I. THE LAW OF SOWING AND REAPING.
A.
Galatians 6:7 "Be not deceived, God is not mocked, whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."
1. We reap in kind.
a. If you are merciful, mercy will be extended to you.
b. If you are forgiving, you will receive forgiveness.
c. If you do not forgive, neither will you be forgiven.
2. It is amazing how many people are deceived on this point.
a. They think that they can sow their wild oats and never have to face the consequences.
b. They do not stop to think that there is a time when they will have to harvest the fruit of their sowing.
c. Paul said that if you sow to the flesh, of the flesh you will reap corruption.
d. You will one day reap the consequences of the corrupt seed that has been sown.
3. People think that they can mock the word of God and get by with it, but there is a day of reaping coming.
B. The prophet is here declaring that the nation of Israel has sown the wind, and they are going to reap the whirlwind.
1. They had turned their backs on God, who had given birth to their nation.
a. They had turned away from that which was good. vs 3
b. They had ungodly rulers. "You have set up kings, but not by Me." vs4
2. Worse, they began to worship and serve other gods. "With their silver have they made idols." vs 4
a. They had become a sex crazed society as they worshipped Molech, and Ashtoreth.
b. They were lusting after more and more possessions as they worshipped Mammon.
c. The calf became the symbol of their national god. vs 5
3. The time for reaping had come. They had forsaken God and now when they were going to really need Him, God would be forsaking them.
4. A whirlwind will be coming out of the north parts, and carry them away as captives to Assyria.
C. Job's friend Eliphaz said, "If you trust in emptiness, then emptiness shall be your reward.
1. How many people are looking for empty things to fill the void in their lives.
a. They pursue one pleasure after another.
b. They fill their minds with fantasy, movies, videos, rock concerts, rap concerts.
c. They move from one relationship to another.
d. They pursue success or security.
e. They strive to be famous.
f. Hollywood has to be one of the emptiest places in the world, it is like a giant vacuum sucking up every new religious thought and idea.
2. They find that as Jesus said to the woman of Samaria, "If you drink of this water, you will thirst again."
3. They end up empty. They have sown emptiness and they reap emptiness.
II. THE FRUIT OF SUCH SOWING.
A. "It has no stalk."
1. The prophet is describing in this similitude a blasted stalk of corn.
2. The stalk is bent over and limp.
3. Nothing substantial can come from what they have sown.
4. You hear the speeches of the New Age advocates and there is no real substance to it. All talk, no stalk.
a. It is the great you.
b. Tapping into the hidden resources within.
B. "The bud shall yield no meal."
1. No real fruit can come from it.
2. You embrace an empty philosophy, and the result will be emptiness in your life.
3. You worship insensate gods, and you will become insensate.
a. You will become blind to the true and living God. You will no longer see Him in the beauty of His creation. You will begin the irrational worship of the creation rather than the creator as all of these so-called earth people today.
b. You will become deaf to His voice. You will no longer hear Him calling to you. Jesus said, "My sheep do hear My voice, and they do follow Me."
4. I am amazed at the foolish things that people will embrace when they have once rejected the truth.
a. They have sown folly, and they reap folly.
b. They will put on weird clothing, sit in odd positions, cut their hair in peculiar styles, and chant unintelligible sounds, thinking that they are finding serenity and bliss. What they are finding is an empty mind, which is the closest thing that the world can get to serenity.
C. If any meal or fruit may by chance grow on the wilted stalk, strangers will devour it.
1. The only ones truly profiting from the New Age philosophies are the ones who are selling it to the gullible public.
a. It doesn't profit the people who are buying into it.
b. They may find some temporary satisfaction as they are deceived by the promises of power and wealth. But the thrill is in the pursuit, and once you have attained the goal, it turns to bitter disappointment.
c. They sell you the crystals, and the pyramids telling of the mystic powers that you can gain, but what has really happened is that you have just helped them to become a little richer off of you. Others reap the benefits of your desire to find meaning and purpose in life.
2. This is true of all of the false religious groups that seek to enslave your mind.
a. They tell you that if you leave them, you are leaving the only true path.
b. To leave them is tantamount to leaving God.
c. They seek to hold you by fear.
d. Jesus will only hold you by love. Paul said, "The love of Christ constrains me."
3. We don't say that we are the only way, Jesus is the only way He is the truth and the life, and no man can come to the Father but by Him.
4. There are many good churches in the county, and you can find excellent Bible studies and fellowship.
5. We are not the only church, we are just a part of the whole body of Christ, we fit our niche that God has called us to fill.
6. We don't prescribe any special type of clothing or undergarments. Long hair, short hair, no hair, makes no difference. God loves us all.
7. We have no crystals or pyramids for sale.
8. We don't say read our books to understand the truth, we say read the Bible, we are not afraid of what you will come to believe by just reading the Bible.
9. We are not searching for some new thought, or new revelation, or new truth. We are seeking new fresh experiences in the old truths.
III. WHAT YOU SOW IS WHAT YOU WILL REAP.
A. We have been sowing the word of God in your hearts for 26 years, and the fruit that we are reaping is phenomenal.
B. Continue to sow to your spirit, and the fruit of the Spirit will come forth from your life.
C. If you sow to your flesh, all you can hope to reap is corruption, but if you sow to the spirit, of the Spirit you will reap life everlasting. Jesus said, "The words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit and they are life."
John 6:63 Read the gospels, read the words of Jesus, sow to the spirit, and reap the benefits.
Verse-Reference
Square — [Jhn 1:1 KJV]
Abbreviate Books
Use SBL Abbrev.
