180415 The Law of the Harvest

Galatians 6:6-10 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.

Every farmer knows that what you sow is what you get! This is true in all areas of life. There are results that impel us to obey these unwritten laws. One of the unwritten laws, at least as far as we’re concerned, is the law of gravity. We may not know exactly how to define it but we certainly know what it is. Is not very intelligent to make light of this law. Many a child has tried to work out a way to override gravity. Maybe just in taking a swing to its highest level or even to jumping off a barn roof into a pile of hay. The results are always the same. If you break the law of gravity, either intentionally or by accident, you will definitely suffer the consequences! The same is true when we try to violate the rules of planting. Let me tell you a true story from my own family that occurred during the Great Depression.

Immediately after the election of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, he began to try to solve the problems caused by the great stock market crash of 1929. One of the things that he initiated was to help farmers financially. My grandpas both were farmers and were looking forward to getting the government help. I really don’t know how things worked out for grandpa Kelley because I’ve never heard about his experience. I do recall being told specifically what happened to grandpa Bray. He was so convinced that the government was going to take care of his needs he did not plant that spring. I believe it would have been 1932. My grandma Bray told the story. When the government woman came to the farm she looked over the garden plot and then went into the fields to look around. She came back and had some words with my grandpa. She sat down and filled out some papers and before she left she showed them to my grandma. It said something like this, “The garden is not planted, the cornfields are not planted, there is apparently no preparation for food production. I recommend that there be no aid given to this family.” And her word prevailed! There was no aid for the family and it was a very lean year. In this case, it wasn’t a matter of reap what you sow it was a matter of without sowing there would be no reaping.

My first point in developing this sermon is more than a little uncomfortable to me. I suspect it might be uncomfortable to some of you as well. As a general rule, I don’t necessarily like to talk about money. How many times have you heard someone say, “All the church wants is your money!” Often, we see in the news where the love of money has pulled down another ministry. At the same time, the Scripture is very clear. In writing to the Corinthians the Apostle Paul reached back into the law of Moses in order to establish the rule…

Pay the pastor. Let’s turn to 1 Corinthians 9:9-10. For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? ¹⁰ Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop.

I am not entirely comfortable with this topic. Too many times pastors, or preachers, have apparently been in the ministry for money. That must never be the case! In writing to the Corinthians Paul quotes one of the Old Testament laws that speaks of letting the laborer receive benefit from his labor. When Paul wrote to Timothy about the subject (1 Timothy 5:17-18) he said: “elders who rule well should be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.” “Double honor” is not a plaque to put on the wall or a letter of recommendation. The term could be translated as “double value” speaking of financial remuneration. Or to make it more simple double pay. In fact, Jesus himself said, “The laborer deserves his wages.” In 1 Corinthians 9:12 the Apostle speaks of himself when he says “Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right,” Paul was very careful not to let money get in the way of ministry.

About 30 years ago there were some significant news stories concerning prominent Christian leaders who were receiving very large pay packages. At the same time, many of them were apparently involved in ungodly activities. At that time we discontinued the practice of “passing the plate” for an offering and instead put the offering box in the entryway. My feeling at that time was we should stay as far as possible away from any greed. In his counsel to Timothy Paul said: “for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.” (1 Timothy 6:10) We wanted to be sure no one ever considered this church to be “all about money”! Now, we have “Pay the Pastor” out-of-the-way let’s go on with “The Law of the Harvest”.

God made the rule. Let’s look at 2 Corinthians 9:6-8. The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ⁷ Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

A friend of mine once told me that when people leave the church they usually start by reducing or stopping their giving. Several weeks before leaving they will usually stop giving. It is very grievous to me that there seems to be a spirit of selfishness that invades many homes in the church.

Friends you can’t out give God and you can’t compel God to do anything by manipulating your giving. Holding your offering hostage doesn’t cause God to change his ways with regard to your family life. In fact, the opposite would be true. As we give we should give bountifully so that we can receive bountifully.

Let me tell you the story of R. G. LeTourneau. This material comes from http://www.centerforfaithandwork.com. He and his wife gave away 90% of their income.

LeTourneau was one of the more unlikely leaders of 20th-century industry. From humble beginnings and a 7th-grade education, he taught himself engineering and eventually built a manufacturing empire. His earth-moving machines helped win WWII and construct the highway infrastructure of modern America.  By the end of his life, he held more than 300 patents. He had also become one of the leading spokespersons in the lay-led faith and work movement.

The decision to give away 90 percent of his personal income and stock in the company was the result of a previous decision--made when he was 30 and deeply in debt--to make God His business partner. Chastised by his missionary sister to get serious about serving God, LeTourneau was confused.  Like most people, he believed that sincere dedication to God required that he become a preacher, an evangelist, or a missionary. He attended a revival meeting at church and gave in. Thinking he was headed to the mission field, he sought guidance from his pastor. After praying together, his pastor said, “You know Brother LeTourneau, God needs businessmen as well as preachers and missionaries.” LeTourneau responded, “All right if that's what God wants me to be, I'll try to be His businessman.”

LeTourneau took his business partnership with God seriously, although he felt like God was getting “a sorry specimen as a partner.” When financial success came years later, he believed this made him a debtor to God as well as his fellowman. His commitment to give away so much of his wealth was not a flash of generosity as much as a logical progression from his earlier decision to make God his business partner.

When people understand that their work matters to God and recognize that He is their business partner, LeTourneau's perspective is a natural response: “The question is not how much of my money I give to God, but rather how much of God’s money I keep for myself.” 

I first heard those words from my father when he said, “I’m not concerned about what people do with what I give I’m concerned about what I do with what I keep.” The rule that God made is simply…

You reap what you sow. Let’s turn to Luke 6:38. Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

These are the words of our Lord Jesus! He commends the giving and promises that there will be a return. Not only will there be a return it will be substantial! God does not short the return to people. The measure is pressed down, shaken together, running over! If you give faithfully you will receive bountifully. I am not saying that you will receive a certain kind of return. Some of the false teachers have done that to the damage of many people. I recall a friend who called me to say he had just heard something on the radio and wanted me to respond to it. What he had heard the evangelist say was “add up all your bills and send me the money” if they did this God would give them 100 times what they had given to the evangelist! Obviously, if you could work such a deal it would be easy to pay your bills with all the gifts that would be poured out on you. Please, never fall for such a scheme.

Remember, “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils” all of these schemes simply show our greed! I remember a T-shirt that had written on it, “God, let me prove that you can trust me. Let me win the lottery!” I can’t think of any worse attitude concerning God and money. I will tell you that God always takes care of the faithful. It is possible to accumulate some treasure here on earth but…

Our real treasure is in heaven. Turn with me to 1 Peter 1:3-5. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

We need to praise God that he has a reserve account in heaven. Social Security is not secure! The Federal Reserve can fail to protect our national wealth. By the resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ God demonstrated his power! By our faith in him, we have an inheritance protected for us — not by the power of the federal government — but by the power of God! That inheritance is not here on earth it is in heaven and will be revealed by God’s own time! Meanwhile, we are to… Do good. Let’s turn to the words of Peter found in Acts 10:38. God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

Peter followed Jesus for about three years and observed all the good things that he did. He knew that Jesus demonstrated servant leadership and he demonstrated it. Peter could remember the words of the Lord Jesus when he said he had not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28). We must…

Remember, we are part of a family. Let’s look at Philippians 3:17-21. Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. ¹⁸ For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹ Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. ²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

In the same way that Paul followed Christ, he wanted his disciples to follow himself. Our treasure is in heaven and so is our citizenship. Like the old song says “this world is not my home I’m just a passing through”. We are to do good to everyone, especially those who are of the household of faith. There needs to be a giving attitude in our life towards everyone. I can assure you that we serve a God who has a giving attitude. We are not to get tired of doing good instead we are to concentrate on helping each other.

We are to be led by the Spirit and not by our feelings. We have a serious obligation to bear the burdens of our family. Everyone is a burden-bearer. Every believer is to pull our brothers and sisters out of the ditch when they fall into it. Are you a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you recognized that, apart from Jesus, we have no hope in the world? Having received Christ have you followed through with baptism and involvement in the church? Today could be your day!

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

180422 What Really Counts?

Galatians 6:14-18 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵ For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. ¹⁶ And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. ¹⁷ From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. ¹⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

The entire Galatian letter was written by the Apostle Paul to refute the teachings of the Judaizers who followed him around the Roman Empire throughout most of his ministry. As we come to the end of the letter Paul proclaims a curse on these false teachers. They did not care about Christ’s glory and the salvation of souls they only sought their own glory. They turned away from the cross of Christ. Everything they said and did was counterfeit and full of hypocrisy.

Many people today are like the Pharisees. They rejoiced in controlling others. Jesus had said about them, “they preach, but do not practice” (Matthew 23:3). They rejoiced in placing burdens that they could not bear on others. They did everything just to be seen and bragged about. They enjoyed fancy clothes and loved to have a prominent place when they went to special events. Jesus went on to pronounce several woes on them. For example, he said, “woe to you… You shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces.… Woe to you” they spent great resources to make converts who become children of hell. Jesus pronounced woe on them for saying that the gold in the temple was more important than the temple itself. He pronounced a woe because they meticulously followed the rules of tithing and ignored the more important things: justice and mercy and faithfulness. Woe to them for cleaning the outside of the cup and plate while being full of greed and self-indulgence. Woe to them they were like tombs whitewashed on the outside but full of decay on the inside. Woe to them for honoring the prophets with monuments and they themselves would kill the prophets that he would send (Matthew 23:13-30).

Even today, the world we live in is filled with people who are exactly like the Pharisees. They rejoice in their large buildings, fancy suits, expensive automobiles, private jets and huge congregations. I can assure you, they have their reward!

The Apostle Paul had once been part of that group – rejoicing in things! After his encounter with Christ on the Damascus Road…

Paul only rejoiced in the cross. Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 2:2.  For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Paul made the decision to turn away from the material things of this world in order to focus on what really counted — the cross! Martin Luther, in his commentary on Galatians, encouraged Christians to focus on the cross of Christ. He wrote “It is good for us to know these things, lest we should be swallowed up with sorrow or fall into despair when we see our enemies cruelly persecute, excommunicate, and kill us. But remember that we must glory in the cross, which we bear not for our own sins, but for Christ’s sake. If we consider the sufferings we endure, they are not only grievous but intolerable; but when we can say, “The sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives” (2 Corinthians 1:5), or, “For your sake we face death all day long” (Psalm 44:22), then these sufferings are not only easy but also sweet (Matthew 11:30).”

 Concerning the Apostle Paul…

He had, in the past, rejoiced in the flesh. Let’s look at Philippians 3:3-7. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— ⁴ though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. ⁷ But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

The Apostle had what Doctor Bill Gillam calls “Choice Flesh”. He defines “Flesh” as patterns by which you have attempted to get all your needs supplied instead of seeking Christ first and trusting him to meet our needs.

Look at what he had to rejoice in! A Hebrew of Hebrews who had been circumcised on the eighth day and welcomed into the tribe of Benjamin. He had been a Pharisee who was so zealous for the law that he persecuted the church. Regarding the righteousness that could come from the law, he was blameless. Blameless? How could this be?

He had very carefully followed the Law of Moses in every possible way he could. He was not guilty of breaking the law, therefore, he was not subject to blame. After he met Jesus on the road to Damascus his whole view of life changed completely. Now…

He only wanted to be found in Christ. Let’s read on Philippians 3:8-11. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— ¹⁰ that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Paul was willing to give up everything for Jesus. Not just to know “about him” but to “know him” — to know Jesus intimately! Paul may have been thinking of the promise found in the book of Jeremiah. “Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, ²⁴ but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

“In these things, I delight,” God said. What things? Knowing God! Practicing steadfast love! Practicing justice! Practicing righteousness! That is what God wanted! Paul wanted to give him that.

He wanted to be found in Christ. He wanted to receive God’s righteousness. He wanted to live by faith — by the power of the resurrection! Earlier Paul had written to the Corinthians that Christ had become to us wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption so that we could boast in the Lord and not ourselves (1 Corinthians 1:30-31). Paul understood that…

When he came to Christ he was put to death. Let’s look back in Galatians 2:20. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

It is a blessing to be able to boast in the cross. The Romans would not have understood that. The cross was the most humiliating form of capital punishment that they knew. To boast in the cross would be like boasting in the hangman’s noose! To boast in the cross would be like boasting in the gas chamber! To boast in the cross would be like boasting in the electric chair! Yet, we can boast in the cross of Jesus Christ because it is the tool God used to set us free from sin and death. It was the cross that crucified the world to Paul (and to us) and Paul to the world. It was the cross of Christ that brings us to a new creation.

Paul had now come to a place that he recognized his spiritual death. Every one of us who have come to faith in Jesus has come to the end of our old way of living since we have been crucified with Christ. Obviously, Paul did not hang on the cross with Jesus. And neither did we. In the verse before this Paul states that in Christ he became dead to the Law, insensible to it in the same way that physical death makes a person insensible to all surrounding objects and influences. Paul says that he became insensitive to the Law as a means of justification. It lost its power over him and ceased to influence him. Paul was also dead to the world, to ambition and the love of money, to the pride of life, and to the dominion of evil and hateful passions. They lost their power over him; they ceased to influence him. They, too, were crucified with Christ.

Now Paul could openly assert that…

His “old man” was buried with Christ. Let’s look at Romans 6:3-4. Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Having died with Christ, Paul can assure us that we have also been buried with him. Of course, we were not physically in the tomb with Jesus but we definitely were there spiritually — in the mind of God. Therefore, baptism symbolizes our death to the old way of living; our burial and our resurrection. Having been raised with Christ we can also count ourselves as able to walk in a new life.

Buried by baptism into death…

Then he was raised with Christ. Let’s read on Romans 6:8-11. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. ¹⁰ For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. ¹¹ So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Since, in the mind of God, we have died with Christ and been buried with him we are now raised to walk a new kind of life. Baptism symbolizes our death burial and resurrection. We are now able to live a new life.

The phrase “consider yourselves dead to sin” could be a bookkeeping term. This illustration will not last long historically because people are ceasing to use checks. But, I will assume you know something about a checkbook. Now suppose you had to write a check for a large amount of money. It would be necessary for you to have a large amount of money in the bank. If a friend had come to the bank and put that large amount of money in your account without telling you would’ve been hesitant to write the check. You must be able to consider the amount you need to recognize its presence in your account before you in good conscience can write the check.

In the same way, we have to recognize that God has entered into our heavenly bank account, “dead to sin” as well as “alive to God”. That being true will allow you to agree with God and believe the truth! Jesus died to sin once for all! Therefore we can consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. We no longer live in the “old man” we instead have become new in Christ.

All of the things that we consider important cease to be so. None of the past counts for anything…

What really counts is a new creation. Let’s turn to 2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Anyone in Christ is a new creation! And that’s what really counts! The cross takes on new significance for those who have received Christ as Lord and Savior. The cross has put the world around us to death so that it no longer rules over us. We are dead to the world and the world is just as dead to us. Even the good things could not bring us to faith in Christ, and they die to us. Everything, even things we think of as good, that is not of faith is sin. If that statement is a problem to you speak to me later.

The world is crucified to us. What does that mean? Well, throughout Scripture “the world” means not only ungodly and wicked people, but the very best, wisest, and holiest people that are of this world. (Martin Luther).

The new creation is all that counts because it is the new creation that is…

Setting believers free. Let’s turn to one of my very favorite verses of Scripture, Romans 6:14. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

We would say, “Sin should not have dominion over us.” Implying somehow that we have the ability to pull that off. Instead, the Bible says that sin WILL HAVE NO DOMINION over us. A very positive statement that we can take to the heavenly bank and use it even when we are living on earth. Some might say that Paul is talking about our future condition in heaven. We won't need it in heaven! We need it now. Sin seems to exercise control over us. It is hard to shake off the habits of the old man. The harder we work at it the more difficult it is to live a life outside the control of sin. Have faith! Believe what the Bible tells you! Then act it out in your own life.

Doctor Bill Gillham offers a definition of faith. “Faith is living like God tells the truth.” God’s plan was to crucify our “old man” and in exchange give us new life in Christ. It is hard to understand how God does this. Two things happen when a person is born again. First, Jesus comes into the believer; second, the believer comes into Christ. He is in us and we are in him. God places us in Christ when he paid the price for our sin. He saw our need before we ever lived it out. How do I know this? Because the Bible says it’s true. Praise God the cross — what really counts — broke the power of sin over us and set us free to serve God. Now, let’s live it out on a day-to-day basis.

All scripture quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.