November 5th, 2000, Sunday Morning

"The Sewing of the Spiritual Seed"

The good spiritual seed vs. the evil seed

OPENING: Galatians 6:6-10, KJV

We are constantly sewing the seeds of a spiritual nature.

Good - principles/precepts of GOD
Evil - violations of the principles of GOD (world, flesh, evil desires)
This is what we do all day long--either planting good or evil seeds ... even gestures communicate seeds.
PARENTS: Your children are smarter than you give them credit for. Your children study and evaluate your attitude and reactions to events. Your non-verbal gestures speak volumes to them!
We wrestle not against the flesh and blood but against GOD's principles.

FOUR THINGS TO CONSIDER

#1/4: Be PRUDENT in your sewing.

EXAMPLE: A prudent child considers the consequences of not following parents' orders before disobeying. Parents warning of a consequence behind the violation of the rules shall help the child evaluate the penalty.
Proverbs 13:16: The prudent man considers the consequences of what he sews.
Proverbs 14:15: The prudent man not only sees the road but where it leads to.

Proverbs 22:3: The prudent man deals with situations based on knowledge. To understand this, the prudent man considers the constant "Laws of the Harvest":

The Laws of the Harvest

#1: Reap only what's been sewn

If you sew zero, you reap zero.
We're always sewing something right at this moment--either sewing belief or unbelief.

#2: Reap the same in kind as you sew

If you plant little tomatoes, don't expect to reap large watermelons.

#3: Reap in different season than you sew

Ecclesiastes 8:11: This is why it's so important to discipline evil right away. A person who sins and is not immediately corrected believes it is OK to continue the evil he/she does. Prison is not meant to be rehab but punishment. Rehabilitation is a bi-product. EXAMPLE: If one is sexually promiscuous and contracts the HIV virus, it incubates for 3-7 years ... it "bears fruit" in a different season.

#4: You'll reap more than you sew

If you sew a little hated, you'll get much hated back. If you sew one lie, you'll teach many to lie forever.

#5: We reap in proportion to what we sew

If we plant one grape seed, the seed will bear vines of clusters of grapes. GOD has left it up to man to sew. So we will either sew a little, a lot, or not at all so that man can consider, for himself, the consequences of his actions.

#6: We reap the full good if we persevere

If anything grows in your seed-planted garden other than fruits from that seed (i.e., weeds), remove them. Take care of the good over the bad. Parents don't have to sew wickedness into their children--the world will do that for you.
Ephesians 4:29: We must also be watchful of what seed come out of our mouth--how we speak.

#7: We cannot do anything about last year's harvest; but we can for next year's.

What's done is done ... we cannot change the past but simply move on.

The prudent man knows the rules of engagement of the Laws of the Harvest and operates upon them to consider the consequences of his actions. If one don't consider his/her actions or have knowledge, that person will make a fool of himself in public.
Go out of your way to help people--but ESPECIALLY your brethren!

#2/4: PRECAUTIONS TO SEWING
- Galatians 6:7: Take caution in what/how you sew. Stop and examine the seeds you are sewing to the congregation. GOD and His Word cannot be made into a liar no matter what you do.
- If you don't plant spiritual seeds, future family generations will be lost (Harvest Law #3).
- Whether or not you sew seeds, the effects of will come back later in more intensity and in a greater quantity (Harvest Law #4).
- Remember that what you sew others can reap, as well!
#3/4: TAKE PATIENCE IN SEWING
- Galatians 6:7,9: This teaches us to have faith and persevere in GOD. To "faint" is to give up and become spiritually "dead". This doesn't simply you've lost salvation but rather you about not about the Father's business.
- Be patient upon the LORD
  - Psalm 2:12
  - Psalm 40:4
- If you're doing right (planting spiritual seeds), you should be ecstatic about life for what's to come.
- Galatians 6:9: PARENTS: According to this and Harvest Law #3, you may think your immediate discipline is ineffective, but persevere that, in time, in a different season, you will see results.
  - Who's to say that when a child turns 18 that the parents leave that child alone? Or that the person can start abusing their body? In the Old Testament, Isaac, son of Abraham, was 40 and still subject to his parents!
  - Children may complain they didn't ask for their parents' opinion but the world gives children its opinion all the time.
- Galatians 6:7: We cannot make GOD into a liar. If we disagree with anything written in the bible (His Word), we are calling Him a liar.
#4/4: PERSEVERE!
- Stay on your course with painstaking diligence because you will, without doubt, reap in due season--IF you faint not.
- Do not only train but teach/educate your children to be accountable for their actions.
  - A 20/20 poll was taken of all heathen children with the question, "What could your parents have done to you to make you a better person?" and almost all the children's answers were, "No one loved me. I wish they'd have taught me about accountability for my actions."
- The result of the pastor, Willie J. Byrd, who stands before us today, is a result of an upbringing of the truth and accountability by the parents. And, as the bible says, as you grow older, you will not depart from it.

CLOSER

A prudent man sews spiritual seeds. Remember when sewing spiritual seeds to:

1. Be prudent
2. Take precautions
3. Have patience
4. Persevere
Job 1-42: ...just like Job.

If you're sewing bad seeds, stop now. The sooner you stop the sooner the future reaping will stop.

If you want mercy, sew the seeds of righteousness.