Galatians 6:6-10 - Sowing And Reaping

I uh bring greetings uh with me from our church plant in Berlin.

Uh it's the name of our church is uh Leuchturm.

That means uh lighthouse because we want to be a light for a dark world who needs the gospel.

And uh they are um praying for you and uh for for us this morning.

Uh we already or they had already their service this morning, uh six years ago, uh six uh hours ago.

And um it's a great joy to be here.

Thank you for having me here.

Um I already got uh a few of you to know, and you are such a lovely and uh dear congregation um uh who loves the Lord, who loves his word, um, who loves each other, and um um as a guest I recognize it.

Thank you so much for your welcoming.

I want you this morning, this morning to turn to Galatians chapter six, verse six to ten, and we want to see in this morning the unchanging principle of sowing and reaping.

The unchanging principle of sowing and reaping.

Well, have you ever doubted gravity?

No, probably you wished to escape gravity the last time you fell down the stairs, or probably you wished you would have fallen in slow motion.

Um, what would happen if you ignore the law of gravity willfully?

Well, we see God has built the whole universe on natural laws, like the gravity or the speed of light.

In our physical life, we are so used to these laws and we pay close attention to them.

But there are also um spiritual principles which we ignore on a regular basis, and this is the reason why we have immature believers, why we have weak churches, uh weak societies, uh, an ailing humanity.

Because there is a spiritual law which is ignored, and this law is the unchanging principle of sowing and reaping.

And the question is this morning will you apply this principle of sowing and reaping?

I personally believe when you apply this principle, it will result in keeping you away from sin.

Applying this principle will increase your spiritual health.

And not only your personal health, but it will have a huge impact on the unity and the maturity of the whole church.

It will have an impact not even on your personally, but even beyond that, on your work, on the ministry in the church, on your marriage, on your family, and even on your kids whom you are teaching.

Now let's turn to Galatians chapter 6, and I want to read the verses 6 to 10.

Galatians 6 · chapter mention

Paul tells the church there, let the one who is taught in the word share all his good things with the teacher.

Don't be deceived.

God is not mocked, for whatever a person sows, he will also reap.

Because the one who sows on his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh.

But the one who sows to the spirit will reap eternal life from the spirit.

Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don't give up.

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.

Now, Paul is writing this letter to the Galatians.

Well, it's not one church, but um they have been many churches, um, it's a whole region.

And the church in Galatia did well until Judaizers who claimed that the gospel was incomplete, came to this region and taught and had a huge impact.

Well, first they taught that Paul wouldn't be an authorized apostle.

And by this, they tried to discredit his teaching and his message and his gospel.

And Paul addresses this issue in Galatians 1, chapter and um Galatians 1 and 2.

Well, second, they claimed that salvation comes first through circumcision and only then by faith.

Well, Paul addresses that issue in chapters 3 and 4 and makes clear that salvation comes by faith, not by outward signs.

And thirdly, these Judaizers who tried to influence the churches, they taught that Christian life required complete observation of the Mosaic law.

And Paul addresses this issue in chapter 5 and 6 of Galatians.

So there have been some in the congregations who were caught by this false teaching of the Judaizers, and this created tension within the church.

So Paul charges the church to bear one another's burden and especially to restore a brother in the fruit of the Spirit.

And within this context, Paul teaches the principle of sowing and reaping.

Look again in verse 7, he says, Don't be deceived, God is not mocked.

For whatever a person sows, he will also reap.

Now, sowing and reaping is a law of farming.

If the farmer sows corn, so what will he harvest?

Corn, of course.

Nobody doubts it.

They will grow, they will, they will not grow tomatoes or apples or potatoes.

No, just corn will grow.

Somehow that is clear for everybody.

And Paul wants to make it clear that this law, which exists in the agriculture, also applies to the spiritual life.

This principle applies to all areas of life, as well in the physical realm and also in the spiritual realm.

Now, of course, everybody knows it.

If you go to school and if you don't learn, you will have bad grades, right?

Everybody knows this applies to nutrition.

Um, eating too much and too unhealthy, well, it has consequences.

But Paul wants to make it clear that this is also true in spiritual life.

Your effectiveness is proportional to your prayer life.

Paul makes clear sowing will have the consequences of reaping.

It applies always.

So we reap today what we have sown in the past, right?

At the same time, we sow every moment with what we say, what we how we act, how we spend our money, our time.

And what we sow today, we will reap later, sometimes moments later, sometimes a couple of days later, a month later, a year, and sometimes even a whole eternity later.

It will be reaped what a stone today.

And the principle is the harvest is always greater than the sowing.

From one tomato seed, a whole bush of tomatoes is growing.

If you sow one grain of wheat, it produces a whole head of wheat with probably 40, 50, 60 grains, depending on the harvest.

So this means that the sowing is so important because the reaping is always greater.

We cannot escape this law just as we cannot escape the law of gravity.

It is always there.

And I want you to see in this text, I want that you learn three issues.

First of all, pay attention to the warning.

Pay attention to the warning.

Second, understand the principle, and third, apply it in a number of ways.

Now let's focus on pay attention to the warning.

First seven begins with a strong warning, don't be deceived.

Well, it is a mistake to think that my action has no consequences.

The word to be deceived means to be seduced, to be cheated, to be fooled.

And in the New Testament, we find occasionally such um sharp warning because it is very likely and possible to be deceived.

We live in the territory of darkness, and we do not always realize when we are fooled.

The error consists in thinking, I can do whatever I want, there is no consequence.

Or it won't be so bad.

Or probably you even thought, God will surely understand me.

No, Satan has done everything to let us believe these lies.

Since the first day he deceived man with this illusion, you will surely not die.

That have been his words.

Your action has no bad consequences.

Well, since this moment in the Garden of Eden, this error has ruled our whole world, our society, well, and even ourselves.

In some areas, sowing and reaping is practiced prominently each day.

Now, probably you know that.

If you park in a no-parking area, um, or if you drive too fast, well, there are pretty quickly reaping, right?

And it costs you something.

But at the same time, this principle, it is.

At the same time, this principle is ignored in very, very important areas in our life.

Well, even our society, on the other hand, on one hand, sowing and reaping is pretty close, yeah, especially in no parking areas.

But in other areas, our society teaches teenagers you can have fun whenever you want with whomever you want, and there are no consequences.

Or rather, we will take care of the consequences and drive them away or eliminate them.

Now, as a society, we are reaping today what we have sown, and it will become even worse.

Proverbs 22, verse 8 says, the one who is sowing injustice will reap disaster.

Proverbs 22:8

Psychology wants us to believe that you should not be responsible for all your failures.

But you could blame everybody else.

You could blame your parents, you could blame your genetics, you can blame your environment.

But you know what?

This is a frontal attack on the principle of sowing and reaping.

Because God says you have a responsibility.

It has come so far, at least in Germany, that some politicians want to abolish consequences.

They say, let's abolish grades at school.

We don't need them.

Grades are so cruel.

Um, it is it just puts kids under pressure.

They can't endure it, they can't handle this pressure.

Now, of course, what are kids learning?

Nothing.

Um, it teaches the kids you don't need to try hard, you still achieve everything you want.

Well, that's not what the word of God is teaching us.

But it's bad enough that you and me, we can be deceived.

But there is one issue which is even worse than being deceived.

Now you may think, what is worse than being deceived?

Let's look in verse 7.

Don't be deceived.

God is not mocked.

So, what is even worse than being deceived is to make fun of God, to mock God.

So, if you think that your action has no consequence, then you are not only deceiving yourself, but you are mocking God.

Can you imagine that?

You are mocking God.

When we reject our responsibility, we are mocking God.

This is exactly what the wicked person is doing.

Psalm 10 verse 4 is saying the wicked person arrogantly thinks there is no accountability since there is no God.

Psalms 10:4

In other words, I can do whatever I want, it has no consequences.

But it has consequences.

Now, even if this general principle applies to all people in all situations, at all times, Paul has a special focus on the believer because he's writing to the believers.

Now, why?

Because even as believers, we can fall into this trap to think it has no consequences.

Our heart is still deceitful as long as we are not yet glorified.

So probably there is someone who thinks the consequence won't be that bad.

Or probably God will surely understand me.

Or probably, I couldn't help me.

Or probably somebody else is saying, My circumstances are to blame.

They are the reason I made this or that bad decision, or my circumstances are the reason I sinned.

Well, actually, no.

If you say this, so you are not only deceiving yourself, but actually you are mocking God.

Because you think it has no impact.

Now I want to do a little test with you.

Um, probably you remember Achan, right from the Old Testament.

Um, during the destruction of Jericho, um he lusted and he took a Babylonian cloak, 200 shekels of silver, a bar of gold.

So why did he do that?

So what is he thinking about?

Well, he thought the thing will be destroyed anyway.

It won't hurt anybody if I take something with me.

And no one will notice what I what I did.

So how would you judge this issue?

Was it trivial?

Was it stealing?

Now take this verse again and apply it to Achan's sin.

What would it be?

It would be blasphemy because he thinks it has no consequences to disobey.

So if this is not the same what happens, is this not the same what happens often in our hearts?

We think, yes, God is omniscient.

Yes, nothing escaped his notice, but there will be no consequences.

Well, another test.

Probably just remember your last sin, probably an outburst of anger.

What were the thoughts you thought about your anger?

Probably it wasn't quite okay, but actually everybody is angry at some times.

It was a good reason to be angry.

Um, the kids have been disobedient, or whatever it was.

So what is the reason?

What is the outcome?

Actually, this mocking God.

Because I think it has no consequences.

Maybe it were impure images you saw and you enjoyed them and you lusted for them.

Why did you risk a second chance?

Because you thought it wasn't that bad, right?

One look wouldn't certainly would not lead you to commit adultery, right?

If you downplay sin, you think it's not that bad.

If you downplay sin, then actually you are mocking God.

Now escaping this principle of sowing and reaping is just as to try to escape gravity.

Now I'm sure you don't try ever in your life to escape gravity because you know it's always there.

But we want to ascribe this principle of sowing and reaping.

And I want you to pay attention to the warning.

Now let's take a look at the principle and understand it.

Uh just see in verse 7 once again.

Verse 7 is saying, Don't be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a person sows, he will also reap, because the one who is sowing to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh.

Now understand the principle here.

Why is this principle, why does it exist at all?

Why are there at all consequences for my doing?

Well, the reason is God equipped man with reason, with willpower, and with strength.

Adam and likewise you and me had an intellect.

He understood his task.

God gave Adam as well as like you and me, willpower, understanding, strength.

And this makes man responsible.

And this means you have your actions have consequences.

You cannot blame somebody else.

Because God equipped you with a mind, with willpower, and with strength.

We see the principle of sowing and reaping for the first time in the Garden of Eden.

Uh, in Genesis 2, verse 17, God tells to Adam, um, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.

Genesis 2:17

Now, this is actually sowing and reaping.

So what you do has consequences.

Now, what did the harvest of Genesis 3 look like?

I mean, Adam he ate of the fruit and he reaped what he had sown.

Adam was sowing, so Paul would say Adam was sowing on the flesh.

Paul understood this term flesh in the whole context of Galatians 5 and 6 as the disposition to sin.

And Paul is speaking of the lust of the flesh, um, 5.16, the sinful desires.

Paul speaks of the works of the flesh, 5.19 to 21, sinful actions like disobedience, envy, selfishness, anger, partiality, self-indulgence, sexual sins, and so on.

Now, Adam was sowing on his flesh by disobedience.

Now, what did Adam reap?

Corruption.

Adam reaped corruption on different levels.

So, first of all, his relationship with God was ruined, he was separated, he was now fleeing from the presence of God.

While second, he reaped the corruption in the relationship with his wife Eve.

Then we see he um he reaped corruption within the physical realm.

So his body began to die, his work became laborous and exhausting, but he also reaped eternal consequences, separation from God.

So one single action had consequences on different levels, destruction on every level.

So the Bible calls this the wages of sin, corruption of sin on every level.

And exactly the same applies to your sowing and reaping.

The harvest is always greater and takes place on different levels.

Now, probably you don't take time for prayer and devotion.

Probably you don't bath yourself in grace.

And you expect grace for the day, right?

So you are reaping what you you want to reap what you didn't sow.

We need to sow the grace of God in our lives.

We need the closeness, the nearness to God in our personal day-by-day walk.

So we want to reap it, but we don't sow it.

And this doesn't work.

We need to be close to God, to be at the throne of God, to receive grace for everyday labor.

Probably you hang out around place a place week.

You shouldn't visit.

Probably you are too busy to build your own kingdom.

And then you sit in church on Sunday and you wonder why your heart is so hard and cold.

The songs and the sermon leaves you cold.

You cannot rejoice.

You have no inner peace.

You feel like the prayer or just get stuck with the ceiling.

Well, the effects is not only on your personal life, but it affects all the relationships you are in.

The relationship within your marriage, within the family, the relationship within the church.

It has consequences.

The harvest is always greater than the sowing.

Reaping has more consequences, multiple effects, multiple levels.

Maybe you think, what about salvation?

Doesn't salvation eliminate the eternal consequences?

Oh, yes, it does, of course.

The grace of God saved us and eliminates our eternal separation from the Lord.

But still, our doing has eternal consequences, right?

Paul tells it in 1 Corinthians 3.

What about forgiveness?

God forgave us all the sins and doesn't throw us into hell, right?

Absolutely.

What about grace?

Grace means that God is not dealing according to our sins with us, according to with wrath and judgment, right?

Absolutely, right.

Are we not saved by grace without works?

Absolutely.

Works cannot add and cannot take away anything to our salvation.

What about the security of salvation?

Well, scripture teaches that our salvation is sure.

Whoever is saved, whoever is born again, will not perish.

But we must be we must never play off these principles against each other.

These principles, we are not allowed to play them against each other.

Um it this principle never may lead us to think that God will always eliminate all negative consequences of our sinning.

This principle may never lead us to think we are immune against sin and the consequences of sin.

There is always forgiveness.

And if you just find out right by hearing God's word, that probably you think I haven't sown rightly in this and this and this area of my life.

Praise the Lord.

Today is time for repentance.

Just come bring it to the Lord and confess the sin to Him that you didn't sow.

You sow on the flesh, and there is grace for your life, there is grace for everyday life.

But we are not allowed to play this principles against each other.

Now, what about the application?

Where should we apply this principle?

Let's go, let's turn to verse six, and we come to the third point.

Apply this principle in a number of ways.

Now look into verse six.

Paul is saying, Don't be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a person sows, he will also reap.

And Paul here has three specific applications in mind.

So in this context, Paul is addressing is addressing three specific applications.

Of course, this principle has a lot of applications.

But in verse 6, he is applying this principle to the support of preacher and teacher.

In verse 8, he is applying this principle to personal sanctification.

And in verse 8 uh and verse 9 to 10, he is applying this principle to doing good to one another.

Let's start with the first, um, verse 6.

Paul applies this principle to the support of those who preach and teach, to the pastors, actually.

Um, let the one who is taught the word share all his good things with the teacher.

Now, this means to share all the good things.

The word is used for moral goods, for goods, for possessions.

Now, what can the one who is taught give the one who is teaching?

We could so what should he share?

Paul is saying, share every good thing.

Just he says every good thing.

He should share in every good.

So it could mean financial provision, but also moral good.

For example, the one who is taught should share to the one who is teaching, hey, rejoice with me, for I am making progress.

Yeah, and he gives thanks, he gives appreciation to the one who is teaching.

Now, sowing and reaping is God's unchanging principle.

And at first glance, it looks like this verse is fully out of context.

Paul, this verse hasn't to do anything with this principle.

But actually, look exactly here.

Paul is pointing, is directing, he's making the first application of this principle to the support of the preachers and teachers.

Now, just remember for one moment what was the state, the spiritual state and the condition of the churches in Galatia.

I just mentioned it.

It was catastrophic.

It was bad, worse.

Paul feared for these churches like for none other.

Now, what could have been the reason?

Actually, this could have been the reason.

They harvested so poor in investing into their preacher and teacher, and they reaped poorly.

They had no, they had neither appreciation nor thank, nor didn't they support their teachers.

And the result was just an unhealthy church open for um false doctrine.

Oh, in Germany, actually, it's a bad example.

Um many churches don't, I know you do.

That's good.

But in Germany, many churches don't support a pastor, their pastor.

Now, probably you you can't even imagine that that's really, really the case.

They even would pay um a facility manager, but not their pastor.

Now, can you imagine how the spiritual condition would look like?

That's exactly the condition.

It's bad, it's worse.

Why?

Because they don't appreciate the word of God.

So they don't teach the word of God, they don't have time to study the word of God.

So you see, the churches they reap what they have sown.

And they have sown poorly, and they reap poorly.

That's exactly what happened to the Galatian churches.

Now, the second area Paul applies this principle is personal sanctification.

Um, just look to first uh verse uh seven and eight.

For a person sows, he will also reap, because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the spirit will reap eternal life from the spirit.

So this is Paul's second application, and it relates to personal sanctification.

Some believers sow daily to the field of the flesh, and they wonder why there is nothing to reap from the Holy Spirit.

They are sowing to the flesh, that means giving in to sinful desires instead of crucifying those desires.

It means feeding those desires instead of killing those desires.

Romans 13, verse 14, Paul says, make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.

Romans 13:14

So he says, pay no attention to the flesh with regard to the lust, to indulge the flesh, to pamper and to spoil it.

John Stott says, every time we allow our mind to harbor a grunge, to nurse a grievance, entertain an impure fantasy, or wallow in self-pity, we are sowing into the flesh.

Every time we linger in bad company, whose influence we cannot resist, every time we lie in bed when we ought to be up and praying, every time we pursue pornography, every time we take a risk which strains our self-control, we are sowing, sowing, sowing to the flesh.

He says, holiness is a harvest.

Whether we reap it or not depends almost entirely on what and where we sow.

Well, really good.

He put it really good.

So if we sow to the spirit through the books we read, the time we invest into the close fellowship with the Lord, the company we keep, the real relations and the recreation we pursue, the disciplined habits we have in daily prayer and Bible reading and worship, then we reap the fruit of the spirit.

Then you will reap.

So not only what Paul is saying in chapter 5, verse 22, the fruit of the spirit, like joy and love and peace and patience and kindness and goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in your life.

But Paul continues actually here the fruit of the spirit, and he says, You will reap eternal life from the spirit.

Now let's go on to the third area Paul applies this principle, and um, this we will find in verses 9 to 10.

It is doing good to one another.

Paul is saying, Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don't give up.

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.

So this is the third application of Paul to do good to one another.

So it looks like if it would be a completely new topic, but actually Paul is continuing with um sowing and reaping.

Paul picks out really strange areas to make it clear, yes, this principle of sowing, reaping also applies to spiritual matters, especially within the church.

So, what is Paul saying?

What should we do?

He says, good deeds, doing good, invest into the church, and not bringing fraction to the church, not bringing slandering into the church, but doing good.

So when should we do good?

What is Paul saying?

At every opportunity.

And whom should we do good?

Well, to all, but especially to those who belong to the household of faith, so the believers.

And Paul's emphasis in this verse is do not grow weary.

So your sacrificial service can become tiresome.

It can become discouraging.

You may even think about quitting the ministry of the church.

Sowing is hard work.

Sowing is exhausting.

Usually we don't see the harvest yet.

But we have to sow like a farmer.

We shouldn't stop if we are halfway through the field.

We should continue until the end.

That's what James is um uh telling his uh recipients in James 5, 7 to 8.

He says, Therefore, brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord's coming.

See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rain.

You also must be patient, strengthen your hearts, because the Lord's coming is near.

Sometimes we are so impatient like little children, right?

We want to sow now and we want to reap right now away.

Sowing is doing good.

If sowing is doing good, was Paul is saying here, what is reaping?

So if I have to sow, which is doing good, what is the harvest?

Well, Paul leaves it open.

He doesn't say what the harvest is.

He only says, We will reap in time.

He doesn't mention it.

And he, well, in Greek you have two words for time.

The one is chronos, that means chronological passing time, and the other one is kairos, which which means um a period, a moment, a point of time, and Paul is using this one to make clear there may be a point of time, probably even in this in this time or even when the Lord returns, when you will be reaping.

Paul wants to make this point clear.

If you sow in this area and doing good, especially to the household of the faith, you will reap.

He doesn't say what, but you will reap.

And you must be patient and not be discouraged.

Sowing in your ministry can be sacrificial, it can be exhausting, it can be draining.

Sowing can even involve tears.

Psalm 126, verse 5 says, Those who sow in tears.

Psalms 126:5

So sowing is sometimes connected to tears.

But it doesn't finish there.

It goes on and says, They will reap with shout of joy.

So the principle is applicable in many areas.

Ask yourself during the next week in your quiet times, where do I sow poorly?

And where do I expect a rich harvest, and probably I don't sow right?

Do I expect the grace of God, the nearness of God in my life, and I don't sow it?

Maybe it applies to the to your relationship with the Lord, to your sanctification.

It applies to your marriage, your child, your children, your parenting.

It applies to your church.

Probably you have high expectation of a rich harvest, but you are not sowing into the church.

No time, no investment, no money, not into relationships.

Sowing is actually the opposite of gathering.

Now, what makes fun?

Sowing or harvesting?

Well, sowing is not that much fun, isn't it?

We all want to harvest.

Sowing is hard work, sowing is sacrifice.

Sowing is usually not fun.

Harvesting makes fun.

You can taste the fruit or whatever you take.

But we have to invest, we have to sow in order to reap.

Now, this principle of sowing and reaping is an unchanging principle that always applies.

This principle arises from the character of God.

And to ignore this principle is to mock God.

To ignore this principle would be like hoping to escape gravity.

So Paul urges us to pay attention to the warning, to understand the principle, and to buy it in a number of ways.

Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we are so grateful for Paul who charges the church in Galatia to take heed for this unchangeable principle of sowing and reaping.

Thank you so much for understanding how important it is.

This principle comes out of your character.

And Lord, we want to apply this principle in our lives.

Please show us areas where we are sowing poorly in order and give us grace, Lord.

Thank you that this is a time of grace today where we can confess our sin, where we can confess where we have sown poorly, and your grace will be there.

But Lord, we will be also reminded that sowing is hard work, it is sacrificial work.

Let us not grow weary, especially not within serving one another in the church.

Amen.