THE MONDAY MORNING PREACHER S PACKAGE Code: 072809-8

THE MONDAY MORNING
PREACHER’S PACKAGE
Code: 072809-8

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Note to subscribers –This week’s package has one two-part message. These messages are great for a Sunday morning/Sunday night format or for two consecutive Sundays. These mini-series provide some variety and often bring people back for the evening service if you have one.

MESSAGE ONE
SOWN SEED WILL BECOME GROWN SEED!
(Part One)

ALTERNATE TITLES--
WATCH WHAT YOU SOW, SEE WHAT YOU REAP!
SOWING AND REAPING
YOU CAN DETERMINE YOUR HARVEST
A LAW IN THE KINGDOM

INTRODUCTION -- How many of you are interesting on a good return on your investments? (lift up your hand) We all are aren’t we? Especially during the current economic trends… There is a lot of anxiety in the financial markets right now. Big named companies we have heard of all our lives are folding. What if I told you I had some inside information of a sure-fire investment strategy that would yield you multiple times in ratio to what you invested? Interested? I actually have a little written report I want to share with you. It is from someone that is in headquarters of a very huge operation. He is very close to the source on this, so you can rest assured it is good solid information. Oh, by the way, most of you have that report with you but maybe you have not looked at it lately.

TEXT -- Galatians 6:6 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

TRANSITION -- Now if you are a little let down that I read this passage from the Bible instead of an inside handwritten note from Wall Street, then you simply do not understand the power of God’s truth. The investment strategy in this passage is out of this world!
Let me share with you four observations in this message about sowing and reaping. The first observation is:

1. LEARN TO SOW WHERE YOU RECEIVE “Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.” v6
-When you eat from someone else’s harvest, it is always good to sow in their field.

Illus -- A man and his ten-year-old son were on a fishing trip miles from home. At the boy's insistence, they decided to attend the Sunday worship

service at a small rural church.

As they walked back to their car after the service, the father was filled with complaints. "The service was too long," he lamented. "The sermon was boring, and the singing was off key."

Finally the boy said, "Daddy, I thought it was pretty good for a dime." (Lowell's: He Who Laughs, Lasts)

2. SOWING IS NO LAUGHING MATTER “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” v6
God will not be mocked.

Illus—I once heard a story of a man who was somewhat crippled in South America. He was struggling dragging himself along the sidewalk. He had a terrible spinal condition that affected his neck and back. He was debilitated. A skeptic who was sitting in front of his house, called out asking him where he was going. The crippled man replied, “I am going to the church and ask them to pray for me.” The skeptic scoffed, mocked and laughed at him chiding him severely for believing in such “nonsense.” Later it was said, that the crippled man was seen walking back up the street. He had been touched by God and to the amazement of many, he was healed. The same day, the skeptic suffered a fall and broke his neck.

-You cannot plant tares and expect wheat to come up?
-You cannot sow thorns and expect tomatoes to come up?
-You cannot sow death and expect life to come up?
God will not be mocked!

3. WE ALL ARE SOWERS AND REAPERS“whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” v7

-Every person is a giver. We all give something every day.
-We talk about how we “spend our lives.” We really do “spend our lives.” We all are investors. We are all bankers in a sense. We deposit and withdraw from the bank of life.
-We give to others
-Every person is a receiver. We all receive something every day. We withdraw from others

- Jesus had the truth of sowing and reaping in his teaching when he gave us the golden rule that says we should do to others what we would have them do to us.

Illus-- One of the many successful men who have used the Golden Rule principle was James Cash Penney. The fabulous Mr. Penney, starting with a small general merchandise store in Kemmerer, Wyoming, in 1902, built a multimillion-dollar business empire on one simple principle: the Golden Rule. For years the Penney stores were called The Golden Rule Stores. And it was Mr. Penney’s faith in that principle—always treating a customer as he himself would want to be treated—that made them grow and prosper.(Tans, 15,000 Illustrations)

4. WHAT WE SOW DETERMINES WHAT WE WILL REAPIN A MULTIPLIED WAY“that he will also reap.” v7

-In the natural, everything is able to reproduce in multiples from humans to tomato seeds.

Illus -- At one time we were in the home of one of our good members who lives just out of Chattanooga. He took me out to his barn and showed me a stalk of corn which contained seven fully developed ears. It was a wonder. I said, "You planted one grain from which this came." "Yes," he said. "And how many grains on this stalk?" He answered, "About 1,000 on each ear and seven ears, so about 7,000 grains." Think of it, plant one grain and reap 7,000 grains. (William Moses Tidwell, "Effective Illustrations.")

We use the term “What goes around comes around!” Illus -- Several years after inventing radar, Sir Robert Watson Watt was arrested in Canada for speeding. He’d been caught in a radar trap. He wrote this poem:

Pity Sir Robert Watson Watt,
Strange target of his radar plot,
And this, with others I could mention,
A victim of his own invention. (Erik Peterson, Higher Praise)

CONCLUSION – We have looked at four truths that relate to sowing and reaping. Next time we will look at four more we find in this passage. How are you doing in regard to these truths? What is it that you have been sowing? Right now is the time to decide what seed store you are going to visit. Pray and ask God to forgive you for sowing the wrong kind of seed. Call out for His mercy. As the musicians began to play, would you seriously consider what kind of condition the field of your heart is in? Would you ask God right now to…..

MESSAGE TWO
SOWN SEED WILL BECOME GROWN SEED!
(Part Two)

ALTERNATE TITLES--
WATCH WHAT YOU SOW, SEE WHAT YOU REAP!
SOWING AND REAPING
YOU CAN DETERMINE YOUR HARVEST
A LAW IN THE KINGDOM

INTRODUCTION –In our previous message, we began looking at some observations about the law of sowing and reaping. Some people are not sure about the validity of this spiritual law. Paul is pretty sure isn’t he? He says “God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man sows he also shall reap.” You see, even you do not believe in the law of sowing and reaping you are still subject to it.

Illus—Back in the sixties a lot of people began experimenting with LSD and other hallucinogenic drugs. There were occasions when a person would trip out on LSD and go to the top of a huge building and thinking they could fly, they would dive off. Sadly, when they ended up killing themselves because they believed they could defy the law of gravity. Even if you believe gravity does not exist, you are still subject to its force.

It is the same with the law of sowing and reaping. We are all subject to it.
Let’s read the passage again.

TRANSITION -- We covered the first four observations about sowing and reaping last time. (repeat them briefly), now we will look at number five.

5. THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF SEED YOU CAN SOW “For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” v8

A. Flesh – Paul wrote to the Galatians and described the works of the flesh:
Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery,[c] fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders,[d] drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Illus -- What is meant by "the flesh"? Dr. W.G. Scroggie detected ten shades of meaning used in the Bible. In nine of the ten, there is no ethical or theological content. But the tenth, which is the one Paul mainly employs, does have such significance. The flesh may be defined as "man's fallen nature as under the power of sin." It is the evil principle in man's nature, the traitor within who is in league with the attackers without. The flesh provides the tinder on which the devil's temptations can kindle. (J.O. Sanders, Enjoying Intimacy with God, Moody)

B. Spirit – The Bible is very clear about what the seed sown in Spirit look like. Listen to this biblical description of the fruit the Holy Spirit produces:

Galatians 5: 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

It is the Holy Spirit who produces His fruit in and through us as we yield to His control in our lives.

6. THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT HARVESTS YOU CAN REAP “For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” v8

A. Corruption
-Things that perish
-Things that break down
-Things under the curse
B. Everlasting life
-Things that are life-giving
-Things that build up
-Things that are blessed

7. DON’T BE DISCOURAGED WHILE YOU’RE SOWING “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” v9

The number one reason we get weary and discouraged when sowing good things:

BECAUSE REAPING THE VAST MAJORITY OF TIME IS NOT IMMEDIATE. This is why it says “we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

Illus—This is the time in the process when the temptation is great to dig up the seed you have planted. The battle of doubt rages in this period of the process. The enemy whispers through your flesh:

“Do you really think this is good ground?’
“Is that really what God meant?”
“Why hasn’t things changed yet, if you are obeying God?”
“Why don’t you try something else now, this is not working?”

YOU MUST REMEMBER -- “You will not fail if you do not quit!” This is the battle of faith. Believing what God has said over everything your fleshly man sees and hears.

DON’T SETTLE FOR A QUICK “FIX” – HOLD OUT FOR A SURE FIX!

Illus—What would you think about a person who goes out and plants a tomato seed in a planter one day and three days later they go out, dig up the seed, and with a puzzled look on their face, they ask “Why is this thing not producing tomatoes?” We would not consider such a person to be the sharpest knife in the drawer would we? Why? Because it takes time. Time means we have to be patient. Being patient means we will need the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit means we will be sowing out of the Spirit. This means we will get our good God given harvest!

-If you believe God’s Word that you will eventually reap, then you will have the endurance and confidence to keep sowing.
- The enemy will try to deceive you into believing that this law of sowing and reaping does not apply to you, but it applies to us all.
-We can also be encouraged by the testimonies of others who have experienced their harvest.

8. LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO SOW ESPECIALLY TO GOD’S FAMILY

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” v10

I will be brief on this last point but notice this about verse 10:

A. Look for opportunities – There are opportunities to invest and reap all around us.
B. Do good—This is a simple summary of what it means to sow to the Spirit. Do good. The Bible says in Acts 10:30 that Jesus was anointed and went about doing good. It is not rocket science. Do good!

C. Sow among God’s family—Always be sensitive to your brothers and sisters in Christ and what their needs might be – financially, physically, emotionally

Be sure you are sowing some seed in the field of God’s family.

CONCLUSION –I encourage each of you to firmly fix in your minds this truth. SOWN SEED WILL BECOME GROWN SEED! A seed sown will produce more seed that will be sown which produce more seed that will be sown…… The secret is to sow the right seed! Let’s make a commitment to do that right now! Pray and ask God what seed you need to begin sowing right away.

MESSAGE THREE

Four Triumphant Thoughts about the Lord’s Supper

ALTERNATE TITLES
UNDERSTANDING THE LORD’S SUPPER
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT COMMUNION
THE ORDINANCE OF THE LORD’S SUPPER
A SPECIAL WAY WE SEE JESUS

1 Corinthians 11: 17 Now in giving these instructions I do not praise [you], since you come together not for the better but for the worse. 18 For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. 19 For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. 20 Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper. 21 For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of [others]; and one is hungry and another is drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise [you]. 23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the [same] night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke [it] and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 25 In the same manner [He] also [took] the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink [it], in remembrance of Me." 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks [this] cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this reason many [are] weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 33 Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come.