit.

[8:01] Sow to the Spirit. We're created for good works, we're told in Ephesians 2 verse 10. There's other verses that exhort us to maintain good works.

[8:13] What's the best thing we can do with our lives? It's really to spend and be spent for Christ. It's making Christ our ambition.

[8:24] Making Christ our focus. To sow to the Spirit. What if you were asked a question? As it reads in Luke 16 verse 1. Give an account of thy stewardship.

[8:39] One day that question will be asked of you. Give an account of thy stewardship. Are you a good steward of the word of God?

[8:53] Are you a good steward of the gospel? A steward, it really means a servant. It means someone who serves. And we have a stewardship.

[9:04] Our lives. Our goods. Our families. Our time. Let's be good stewards of those things, brothers and sisters. Let's sow to the Spirit.

[9:15] Let's be a good steward of the gospel that is given for you to be a communicator of. You will reap what you sow.

[9:26] Sow to the Spirit. Secondly, sow for souls. Sow for souls. In verse 10 it says, As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

[9:43] He says, Paul says, as you have opportunity, do good to souls. To all men. To souls. Especially to those who are of the household of faith.

[9:56] He's got the sense of the eternal perspective here. Of as you have opportunity, use that opportunity wisely. Work what is good unto all men.

[10:10] And what's the best thing you can do for another man, another woman? What's the best thing you can do for your neighbour? What's the best thing you can do for a workmate? What's the best thing you can do for someone, a friend?

[10:25] Is point them to the Saviour. Is point them to the Saviour. Sow for souls. The best gift we can share is the salvation message. It's the most important.

[10:36] It's the most critical and most vital thing that we have. To reach out to people. To care about souls. Never dying souls. To care about them. And to plant the seed.

[10:48] And the Word of God is spoken elsewhere of being a seed that is planted. The Word of God is a seed that we can sow, as it were.

[11:00] Sow for souls. When we sow the Word of God in our lives, in our families. I know there's some folk that like to put Bible texts on the walls of their home.

[11:11] That's pretty radical, isn't it? But the Bible talks about that, doesn't it? Write them on the doorposts and the lentils of your home. You might have some memory verses you can plaster around your home.

[11:22] Some Bible texts you can display. Maybe as a witness for those who might visit. There's opportunities for you to sow the Word. Where we'd be a witness.

[11:34] Where we'd be one sowing for souls. I know I like how Brother Richard puts it. Where we'd be missional. Missional.

[11:45] And that doesn't mean that we suddenly get sent overseas. But we can be missional where we're about. Even in our everyday lives. We can be missional. We can have that kind of mission mentality.

[11:58] That we're sowing for souls. We're thinking of Christ. To know Christ. And to make Him known. It's something that's precious. We will reap. We will reap.

[12:09] Someday. We will reap. Somehow. What will your harvest be? Sow for souls. Sow for souls. Sow for souls. To reach the lost.

[12:20] At any cost. There's a slogan somehow, isn't it? Take a risk. To sow for souls. Take a leap of faith. God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth. That shall he also reap.

[12:34] It takes sometimes a step of faith. To step outside of the comfort zone. Friends, we are accountable. Souls are all around us.

[12:46] And these are not just human beings that we can so lightly take for granted. But every one. Every single one. Is a soul.

[12:58] That will live forever. Someplace. And we want to consider the opportunities all around us. To think. How can I be used of God? One of the most challenging verses in the Bible.

[13:10] For me is Hebrews 13, 17. Obey them that have the rule over you. And submit yourselves. For they watch for your souls. As they that must give account.

[13:22] That they may do it with joy. And not with grief. For that is unprofitable for you. To give account for souls. That's something. A heavy responsibility.

[13:34] I take that very responsibility very heavily. When I consider the souls that I speak to. The souls that I minister to here. That the message might be clear.

[13:46] That you'll be not left in any doubt. If you're not saved. You're in great danger. This morning. And believers too. I'd like to give an account with joy.

[13:58] About the testimony that your life is for Christ. That you can be a growing Christian. That you can be a fruitful Christian. You can be a vibrant Christian.

[14:09] And for all of us. We all must give account. It says that all of us will give account for ourselves. To God. And the time of accounting. Is drawing near. The time of accounting.

[14:20] My dad used to be an accountant. And there was a time when they closed the books. And then. I know brother Greg too. As the treasurer. The books get closed. And then there's an accounting time.

[14:32] You can't add or subtract. It's that bottom line. And one day there's an accounting time going to come. For your soul. You're going to give account. You can't add or take anything away. It's just you're going to stand before him.

[14:44] Exposed. Nothing hidden. Fully in his presence. And there'll be no excuses then. Friends. The time of accounting. Is drawing near. Souls are precious. Souls are perishing.

[14:56] And we need to be fishers of men. We need to do good. To all men. Especially to those of the household of faith. That means the family. Of God.

[15:07] The family of the faith. To encourage. To encourage the saved souls. We want to encourage one another. Exalt one another. As we see the day approaching. Friends with brothers and sisters.

[15:19] Maybe we're going to be next door neighbours one day. In heaven. Who knows. What could happen. Friends. We've got eternity. Let's love one another. Let's exalt one another.

[15:30] As we see the day approaching. Consider the souls then. Your circle of influence. The souls. That are in your care. As a parent. The souls that are in your care. As an everyday person.

[15:42] Going about your life. The souls you're in contact with. Do good to souls. Do good to all men. Do the work of the kingdom. Communicating the gospel.

[15:54] Sowing into the lives of people. Sowing into the lives of people. You know. We only have a certain amount of time with people. Don't we? We don't know when. God's going to take one.

[16:05] From a circle. We don't know how long. We've got opportunity to bless people. That we can rub shoulders with. Friends. We've not got much time.

[16:16] And we need to make the most of it. To sow into the lives of people. And don't use the cop out. Oh that's the pastor's job. Oh that's so and so's job.

[16:27] That's what the deacons are for. Or whatever. You know. The elders or whatever. Oh that's what someone else can do. It's about you.

[16:39] Every single one of you. To sow into souls. Make that your passion. To snatch them from the jaws of hell. Those that are lost. That you can be a word of witness to them.

[16:53] In Jude 1.23 it says of some. Have compassion. Make a difference. Either save with fear. Pulling them out of the fire. That's a graphic picture isn't it? We've heard about a fire this week haven't we?

[17:05] We've heard about a fire in the news of late. And someone pulling them out of the fire. But he was pretending to save them when he was the one who lit the fire. God forbid. But some.

[17:16] What a picture. Of a burning building. Of people in peril. And you have hands to read still. You have breath to breathe still. You have sight to see still.

[17:27] The ones in that burning building. To snatch them. Like brands from the burning. What a picture. Pulling them out of the fire. While we have opportunity. Let's gather the harvest.

[17:38] Sow to the spirit. To the spirit. Think of opportunities. How you can grow in your spiritual walk with God. How you can be more led by the spirit. Sow to the spirit.

[17:49] Sow for souls. Sow for the lost. Sow for the saved. Be a witness. Be an example. Sow for souls. And thirdly, sow and keep on sowing.

[18:01] Sow and keep on sowing. In verse 9 it says, And let us not be weary in well doing. For in due season we shall reap. If we faint not.

[18:13] Sow and keep on sowing. Brother, sow and keep on sowing. Sister, sow and keep on sowing. Don't let up.

[18:25] Don't let up. Be faithful in your sowing. Don't become tired or discouraged. That's the sense of it here. Results will take time.

[18:37] But the harvest is sure. It's guaranteed. Sow while you have time. I remember back, and I'm not a very good gardener as I often testify.

[18:49] And I look back to a place in time when we had a veggie patch in our backyard. And well it was some churned up soil that looked like a veggie patch.

[19:01] And every so often I used to get a bit of inspiration. And one day I went to the tool shed and I got as it were a packet of seeds out of the tool shed. Off the shelf. And I thought, oh that looks pretty good.

[19:13] And so I threw the seed in the ground along this patch of dirt. And nothing really happened. Didn't really work. And the reason was the packet had expired.

[19:27] It had passed its expiry date. And those seeds were well and truly spent. I'd missed the opportunity. Time had gone and I'd missed the opportunity to plant those seeds.

[19:40] At the time they should have been planted. And we can miss opportunities to sow the seed. But the word says to sow and keep on sowing. Let us not be weary in well doing.

[19:52] For in due season we shall reap if we faint not. We shall reap. Are we fainting? We can do, can't we? We heard this morning of trials of faith.

[20:04] The testing times. Don't get weary. Don't get weary. The sense here is, as I've heard it expressed regarding this verse.

[20:16] Make it a habit. Make it a commitment. Sow and keep on sowing. In other words, fellowship. And keep on fellowshiping. If you're on those who's fatigued or disheartened, what better place to be than amongst God's people?

[20:33] What better place to be than where a brother can exhort you? Where a sister can uplift you? Where you can be exhorted and encouraged by brotherly encouragement?

[20:44] What better place to be than amongst the saints of God? Where hopefully the Spirit of God is using people to minister to you and for ministering to them through you.

[20:55] As you have opportunity, use the time you've been given. Keep in fellowship. One of the purposes of our assemblies is to provoke one another unto love and to good works.

[21:09] It's got the sense of a sharp stick. You know, some brothers are like that, aren't they? They jab you in the guts and, oh, I needed that brother, thank you. You know, we need that. We need to be provoked.

[21:20] We need to be jab, oh, irritated, stabbed and jabbed by our brothers and sisters to be stirred and spurred on in that gospel race to provoke one another to love and to good works.

[21:34] Maybe God's going to use you this morning. Before you head off, you grab those ones who shoot off quick and grab them by the arm and tell them something good. Give them an encouragement.

[21:46] As you have opportunity, use the time you've been given. God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. Pray and keep on praying.

[21:58] That's another thing you can do to sow and keep on sowing is to pray and keep on praying. It's got the sense of it there in that scripture that says, ask and you will receive.

[22:09] It's got the sense of ask and keep on asking. Knock and keep on knocking. Seek and keep on seeking. That's the sense of that verse. And friends, we need to have that persistence in prayer.

[22:21] As it reads in 1 Thessalonians 5.17, pray without ceasing. In Acts 12.5, that's what the church did.

[22:32] It says when Peter was in jail, prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. It's got the sense here, this word without seeking. Fervent, earnest, constant, intense.

[22:46] Pray and keep on praying. Luke 18 verse 1. Our Lord told a parable of the woman pestering the judge. And it says, And he spoke a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint.

[23:03] Pray and not faint. What about studying and keep on studying? You know, we can put the book on the shelf and grow dust.

[23:15] Or we can put it in our heart and grow fruit. Grow fruit. Study. And keep on studying. It says in Romans 15 verse 4 that the word of God is a source of patience and comfort.

[23:29] Patience and comfort of the scriptures. Now that word patience, you could put it perseverance. Keep on keeping on.

[23:40] Keep on studying. Feeding your soul the word of God. As we feed on God's word, we find spiritual strength to survive.

[23:52] I've had some nourishment this morning. Haven't you? Through the exaltations, through the words of comfort, through the words of scripture, there's been some edifying going on.

[24:05] There's been some growing going on. And the word of God gives us that spiritual strength to survive and to thrive. Faint not, sow to your soul.

[24:17] Pray and keep on praying. Praise and keep on praising. Praise the Lord, O my soul. Praise Him. In Proverbs 11 verse 18 it says, To him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.

[24:34] If you're going to sow to the Spirit, if you're going to sow for souls, if you're going to sow and keep on sowing, to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.

[24:46] It's guaranteeing in writing. Proverbs 11 verse 18. You have an eternal assurance of the sowing that you do. Look above and keep on looking.

[24:59] In 2 Corinthians 4 verse 16. For which cause we faint not. But though our outward man perish, yet, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

[25:16] Amen. I don't know about you, but my outward man's looking in poorer shape than it used to. You know, I got on the scales yesterday and I was shocked. You know, we've got to be careful about the outward man.

[25:28] It's perishing. It's not in the ship shape and condition as it used to be. But though our outward man perish, yet our inward man is renewed day by day.

[25:41] That's what we want. For our light affliction is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

[25:52] Well, we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

[26:06] That's what matters. That which is eternal, that's what matters. And we have an eternal power working within us. The Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit. The Spirit of holiness.

[26:18] The Spirit that created from Genesis and still recreates new life in men and women. The Spirit of God. But we must sow and keep on sowing.

[26:31] Be relentless. Relentless. Let nothing deter you. Be unyielding. Unbendable. Immovable.

[26:42] That's what we're meant to be, brothers and sisters. That nothing is going to stop you from sowing. Nothing is going to stop you from being that spiritual man, that spiritual woman.

[26:53] And God will get all the glory. Let us not be weary. Use those moments. Those precious moments. Those precious moments of opportunity.

[27:04] Use them well. Use them wisely. For God's glory. Be persistent. Persevere, my brother. Persevere, my sister. Sow and keep on sowing.

[27:16] As we read in 1 Corinthians 15, 58. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast. Unmovable. Always abounding. Accounting in the work of the Lord.

[27:27] In the work of the Lord. For as much as you know that your labour is not in vain. In the Lord. Work and keep on working.

[27:39] Serve and keep on serving. While it is day. Work. While you have opportunity. Work. The reaping time is fast approaching. The reaping time is fast approaching. There will be no more working then.

[27:51] The accounting time is going to close the books. There will be nothing more good you can do. Or bad. Thank God. But the accounting time is coming.

[28:02] Friends. Work while you can work. Work while it is day. The reaping time is fast approaching. It's not working for your salvation. I want to just make that clear.

[28:13] 2 Corinthians 5, 10 and 11 it says, For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he had done, whether it be good or bad.

[28:28] And knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. But we are made manifest unto God. And I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

[28:41] Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, to receive the things done in our body, whether good or bad.

[28:56] Let that holy terror grip you. That you'll take it very seriously. This is no make believe. This is no Hollywood horror story. This is terror. From which man cannot escape.

[29:11] Let that terror grip you. Let it stir you. Let it change you. Let it move you. Let it move you. That you will want to be.

[29:22] Sowing. Righteousness. A quote here on Christlikeness from a preacher. He says, You will not stroll into Christlikeness with your hands in your pockets.

[29:34] Shoving the door open with a careless shoulder. This is no hobby for one's leisure moments. Taken up at intervals when we have nothing much to do. And put down and forgotten when our life grows full and interesting.

[29:47] It takes all one's strength. And all one's heart. And all one's mind. And all one's soul. Given freely and recklessly without restraint.

[29:59] Christlikeness. That should be our goal. That should be our aim. Let it be your aim. To be more like him. Are you sowing to the spirit?

[30:11] Or are you sowing to the flesh? I haven't talked about that this morning. There's two things you can do. You can sow to the spirit and reap life everlasting.

[30:24] Or you can sow to the flesh and reap destruction. You're planting a crop. And one day it will be harvest time.

[30:35] God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption. But he that soweth to the spirit shall reap life everlasting.

[30:49] And let us not be weary in well-doing. For in due season we shall reap if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, we let us do good.

[31:00] Therefore unto all men. Especially unto them who are of the household of faith. Sow to the spirit. Sow for souls. And sow and keep on sowing.

[31:12] Friends, are you saved? I'm not talking about doing good works to save your soul. You can do all the good. As many names we could count.

[31:24] Who do a lot of good. Have done a lot of good. But they're in hell today. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. And friends, as one who must give account for your souls.

[31:35] I trust you've found faith in Christ. Let that be the trust on which you can stand. That nothing good that I have done. Nothing that I can cling to can take me there.

[31:47] But only the blood. Only the blood. That's your only hope. But believers here, don't take it lightly. Your salvation's been purchased. You've been purchased with a price.

[31:58] You're not your own. You belong to him. He wants to use you for his glory. He wants to fill you for his glory. There might be some here. The Lord's spoken to you.

[32:09] You want prayer? I urge you to come. Seek prayer. Come to the front. If you'd like prayer. I know the sun not well. If you'd like prayer for that. If you'd like prayer for a deeper walk with Christ.

[32:21] That you want to be prayed for. Then there's opportunity. If you're not saved. Please seek prayer this morning. That you can find Christ. That you can repent. And find life everlasting.

[32:33] And let's live like it people. Let's sow to ourselves in righteousness. Not sow to the flesh. But sow to the spirit. Let's sow to the soul.

[33:01] Let's sow to the soul. Let's sow to the soul. Let's sow to the soul. Let's sow to the soul. Let's sow to the soul. Let's sow to the soul. Let's sow to the soul. Let's sow to the soul. Let's sow to the soul. Let's sow to the soul. Let's sow to the soul.

[33:12] Let's sow to the soul. Let's sow to the soul. Let's sow to the soul. Let's sow to the soul. Let's sow to the soul.