This is the manuscript of the sermon preached at Christ Church Sunday October 12, 2025.
Scripture;
2 Corinthians 9:6-15 NIV [6] Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. [7] Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. [8] And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. [9] As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” [10] Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. [11] You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. [12] This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. [13] Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. [14] And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. [15] Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
The Law of the Farm
Our title today is "Faith in the Harvest: Reaping What We Sow.", sounds like an agricultural lesson, and in many ways, it is. In his letter to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul uses the law of the harvest to explain the dynamics of spiritual life.
The farmer understands this law: You cannot sow corn and expect to reap oranges. You cannot sow weeds and expect to gather wheat. The harvest is always, without fail, tied to the seed. This morning, we are challenged to look at the seeds we are sowing in the hidden fields of our hearts and lives.
Our text is both a wake-up call and an encouragement.
Galatians 6:7-10 (NIV) Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
There are three essential truths in this passage that form the pillars of our faith and guide our daily priorities.
Point 1. The first truth is the Reality of the Seed
Galatians 6:7 NIV [7] Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
This is a warning against self-deception. We cannot live one way—sowing seeds of impatience, bitterness, or neglect in our relationship with God—and expect a harvest of peace, joy, and spiritual vitality.
The word "sow" here represents our investments: our time, our energy, our resources, and most importantly, our choices.
We sow in our time: Where do we spend the first minutes of our day? On anxiety-inducing news, or in quiet time with the Word?
We sow in our priorities: Are we aligning our daily tasks with God’s will, or are we pursuing self-gratification above everything else?
The harvest may not come immediately, but it will come. This isn't just a threat; it's a profound, spiritual principle designed to help us establish a strong, foundational faith. Let me give you some examples from scripture.
Job 4:8 NIV [8] As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.
On the other hand;
Hosea 10:12 NIV [12] Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.
When you sow righteous actions and seek God, you can expect a harvest of God's love and favor.
Matthew 6:14-15 NIV [14] For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. [15] But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Sowing forgiveness directly results in a harvest of forgiveness from both God and (often) others.
James 3:17-18 NIV [17] But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. [18] Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
Sowing love and kindness (the building blocks of peace) creates an environment where righteousness and right living can flourish for everyone involved.
The second truth is the Choice of the Field.
Galatians 6:8 NIV Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
We are presented with two distinct planting fields: the flesh and the Spirit. This is the critical choice in maintaining our Christian walk.
Sowing to the Flesh: means living for yourself and your own desires. It's the quick fix, the easy path, the immediate gratification. It’s living as if we are the source of life and truth. The harvest here is destruction—a spiritual hollowness, a life devoid of true meaning and lasting qualities connected to God.
Galatians 5:19-21 NIV [19] The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; [20] idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions [21] and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
The field where we sow matters so we need to Sow to the Spirit.
This is the intentional act of aligning our will with God's will. It's the investment of prayer when we'd rather worry, the choice of service when we'd rather rest, and the practice of discipline when we want to be indulgent.
Sowing to the Spirit is a continuous, moment-by-moment process. Every morning, we wake up with a handful of seeds and a choice of where to plant them.
Point 3: The final, and perhaps most encouraging, truth is the Faith for the Wait.
Galatians 6:9 NIV Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
The farmer who plants a seed does not demand a harvest the next day. They exercise faith. They do the work—watering, weeding, tending—and trust in the unseen power of God’s creation to bring forth the fruit.
We, too, must not grow weary. We often sow seeds of kindness, prayer, or obedience and feel nothing. We don’t see the immediate growth, so we are tempted to stop.
"Do not give up!", “Don’t become weary”
Weariness is a powerful temptation. We pray and don't feel answered. We serve and don't feel appreciated. We forgive and don't feel released.
But here’s the Promise: There is a "proper time"—God's time—for the harvest. Your faithful actions, your quiet prayers, your consistent choice to choose the Spirit over the flesh—they are not falling on deaf ears or barren ground.
Galatians 6:9 NIV Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Psalms 126:5-6 NIV says [5] Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. [6] Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.
The foundation of our faith is in the character of the Harvester, not the speed of the harvest. Keep sowing the good seeds of faith, love, and righteousness. Trust that what you are faithfully pouring out today will yield a bountiful harvest in God's perfect season.
Conclusion: Begin Your Harvest Today
The law of the harvest is unchangeable: You will reap what you sow.
If you look at your life today and are disheartened by the weeds, take courage: it is not too late to change the seed.
Like we said earlier Hosea 10:12 NIV says [12] Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.
The presence of a seed or seeds inside is what technically defines a fruit.
Use the seed that comes from the fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23 NIV [22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Just as a physical seed produces fruit that contains new seeds, our spiritual actions (sowing to the Spirit) are meant to produce a harvest of righteousness that continues the cycle of faith.
Prayer
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the profound and simple truth of your Word today. We thank you for the law of the harvest—a spiritual principle that guides us, corrects us, and encourages us.
We confess, Lord, that we are often guilty of self-deception. We try to sow sparingly to the Spirit, yet expect a bountiful return. We confess the moments when we have chosen the quick, easy gratification of the flesh, and we ask for your forgiveness for planting seeds of impatience, worry, bitterness, and neglect in the fields of our hearts.
Lord, help us today to commit to the Choice of the Field. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we choose to align our will with yours. We ask you to take our time, our energy, and our daily priorities, and help us plant the seeds of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, kindness, and self-control. We want to reap the fruit of eternal life—the abundant life you promised us.
And finally, Father, we ask for the strength of Faith for the Wait. When weariness creeps in, when we don't see the immediate results of our quiet prayer or consistent service, remind us of your promise: that we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Strengthen our foundations, dear God, that we may trust in the character of the Harvester, not the speed of the harvest.
Give us the courage to break up our unplowed ground today, to sow righteousness, and to faithfully do good to all people, especially to those in the family of faith.
May the words we have heard move from our minds into the soil of our lives, yielding a harvest that brings glory to your name.
We pray this in the name of Jesus, the source of our eternal life.
Amen.
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