In Due Season We Shall Reap (Galatians 6:7-10)

In Due Season We Shall Reap (Galatians 6:7-10)

 

7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

 

Intro) 

1. The saying, “Nothing in life is easy,” is often too true. But why does everything in life require hard work? The reason can be pin-pointed to the sins of humanity’s ancestors. God said to Adam in Genesis 3:17, “17…cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;” Thus began man’s toil and labor. Nothing can be earned without sweat and tears, and our life of faith in God is no exception.

 

All of us have and will continue to face two decisions in our lives: When met with an obstacle, will you give up and turn back? Or will you persevere and overcome? Which path does God want us to follow? Hebrews 10:38 clearly tells us, “38 …if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.” We should not choose to turn back.

 

God also clearly tells us in today’s scripture, “let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” God never wants us to simply give in to trying situations. Today we will take a look at 3 crucial aspects we must never give up on.

 

Body)

 

A) Never give up on prayer.

 

Jesus teaches the vitality of prayer in Luke 18:1-8 through a parable:

 

“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

 

3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

 

6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” Prayer must be persistent and consistent.

 

2. In 1 Kings 18, we see Israel had suffered from a terrible drought for over three years. It was at this time Elijah prays to God for rain.

 

Verse 42-43 explain, “Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, 43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.”

 

The number seven was a significant number to the Israelites. It was a number that represented a whole, fullness, and entirety. So this scripture is not telling Elijah to go up seven times, it is telling him to continue and repeat until he receives an answer.

 

Praying for rain when there is nothing but clear skies is praying for the impossible. Praying six times feels like more than enough. But it isn’t enough. Elijah had to persevere and press forth to receive God’s answer.

 

3. I have things I have been prayer for for over 6 years. I have things I have been praying for for over 40 years. We do not stop praying until God tell us to. We must continue praying with sincerity and faith. There are things we may pray for until our last breaths. It may seem hopeless, but never give up, because God will tell you when you've done enough and give you His answer.

 

Today’s scripture clearly tells us we will reap what we sow, but only in due season. We can’t pray once and deem our prayers unheard. Our prayers are not powerless. They do not fall on deaf ears.

 

It took over 90 years for God to answer the prayers of the Israelites when they were slaves in Egypt. Exodus 3:9 says, “9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.”

 

Pray until you have filled your cup. How often do you pray? How many times a day? Are you often too busy? Or do you believe prayer is powerless and give up before you’ve filled your cup? Persevere and continue to pray. In due season, you will reap what you have sowed.

 

B) Never give up learning.

 

Deuteronomy 14:23 says, “…thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always.” Everything in this world is a reflection of God’s will and the lessons He wants us to learn.

 

The greatest people are those never end their quest for learning. Even in their old age they never cease to seek new knowledge. The moment we stop learning is the moment we stop growing.

 

Learning is a great joy and privilege. I once watched a program that interviewed elderly women in their 60s and 70s learn to read and write Korean for the first time. After months of hard work, they learned to write their names and letters to their children expressing their love and gratitude.

 

They were writing simple phrases, but there was so much joy in their eyes and in the eyes of their children. Learning is a great joy. We must also make the effort to learn God’s Word.

 

Again, Deuteronomy 14:23 tells us, “…thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always.” The key word here is “always”. Every Wednesday we have Bible Study. We are currently learning about the book of Zachariah. Some  of us may have never even heard of this book before!

 

If we learn the Word of God, we learn how to serve Him well, meaning we learn how to receive great blessings from Him. We learn about just how much God truly loves us. We learn about the path to salvation. We must never give up on learning.

 

C) Never give up on spreading the Gospel

 

In other words, never give up on evangelism. Jesus came to this earth to spread the Gospel, and his last command to us was to continue his mission. Mark 1:38 says, “38 And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.”

 

Matthew 28:19-20 also says, “19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

 

The world belongs to Satan, and he will do anything to stop us from spreading the Gospel. But we must not give in. We must persevere even if there seems to be no fruit. Stand strong and believe that in due season, we shall reap.

 

A pastor gave this testimony: There was a small church outside of the city. The church was in a house, filled with trash, and had only one member aside from the pastor. Since there was only one member, the lazy pastor would often skip Wednesday services and was even late to the Sunday services. Soon the pastor’s lazy reputation spread through the neighborhood.

 

The church association officers heard this and decided to close the church, deeming it to be hopeless. But one pastor heard the Lord tell him while praying, “I haven’t given up on this church. Why have you? This church was built on the blood I shed.”

 

With over 70 families and many children around the church, the pastors decided there were too many lives at stake to give up on it. They changed their minds and decided to combine their efforts to spread the Gospel to the people.

 

We do not give up until God had turned His back first. Do not ever despair. Continue to pray for the souls of the lost and do good work. Never give up on proclaiming Gospel. We may not see the fruits of our labors right away, but there is no calling more important and rewarding as our duty to evangelize.

 

Con)

 

Giving up in despair is a favorite tactic of Satan. It is what most easily separates us from God. But if we take a moment in the face of adversity, we will always hear the voice of God telling us, “Do not give up! I have not given up on you, so do not give up.”

 

Never give up on prayer. Never stop praying until the cup in front of you has been filled and God has answered you. Never give up on learning, especially His word. And finally, never give up on the Gospel. We must never stop evangelizing. The fruits of our work may not be clear to us at first, but they will surely come. Stand strong in His word, support each other, and push forth in His name.    * 060318 Ik Sun Ahn